No More Learning

. . had my bones possessed now peace Their happie grave within the closed grounde,
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148 FER. R. ex A. N. D. POR Rex.
[Act Iv.
And greadie wormes had gnawen this pyned hart Without my feeling payne: so should not now This lyving brest remayne the ruthfull tombe Wherin my hart, yelden to death, is graved;
Nor driery thoughts with panges of pining griefe
My dolefull minde had not afflicted thus.
O my beloved sonne, O my swete childe,
My deare Ferrex, my joye, my lyves delight,
Is my beloved sonne, is my sweete childe,
My deare Ferrex, my joye, my lyves delight Murdred with cruell death? O hatefull wretch,
O heynous traitour both to heaven and earth,
Thou Porrex, thou this damned dede hast wrought,
Thou Porrex, thou shalt dearly bye” the same! Traitour to kinne and kinde, to sire and me,
To thine owne fleshe, and traitour to thyself. The Gods on thee in hell shall wreke the wrath,
And here in earth this hand shall take revenge
On thee Porrex, thou false and caitife wight.
If after bloud so eigre were thy thirst,
And murderous minde had so possessed thee, If such hard hart of rocke and stomie flint
Lived in thy brest, that nothing could like Thy cruel tyrantes thought but death and bloud,
Wilde savage beasts mought not their slaughter serve, To fede thy greedie will, and the middest
Of their entrailes staine thy deadly handes
With blood deserved, and drinke thereof thy fill?
Or nought els but death and bloud man
Mought please thy lust, could none Brittaine land, Whose hart betorne out his panting brest
With thine owne hand, worke what death thou wouldst,
But who the selfe same wombe was wrapped, Where thou dismall hower receivedst life?
Or nedes, nedes thy hand must slaughter make, Moughtest thou not have reached mortall wound,
bye] aby. See Note George Green, vol. III. “Appease,” edit. 1590.
Suffice make sacrifice
That deadly minde and murderous thought thee,
peaze"
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FER REX AND POR. R. F. X. 149
And with thy sword have pearsed this cursed wombe That the, accursed Porrex, brought to light,
And geven me a just reward therefore?
So, Ferrex, yet sweet life mought have enjoyed
And to his aged father comfort brought, - With some yong sonne in whom they both might live.
But whereunto waste I this ruthfull speche
To thee that hast thy brother's bloud thus shed? . Shall I still thinke that from this wombe thou sprong’
That I thee bare, or take thee for my sonne' No traitour, no : I thee refuse for mine: - Murderer, I thee renounce, thou art not mine. Never, O wretch, this wombe conceived thee,
*Nor never bode I painfull throwes for thee; Changeling to me thou art, and not my childe,
Nor to no wight that spark of pitie knew,
Ruthelesse unkinde, monster of natures worke, * Thou never suckt the milke of woman's brest,
But from thy birth the cruell tigers teates
Have nursed thee, nor yet of fleshe and bloud
Formde is thy hart, but of hard iron wrought; And wilde and desert woods bredde thee to life.
But canst thou hope to scape my just revenge,
Or that these hands will not be wrooke” on thee? Doest thou not know that Ferrex mother lives
That loved him more dearly than herselfe? And doth she live, and is not venged on thee?
ACTUS QUARTUS. SCENA SECUNDA.
GoR BoDUc. ARost Us. EUBULUs. Port R. Ex. MARcELLA.
Gorboduc. We marvell much wherto this lingring stay Falles out so long: Porrex unto our court
By order of our letters is returned;
* Nor never bode I, &c. ] bode, from the verb to bide. S.
brest,
Thou never suckt the milke of woman's &c. ]
yerb to wreak. S.
Nec tibi diva parens, generis nec Dardanus auctor, Perfide, sed duris genuitte cautibus horrens
Caucasus, Hyrcanaeque admorunt ubera tigres. VIRGIL.
Revenged,
* wrooke] from the
150 FER REX AND POR Rex.
[Act Iv.
And yet we have no worde whereof he stayes.
