THE seventh Tragedy of Seneca, Entitled MEDEA: Translated out of Latin into English, by JOHN STUDLEY, Student in Trinity College in Cambridge.  
¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetstreet, beneath the Conduit, at the Sign of Saint john Evangelist, by Thomas Colwell. Anno Domini M. D. LXVI.   

¶ To the right honourable Francis Lord russel, Earl of Bedford, one of the Queen's majesties privy Counsel: Knight of the most honourable order of the Garter, Lord Governor of ●arwicke, and Warden of the East matches. john Studley wisheth health, with ●ncrease of honour.  
AS it was not (right Honourable) the great excess, & abounduance of ANTONIUS glutting fare, but the little precious Pearl of CLEOPATRA that wanthe price, when they contended, whether of them might devour more at one meal: Even so this my little volume wherewith I present your Honour, may argue v●to your Lordship a more manifest proof of my good will towards your Honour, than the rich jewels and sums of gold & silver, the worldly minds do use to gratify their friends withal. Therefore I knowing your Honour to be of the like mind with him that was judge between CLEOPATRA & ANTONIUS, lightly esteem, & highly contemn all bribing golden gifts that as much or more glutteth virtuous minds, than might Antonius excessive fare: I have presumed, to offer unto your Honour, a small Pearl of y● peerless Poet and most Christian Ethnic Seneca, wherein no glutting, but sweet delectation, is offered unto the mind that doth hunger after virtue. But I need not to burnish Gold being so bright of itself, neither to commend the value of it unto him whose skilful & learned judgement can better esteem of it then mi imbecility is able to express. Therefore trusting your Honour (whose ●●ale in favouring & furthering all learning & good Studies is most manifest) will accept my good will signified by this travel of my simple, rude & unskilful pen, & bear with my bold attempt, whereunto your Honours great courtesy hath highly encouraged me to aspire, beseeching your Lordship to take upon you the tuition of so weak a Fortress, whom without your trusty aid, the perilous force of ill ●onges might soon overthrow: promising your Honour hereafter the further fruits of my riper Muse, I cease at this instant to trouble you: whom I leave to ●he tuition of our saviour jesus Christ: wishing ●our increase of honour, long life and lucky success in all affairs and attempets.  
Your Honours to command, john Studley.   

¶ The Preface to the Reader.  
IF I had not gentle Reader a better trust in thy gentleness, than affiance in mine own weakness, I had not assayed this second attempt, to bewray my rudeness and ignorance, unto thy skilful judgement: but though I mistrusted myself, yet I so reposed my hope in thee, that it gave me courage to translate this one Tragedy more of SENECA, for the pleasure of the learned, and the profit of the unlearned by reading of it in their native language. What kind of Tragedy it is, or what is to be learned thereby, I need not stand at large to discuss, being so plainly set forth by SENECA, far better than I am able to show or translate it, so worthily as he hath written it: yet as God hath given me grace, rudely and simply I have performed it: And because that all thing might be to the better understanding and commodity of the unlearned, as in some places I do expound at large the dark sense of the Poet: so have I changed the first Chorus, because in it I saw nothing but an heap of profane stories, and names of profane Idols: therefore I have altered the whole matter of it, beginning thus: Who hath not wist. divers reasons could I allege to maintain this mine alteration, but I trust thy gentleness will way it to the uttermost, and take all things in better part. Thus I bid thee farewell.   


W. F. in the translators behalf.  
GRudge not though younger years do● toil,  
where hoary heads might wade,  
Whose sappye wit more apt seems  
to travel in this trade.  
For who can more Minerva's face  
then lusty youth express?  
Or where do Muses more delight  
than in this youthfulness?  
Dame Nature showeth in her works  
how younger things excel,  
The younger flowers commonly  
do give the sweeter smell●  
The younger bows with green leaue●  
a tayrer face doth show:  
More gladsome is the pleasant plot,  
where green grass doth grow,  
We see also the fresher grape  
doth make the sweeter wine,  
Why then should do●yng age at youth  
for want of age repine?  
L●e Senec crowned with Laurel leaf,  
in England now appears,  
Medea pend with haughty style  
now English Metre wears:  
O P●squell paint their pining shame,  
and Parcae do not spare  
With speed to shred their lyness that do  
deny to grant the share  
And praise unto the painful pen,  
that hath deserved so,  
In bringing thus abroad his Mus●  
to profit friend and foe●   

The Argument to the Tragedy by the Translator.  

C●re sore did gripe Medea's heart, to see  
H●r jason whom she tendered as her life,  
And rescued had from plunge of pe●yis fre●  
Renoun●●nge her, to take another wife,  
Love sp●nt in vain breeds hate and malice rife,  
●n●yn●lyng coals, whose heat & greedy flame  
(Save streams o● blood,) nought else can quench the same●   

Medea mad in troubled mind doth muse,  
On vengeance fell, to quit her grievous wrong.  
Rough plagues at length intendeth she to use:  
Ill venomous things she charms which charming song  
Seeks out a Baane mad● of their poison strong  
In trayt●rous gifts a Rob●, and chain of Gold  
Nicely she doth the hidden poison fold.   

Sent are the Gifts to Creusa ●nd her Sie●,  
They takyng● them that brought their dol● to pass  
Vnwar● are burned by means of charmed ●ier,  
Due vengeance yet for jason greater was,  
Life fir●● on child by mother's hand (alas)  
Expired hath, which though it him agryse,  
Yet his other child she slays before his eyes.     

The names of the Speakers of this Tragedy.  

Medea.  
Chorus.  
Nutrix.  
Creon.  
jason.  
Nuntius.    

¶ The first Act.  Medea. 
O Gods whose grace doth guide their gob●les  
that joy in wedlock pure,  
O juno thou Lucina height,  
on whom the chary cure  
Allotted is of those, that groan  
in painful childbed ●andes,  
O Pallas by whose heavenly art  
Sir Typhis cunning hands  
Have learned to bridle with his helm  
his newly framed boat,  
Wherewith the force of fight floods  
he breaking rides a float.  
O God whose forked Mace doth storms  
in rigour rough appears,  
And cause the ruffling surges couch  
amid the ramping Seas:  
O Titan who upon the swift  
and wherlinge Hemisphere  
D●uides the cheerful day and night  
by equal turns t'appear.  
O threefold shapen Hec●te  
that sendest forth thy light,  
Unto thy silent sacrifice  
that offered is by night,  
By whom my jason swore to me  
o heavenly powers all,  
And ye on whom Medea ●aye  
with safer conscience call,  
O Dungeon dark●, most dreadful den  
of everlasting night,  
O dampened gohstes: o kingdom set  
against the gods aright:  
O Lord of sad and lowering lakes,  
o Lady dire of Hell,  
(Whom though that Pluto stolen biforce  
yet did his ●roth excel  
The fickle faith of jasons love,  
that he to me doth bear,)  
With cursed throat I conjure you,  
o grys●ye gohstes appear.  
Come out, come out, ye hellish hags,  
revenge this deed so dire,  
Bring in your scratting paws a burning  
brand of deadly fire.  
Rise up ye hiddivos devilish fiends,  
as dreadful as ye wear,  
When unto me in wedlock state  
ye did sometime appear.  
Work ye, work ye, the dole full death  
of this new wedded wife.  
And martyr ye this father in law:  
deprive of breath and life  
King Creon's ruthful family:  
in plunge of passing pain  
Torment ye me, that on my spouse  
do wish this woe to rain:  
Preserve my jasons life, but yet  
let him be baited out  
A mitching, roguing, runagate,  
in foreign towns about.  
To pass from door to door, with care  
to beg his needy bread.  
Not knowing in what harbouring place  
to couch his cursed head:  
A banished wretch, dysdaynd of all,  
and still in fear of life,  
Then let him wish ten thousand times  
for me again his wife:  
This famous gest whom every man  
will entertain and have,  
Let him be driven at strangers gates  
the table crumbs to crave.  
And that my bitter bannynges may  
with mischief most abound,  
God grant in gulf of like distress  
his children may be drowned,  
To sink in sorrows storms, that do  
there mother overflow:  
Now, now, I have, I have the full  
revenge of all my woe.  
I have dispatched: my piteous plaint  
and words in vain I lose:  
What shall not I with violence  
get up against my foes?  
And wring out of their wrested hands  
the wedding torch so bright?  
Shall I not force the firmament  
to lose his shrinking light?  
What doth my grandsires Phoebus' face  
this heavy hap behold?  
And standing gazing at this gear  
yet westward is he rolled,  
On glistering chariot hoisted high,  
and keeps his beaten race,  
Amid the crystal coloured sky,  
why turns he not his face,  
Retyringe fast into the East  
back up the day to twine?  
O father Phoebe to me, to me,  
thy Chariot reins resign,  
That I advanced up, about  
the marble skies may ride,  
Bequeath thy bridle unto me,  
and give me grace to guide  
Thy yoked prancing team, with jerking  
lash of burning whip,  
That with thy fervent fiery beams  
on purple pole do skip.  
Let Corinthe country burnt to dust  
by force of flame and fire  
give place, that both the ●umbled seas  
may join: whom to retire  
It doth compel, and dasheth of  
from bank on either side,  
Lest meet in one their channels might,  
whose streams he doth divide.  
No way to work their deadly woe  
I have but this at hand,  
That to the wedding I should bear  
a ruthful bridal brand,  
Anoyenge Creon's careless Court:  
when finished I have  
Such solemn s●ruyce, as that ryght●  
of sacrifice do the crave,  
Then at the Altars of the Gods  
my children shall be slain,  
With crimson coloured blood of babes heart,  
their altars will I stain.  
Through livers, lounges the lights &  
through every gut and gall,  
For vengeance break away perforce,  
and spare no blood at all:  
If any lusty life as yet  
within thy soul do rest,  
I fought of ancient courage still  
do dwell within my breast,  
Exile all foolish female fear,  
and py●ye from thy mind,  
And as thuntamed Tigers use  
to rage and rave unkind,  
that haunt the croaking combrus caves  
and clumpered frozen clives,  
And craggy rocks of Caucasus,  
whose bitter cold depryves  
The soil of all inhabitors,  
permit to lodge and rest,  
Such salvage brutish tyranny  
within thy brazen breast.  
What ever hurly-burly wrought  
doth Phasis understand,  
What mighty moustrous bloody feat  
I wrought by sea or land:  
The like in Corinth shallbe seen  
in most outrageous guise,  
Most hiddious● hateful, horrible,  
to hear, or see with eyes.  
Most devilish, desperate dreadful deed,  
yet never known before,  
Whose rage shall force heaven, earth & hell  
to quake and tremble sore.  
my burning breast that rolls in wrath  
and doth in rancour boil,  
Sore thirsteth after blood, & wounds  
with slaughter, death and spoil,  
By renting racked limbs from limbs  
to drive them down to grave:  
●ush, these be but as Fleabytynges,  
that mentioned I have:  
As weighty things as these I did  
in greener girlysh age,  
Now sorrows smart doth rub the gall  
and frets with sharper rage.  
But sith my womb hath yellded fruit,  
it doth me well behove,  
The strength and perilous puissance  
of weyghtier ills to ●roue.  
Be ready wrath, with all thy might  
that fury kindle may,  
Thy foes to their destruction  
be ready to assay:  
Of thy divorcement let the Price  
to match, and counterpoise  
The proud & precious princely pomp  
of these new wedding days.  
How wilt thou from thy spouse depart?  
as him thou followed haste  
In blood to ●athe thy bloody hands  
and traitorous lives to waste.  
Break of in time these long delays,  
abandon now again,  
This lewd alliance, got by guilt,  
with greater guilt refrain,  

¶ Chorus altered by the Translator.  
WHo hath not wist that windy words be ●ain●,  
A●d that in talk of trust is not the ground,  
Here in a mirror may he see it plain,  
Medea so by ●ro●fe the same hath found.  
Who being blind by blinded Venus' boy,  
Her bleared eyes could not behold her bliss:  
Nor spy the present poison of her ioy●,  
While in the gr●sse the Serpent lurked is.  
The shaft that flew from Cupid's golden bow,  
With feathers so hath dy●d her dazzled eyes,  
That can not see to shun the way of woe:  
The rankling head in dented ha●te that lies,  
So dulls the same, that can not understand  
The cause that brought false jason out of Greec●●  
To come unto her father's fertile land,  
Is not her love, but love of golden Fleece.  
Yet was his speech so pleasant and so mild,  
His tongue so field, his promises so fair,  
Sweet was the fowler's song that hath beguiled  
The silly bird, brought to the limed snare.  
faith, in his face, trust shined in his eyes,  
The blushing brow plain mining seemed to show,  
In double ha●te black treason hidden lies,  
Dissembling thoughts that weave the web of woe.  
The honeyed lips, the tongue in sugar depte  
Do● sweet the poison rank within the breast,  
In subtle show of painted sheath is kept,  
The rusty knife of treason deemed least,  
Life seems the bait to sight that lieth brim,  
Death is the hook that underlyes the same,  
The candle blaze delights with burning trim,  
The Fly, till ●●e be burned in the flame,  
Who in such shows least demyd any ills.  
The hungry fish fears not the bait to Brook,  
Till up the line do pluck him by the gylles,  
And fast in throat he feels the deadly hook.  
Woe jason, woe to thee most wretched man,  
Or rather wretch Medea woe to thee,  
Woe to the one that thus dyssem●le can,  
Woe to the other that trained so might be.  
Thoughst thou Medea his eyes to be the glass  
Wherein thou might the face of thoughts behold,  
That in his breast with words so covered was,  
As cankered brass with gloss of yellow gold?  
Did thou suppose that nature (more than kind)  
Had placed his heart his ly●nge lips between,  
His looks to be the mirror of his mind?  
faith in fair face hath ●●ldome yet been seen.  
Who lyst●eth to the flattering Mermaids note,  
Must needs commit his tired eyes to sleep,  
Yielding to her the ●aking of his boat,  
That means unware to drown him in the deep.  
What booteth the● Medea to betray  
The golden Fleece, to fawning jasons hand,  
From Dragon's teeth him safely to convey,  
And fiery Bulls the warders of the land?  
Why for his sake from father hast thou fled,  
And thrust thyself out from thy native soil?  
Thy brother's blood what ay●●d thee to shed,  
With jason thus to travel and to ●oyle?  
Behold the meed of this thy good de●a●te,  
The recompense that he to thee doth gy●e.  
For pleasure, pain, for joy, most eager smart,  
With clogging ca●es in banishment to ly●e.  
Tho●, and thy babes, are like to ●egge and ●●ar●e,  
In Nation stra●nge, (o miserable life)  
While jason from his promises do swerve,  
And takes delight in his new wedded wife.  
O ground ungrate, that when the husband man  
Hath tilled it, to recompense his toil  
No corn, but weeds, and ●h●stles cendder can,  
To ●●ynge dies hands, that truyte seeks of his soil.  
Such venom grows of pleasaut coloured flower:  
Lo●, princes lo, what deadly poison sup  
Of ba●e, erst sweet, now turned into sowe●,  
Mede● drank out of a golden c●p.    