Arostus. Lo where he commes, and Eubulus with him. Eubulus. According to your highnesse hest to me
Here have I Porrex brought, even in such sort As from his weried horse he did alight,
For that your grace did will such hast therein.
Gorboduc. We like and praise this spedy will in you To worke the thing that to your charge we gave.
Porrex, if we so farre should swarve from kinde, And from those boundes which lawes of nature sets, As thou hast done by vile and wretched deede
In cruell murder of thy brother's life,
Our present hand could stay no longer time,
And Eubulus receaved from us byhest,
At his arrivall heere to geve him charge Before our presence straight to make repaire,
- But straight should bathe this blade in bloud of thee,
As just revenge of thy detested crime.
No, we should not offend the lawe of kinde
-
If now this sword of ours did slay thee here:
For thou hast murdered him, whose henious death
Even nature's force doth move us to revenge
By bloud againe: and justice forceth us
To measure death for death, thy due desert.
Yet sithens thou art our childe, and sith as yet, In this hard case what worde thou canst alledge For thy defence by us hath not bene heard,
We are content to staye our will for that Which justice biddes us presently to worke,
And geve thee leave to use thy speche at full, If ought thou have to lay for thine excuse.
Porrer. Neither, O king, I can or will denie But that this hand from Ferrex life hath reft:
Which fact how much my dolefull hart doth waile, Oh woulde it mought as full appeare to sight
As inward griefe would poure it forth to me:
So yet perhappes if ever ruthefull hart w
Melting in teares within a manly brest, "" Through depe repentance of his bloudy fact, Ifever griefe, ifever wofull man -- . . . . .
2
SC. II. ] FERR EX AND POR REX. 151
Might move regreite with sorrowe of his faulte,
I thinke the torment of my mournefull case
Knowen to your grace, as I do feele the same,
Would force even wrath herselfe to pitie me. But as the water troubled with the mudde
Shewes not the face which els the eye should see, Even so your irefull minde with stirred thought,
Cannot so perfectly discerne my cause.
But this unhappe, amongst so many heapes
I must content me with, most wretched man, That to myselfe I must reserve my woe
In pining thoughtes of mine accursed fact: Since I may not shewe my smallest griefe” Suche as it and my brest endures. Which esteeme the greatest miserie
Of mishehappes that fortune now can send. Not that restin hope with plaint and teares To purchase life: for the Gods clepe”
For true recorde this my faithful speche,
Never this hart shall have the thoughtfull dread
To dye the death that your graces dome By just desert shall pronounced me;
Nor never shall this tongue once spend the speche,
Pardon crave, seeke meane not this though
With care dreadfull death,
Life contempt; but that
Stoupes dread, although the flesh fraile; And for my gilt, yelde the same great
As myselfe
For graunt Gorboduc.
find fear sue life.
vaine, wretch thou shewest wofull hart? Ferrex now lyes grave,
Slaine thy hand.
The edit. 1590 has this line more perfectly
“Since may not shewe heere my smallest griefe. ”
Mr. Hawkins also adopted this improvement.
clepel call. See Note Grim the Collier Croydon, vol.
XI.
sute live.
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152 Fert REx AND POR REX.
[ACT Iv.
Porrer. Yet this, O father, heare,
And then I end: Your majestie well knows,
That when my brother Ferrex and my selfe
By your owne hest were joyned in governaunce
I never sought, nor travailled for the same;
Nor by my selfe, nor by no frend I wrought,
But from your highnesse will alone it sprong,
Of your most gracious goodnesse bent to me: But how my brother's hart even then repined, With swollen disdaine against mine egall rule, Seeing that realme, which by discent should grow Wholly to him, allotted halfe to me;
Even in your highnesse court he now remaines, And with my brother then in nearest place
Of this your grace's realme of Brittaine land,
Who can recorde what proofe therof was shewde And how my brother's envious hart appearde:
Yet I that judged it my parte to seeke
His favour and good will, and loth to make
Your highnesse know the thing which should have brought
Grief to your grace, and your offence to him, Hoping my earnest sute should soone have wonne
A loving hart within a brother's brest,
Wrought in that sort, that, for a pledge of love
And faithfull hart, he gave to me his hand. This made me thinke, that he had banisht quite
All rancour from his thought, and bare to me Such hartie love, as I did owe to him.
But after once we left your graces court
And from your highnesse presence lived apart,
This egall rule still, still did grudge him so,
That now those envious sparkes which erst lay rakte In living cinders of dissembling brest,
Kindled so farre within his hart disdaine, That longer could he not refraine from proofe
Of secrete practise to deprive me life
By poyson's force; and had bereft me so,
If mine owne servant hired to this fact,
sc. II. ] FER REX AND POR. R. Ex. 153
And moved by trouth with to work the same,” In time had not bewrayed it unto me.
Whan thus I sawe the knot of love unknitte, All honest league and faithfull promise broke, The law of kinde and trouth thus rent in twaine, His hart on mischiefe set, and in his brest
Black treason hid; then, then did I despeire That ever time could winne him frend to me,
*Then saw I how he smiled with slaying knife Wrapped under cloke, then saw I depe deceite Lurke in his face and death prepared for me: Even nature moved me then to holde my life More deare to me then his, and bad this hand, Since by his life my death must nedes ensue And by his death my life mote be preserved, To shed his bloud, and seeke my safetie so, And wisdome willed me without protract. ”
In speedie wise to put the same in ure”. Thus have I tolde the cause that moved me
To worke my brother's death, and so I yeld
My life, my death, to judgement of your grace.
Gorboduc. Oh cruell wight, should any cause pre vaile
To make thee staine thy hands with brother's bloud!
But what of thee we will resolve to doe,
Shall yet remaine unknowen. Thou in the meane Shalt from our royall presence banisht be,
. Untill our princely pleasure furder shall .
To thee be shewed. Depart therefore our sight,
Accursed childe. What cruel destenie,
* Hate seems omitted in this line : it is furnished by the copy of 1590.
“And moved by troth with hate to woorke the same. ”
The passage is not intelligible without some addition of the
ind. C. I
*Then saw
slaying
Wrapped under cloke, This image is from Chaucer's Knight's Tale.
v. 2000. Tyrwhitt's Edition:
“The smiler with the knif under the cloke. ” S.
* protract) i. e. delay. S. *urel See note 12 to this play.
how he smiled with
knife
--
154 FER REx AND POR REX.
[Act 1 v.
What froward fate hath sorted us this chaunce”; That even in those, where we should comfort find, Where our delight now in our aged dayes
Should rest and be even there our only griefe And depest sorrowes to abridge our life,
Most pyning cares and deadly thoughts do grow?
Arostus. Your grace should now in these grave yeres of yours
Have found ere this the price of mortall joyes; How short they be, how fading here in earth,
How full of change, how brittle our estate, Of nothing sure, save onely of the death,
To whom both man and all the world doth owe
Their end at last: neither should nature's power In other sorte against your hart prevaile,
Then as the naked hand whose stroke assayes The armed brest where force doth light in vaine.
Gorboduc. Many can yelde right sage and grave advice
Of patient sprite to others wrapped in woe,
And can in speche both rule and conquere kinde, Who, if by proofe they might feele nature's force, Would shew themselves men as they are indede, Which now wil needes be gods. But what doth meane The sory chere of her that here doth come? '
Marcella. Oh where is ruth, or where is pitie now?
Whether is gentle hart and mercy fled?
Are they exiled out of our stony brestes, Never to make returne? is all the world
Drowned in bloud, and soncke in crueltie? If not in women mercy may be found,
If not (alas) within the mother's brest
To her owne childe, to her owne flesh and bloud; If ruthe be banished thence, if pitie there
May have no place, if there no gentle hart
Do live and dwell, where should we seeke it then?
Gorboduc. Madame (alas), what meanes your wofull tale 2
* sorted us this chaunce;] i. e. chosen out for
us. S.
II. ]
FER REX AND POR REX. 155
Marcella. silly woman why this houre Have kinde and fortune thus deferred my breath, That should live see this dolefull day?