¶ The second Act.  Medea. Nutrix. 
Ay me alas I am undone,  
for at the bridal cheer  
The warble note of wedding song  
resounded in mine ear.  
Yet for all this scant I myself,  
yet scant believe I can,  
That jason would play such a prank,  
a most unthankful man,  
Both of my country, and my sire,  
and kingdom me to spoil,  
And yet forsake me wretch forlorn,  
to stray in foreign soil.  
O hath he su●h such a stony heart,  
that doth no more esteem,  
The great good turns, and benefits  
that I employed on him?  
Who knows, that I have lewdly used  
enchantments for his sake,  
The rigour rough, and stormy rage,  
of swelling seas to slake.  
The grunting fyryefoming Bulls  
whose smoking guts were stuff  
With smoltering fumes, that from their jaws,  
& nostrils out they puffed  
I stopped their gnasshing munching mouths  
I quenched their burning breath,  
And vapours hot of stewing paunch,  
that else had wrought his death.  
Or feeds he thus his fancy fond,  
to think my skill of charm  
Abated is, and that I have  
no power to do him harm?  
Bestract of wits, which wavering mind  
perplexed on every part,  
I tossed, and turmoiled am,  
with way ward crazy heart.  
Now this, now that, and neither now,  
but now another way,  
By divers means I toil, that so  
my wrong revenge I may.  
I would the wreatche a brother had:  
but what? he hath a wife.  
Go cut her throat, with ghastly wounds  
bereave her of her life.  
On her i'll work my deadly spite,  
her, her alone I crave,  
To quit such bitter sousing storms,  
as I sustained have.  
If any grand notoryus guilt  
in all Pelasgan land  
Be put in practise yet unknown  
unto thy harming hand,  
Thereof to get experience  
the time doth now begin:  
Thy former feats do bid thee tak●  
good hope● to thrive herein:  
Let all thy guilts with thronging thic●  
assemble thee to aid,  
The golden Fleece (the chief novel)  
of Colchis I'll betrayed.  
My tender brother eke, that with  
my sire did me pursue,  
Whom with his secret parts cut of  
I wicked virgin slew,  
Whose shreaded & dismembered corpse,  
with sword in gobbets hewed,  
(A woeful corpse tooth father's heart)  
on Pontus' ground I strewed.  
How hoary he added P●lias  
his withered age to shift  
To green years, for longer life,  
his daughters by my drift  
His members all and mangled flesh  
with liquor scalding hot  
Ysodden, and parboiled have,  
in seething brazen pot.  
How oft in heinous blood have these  
my cruel hands been died?  
And never any guilt as yet  
by wrath inflamed I tried.  
But now the perilous poisoning wound  
of Cupid's piercing dart  
Doth boil and rage's within my breast,  
it rankles at my heart.  
But how could Ias●n it redress,  
whom fortunes froward will  
Hath ye●ld unto another's hand,  
at lust to save or spill?  
O rage of rusty cankered mind  
this slanderous talk amend,  
If fortunes grace will grant it thus,  
let him unto his end  
Live still my jason as he was,  
but if not jason mine,  
Yet caitiff suffer jason live,  
though jason none of thine:  
Who being mindful still of us  
some favour let him show,  
For these good turns that our good will  
could erst on him bestow:  
King Creon is in all the fault,  
and only worthy blame,  
Who puffed up with sceptre proud,  
unable for to frame  
His tickle mind to modesty,  
made breach betwixt us again,  
Whom Hymen's bands, and link of love  
had made but one of twain,  
By whom eke from her ●ender brats  
the mother (wreatche) is drawn,  
He breaks the vow, that gauged is  
with such a precious pawn.  
Seek after such a vyllaynes' blood,  
in daunting pangs of smart  
Let him alone be surely doused,  
such is his due desert,  
A dungell heaped of Cinders burned  
his Palace make I shall,  
that Malea where in winding strightes,  
the lingering ships do crawl,  
Shall gaze on smouldering turrets tops  
turmoiled in crackling flame.  Nu. 
¶ For godsake madame I you pray  
your tongue to silence frame.  
Eke hide your privy languyshing  
and grief in secret vain:  
Who with a modest mind abides  
the spurs of pricking pain,  
And suffereth sorrows patiently,  
may it repay again.  
Who bears a privy grudge in breast,  
and keeps his malice close,  
When least suspection is thereof  
may most annoy his foes.  
He loseth opportunity  
who vengeance doth require,  
That shows by open sparks the flame  
the heat of kindled fire.  Me. 
¶ Small is the gripe of grief that can  
to reason's lore obey,  
And sneaking down with steling steps  
can stylie slip away.  
But they that thoroughly soused are  
with showers of greater pain,  
Can not digest such corseys sharp,  
but cast it up again:  
Fain would I give them trouncing girds.  Nu. 
¶ Good daughter dear assuage  
Thunbrydled sway, and boiling heat  
of this thy giddy rage:  
Scant mayst thou purchase quietness  
although thou hold thy tongue.  Me. 
¶ The valiant heart dame Fortune yet  
durst never harm with wrong  
But dreading dastards down she drives.  Nu. 
¶ If any courage dure,  
And harboured be in noble breast,  
now put the same in ure.  Me. 
¶ The show of sturdy valiant heart  
at any time doth shine.  Ne. 
¶ No hope doth in adversity  
the way to scape assign.  Me. 
¶ He that ha●h none affiance lefts,  
nor any hope at all,  
Yet let him not mistrust the luck  
of aught that may befall.  Nu. 
¶ Thy Country clean hath cast thee of  
to let thee sink or swim,  
As for thy husband jason he,  
there is no trust in him:  
Of all the wealth, and worldly muck  
wherewith thou did abound:  
No portion remains at all,  
whereby some help is found.  Me. 
¶ Medea yet is left, (to much.)  
and here thou mayst espy  
The Seas to secure us in flight,  
and lands aloof that lie:  
Yea iron tools, with burning brands  
we have to work them woe,  
And Gods that with the thunder dint  
shall overquell our foe:  Nu. 
¶ who wears the goldencrested crown  
him dread with awe ye should.  Me. 
¶ My father was a king, yet I  
betrayed his Fleece of gold:  Nu. 
¶ Can not the deadly violence  
of weapons make the fear?  Me. 
¶ No though such grisly lads they were  
as whilom did appear,  
That bred of gargoyle dragons teeth  
in hollow gaping ground,  
When mutually in bloody fight  
each other did confound.  Nu. 
¶ Then wilt thou cast thyself to death,  Me. 
¶ Would God that I were dead.  Nu. 
¶ Fly, fly to save thy life.  Me. 
¶ w● worth the time that once I fled.  Nu. 
¶ What o Medea.  Me. 
¶ Why shall I fly?  Nu. 
¶ A mother dear art thou,  
Fly therefore for thy children's sake.  Me. 
¶ Ye see by wh●m, and how,  
A wretched mother I am made.  Nu. 
¶ Thy life by flight to save  
dost thou mistrust?  Me. 
¶ Nay, fly I will,  
but vengeance first i'll have.  Nu. 
¶ Then some shall thee at heels pursue,  
to wreck the same again  Me. 
¶ Perhaps I'll make his coming short.  Nu. 
¶ Be still, and now refrain.  
O desperate dame thy thundering threats,  
and slake your raging ire.  
Apply, and frame thy froward will  
as time and tides require.  Me. 
¶ Full well may fortunes welting wheel  
to begging bring my state,  
As for my worthy courage that  
she never shall abate.  
Who bouncing at the gates, doth cause  
the creaking doors to jar?  
It is the wreatche Creon his self,  
whom princely power far  
Hath life aloft, with lordly look,  
paft up with powncinge pride,  
That he may Corinth country with  
the sway of sceptre guide.  Creon. Medea. 
MEdea that ungracious imp  
king Aetes' wicked child  
Yet hath not from our careful realm  
her lingering foot exiled.  
Some noughty drift she goes about,  
her knacks of old we know,  
Her juggling arts, her harming hands  
are known well long ago.  
From whom will she with hold her harm?  
whom will this cruel beast  
Permit to live from peril free  
in quietness and rest?  
Clean to cut of this perilous plague  
it was our purpose bend,  
But jason by entreating hard  
did cause us to relent.  
At his request we granted have  
her life she shall enjoy,  
Let her acquit our country free  
from fear of all annoy:  
Yea safely let her pack her hence,  
in eager gyddye fit  
With lompish lowering look she comes  
in talk with me to knit:  
Sirs keep her of, and set her hence,  
lest us she touch per hap,  
And drive her back from coming nigh  
command her keep her clapp.  
And let her learn at length, how that  
herself submit she may,  
The puissant poise and majesty  
of princes to obey.  
Run, hie the quickelye, trudge apace,  
have hence out of my sight  
This horrible, most odious quean,  
this monstrous wicked wight.  Me. 
¶ My sovereign liege, what greater crime  
have I or less offence  
Commit against thy majesty,  
to be exiled hence?  Cre. 
¶ Alas the guiltless woman doth  
demand a reason why:  Me. 
¶ If thou be judge indifferent,  
ordained my cause to try,  
Consider then my doubtful case,  
and weigh the ground of it:  
If thou b● king, command a judge  
for ●uch a matter fit.  Cre. 
¶ The princes power thou shalt obey,  
bitten either right or wrong.  Me. 
¶ The prosperus pride of wronging crowns  
cannot endeavour long.  Cre. 
¶ Avaunt, & yell out thy complaints  
at Colchis, get thee hence.  Me. 
¶ Full gladly will I get me home,  
if he that brought me thence  
Vouchsafe to b●are me back again.  Cre. 
¶ Alas to la●e arise  
Entreating words, when as decree  
is taken otherwise.  Me. 
¶ He that not hearing either part  
pronounceth his decree,  
Unryghteous man accounted is,  
though right his sentence be.  Cre. 
¶ While Pelias trusted to thy talk,  
from life to death be fell.  
Go to, begin, we give you leave  
your goodly tale to tell.  Me. 
¶ That type of regal majesty  
that erst by Fortune's hand●  
Advanced to I did attain,  
hath taught me understand,  
How hard a thing it is of wrath  
the rigour to assuage,  
When burning heat o● boiling breast  
in flames begins to rage.  
Eke for th'advancement of their power  
more to display in sight  
Their kingly courage bolstered out  
with majesty of might.  
They d●me it doth import aswaye,  
and hath a ●reater grace,  
Whom stately sceptre caused to climb  
aloft to prouder place.  
To persevere with fancy fond,  
in that to reason's spite,  
Whose greedy choice attainted first  
his mind with vain delight.  
For though in pytyous plight I lie,  
thrown down to great decay,  
With heau● hap, and ruthful chance,  
to miserable stay,  
Thus hunted out from place to place,  
forsook and left alone,  
A widow while my husband live,  
with cause to wa●le and moan,  
Perplexed in maze of misery,  
with cloyenge cares so r●se,  
Yet whysom I in golden throne  
have led in happy life.  
By high and noble parentage  
my bright renown doth shine.  
From Phoebus eak my grandsire great  
derived is my line.  
Where silver streamed Phasis flood  
his washing waves doth shed,  
Or with contrary croaking ways  
his bathing channel spread.  
what ever wandering coast stretched out  
is left aloof behind,  
From whence the roaming Scythian sea  
his channel forth doth find,  
Where as Meotis fenny plash  
with pure fresh water springs  
Doth season sweet the bryny sea,  
that tied in thither brings.  
Eke all the coasts environed  
and kept within the banks  
Of Thermodon, where warlike troops,  
and armed widow's ranks,  
with painted bucklers on their arms  
hold all the land in fear,  
with rigour rough of threatening sword  
with force of denting spear.  
So far to all these wandering coasts  
and countries round about,  
My father's ample regiment  
at large is stretched out.  
I being thus of noble race  
and in an happy plight,  
With glorious gloss of princely pomp  
in honour shining bright,  
Then peerless pears my spousal bed  
did sek● and sew to have,  
But those to be their loving feres  
now other Ladies crave,  
Rash, tickle, peevish, undiscrete,  
and waveryug fortunes wheel,  
Hath cast me out the crushing cares  
of banishment to feel.  
In sceptre proud and haughty crown  
f●r thine affiance ●aste.  
Sith upsy-down with welkyn wheel  
whole mounts of wealth is cast.  
This princes do possess, that should  
their royalty display,  
Whose fame shall never ra●ed be  
with storm of lowering day,  
To secure those whom misery  
in pit of pains do the ●ouse,  
To sheylde and harbour supplyantes  
in roof of loyal house.  
This only brought I from my realm  
the precious golden Fleece,  
That jewel chief, and eke the flower  
of chivalry in Greece,  
The sturdy prop, the rampir strong  
the bulwark of your wealth,  
And Hercul●s the boystrus Imp  
of ●oue I kept in health.  
It was by means of my good will  
that Orpheus did escape,  
Whose harmony the lyu●le●se rocks  
with such delight did rape,  
That forced even the clottered lumps  
with hobbling pryckt to prance,  
And eke the jocund nodding woods  
with foting fine to dance.  
And that those heavenly twins Castor  
and Pollux did not die,  
My due desert is doubled twice,  
sith them preserved I.  
Of Boreas blustering out with puffed  
cheeks his blasting breath  
His winged sons I kept alive  
both Calais and Zeth.  
And Lynceus that with piercing beams  
and sharper sight of eye  
Can navies on the farther banks  
of Sicill shore espy.  
And all the Minians that did come  
the golden Fleece to wyn●  
As for the Prince of Princes all  
I will not bring him in.  
With silence jason will I pa●se,  
for whom though him I save,  
Yet is not Greece in debt to me,  
no recompense I crave  
To no man him I do impute,  
the rest I borough ● again  
For your avail, that you thereby  
some profit might attain.  
But only on my jason dear,  
him for my own loves sake  
I kept in store, that he of me  
his wedded wife should make.  
None other fault (God wots) ye have  
to charge me with but this,  
That Argo Ship by means of me  
returned safely is.  
If I a shame fast maid had not  
with Cupid's bait been caught  
If more my father's health to have  
then jasons I had sought,  
Pelasgan land had been undone,  
and fallen to great decay,  
The lusty valiant capitains  
had clean been cast away:  
And jolly jason first of all  
this now thy son in law,  
The Bulls had rend his swallowed limbs  
in fiery chomping jaw.  
Let Fortune fight against my case  
as list her eluysh will,  
Yet never shall it grieve my heart,  
repent my deed I nill,  
That I should for so many kings  
their reling honour save,  
The guerdon due that I for this  
my crime commit must have,  
It lieth Creon in thy hand,  
if thus it liketh thee,  
Condemn my guilty gohste to death,  
but render first to me,  
My fault that forced me offend,  
than Creon grant I this,  
Receiving Ias●n (cause of crime)  
I guilty did amiss.  
Thou knowest that I was such an one  
when cowering low I lay,  
Before thy feet in humble wise  
and did entreating pray,  
Thy gracious goodness me to grant  
some succour at thy hand.  
For me a wreache and wretched babes  
I ask within this land  
Some cottage base, in outcast hole,  
some couching corner vile,  
If from the town thou drive us out  
to wander in exile,  
Then some buy place aloof within  
this realm let us obtain.  Cre. 
¶ How I am none that tyrant like  
with churlish sceptre reign,  
Nor proudly or dysdaynfullye,  
with haughty courage high,  
with vaunting foot do stamp them down  
that undertroden lie,  
And daunted are in careful bale,  
this plainly doth disclose,  
In that to me of late I such  
a son in law have chose,  
Who was a wandering pylgrim poor,  
with sore afflyctyons' freight,  
dismayed with terror of his foe,  
that lay for him in weight.  
Because Acastus having got  
the crown of Thessail land,  
Requireth in thy guilty blood  
to bathe his wreakful hand.  
He doth bewail that good old man  
his fyble father slain,  
Whom weight of years with bowing back  
to stoop allow constraine●  
The godly minded sisters, all  
yblind with misty vale  
And cloaking colour o● thy craft  
durst vent'rously assail.  
That mount of myfcheife merueylus,  
to mangle●●eaw, and cut,  
Their fathers dear unjointed lym●  
In boiling cauldron put.  
But for thy open gyl●ynes  
if thou can purge the same,  
Straight ●ason can discharge himself  
from blot of guilty blame.  
His gentle hands were never stained  
with gore of any blood.  
Aloof from your conspiracy  
refraining far he stood.  
His harmless hands put not in ●r●  
with gory tools to mell.  
But thou that se●st on fire first  
th●se mighty myscheifs fell,  
Whom shameless woman's wil●e brain●  
and manly stomach stout  
Do ●et a gog, for to a tempt  
to bring all ills about.  
And no regard at all thou hast,  
how scunding trump of fame  
With ringing blast of good or ill  
do blow abroad thy name:  
Get out and cleanse my wyled realms  
away together b●are  
Thine herbs unmild of sorcery,  
my Lyeges rid fro fear.  
Transport thee to some other land,  
whereas thou may at ease  
With odious noys● of diu●lish charm,  
the troubled God's disease.  Me. 
¶ If needs thou wilt have me avoid,  
my ship to me restore,  
Or else my mate with whom I first  
arrived on this shore:  
Why dost thou bid that by myself  
I only should be gone?  
I came not hither at first without  
my company alone.  
If this do thee aggrieve, that brunt  
of wars thou shalt sustain,  
command us bot● the cause thereof  
to shu● thy realm again:  
Sith both are guilty of one act,  
w●y dost thou partte us twain?  
For jasons sake, not for mine own,  
poor P●lias was slain.  
Annex unto my traitorous flight  
the conquered booty brave,  
My hoary headed natural si●r,  
how I forsaken have,  
With brother's bloody flesh that mangled  
was with carving knife,  
Or aught of jasons forged lies  
he gabs unto his wife.  
These dreary deeds are none of mine,  
so oft as I offend,  
Not for mine own commodity,  
to come thereby in th'end.  Cre. 
¶ time is expired, by which thou ought  
to have been gone away,  
With keeping such a cha● why dost  
thou make so long delay?  Me. 
¶ Yet of thy bounty ere I go.  
this one boon will I crave.  
Although the mother banished  
so sore offended have,  
Let not the vengeance of my fault  
through wrathful deadly hate,  
Mine innocent and guiltless babes  
torment in wretched state.  Cre. 
¶ Away: with loving fryndely gripe  
thy children I embrace,  
And as a father natural  
take pity on their case.  Me. 
¶ Even for the prosperus good increase  
of fertile spousal bed,  
Of Glauce bright thy daughter dear,  
whom jason late hath wed.  
And by the hope of fruitful seed,  
whose flower in time shall bloom.  
By th'honour of thy glistering crowne●  
ythralled to fortune's doom,  
Which she so full of chop and change  
with tycle turning wheel  
Whirls up & down, in staggering state  
makes to and fro to reel.  
I thee beseech, (sith to exile  
I am departing now)  
O Creon but a little pause  
for mercy me allow,  
While of my mourning brats which kiss  
my last farewell I take.  
While gasp of failing breath perhaps  
my shyvering limbs forsake.  Cre. 
¶ With craft intending some deceit  
thou cravest this delay.  Me. 
¶ What falsehood for so little time  
be cause of terror may?  Cre. 
¶ No jot of time is short enough  
displeasure to prevent.  Me. 
¶ Can not one jot to weeping eyes  
and trilling tears be lent?  Cre. 
¶ Although against thy earnest suit  
unlucky dread do strive,  
One day to settle thee away  
content I am to give.  Me. 
¶ This is to much, and of the same  
somewhat abridge ye may.  Cre. 
¶ Make speed apace if from our land  
thou get thee not away,  
Ere Phoebus' horse with golden gleed  
their streaming beams do shed,  
Of dawning lamp, thou art condemned  
to lose thy wretched head.  
The holy day and bridal both  
do call me hence away:  
And wyls me at the sacred altar  
of Hym●neus to pray.  