Will ever wight beleve that such hard hart Could rest within the cruell mother's brest,
With her owne hand slaye her onely sonne But out (alas) these eyes behelde the same, They saw the driery sight, and are become Most ruthefull recordes the bloody fact.
his mother slaine, wofull thing tell;
Porrex (alas)
And with her hand
While slumbring
His hart stabde in with knife reft of life.
his carefull bed restes,
Gorboduc. Eubulus, draw this sword
ours,
And pearce this hart with speed hatefull light, loathsome life, sweete and welcome death,
Deare Eubulus, worke this we thee besech
Eubulus. Pacient your grace”, perhappes liveth
yet,
With wound receaved but not of certaine death.
Gorboduc. let then repayre unto the place,
And see Porrex live, thus slaine. Marcella. Alas, he liveth not,
true, That with these eyes, him perelesse prince,
Sonne king, and the flower youth, Even with twinkle” senselesse stocke saw.
Arostus. damned deede
Marcella. But heare hys ruthefull end. - The noble prince, pearst with the sodeine wound,
Out his wretched slumber hastely start,
Whose strength now fayling straight overthrew,
When the fall his eyes even now unclosed
Behelde the queene, and cryed her We then, alas, the ladies which that time
helpe;
Pacient your grace. ] Compose yourself. This verb used Titus Andronicus, A.
Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me.
See other instances Mr. Steevens's Note this passage. ”
Even with twinkle. ] i. e. the twinkling eye. See The
Taming
the Shrew.
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156 FERREx AND PORREX,
[Act Iv.
And hearing him oft call the wretched name
Of mother, and to crye to her for aide,
Whose direfull hand gave him the mortall wound, Pitying, alas, (for nought els could we do)
His ruthefull end, ranne to the wofull bedde, Dispoyled straight his brest, and might Wiped vaine with napkins next hand,
The sodeine streames of bloud that flushed fast
Out the gaping wound: what looke, what ruthefull stedfast eye me thought
He fixt upon my face, which my death
Will never part from me, when with braide
deepe fet sigh gave, and therewithall Clasping his handes, heaven cast his sight,
And straight pale death pressing within his face The flying ghost his mortall corpes forsooke.
Arostus. Never did age bring forth vile fact.
Marcella. hard and cruell happe, that thus assigned
Unto worthy wight wretched end; But most hard cruell hart that could consent
To lend the hatefull destinies that hand,
By which, alas, heynous crime was wrought.
queen adamant, marble brest,
not the favour his comely face,
not his princely chere and countenance,
His valiant active armes, his manly brest,
not his faire and seemely personage, -
His noble limmes such proportion cast
when with braide. ] braide was start motion
Did there attend, seeing that heynous deede,
occasioned Chaucer,
pain, uneasiness, affright. The Legend Dido, ver. 239:
the head, word used
“This noble quene unto her rest ywent,
“She sighed sore, and gon herself tourment, “She walketh, waloweth, and made many braied “As doen these lovers, have herd saied. ”
Scogin's Jests, 10. “The woman, being afraid, gave
“with her head, and ran her away. ”
deepe fet sigh. ] i. e. deep fetched sigh. See Note Gurton's Needle, vol. II.
braid Gammer
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FER REX AND POR REX.
157
would have wrapt sillie woman's thought;
this mought not have moved thy bloodie hart,
And that most cruell hand the wretched weapon Even let fall, and kiste him the face,
death;
Even Jove with justice must with lightning flames
From heaven send downe some strange revenge thee.
Ah, noble prince, how oft have behelde
Thee mounted thy fierce and trampling stede, Shining armour bright before the tilt,
*And with thy mistresse sleve tied thy helme, And charge thy staffe, please thy ladies eye,
With teares for ruthe reave such one Should mature yet consent slay her sonne
mother, thou murder thus thy childe
That bowed the head peece How oft armes horse How oft armes on foot
thy frendly foe bend the mace,
breake the sworde,
Which never now these eyes may see againe
Arostus. Madame, shed;
alas, - vaine these plaints are
Rather with me depart, and helpe swage The thoughtfull griefes that the aged king
Must needes nature growe death this His onely sonne, whome did holde deare.
Marcella. What wight that which sawe that did See,
And could refraine waile with plaint and teares
Not
But let To call
alas, that hart not me:
go, for am greved anewe, minde the wretched father's woe.
Chorus. When gredy lust royall seate
Hath reft care goddes and eke men, And cruell hart, wrath, treason, and disdaine,
Within ambicious brest are lodged; then
And with thy mistresse sleve tied thy helme. ]
reigne
See Extract
from Hall's Chronicle, quoted Note 33 Alexander and Campaspe, vol. II. -
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158 FERREX AND POR REX.
[ACT v.
Beholde how mischiefe wide her selfe displayes, And with the brother's hand the brother slayes.
When bloud thus shed doth staine the heavens face, Crying to Jove for vengeance of the deede,
The mightie God even moveth from his place
With wrath to wreke, then sendes he forth with spede The dreadfull furies, daughters of the night,
With serpentes girt, carying the whip of ire,
With heare of stinging snakes, and shining bright With flames and bloud, and with a brand of fire: These for revenge of wretched murder done,
Do make the mother kill her onely sonne.
Blood asketh blood, and death must death requite: Jove by his just and everlasting dome
Justly hath ever so requited
This times before recorde, and times come
Shall finde true, and doth present proofe Present before our eyes for our behoofe.
happy wight that suffres not the snare
Of murderous minde tangle him blood
And happy that can time beware
By others harmes, and turne his good: But wo him that, fearing not offend,
Doth serve his lust, and will not see the end.
The Order and Signification the Domme Shew before the fifth Act.
These, after their pieces discharged, and that the
armed men had three times marched about the stage, departed, and then the drommes and fluits did cease. Hereby was signified tumults, rebellions, armes, and
civil warres follow, fell the realme Great Brittayne, which the space fiftie yeares and more continued civill warre betwene the nobilitie after the
First the drommes and fluites
which there came forth upon the stage company hargabusiers and armed men all order battaile.
began sound, during
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FERIREX AND POR REX. 1. 59
sc.
death king Gorboduc, and
certayne limitacion succession
time of Dunwallo Molmutius monarchie.
his issues, for want the crowne, till the who reduced the land
ACTUS QUINTUS. SCENA PRIMA. CLoTYN. MANDUD. Gw EN FERG Us. EUBULUs.
Clotyn. Did ever age bring forth such tyrant harts The brother hath bereft the brother's life;
The mother she hath died her cruell handes
bloud her owne sonne; and now last The people, loe, forgetting trouth and love, Contemning quite both law and loyall hart,
Even they have slaine their soveraigne lord and queene.
Mandud. Shall this their traitorous crime unpunished rest
Even yet they cease not, caryed with rage their rebellious routes, threaten still
new bloud shed unto the prince's kinne slay them all, and uproote the race
Both the king and queene; are they moved With Porrex death, wherin they falsely charge
The giltlesse king without desert all,
And traitorously have murdered him therfore,
And eke the queene.
Gwenard. Shall subjectes dare with force worke revenge upon their princes fact?
Admit the worst that may; sure this
The deede was fowle, the queene slaye her sonne,
Shall yet the subject seeke take the sworde, Arise agaynst his lord, and slaye his king?
wretched state where those rebellious hartes
Are not rent out even from their living breastes, And with the body throwen unto the foules,
According Henslowe's MS. William Rankin, who after wards attacked plays and players furiously, his Mirror
Monsters, wrote historical play called Mulmutius Donwallow.
a
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to
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I. ]
160 FERREX AND POR REX,
[ACT 1.
As carrion foode, for terrour of the rest I
Fergus. There can no punishment be thought to
great
For this so grevous cryme; let spede therefore Be used therein, for it behoveth so.
Eubulus. Ye my lordes, see, consent one, And one consent with all:
holde more then neede, with sharpest law To punish their tumultuous bloudy rage;
For nothing more may shake the common state, Than sufferance uproares without redresse, Wherby how some kingdomes mightie power, Aftergreat conquestes made, and florishing
fame and wealth, have ben ruine brought: pray Jove that we may rather wayle
Such happe them, then witnesse ourselves.