¶ Chorus.  
LAui●n of life and dreadless was the wight,  
Attempting first in slender tottering Barge  
With slyving o'er the sliced wave to smite,  
A●d durst commit the dainty tender charge  
Of hazard life to inconstant course of wind,  
That turns with change of chances evermore,  
To view the land forsook aloof behind,  
And shoving forth the s●yp from s●fer shore,  
And glancing through the foamy channel deep  
On sunder c●t who slender stem the wave,  
Twy●● hope o● life, and dread of death to sweep,  
In narrow gut himself to spill or save:  
Experience yet of Planets no man had,  
Th●y noded not the wandering course to know  
Of Sta●●●s, (wherewith ●he painted sky is clad,)  
Not ●l●●a●s, (which return of sailing ●●●w)  
Nor Hyads ●that with showers th● Seas do b●a●e)  
No nor the st●rne Amalthea's h●rned ●ead  
(Who gave the ●yppes of lucking jove the thate)  
Were wont to put the blunde●yug ships in dread.  
They feared not the northern ysye wain,  
which lazy old boot●s w●●lds behind,  
A●d twines about, no name yet could they feign  
For Boreas' rough, nor smother western wind.  
Yet Typhys bold on open seas durst sh●we  
His hoisted sails, and for the wynds decree  
New laws: as now full gale aloof to blow,  
Now tackle turned to take side wind alee,  
Now up to fa●le the crossayle on the mast,  
There safe to hang, the topsail now to spread,  
Now missel sail, and drabler out to cast,  
When dangling hangs his shattering tackle red  
while steersman stur, and busy ne●●r blyn,  
With pith to pull all sails eke to display,  
with tooth and nail all forc● of wind to win,  
To shear the seas, and quick to scud away.  
Th● golden world our fathers have possessed,  
where banished fra●de durst n●u●r come in place,  
All were content to live at home in r●st,  
with hoary head, graybeard, and surrowed face.  
which tract of time within his con●rey brought,  
Rich having little, f●r more they did not toy●●,  
No vent for wares, nor Traffic far they sought,  
No wealth that sprang beyond thayr native soil,  
The Thessail ship together now hath set,  
Th● world that w●ll with seas dissevered lay,  
It bids the floods with oats to be bet,  
And stream●s unknown with shipwreck us to fray  
That wicked R●le was lost ●y ruthful wrack  
Ytossed through such perils passing great,  
where Cyane's rocks 'gan roar as thunder crack,  
whos● bouncing boult th● shaken soil doth bea●,  
The sousing surges dashed every star,  
The pestered seas the clouds aloft be●ayd,  
This scuffling did bowl Typhis mind detar,  
His h●lme did slip f●om trembling hand dismayed.  
Then Orpheus with his drooping Ha●p was mum  
Dead in h●r dumps the flaunting Argos glee,  
All hushed in rest with silence, waxed dumb,  
what hardy heart astounded here would no● bee●  
To see at once each yawning mouth to gape,  
Of Sulla's gulf compact in wallowing paunch,  
Of dogs, who doth not loath her mongrel shape,  
H●e visage, br●st, and hyddyous ugly ●aunche●  
whom irketh not the scold with barking still?  
To her● the Mermaids di●e who do●h not quail,  
T●at lure the ears with pleasant singing paryll  
Of such as on ●nsonius sea do sail?  
when Orpheus on his twangling Harp did play,  
That carst the Muse Calliope gave to him  
Almost those Nymphs that wont was to stay  
The shypp●s, he caused fast following him to swim.  
How ●earely was that wicked journey bought?  
Medea accursed, and eke the golden Flecce,  
That greater harm than storm of s●as hath wrought  
Rewarded well that vo●age ●●rst of Gre●ce.  
Now seas controlled do suffer passage free,  
The ●rgo proud erected by the hand  
Of Pallas first, doth not complain that she,  
Conue●d hath back● t●e kings unto their land,  
Each whirty ●o●t now scuds about the deep,  
All stints and waares are taken clean away,  
The cities frame new walls themselves to keep,  
The open world lets nought res● where it lay:  
The ●oyes of Ind Arexes luckwarme leak,  
The Pers●ans stout in Rhine and Albis' stream  
Do bathe their barks, ●yme ●●all in fine out break  
when Ocean wave shall open every realm.  
The wand'ring world at w●ll shall open lie.  
And Typhis will some new found land survey.  
Some travelers shall the Co●tre●es far escry,  
Beyond small Thule, known furthest at this day●.    