Eke fully with the duke my minde agrees “*That cause serves, wherby the subject may
“Call account the dooinges his prince;
“Much lesse blood swoorde woorke revenge; “No more then may the hand cut the head.
“In acte nor speech, not secret thought
“The subject may rebell against his lord,
“Or judge him that sits Caesar's seate,
“With grudging minde
Though kinges forget
Yet subjectes must obey
But now, my lordes, before farder wade
damne those mislikes. ” governe they ought,
spend your speach, what sharpe revenge shall fall By justice plague these rebellious wightes?
rather should first search the way time the rage this uproare
repressed, and these great tumults ceased. Even yet the life Brittayne land doth hang,
Me thinkes
By which Mought
unegall weight,
Thinke not, my lordes, the death Gorboduc,
Nor yet Widenae's bloud will cease their rage:
That cause serves, &c. ] This and the lines following marked with commas are only found the spurious edition this play.
And the reprint that spurious edition 1590.
traitours balaunce
they are bounde.
*
inye
of
no in
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sc. FERREx AND POR REx. 161
Even our owne lyves, our wives, and children deare, Our countrey, dearest all, daunger standes, Now spoiled, now, now made desolate,
And by ourselves conquest ensue:
For geve once swey unto the people's lustes, To rush forth on, and stay them not time,
And the streame that rowleth downe the hyll, So will they headlong ronne with raging thoughtes From bloud bloud, from mischiefe unto moe, To ruine the realme, themselves and all;
giddy are the common people's mindes,
glad chaunge, more wavering than the sea.
Ye see (my lordes) what strength these rebelles have, What hugie nombre assembled still,
For though the traiterous fact for which they rose
Be wrought and done, yet lodge they still field;
that how farre their furies yet will stretch
of ora.
Great cause we have By present battaile
Speede must we use
dreade: that we may seeke represse their power,
levie force therfore,
For either they forthwith will mischiefe work, Or their rebellious roares forthwith will “cease:
These violent thinges may have lasting long. Let therfore use this for present helpe: Perswade gentle speach, and offre grace With gift pardon save unto the chiefe;
And that upon condicion that forthwith They yelde the captaines their enterprise,
To beare such guerdon" their traiterous fact As may both due vengeance themselves, And holsome terrour posteritie.
This shall, thinke, scatter" the greatest parte,
That now are holden with desire of home. Weried field with cold winter's nightes,
And some (no doubt) striken with dread law.
The edit. 1590 reads,
“Or their rebellious roares forthwith must cease,”
the sense the passage.
which perhaps improvement *gerudon] reward. See Note
The Spanish Tragedy, vol. III. -
“Flatter,” edit. 1590. VOL. I.
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162 FERREx AND POR. R. Exe
{[Act Iv.
Whose safety biddes them to betray their heads, And so much more bycause the rascall routes,
In thinges of great and perillous attemptes, Are never trustie to the noble race.
And while we treate and stand on termes of grace, We shall both stay their furies rage the while,
And eke gaine time, whose onely helpe sufficeth
Withouten warre to vanquish rebelles power. In the meane while, make you in redynes
Such band of horsemen as ye may prepare.
Horsemen (you know) are not the commons strength, But are the force and store of noble men.
Wherby the unchosen and unarmed sort o
Of skillesse rebelles, whome none other power, But nombre makes to be of dreadfull force, With sodeyne brunt may quickely be opprest.
And if this gentle meane of proffered grace
With stubborne heartes cannot so farre avayle As to asswage their desperate courages,
Then do I wish such slaughter to be made, As present age and eke posteritie
May be adrad. * with horrour of revenge, That justly then shall on these rebelles fall; This my lords, the summe mine advise.
Whan this is once proclamed, it shall make The captaines to mistrust the multitude,
large; And though did, this speach that hath ben sayd
Clotyn. Neither this case admittes debate
Hath well abridged the tale would have tolde. Fully with Eubulus consent
that hath sayde; and the same To you my lordes may seeme for best advise,
wish that should streight put ure.
unchosen and unarmed sort] multitude. See Note Gurton's Needle, vol. II.
may adrad. ] Adrad the participle passive afraid. S.