¶ The third Act.  Nutrix. Medea. 
WHy tro●st thou frisking in & out  
so rash from place to place?  
Stand still, and of ●hyne eager wrath  
suppress the ruthful race,  
The rigour rough of ramping rage  
from burning breast out cast,  
As Bacchus' bedlam priests that of  
his sprite have felt the blast,  
Run frantic hoyting up and down  
with scytysh wayward wits,  
Not knowing any place of rest,  
so prycte with froward fits,  
On cloudy top of Pindus' mount  
all hid with snow so chill:  
Or else upon the lofty ridge  
of branched Nisa hill:  
Thus starting still with frounced mind  
she welters to and fro,  
the signs pronouncing proof of pangs  
her frenzy face doth show.  
with glowing cheeks, & blood red face  
with short and gasping breath,  
She fetcheth deep ascending sighs  
from sobbing heart beneath.  
Now blithe she smiles, each tumbled thought  
in pondering brain she beats,  
Now stands she in a mammeryng●  
now mischief sore she threats.  
w ● chaufing fume she burns in wrath,  
and now she doth complain,  
With blubbering tears a fresh bilive  
she weeps and wails again.  
Where will this lumpish load of cares  
with headlong sway allighte?  
On whom entendethe she to work  
the threats of her despite?  
Where will this huge tempestuous surge  
slake down itself again?  
Enkindled fury new in breast  
begins to boil a main.  
She secretly intends no misschife  
small nor mean of size  
To pass herself in wickedness  
her busy brains devise.  
The token old of pinching ire  
full well ere this know I:  
Sum heinous huge, outrageous great  
and dreadful storm is nigh:  
Her fiery, scowling, steaming eyes,  
her hanging groin I see,  
Her pouting, puffed, frowning face,  
that signs of fretting be.  
O mighty jone beguile my fear:  Me. 
¶ O wretch if thou desire,  
What measure ought to poise thy wrath  
then learn by Cupid's fire,  
To hate as sore as thou didst love,  
shall I not them annoy  
That do unite in spousal bed,  
their want on lust enjoy?  
Shall Phoebus' fiery footed horse  
go lodge in western wave  
The drdwping day, that la●● I did  
with humble crowchinge crave,  
And with such earnest busy suit  
so hardly granted was,  
Shall it depart ere I can bring  
my devilish drift to pass?  
While hovering heaven doth counter poised  
hang with equal space,  
Amid the marble hemispheres,  
while round with stinted race,  
The gorgeous sky above the earth  
doth spinning roll about,  
Whiles that the number of the sands,  
lies hid unserched out.  
While dawning day doth keep his course  
with Phoebus' blaze so bright,  
While twinkling stars in golden trains  
do guard the s●ombrie night,  
While I sie under propping pole  
with whirling swing so swift  
The shining bears unbathed about  
The frozen sky do lift,  
While flushing ●loodes the frothy streams  
to rustling seas do send,  
To gird them gripped with plunging pangs  
my rage shall never end.  
With greater heat it shall reboil,  
like as the brutish beast,  
Whose tyranny most horrible,  
exceedeth all the rest,  
What greedy gaping whirl pool wide  
what perilous gulf unmild,  
What Sylla couched in roaring rocks  
or what Charybdis wild,  
(That Sicil and joinum sea  
by frothy waves doth sup)  
What Aetna bolking stifling flames,  
and dusky vapours up,  
(Whose heavy poise which stewing heat  
doth smouldering crush beneath  
Encelades, that fiery flakes  
from choked throat doth breath)  
Can with such dreadful menaces  
In sweating fury fry?  
No river swift no troubled surge  
Of stormy sea so high,  
Nor sturdy seas (whom ruffling winds  
with raging force to roar)  
Nor puissant flash of fire, whose might  
By boisterous blast is more,  
May bide my anger's violence:  
my fury shall it foil:  
His court I le over hourl, and lay  
it level with the soil.  
My jasons heart did quake for fear  
of Creon cruel king  
And lest the king of thessaly  
would war upon him bring.  
But loyal love that hardens hearts  
makes no man be afrighte.  
But beet, that he convict hath yield  
himself to Creon's might.  
Yet once he might have vysyted●  
and come to me his w●fe,  
To talk, and take his last farewell.  
if danger o● his life  
In doing this (hard hearted wretch  
most cruel) he should fear,  
He being Creon's sonn● in law,  
for him it lemuel were,  
To have prorogued somewhat yet  
my heavy banishment,  
To take my leave of children twain  
one only day is lent:  
Yet do I not complain, as though  
the time to short I thought●  
As proof shall plain pronounce, to day,  
to day, it shall be wrought,  
The memory whereof no tract  
of time shall wipe away.  
With malice bend against the gods  
my wrath shall them assay:  
And rifling every thing, both good,  
and bad, I will turmoil.  Nu. 
¶ Madam thy mind that troubled is,  
and ●ost with such abroyle  
Of swarming ills, thy vexed breast  
now set at rest again,  
The peevish fond affections all  
of troubled mind refrain.  Me. 
¶ Then only can I be at rest,  
when every thing I see  
Thrown headlong topsy turvey down  
to ruthful end with me.  
With me let all things clean decay:  
thyself if thou do spill,  
Thou mayst drive to destruction  
what else with the thou will:  Nu. 
¶ If in this folly stiff thou stand  
behold what after claps  
Are to be feared, none dare contrive  
for princes training traps.  Ia●on. Medea. 
O luckless lot of froward fates  
o cruel fortunes hap,  
Both when she list to smite, or spare,  
in woe she doth us wrapp  
A like, the salve that God hath given  
so oft, to cure our grief,  
More noyeth then the sore itself,  
and sendeth less relief:  
If for her good deserts to me  
amendment I should make,  
I hazard should my venturous life  
to lose it for her sake.  
If I will shun my dismal day  
and will not for her die,  
Then want the love of loyalty  
O wretched man must I.  
No dastards dread my stomak● stout  
can cause to droop and shrink,  
But mere remorse appalleth me,  
when on my babes I think.  
For why? when careful parents are  
on's reft of life and breath,  
Sun after them there wretched seed  
are drawn to doleful death.  
O Sacred righteousness (if thou  
enjoy thy worthy place  
In perfect bliss of happy heaven)  
I call upon thy grace,  
And the for witness here allege,  
how for my children's part  
With pit pryckte I have commit  
these things against my heart.  
And so I think Medea herself  
the mother rather had,  
(Though francticklye as now she fares  
with rage of heart so mad  
And doth abhor with painful yoke  
of cumbrous cares to toil)  
Her spousal bed, then that her seed  
should take the plunging foil.  
I did determine in my mind,  
to go her to entreat  
With gentle words, & pray her cease,  
in fervent wrath to fret.  
And lo●on me when on's she kaste  
the beams of glauncinge eye,  
Full blithe she leaps, she jumps for joy,  
in fits she gins to fry.  
Deep deadly blackish hate she seems  
in out ward brow to bear,  
And wholly in her frowning face  
doth glutting grief appear.  Me. 
¶ I packing, packing, jason am:  
this still to chop, and change  
The fleeting soil of my abode,  
to me it is not strange.  
The cause of my departure yet  
(to me is strange) and new.  
I wont was in following the  
all places to eschew:  
I will departed, and get me hence,  
to whom for helping hand  
Intendest thou to send us forth,  
whom hence so fly the land  
Thou dost compel with thine allies?  
shall I repair again  
To Phasis flood, to Colchis Isle,  
or to my father's reign?  
Or gory sweating fields, that with  
my brother's blood do reek?  
What harbouring lands aloufe dost tho●  
command us out to seek?  
What seas appoint ye me to pa●se?  
shall I my journey drive,  
Upon the perilous hateful jaws  
of Pontus to aryve,  
By which I did safe conduct home  
kings valaunt armies great,  
Where roaring rocks with thundering noise  
the flapping waves do beat,  
Or on the naro● wrackful shore,  
of Simplegadeses twain?  
Or else to small Hiolcos' town  
can I return again?  
Or toil, the gladsome pleasant lands  
Of Tempe to attain?  
All places that I opened have  
Unto thy passage free,  
I shut them up against myself,  
now whether sendest thou me?  
A banished wretch to banishment  
thou wouldest have incline,  
Yet to the place of her exile  
thou canst not her assign.  
Yet for all that without delay  
I must depart and go:  
And why? for sooth the king his son  
in law commandeth so.  
Well: nothing will I stand against,  
with gripes of passing pain  
Let me be scourged, of my deserts  
such is the gotten gain.  
Let Creon in his princely ruff  
lay to his heavy hands,  
To whip an whore, in torments sharp,  
with iron gives, and bands  
Let her be chained, in hydiouse hole  
of night for aye her lock:  
Let her be cloyed with pestering poise  
of restless rolling rock.  
Yet less● than I deserved have,  
in all this shall I find:  
O thou uncourteous Gentleman,  
consider in thy mind  
The flamye puffs, and fiery gaps  
of ghastly gaping bull,  
And Aetes' cattles rich with Fleece  
of gorgeous golden wool,  
That went to graze amid so great  
and mighty fears in feylde,  
Of uncontrolled nation,  
whose soil doth armies yield.  
Revoke to mind the deadly darts  
of sudden starting foe,  
when ghastly warriors (Tellus brood)  
to ground again did go  
through slaughter red of mutual lance,  
to this yet further pass,  
The lurched Fleece of Phrixes' Ram,  
that all thine errand was.  
And ugsome Argos slumberless,  
whom fast I caused to keep  
His weary watching winking eyes  
with unacquainted sleep.  
My brother eke, whose fatal twist  
of feeble life I shred,  
And guilt that wrought so many guilts  
when as with thee I fled.  
The daughters whom I set on work  
entrapte in wily train,  
To slay their sire, that shall not rise  
to quyckned life again.  
And how to travel other realms,  
I set mine own at nought.  
By that good hope which of thy seed  
conceived is in thought,  
Eke by thy stable mansion place,  
and mighty monsters, that  
Down beaten for thy health, I caused  
before thy feet to squat,  
And by these drudging hands of mine  
unspared for thy sake,  
For dread of dangers ouerpas●  
that caused thee to quake,  
By heavens above, and seas below,  
that witness bearers be,  
To knitting of our marriage up,  
thy mercy veil to me.  
Of all the heaps of treasure great  
so far of being fet,  
Which A●tas savage Scythians  
did travel for to get,  
From Ind● where Phoebus scorching blaze  
doth die the people black.  
Of all this gold which in our bowers  
we could not well compack,  
But tryck and trim we garnished  
our groves with gold so gay,  
I banished wretch of all this stuff  
got nought with me away,  
Except my brother's flaughtred flesh,  
yet I employed the same  
On thee: the cares of countries' health  
my honesty and shame.  
My father, and my brother both  
hath yielded place to ●hee,  
This is the dowry that thou had  
my wedded spouse ●o be.  
To her whom thou d●est abrogate  
restore her goods again.  ja. 
¶ When Cr●on in malicious mood  
had thought thee to have slain,  
Entreated with my tear●s exile,  
and life he gave to thee.  Me. 
¶ I took it for a punishment,  
but surely as I see  
This banishment is now become  
a freyndly good reward.  ja. 
¶ While thou hast time to go be gone,  
for most severe, and hard  
The kings displeasure ever is.  Me. 
¶ Thus woldste thou dodge me out?  
Thy hated trull cast of thou dost  
that please Creusa thou mought.  ja. 
¶ Dost thou Medea upbraid me with  
the breach unkind of love?  Me. 
¶ And slaughter vile with treachery  
whereto thou did me move.  ja. 
¶ When all is done what canst thou say  
my gyltynes to stain?  Me. 
¶ Even whatsoever I have done.  ja. 
¶ Yet more this doth remain:  
That thy vngra●yous wickedness  
of harm should ●e accuse.  Me. 
¶ Thine, thine, they are, they are all thine  
what ever I did use.  
Who that of lewdness reaps the fruit,  
is grafter of the same.  
Let every one with infamy  
thy wretched spouse defame,  
Yet do thou only take her part,  
her only do thou call  
A just and undefiled wight,  
without offence at all.  
If any man shall for thy sake  
pollute his hand with ill,  
To thee let him an innocent  
yet be accounted still.  ja. 
¶ The life is loathsome that doth work  
his shame who hath it chose.  Me. 
¶ the life whose choice doth work thy shame  
thou ought again to lose.  ja. 
¶ Let reason rule thy eager mind  
so vexed with crabbed ire  
And for thy tender children's ease  
to be at rest require  Me. 
¶ I do defy it, wholly I  
detest it, I forswear,  
That brethren bred unto my barns  
Creusa's womb shall bear.  ja. 
¶ It will be trim, when as a Queen  
of majesty and might  
Hath issue, kin unto the seed  
of the a banished wight.  Me. 
¶ So cursed day shall neu●r on  
my wretched children shine  
To mingle base borne bastards with  
the blood of noble line.  
Shall Ph●bus stock (that bears the lamp  
of heaven in starry throne)  
Be matched with drudging Sisi●hus  
that rolls in hell the stone?  ja. 
¶ What meanest thou wretch both the & m●  
in banishment to yoke?  
I pray them hence:  Me. 
¶ When humbly I  
my mind to Creon broke,  
He gave an ear unto my suit,  ja. 
¶ What lieth in my might  
To do for thee?  Me. 
¶ If no good turn  
then do thy worst despite.  ja. 
¶ On this side with his sword in hand  
King Creon doth me scar:  
On other part with armed host  
Acast doth me detarr.  Me. 
¶ Medea eke to cope with these,  
that more appall us may:  
Go to, to skyrmyshe let us fall  
Let Ias●n be the pray:  ja. 
¶ I yield whom sore adversities  
have tired with heavy sway.  
Learn thou to dread thy luckless lost  
that oft doth thee assay.  Me. 
¶ I evermore have ruled the swinge  
of fortunes wavering will.  ja. 
¶ Acastus is at hand and nigh  
is Creon the to spill:  Me. 
¶ Take that thy heel's to scape them both,  
I do not the advise,  
That thou against thy father in law  
In traitorous arms should rise.  
Nor in Achas● thy cousins' blood  
thy wounding hands to gore,  
The volleys unto Medea made,  
do trouble the so ●ore.  
While yet y● hast not spilled there blood  
yet, fly, with me a way.  ja. 
¶ when armies twain their banners o●  
Defiance shall display,  
And marching wurthe in field to fight  
s●ke battle at my hand,  
Who then for us encounter shall  
their puyssa●ce to withstand?  Me. 
¶ If Cr●on and Acastus king  
encamp together shall●  
Admit that these in one with them  
should join there powers all  
My Contreymen of Colchis I'll,  
and A●tas lusty king,  
Suppose the Scythians join which Greeks,  
to ground I will them bring,  
Clean put to foil.  ja, 
¶ The puissant power  
of haughty mace I fear  Me. 
¶ Take heed, lest more thou do affect  
the same, then for to clear,  
Thyself of Creon's servile yoke,  ja. 
¶ Lest some suspicion grow.  
Of this our tattling long here let  
us make an end and go.  Me. 
¶ Now jove hurl out thy flames and  
thy thundering ●olts to fly,  
With fiery drakes bright brandishing force  
dispersed in burning sky:  
Strain forth thy dreadful threatening arm,  
dispose in due array  
The tossing dint of lyghtning flash,  
that wreck our quarrel may.  
With rumbling crack of renting cloud  
cause all the world to quake,  
And level not thy hovering hand  
to strike with fiery flake  
Upon my pashed and crushed corpses,  
or jasons carcase slain:  
For whether of us thou smite to death  
his due reward shall gain,  
thy thumps of thwacking bolts on us  
amiss they cannot light.  ja. 
¶ Fie, let thy mind on matters run  
that seem a modest wight.  
And use to have more cheerful talk,  
if any thing thou crave,  
Within my father's house to ease  
thy flight, thou shalt it have.  Me. 
¶ thou know'st my mind both can, & eke  
is wont, to do no less,  
Then to contemn the brittle wealth  
that Princes do possess.  
This, this shallbe the only boon  
that at thy hand I crave,  
As mates with me in banishment,  
my children let me have,  
That resting on their sighing breasts  
my careful mourning head,  
I may my crystal ●●arye streams  
into their bosoms shed.  
But as for thee, new gotten sons  
of wife new wed do stay.  ja. 
¶ I grant that unto thy request  
I wish I might obey:  
But nature me with pity pricks,  
that needs I must deny.  
For though both Creon and Achast,  
in torments force me lie,  
I could not yield unto their wills:  
on this my life doth rest:  
In times of tears, this is the joy  
of dull afflicted breast  
For better far I can abide  
the want of vital breath,  
And secure of my limbs, or lose,  
the light of world by death.  Me. 
¶ What love unto his silly babes  
is deeply graft in him?  
This worketh well I have him trypt●  
lo now there lieth brim.  
An open place whearbie receive  
a vennye soon he may.  
Let me or I depart, unto  
my silly children say.  
These lessons of my last adieu,  
and grant to me the space,  
With tender gripe of coling last  
their loving limbs ●embrace:  
This willbe comfort to my heart:  
yet at the latter word  
I ask no more but only that  
you should me this afford.  
If eager anguish cause my tongue  
to cast out words unkind,  
Let all thing fly, let nothing be  
Engraved in your mind  
But let remembrance otherwhile  
of me to touch your thought,  
Let other things be wiped away  
that bile of wrath hath wrought.  ja, 
¶ I have forgotten every whit  
god grant thou may of shake  
These surging qualms of frownced mind  
& milder mayest it make:  
For quietness doth work their ease  
that dented are with woe:  Me. 
¶ What is he slyl●e slipped and gone?  
falls out the matter so?  
O jason dost thou sneak away,  
not having mind of me,  
Nor of those former great good turns  
that I have done for thee?  
With the now am I clean forgot:  
but I will bring about  
That from thy careful sighing mind  
shall not be banished out:  
Apply to bring this to effect,  
call home thy wits again,  
And all thy wily fetches far,  
each artifycyall train.  
This is the perfect fruit that may  
to the of mischief spring,  
To presuppose that mischief is  
not graft in any thing.  
Scant have I oportunyt●e  
for my pretenced guile,  
Because we are mistrusted sore,  
But try I will the while  
To set upon them in such sort,  
as none can dame my sleight:  
March forth, now venture on, fall to,  
both what lieth in thy might,  
And also what doth pass thy power.  
O faith full nurse and mate.  
Of all my heavy heart breaking,  
and divers cursed fate,  
Come help our simple mean device.  
remaining yet I have  
A rob of Pall the present that  
our heavenly grandsire gave,  
Chief monument of Colchis I'll,  
which Phoebus did bestow  
On Etas for a pledge, that him  
his father h● might know.  
A precious fulgent gorget eke,  
that bravely glitters bright,  
And with a seamlye shining seam  
of golden thrydes' is dight,  
Through wrought between the row of pearls  
do stand in borders round  
wherewith my golden crispen locks  
is wont to be crowned.  
My little children they shall bear  
these presents to the Bride,  
That first with slybber ●●abbar sauce  
of chauntmentes shallbe tried.  
Request the aid of Hecate  
in readiness prepare  
The lamentable sacrifice,  
upon the bla●dye Altar.  
Enforce the fierce catching hold  
upon the rafters high  
With crackling nois of flamie sparks  
rebound in azure sky.  

¶ Chorus.  
NO fierce force, nor rumbling cage  
of boisterous blustering wind,  
No dart shot whirling in the skyes●  
such terror to the mind  
Can drive, as when the ●re●ull wife  
doth boil in burning hate,  
deprived of her spo●sall bed,  
and comfort of her mate,  
Nor where the stormy southern wind  
with dankysh dabbye face,  
Of hoary winter sendeth out  
the gushing shooores apace.  
where veighment Ister's wambling stream  
comes weltering down amain,  
forbidding both the banks to me●●e,  
and canno● oft contain  
Himself within his channels scou●e,  
but further breaks his way,  
Nor Rodanus who●e rushing stream  
doth launch into the sea,  
Or when amid the flowered spring  
with hotter burning son,  
The winters snows dissolved with heat  
down to the rivers run:  
The clottered top of Haemus' hill  
to water thin doth turn,  
Such desperate gogyn flame is wrath  
that inwardly doth burn,  
And modest rule regardeth not,  
nor bridals can abide,  
Nor dreading death, doth wish on di●te  
of naked blade to slide.  
O Gods be gracious unto us,  
for pardon we do crave,  
That him who tamed the scuffling waves,  
vouchsafe ye would to save.  
But Neptune yet the Lord of S●as  
with frowning face will lower,  
That over his second sceptre men  
to triumph have the power.  
The boy that rashly durst attempt  
that great v●weldye charge  
Of Phoebus' everlasting cart,  
and ●ouyng out at large,  
Not bearing in his reckless breast  
his father's warnings wise  
Was burned with the flames which he  
did scatter in the skies.  
None knew the costly glimpsing glades,  
where straggling Phaeton road,  
Pass not the path, where people safe  
In former ●yme have trod.  
O fondling, wilful, wanton boy,  
do not dissolve the frame  
Of heaven, sith jove with sacred hand  
hath hallowed the ●rame.  
Who rowed with valiant oa●es tough●,  
that were for Argo made,  
Hath pulled na●ed Pel●on mount  
of thick compacted shade.  
Who entered hath the fleering rocks  
and searched o●t the toil  
And tiring travels of the s●as●  
and hath on salvage soil  
knit fast his stretched cable rope,  
and going fourth to land.  
To cloyn away th● foreign gold  
with greedy snatching hard.  
Unto the seas (because that he  
transgress their l●wes divine)  
By this unlucky end of his  
he pays his forfeit fine.  
The troubled seas of their unresty  
for vengeance howl and weep.  
Sir Typhis who did conquer fyrst●  
the danger of the deeps,  
Hath yielded up the con●ynge rule  
of his vnw●ldye st●rne,  
To such a guide, as for that use  
hath need as yet to learn.  
who giving up his gohste aloof  
●●om at his native land,  
In foreign ●ore lies buried vyl●  
with dirty sods in sand.  
He sits among the flyttring souls  
that strangers to him wear.  
And Aulis Isle that in her mind  
her master's loss doth bear,  
Held in the sh●ppes, to stand and w●yl●  
in croaking narrow nook:  
That Orpheus Cal●●iops son  
who stayed the running b●ook●,  
while he records on heavenly Harp●  
with twangling finger ●yne,  
The wyn●e ●ay● down his pipling 〈◊〉  
his harmony diuin●  
Procured the woods to stir th●m selves,  
and trees in eraynes along  
Cam forth, with birds that held their lays  
and lystned to his song.  
with limbs on sunder rend in fe●lde  
of Thrace he lieth ded.  
Up to the top of Heber flood  
eke haled was his head.  
Gone down he is to Stygian dams.  
which seen he had before,  
And Tartar boiling pits, from whenc●  
ret●rne he shall no more.  
Alcides banging bat did bring  
the Northern lads to ground.  
To Achelo of sundry shapes  
he gave his mortal wound.  
Yet after he could purchase piece  
both unto sea and lande`  
And after Ditis' dungeon black  
rend open by his hand,  
He living spread himself along●  
on burning O●tas hill:  
His members in his prop●r flame  
the wretch did thr●ste to spill:  
His blood he brewed with Nestor's blood,  
and lost his loathsome life  
By traytrus gift that poisoned shirt  
received of his wy●e.  
with tusk of brystl●d groining bore  
Anceus' limbs were torn.  
O Mel●ager (wicked wight)  
to grave by thee ●ere born  
Thy mother's brethren twain, and she,  
for it with ruthful hand  
H●th wrought thy doleful destiny  
to burn thy fatal brand.  
The rash attempting Argonantes  
deserved all the death  
That Hylas whom Alcides lost  
be●eft of fading br●a●h.  
That springal which in sousing 〈◊〉  
of waters drowned was:  
Go now ye lusty bloods, the seas:  
with doubtful lot to pass.  
Though Idmon had the calking skill  
of destinies before,  
The Serpent made him l●ue his lyf●  
in tomb of Libya shore.  
And Mopsus that to other men  
could well their fates escry,  
Yet only did deceive himself  
uncertain where to die,  
And he that could the secret hap  
of things to come unfold,  
Yet died not in his country Thebes.  
Dame Thetis husband old  
Did wander like an outlawed man.  
Our Palimedes' sire  
Did headlong wholme himself in seas,  
who at the Greeks retire  
From Troy, to rush on rocks did them  
allure wy●h wily l●ght.  
Stout Ajax O●lens did sustayn●  
the dint of thunder bright,  
And cruel storm of surging seas,  
to quite the haynus guilt,  
That by his country was commit,  
in seas he lieth spylte.  
A leeste to redeem her husbands  
Phereus' life from death's  
The godly wife upon her spouse  
bestowed her panting breath.  
Proud Pelias that wretch him s●lf●  
who bade them first assay  
The golden Fleece that booty brave  
by ship to fe●che away,  
Parboiled in glowing cauldron 〈◊〉  
with fervent heatche fries,  
And fleeting pec●meale up and dou●●  
in ●at●r thine he lies.  
Enough, enough, revenged are  
o Gods the wrongs of seas,  
Be good to jason, doing that  
he did, his came to please.    

¶ The fourth Act.  Nutrix. 
MY shyvering mind amazed is,  
aghast, and sore dismayed:  
My chyllysh limbs with quaking cold  
do tremble all afraid.  
Such plagues & vengeance is at hand  
in what exceeding wise  
Do sharp assaults of greedy grief  
still more and more arise,  
And of itself in smothering breast  
enkyndles greater heat?  
Oft have I seen how ramping rage  
hath forced her to fret.  
With frantickfyts, mad, bedlam wise  
against the Gods to rail,  
And eke bewitched gohstes of heaven  
in plunging plagues to trail:  
But now Medea beats her busy  
brain to bring to pass  
A mischief greater, greater far,  
then ever any was.  
Ere while when hence she trypt away  
astonished so sore,  
And of her poison closet close  
she entered had the door:  
She poureth out her jewels all,  
abroad to light she brings  
That which she dreading loathed long,  
most irksome ugly things:  
She mumbling conjures up by names  
of ills the rabble rout,  
In couched long,  
kept close, unserched out:  
All pestilent plagues she calls upon,  
what ever Libie land,  
In frothy boiling stream doth work,  
or muddy belching sand:  
What tearing torments Taurus bredes,  
with snows unthawed still  
Where winter flaws, and hoary frost  
knit hard the craggy hill,  
She lays her crossing hands upon  
each monstrous conjured thing,  
And over it her magic verse  
with charming doth she sing:  
A mowsye, rowsye, rusty rout  
with cankered scales clad  
From musty, fusty, dusty dens  
where lurked long they had,  
Do ●raull: a walowing carpent huge  
his cumbrous corpse out drags,  
In fiery foaming blaring mouth  
his forked tongue he wags.  
He stars about with sparkling eyes,  
if some he might espy,  
Whom snapping at with stinging spit  
he might constrain to die:  
But hearing once the magic verse  
he hushed as all aghast,  
His body bollen big, wrapped in lumps  
●n twyning knotes he cast.  
And wambling to and fro his tail  
in links he rolls it round.  
Not sharp enough (quoth she) the plagues  
and tools that hollow ground  
Engenders for my purpose are,  
to heaven up will I call,  
To reach me stronger poison down,  
to frame my fea● with all.  
Now is it at the very point,  
Medea thou assay.  
To bring about sum farther fetch,  
then common witches may.  
Let down, Let down, that sprawling snake  
that doth his body spread,  
As doth a running broke abroad  
his mighty channel shed.  
Whose swelling knobes of wondrous size  
& boysteus bobbing bumps  
Doth thump the great & lesser bear  
that feel his heavy lumps.  
The bigger bear with golden gleed  
the greekish fleet doth guide:  
But by the less the Sidon shypps  
their passage have espied.  
He that with pinch of gripping fist  
doth bruise the adders twain,  
His strening hard & clasping hand,  
let him unknitt again.  
And crush their squeezed venom out,  
come further thou our charm  
O flymie serpent Python, whom  
dame juno sent to harm  
Diana and Apollo both,  
(those heavenly spirits twain)  
With whom Latona traveling  
did groan with pinching pain.  
O Hydra whom in Lerna pool  
Alcides gave the foil,  
And all the noisome vermin vile  
that Hercules did spoil.  
Which when on sunder they were cut  
with slicing deadly knife,  
Can knit again their soldered parts,  
and so recover life.  
Help wakeful Dragon Argosy ● whom  
first magic words of mine  
Made Morpheus lock thy sleep lids  
and shut thy slurging eyen.  
Then having brought above the ground  
of serpents all the row●e,  
Of filthy weeds the rankest bane  
she picks. and gathers out,  
That spring on kno●tye Eryx hill  
where passage none is found,  
Among the ragged rocks, or what  
on Caucasus his ground  
Doth grow that still is clad in cote  
of hoary morye frost.  
That evermore unmelt abides,  
whose spattered field is soused  
With gibbs of blood, that spouteth from  
Prometheus' gaping maw,  
Whose guts with twitching talon out  
the ghastly gripe doth draw.  
Or any other venomous herb  
among the Medes that grows,  
that with their sheaf of arrows sharp  
in field do scar their foes.  
Or what the light held Parthian  
to serve her turn can send,  
Or else the rich Arabians,  
that dip their arrows end  
In poison strong: the juice of all  
Medea o●t doth wring,  
That underneath the frozen pole  
In swe●ia land doth spring.  
Whose noble state Hircinus' wood  
do the high enhance and rear.  
Or what the pleasant soil doth yield  
in prime of smiling vere,  
When nature bids the bird begin  
her shrouding nest to build,  
Or when the chursyshe Boreas blast  
sharp winter hath exiled,  
The trim array of branch and bough  
to clothe the naked tree,  
And every thing with bitter could  
of snow con●ealed be.  
In any pestilent flower on stalk  
of any herb doth grow,  
Or noisome juice doth lie in rotten  
writhe roots allow,  
Hath any force in breading bane,  
those takes she in her hand.  
Sum plagye herbs did Athos yield  
that mount of Thessaly land.  
And other Pindus' roches high  
and sum upon the top  
Of Pingeus, but tender twyggs  
the cruel sith did l●pp:  
Thes Tigris river noryshte up,  
that chokes his whirlpool deep  
With stronger stream. Danubius' those  
in fostering wave did keep.  
Those did Hidaspus minister,  
who by the parching zone  
With lukewarm silver channel runes,  
so rich with precious stone.  
And Bethis' son, who gave the name  
unto his country great,  
And with his shallow fourd against  
the Spanish seas doth beat  
This herb abode the edge of knife  
in danwning of the day  
Or Phoebus' face 'gan peep, bedecte  
with glittering golden spraye  
His slender stalk was snepped of  
in deep of silent night,  
His corn was cropped, while she with charm  
her po●sned nails did dight.  
She chaps the deadly herbs, & wrings  
the squeezed clottered blood  
Of serpents out: & filthy birds  
of irksome miry mud:  
She tempers with the same and eke:  
She brays the heart of owl  
Foreshowing death with glaring eyes  
and moping visage foul  
Of shr●ke owl hoarse alive she takes  
the dirty stinking guts,  
All thes the framer of this feat  
in divers parcels puts.  
This hath in it devouring force  
of greedy spoiling flame,  
The frozen eysye dulling could  
engenders by the same.  
She chantes on those the magic verse,  
that works no lesser harm,  
With bustling frantickelie she stamps,  
and ceaseth not to charm.  MEDEA. 
O Flittering flocks of grisly ghosts  
that sit in silent seat  
O ougsum bugs o gobblyns grim  
of hell I you entreat:  
O lowering Chaos dungeon blind,  
and dreadful darkened pit,  
Where Ditis muffled up in clouds  
of blackest shades doth sit,  
O wretched woeful wawling souls  
your ayed I do implore,  
That linked lie with gingling chains  
on wailing Limbo shore,  
O mo●sye den where death doth couch  
his ghastly carrayn face:  
Release your pangs o spryghtes, & to  
this wedding high apace.  
'Cause ye the snaggye wheel to pause  
that rents the carcase bound,  
Permit Ixion's racked limbs  
to rest upon the ground:  
Let hungry bitten Tantalus  
with gaunt and pined pancho  
Soup up Pirene's gulped stream  
his swelling thirst to stawnche.  
Let burning Creon bide the brunt  
and girds of greater pain,  
Let poise of slypperye sliding stone  
type over back again  
His moiling father Sisyphus,  
amongs the craggy rocks.  
Ye daughters dire of Danaus  
Whom pierced pitchers morkes  
So oft with labour lost in vain  
this day doth long for you  
That in your life with bloody blade  
at once your husband slew.  
And thou whose airs I honoured have  
o torch and lamp of night,  
Approach o lady my with most  
deformed visage dight:  
O three fold shapen dame that knit'st  
more threatening brows then on,  
according to the country guise  
with dangling locks undone  
And naked foot, the secret grove  
about I hallowed have,  
From dusky dry unmoystye clouds  
the showers of rain I crave.  
Through me the chinked gaping ground  
the soaked seas hath drunk,  
And mayner stream of thocian flood  
beneath the earth is sunk,  
that swelteth out through hollow gulf  
with stronger gushing rage.  
Then were his suddy wambling waves  
whose power it doth assuage  
the heavens which wrong disturbed course  
and out of order quite,  
The darkened son, & glimmering stars  
at once hath showed their light,  
and drenched Charles his straggling wain  
hath ducte in dashing wave,  
The framed course of roaming time  
racte out of frame I have.  
So my enchantments have it wrought  
that when the flaming son  
In summer bakes the parched soil  
then hath the twigs begun,  
with sprouting blossom fresh to bloom '  
and hasty winter corn  
Hath out of harvest seen the fruit  
to barns on suddeyn borne.  
Into a shallow ford his stir  
dystreame hath Phasis waste  
And Ister's channel being in  
so many branches cast,  
Abated hath his wrackful waves,  
on every silent shore  
He lieth calm: The jumbled floods  
with th●ndryng noise did roar,  
When couched close the winds were  
not moving pipp●ing soft,  
With working wave the prancing seas  
have swollen & leapt aloft,  
Whereas the wood in alder time  
with thick and branched bow  
did spread his shade on gladsome soil  
no shade remaineth now.  
I rolling up the magic verse  
at noon time Phaebu● stay,  
Amid the darkened sky, when fled  
was light of drowsy day  
Eke at my charm the watery flocks  
of H●yads went to glade.  
Time is it Phaeba to respect  
the service to thee made:  
To thee with cruel bloody hands  
thes garlands green were twinned  
Which with his folding circles nine  
the serpent rough did bind.  
Have here Tipho●as flesh, that doth  
In Aetna's furnace groan,  
That shake with battery violent  
king joves' assaulted throne.  
This is the Centaurs poisoned blood  
which Nessus vylia●ne vile  
Who made a rape of Deianeira  
intending her to file,  
Bequeathed her when newly wound  
he gasping lay for breath,  
While Hercles' shaft stack in his ribs,  
whose lawnce did work his death:  
Behold the funeral cinders hear  
which up the poison dried  
Of Hercul●s who in his fire  
on Oeta mountain died:  
Lo here the fatal brand, which late  
the fatal sisters three  
Conspired at Mel●agers birth,  
such should his destnye be,  
To save alive his breathing corpses,  
while tha● might hold remain,  
Which safe his mother Alte kept,  
till he his uncles twain,  
(That from Atlanta would have had  
the head of Conquered Boar,)  
Had reft of life whose spiteful death  
Althaea took so sore,  
That both she showed her ferventness  
in sisters godly lous,  
When to revenge her brother's death  
mere nature did her move,  
But yet as mother most unkind  
of nature most unmild,  
To hasten the untimely grave  
of her beloved child,  
While Mel●ages fatal brand  
she wasted in the flame,  
Whose swelting guts & bowels moult  
consumed as the same,  
These plumes the Harpies ravening fowls  
for haste did leave behind,  
In hidden hole whose close access  
no mortal wight can find.  
When fast from Zethes chasing them  
with speedy flight they fled.  
Put unto these the feathers which  
the Stymphal bird did shed,  
Whom dusking Phoebus' dimmed light  
sir Hercules did sting,  
And galled with the shaft, that he  
in Hydra's hide did fling.  
You Airs have yield a clattering noise  
I know, I know of old,  
How unto me my Oracles  
are wont to be could,  
That when the trembling flower doth shake  
then hath my Goddess great,  
Uouchfafe to grant me my request  
as I did her entreat.  
I see Diana's waggyn swyfe,  
not that whereon she glides  
When all the night in darkened sky  
with face full ope she rides:  
with countenance bright & blandishing  
but when with heavy cheer,  
With dusky shimmering wannie globe,  
her lamp doth pale appear.  
Or when she trots about the heavens'  
with horsehead rained strait,  
When Thessaly wytches with the threats  
of charming her do bait.  
So with thy dumpysh dulled blaze,  
thy cloudy fainting light,  
Send out, amid the lowering sky,  
the heart of people smite  
With agonies of sudden dread,  
in strange and fearful wise,  
Compel the precious brazen pans  
with jarring noise to rise  
Through Corinth country every where,  
to shield the from this harm,  
lest headlong drawn thou be from heaven  
to earth by force of charm.  
An holy solemn sacrifice  
to worship the we make,  
embrewed with a bloody turf  
the kindled torch doth take  
Thy sacred burning night fire at  
the dampish morie grave.  
Sore charged with thy trowbled ghost  
my head I shaken have,  
And du●kyng down my neck allow  
with shrieking loud have shright,  
And groveling flat on floor in trance  
have lain in dead man's plight.  
My tuffled locks about mine ears  
down dangling have been bound  
Tucked up about my temples twain  
with gladsome garland ●rownd:  
A drerye branch is offered thee  
from filthy stigis flood.  
As is the guise of Bacchus' priests  
the Corybant's wood,  
With naked breast and dugs laid out  
I'll prick with sacred blade  
Mine arm, that for the bubbling blood  
an issue may be made,  
with trilling streams my purple blood  
let drop on Thaltar stones:  
My tender children's crushed flesh  
and broken bruised bones  
Learn how to brook with hardened harte●  
in practise put the ●rade  
To flourish fierce, and keep a coil,  
with naked glittering blade:  
I spryncl●d holy water have,  
the lance once being made,  
If tired thou complainest that  
my cries thee overlade,  
give pardon to my earnest suit,  
o Perceus sister dear,  
Still jason is the only cause  
that urgeth me to rear  
which squeaking voice thy noisome beams,  
that sting like shot of bow.  
So season thou those sauced robes  
to work Creusa's woe,  
wherewith when she shall prank she  
the poison by and by  
To rot her in ward mary out,  
within her bones may fry,  
The secret fire blears their eyes  
with gloss of yellow gold,  
The which Prometheus gave to me  
that fire filcher bold.  
On whom for robbery that he did  
in heavens above commit,  
With massy poise great Caucasus  
thunweldye hill doth sit,  
Where under with unwasted womb  
he lies, and pays his pain,  
To feed the cramming foul with gobs  
of guts that grows again.  
He taught me with a pretty sleight  
of cunning, how to hide  
The strength of fire close kept in,  
that may not be espied,  
This lively tinder Mulciber  
hath forged for my sake,  
That tempered is with brimstone quick  
at first touch and take.  
Eke of my cozen Phacton  
a wild fire flake I have  
His flames the monstrous stagharde rough●  
Chimaera to me gave,  
In head and breast a Lion grim,  
and from the rump behind  
He sweeps the flower with lagging tail  
of Serpent force by kind.  
In rib & loins along his paunch  
yshaped like a Goat.  
these fumes that out the bull parbraked  
from fiery spewing throat,  
I gotten have and brayed it with  
Medusa's bitter gall  
Commanding it in secret sort  
to dusk and cover all:  
Breath on these venom's Hecate  
with deadly might inspire,  
Preserve the touching powder of  
my secret covert fire,  
O grant that these my cloaked crafts  
so may bewytch their eyes,  
That likelihood of treason none  
that may herein surmise:  
So work that they in handling it  
may feel no kind of heat:  
Her stewing breast, her seething veins,  
let fervent fire fret  
And force her roasted pynyg limbs,  
to drop and melt away,  
Let smoke her rotten broiling bones:  
inflame this bride to day  
To cast a light with greater gleed  
on frizzle blazing hear  
Then is the shining flame that doth  
the wedding torches bear.  
My suit is hard, thrice Hecate  
a dreadful barking gave  
From doleful cloud a sacred flash  
of flamye sparks she drove.  
Each poisons pride fulfilled is:  
Call forth my children dear,  
By whom unto the cursed Bride  
these presents you may bear:  
Go forth, go forth my little babes,  
your mother's cursed fruit,  
Go, go, employ your pains with bribe  
and earnest humble suit  
To purchase grace, and eke to earn  
you favour in her sight.  
That both a mother is to you,  
and rules with Ladies might.  
Go on, apply your charge apace  
and high you home again,  
That with embracing you I may  
my last farewell attain.  

¶ Chorus.  
WHat ●●arpe assaults of cruel Cupydes' flam●  
With giddy heed thus tosseth to and fro,  
This bedlam wight, and devilish desperate dame  
what roving rage b●e pricks to work this woe?  
Rough rancours bile con●eales h●r trosen face,  
Her haughty breast bombasted is with pride,  
She shakes her head, she stalks with stately pace,  
She threats our king more than doth he betide.  
who would her dame to be a banished wight,  
whose scarlet cheeks do glow with rosy red?  
In fainting face with pale and wannye white  
The sa●guy●● hue exiled thence is f●ed.  
H●r changing looks no colour lo●g● can hold,  
Her s●iftyng● feet still travasse to ●nd ●●oe.  
Even as the fierce and t●●●nyng T●ge● old●  
That dot● unware his sucking whe●●es forgo,  
Doth ramp, and rage, most eager f●ce and ●ood,  
Among the shrubs and bushes t●at do ●●owe  
On Ganges strand that goldensanded ●lood,  
whose silver stream through India doth flow●.  
Eu●n s● M●dea sometime wants her wytt●s  
To rule the rage of her unbridled ●●e,  
Now Venus' son wyt●●usye froward fits,  
Now wrath and l●u●, enkindle both the fire.  
what sha●l she do? when will this heinous wight  
with fo●worde fo●e be packing hence away,  
From Gre●c●? to ea●e our realm of terror quyght,  
And princes twai●● whom she so sore doth fray:  
Now phoebus' lodge thy Chariot in the w●ste,  
Let neither rains nor bridle stay thy race,  
L●t grovelling light with dul●e at night oppressed  
In cloaking clouds wrapped up his muffled fac●,  
Let H●sperus the la●desman of the night,  
In western flood drench deep the day so bright.    

¶ The .v. Act.  Nuntius. Chorus. Nutrix. Medea● jason. Nun. 
ALl things are ●opsy turuy turned,  
and wasted clean to nought  
To passing great calamy●ye  
our kingdom state is brought  
The sire and daughter burnt to dust  
in blendred cinders lie.  Cho. 
what train ha●h them entrapped?  Num 
¶ such as  
are made for kings to die,  
False tra●trusse gifts.  Cho. 
¶ what privy guile  
could wrapped be in those?  Nun. 
¶ And I do marvel at this thing  
and scant I can suppose  
that such a mischief might be wrought  
by any such device  C●o, 
¶ Report how this destruction  
and ruin should arise  Nun. 
¶ The fyzzinge ●lame most egerlye  
doth scour with sweping sway  
Each corner of the princes court,  
as though it should obey  
Commanded thereunto so f●at  
on flower the palace falls:  
We are in dread least further it  
will take the townysh walls.  Cho. 
¶ Cast quenching water on it then  
to slake the greedy ●lame.  Nun. 
¶ And this that seemeth very strange  
do happen in the same,  
The water feeds the fire fast,  
the more that we do toil  
It to suppress, with hotter rage  
the heat begyngs to boil:  
Those things that we have gotten for  
our help it doth enjoy.  Nut. 
¶ Medea thou that dost so sore  
king Pelops land annoy,  
Twine hence in haste thy forward foot,  
at all assays depart  
To any other kind of coast.  Me. 
¶ can I find in my heart  
To shun this land? if hence I had  
first fallen away by flight,  
I would have traveled back again,  
to gaze at such a sight.  
To stand and see this wedding new  
why stayest thou doting mind?  
Apply, apply, thy sore attempt,  
that good success doth find.  
What great exploit is this, that thou  
of vengeance dost enjoy?  
Still art thou blinded witless wench  
with vale of Venus' boy?  
Is this suffisance for thy grief?  
is root of rancour dead,  
If jason lead a single life  
in solitary bed?  
Some nettling, thorny, stinging plagues  
unpractysed devise:  
Prepare thyself in readiness  
and fall to on this wise:  
Let all be fish that comes to net,  
have no respect of right,  
From mind on mischief fixed fast  
let shame be banished quit:  
The vengeance they received at  
my little children's hand,  
Is nothing worth: in earnest ire  
ententyve must thou stand.  
When heat of wrath begins to cool  
cheer up thyself again:  
Raise up those touches old that wont  
were in the to reign,  
That buried deep in breast do lie:  
and as for all the same  
That yet is wrought. of godliness  
let it usurp the name●  
Do this & I shall teach them learn,  
what trifling cast it was,  
And common practised flymflam tryck  
that erst I brought to pass.  
By this my raging malady  
a preamble hath made,  
To show what howgier heaps of harms  
shall shortly them invade  
What durst my rude unskilful hand  
assay that was of weight?  
What could the malice of a girl  
invent her foes to bait?  
Still conversant with wicked feats  
Medea am I made.  
My blunt and dulled brains hath so  
been beat about this trade:  
O so I joy, I joy, that I smote of  
my brother's head,  
And slashed his members of●eak that  
from parents ●and I fled:  
And filched have the privy fleece  
lo Mars that sacred was.  
It glads my heart that I to bring  
old Pelias death to pass.  
Have set his douggters all on work,  
O grief pick out away  
Not any guilt thou shalt with unacqueinted  
hand assay  
Against whom wrath intendest thou  
to bend thine Ireful might?  
Or with what weapon dost thou mean  
thy traitorous foes to smite?  
I know not what my wrathful mind  
consulted hath within  
And to bewray it to himself,  
I dare not yet begin.  
O rash and unadvised fool,  
I make to hasty speed:  
O that my foe had gotten of  
his harlot's body seed:  
But what so ever thou by him  
enjoyest, suppose the same  
To be Creusa's babes of them  
let her evioy the name.  
This vengeance this doth like me well  
good reason is their why  
The last attempt of ills, thou must  
with stomach stout apply.  
Alas ye little silly fools  
that erst my children were,  
The plaguing price of father's fault  
submit yourselves to bear  
O, horror huge with sudden stroke  
my heart doth overcome  
with icy dulling cold congealed  
my members all benumb.  
My shivering limbs appalled sore  
for ghastly fear do quake,  
A●d banished rage of malice hot  
gins itself to flake:  
The hateful heart of wife against  
her Spouse hath yielded place,  
And pityous mother's mercy mild  
restoreth nature's face.  
O shall I shed their guiltless blood?  
shall I the frame unfold  
Of that, which loving nature's hand  
hath wrought in me her mould?  
O doting fury change thy mind,  
conceive a better thought,  
Let not this heinous savage deed  
by means of me be wrought.  
What crime have they (poor fools) commit  
for which they should abye?  
Upon their father jason right  
all blot of blame should lie.  
Medea yet their mother I  
am worse far than he  
Tush let them frankly go to wrack,  
no kith nor kin to me  
They a●: dispache them out of hand  
hold, hould● my babes they be  
God wots most harmless lambs they are,  
no crime nor fault have they  
Alas they be mere innocentes  
I do not this denay:  
So was my brother whom I slew:  
o false revolting mind  
Why dost thou staggering to and fro  
such change of fancies find?  
Why is my face be sprent with tears  
what makes me falter so,  
That wrath & love with striving thoughts  
do lead me to and fro?  
Such fighting fancies bickering storms  
my swerving mind detar,  
As when between the wrestling winds  
is raised wrangling war,  
Each where the tumbling walloinge waves,  
are hoist and reared high  
Amid the justling swolues of seas  
that hot in ●urye fry:  
Even so my heart which struggling thoughts  
now sinks, now swells ama●n,  
Wrath sometime chaseth virtue out  
and virtue wrath again.  
O yield the yield, a grysing grief,  
to virtue yield th● place:  
Thou only comfort of our stock  
in this afflicted case,  
Come hither comdere loved imp  
with coling me embrace,  
While that by me your mother dear  
sweet Boys ye are enjoyed  
So long god grant your father may  
you keep from harm uncloyd  
Exile and flight approach on me,  
And they shall by and by  
Be pulled perforce out of mine arms,  
with vapourd weeping eye  
Sore languishing with morning heart  
yet let them go to grave  
Before ●heir father's face as they  
before their mothers have:  
Now rancorous grief with fiery fits  
gins to boil again,  
The quenched coals of deadly hate  
do fresher force attain.  
The rusty rancour harboured long  
within my cankered breast  
Starts up, and stirs my hand anew  
in mischief to be priest.  
O that the rabblement of brats  
which swarmed about the side  
Of Niobe that scornful dame  
who perysht by her pride  
Had taken life out of his limbs.  
o that the fates of heaven  
A fruitful mother had me made  
of children seven and seven.  
My barren womb ●or my revenge  
hath yielded little store  
Yet for my sire and brother, twain  
I have, their needs no more:  
whom seek this ruffling rout of fiends  
with gargoyle visage dight;  
Where will they deal their stripes, or whom  
with whyps of fire smite?  
Or whom with cruel scorching brand  
and Stygian faggot fell,  
with mischief great to cloy, intends  
this army black of hell?  
A chopping Adder 'gan to hiss  
with wrethynges wrapped round,  
As soon as did the lashing whip  
●●erte out with jerking sound.  
whom bumping with thy rapping post  
Megeta wilt thou crush?  
whose ghost doth here misshaped from hell  
with scattered members rush?  
My slautred brother's ghost it is  
that vengeance comes to crave:  
According to his dire request  
due vengeance shall he have.  
But flap thou fierce the firebrands  
full dashed in mine eyes,  
Dig, rent, scrape, burn, & squea● them out  
lo ope my breast it lies,  
To fighting furies bobbing strokes  
O brother, brother bid  
These roils, the press to worry me,  
themselves away to rid.  
Down to the silent souls allow  
Not taking any care:  
Let me be left hear by myself  
alone, and do not spare.  
To baste, and capperclaw these arms  
that drew the bloody blade:  
To quench the furies of thy spirit,  
that thus do me invade,  
With this rig●t hand the sacrifice  
on th'altar shallbe made.  
What means this sudden trampling noise?  
a band of men in Arms  
Come bustling toward us, that m●  
will cloy with ●eadly harms.  
To end this slaughter set ●ppon  
I will myself convey  
Up to the garrets of our house,  
come Nurse with me away,  
Bestow thy body hence with me  
from danger of our foes.  
Now thus my mind on mischief set  
thou must thyself dispose,  
Let not the flyckering fame & praise  
in darkness be exiled  
Of stomach stoute● that you did use  
in murdering of thy child.  
Proclaim in people's ears the praise  
of cruel bloody hand.  ja. 
¶ If any faithful man here be,  
whom ruin of his land,  
And slaughter of his prince do cause  
in pensive heart to bleed,  
step forth that ye may take the wretch  
that wrought this deadly deed.  
Hear, hear, ye jolly champions  
lay load with weapons hear,  
Have now, hoist up this house, from low  
foundation up it rear.  Me. 
¶ Now, now my sceptre guilt I have  
recovered once again:  
My father's wrongs revenged are,  
and eke my brother slain:  
The goldens cattles Fleece returned  
is to my native land,  
possession of my realm I have  
reclaimed to my hand:  
Come home is my vi●gynitie,  
that whilom went a stray.  
O Gods as good as I could wish,  
o joyful wedding day,  
Go shroud thyself in darkness dim  
dyspacht I have this feat:  
Yet vengeance is not done enough,  
to cool our thrystye heat.  
O soul why dost thou make delay?  
why dost thou doubting stand?  
Go forward with it yet thou mayst,  
while doing is thy hand:  
The wrath that might should minister  
doth qualify his flame:  
The pricks of sorrow twitch my heart  
attaint with blushing shame:  
Through rigour of thy heinous gore  
o wreatche what hast thou done?  
Though I repent a caitiff vile  
I am, to slay my son:  
Alas I have committed it,  
importunate delight,  
Still egged on my froward mind  
that did against it fight:  
And lo the vain conject of this  
delight increaseth still,  
This only is the thing, that wants  
unto my wicked will,  
That jasons eyes should see this sight  
as yet I do suppose  
Nothing it is that I have done,  
my travel all I lose,  
That I employed in dyry deeds,  
unless he see the same.  ja, 
¶ Lo hear she looketh out, and leans  
upon the houses frame,  
That pitchlong hangs with falling sway:  
hear heap your fierce fast,  
Whereby the flames that she herself  
enkyndled, may her waist.  Me. 
¶ Go jason, go the o●●● rights  
the winding sheet and grave  
Make ready for thy sons, as last  
behoveth him to have,  
Thy spouse and eke thy father in law  
that are entombed by me  
received have the duties that  
to dead men's ghosts agree.  
This child hath felt the deadly stroke  
and lance of fatal knife,  
And this with wal●some murder like  
shall lose her tender life.  ja. 
¶ By all the sacred ghosts of heaven,  
and by thy oft exile,  
And spousal bed, with breach of love  
in me did not defile,  
Now spare, and sa●e the life of him  
my child and also thine:  
What ever crime committed is,  
I grant it to be ours  
Make me a bloody sacrifice  
to due deserved death,  
Take from my sinful guilty head  
the use of vital breath.  Me. 
¶ Nay sigh thou wilt not have it so  
as grieves thy pinched mind,  
Here way to wreck my vengeance ●ell  
my burning blade shall find.  
Avaunt, now hence thou peasant proud  
employ thy busy pain,  
To reap the fruits of virgin's bed,  
and cast them of again  
when mothers they are made.  ja. 
¶ let one  
for dew revenge suffice.  
If greedy thirst of hungry hands  
that still for vengeance cries,  
Might quenched be with blood of one  
then ask I none at all,  
And yet to staunch my hungry grief  
the number is to small,  
If only twain I slay, if pledge  
of love lie secret made,  
My bowels I'll unbreste and search  
my womb with poking blade.  ja. 
¶ Now finish out thy deadly deed,  
that enterprised is,  
No more entreatance will I use,  
yet only grant me this,  
Delay a while his doleful death,  
that I may take my flight.  
Lest that mine ●yes which bleeding heart  
should view that heavy sight.  Me. 
¶ Yet linger eager anguish yet  
to slay this child of thine.  
Run not to rash with hasty speed  
this doleful day is mine:  
The ●yme that we obtained have  
of Creon, we enjoy.  ja. 
¶ O vile malicious minded wreache  
my loathsome life destroy.  Me. 
¶ In craving this thou speakest, that I  
should show thee some relief,  
Well goodynough, all this is done:  
o ruthful gyddye grief,  
This is the only sacrifice  
that I can thee provide,  
Unthankful jason hither cast  
thy coyesh looks aside.  
Lo hear dost thou behold thy wife?  
thus ever wont I,  
When murder I had made, to scape,  
my way doth open lie  
That I may spring into the skyes●  
the flying serpents twain  
submitted have their s●aly necks  
to y●ke of rattling wain,  
Thou father have thy sons again  
I in the wandering sky,  
In nimble wheled waggyn swift  
will ride advanced high.  ja. 
¶ Go through the ample spaces wide,  
infect the poisoned ayr●,  
Bear witness grace of God is none  
in place of thy repair.  
FINIS