Gammer
adrede:
lyke Julius
Folie, 1549, Sign.
“great princes have wysemen jelousie and suspicion,
Erasmus's Praise
“Caesar had Brutus and also Cassius, whereas nothinge helde “hymselfe adradde drunken Mark Anthony. ”
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FER REX AN POR. R. Ex. 163
Mandud. My lordes, then let presently depart And follow this that liketh us so well.
gaine kingdome here offred me!
their king and queene, The offspring the prince slaine and dead,
No issue now remaines, the heire unknowen, The people are armes and mutynies,
The nobles they are busied how cease
These great rebellious tumultes and uproares:
And Brittayne land now desert left alone Amyd these broyles uncertayn where rest, Offers herselfe unto that noble hart
Fergus. ever time Were offred man, now
The realme reft both
That will dare pursue Shall that am the duke Discended from that line
beare her crowne. Albanye
noble bloud,
Which hath long florished worthy fame Of valiaunt hartes, such noble brestes
Of right should rest above the baser sort, Refuse adventure life winne crowne?
Whom shall finde enemies that will withstand
My fact herein, attempt armes
broyle? These dukes power can hardly well appease
To seeke the same now these times
The people that already are armes:
But perhappes my force once field,
not my strength power above the best
Of these lordes now left Brittayne land.
And though they should match me with power men,
Yet doubtfull the chaunce battailes joyned.
victors the field we may depart,
Ours the scepter then great Brittayne
slayne amid the playne this body lye,
Mine enemies yet shall not deny me this, But that dyed geving the noble charge
To hazarde life for conquest crowne.
liketh] pleaseth. See Note Cornelia, vol. II.
Forthwith therefore will
Tô Albanye, and raise armour there
All power can: and here my secret frendes
post depart
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164 FERItex AND PORREX.
[Act v.
ACTUS QUINTUS. SCENA SECUNDA.
Eubulus. Clory N. MAN DUD. Gw ENARD. ARoSTUs. NUN i i Us.
Eubulus. O Jove, how are these people's harts abusde!
What blind fury thus headlong caries them? That though so many bookes, so many rolles
Of auncient time recorde what grevous plagues Light on these rebelles aye, and though so oft Their eares have heard their aged fathers tell What juste reward these traitours still receyve;
Yea though themselves have sene depe death and bloud By strangling cord and slaughter of the sword
To such assigned, yet can they not beware;
Yêt can not stay their lewde rebellious handes, * But suffring, loe, fowle treason to distaine
Their wretched myndes, forget their loyall hart, Reject truth, and rise against their prince.
ruthefull case, that those whom duties bond, Whom grafted law, nature, truth, and faith Bound preserve their country and their king,
Borne defend their commonwealth and prince, Even they should geve consent thus subvert
By secret practise shall sollicite still
To seeke to wynne to me the people's hartes,
Thee Brittaine land, and from thy wombe should bring (O native soile) those, that will needs destroy
And ruyne thee and eke themselves fine.
For lo, when once the duke had offred grace Of pardon sweete (the multitude misledde
By traiterous fraude their ungracious heades) One sort that saw the dangerous successe
Of stubborne standing rebellious warre,
princes power, From headlesse nombre tumultuous routes,
And knew the difference
Whom common countreies care and private feare
Taught repent the errour theirrage,band, Layde hands upon the captaines their
“Yet cal, they not stay their rebellious hands. ” edit. 1590.
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FERREX AND POR. R. E. X. 165
And brought them bound unto the mightie dukes.
And other sort, not trusting yet so well The truth of pardon, or mistrusting more
Their owne offence than that they could conceive Sure hope ofpardon for so foule misdede,
Or for that they their captaines could not yeld, Who fearing to e yelded fled before,
Stale home by silence of the secret night.
The third unhappy and enraged sort
Of desperate hartes, who stained in princes bloud,
From trayterous furour could not be withdrawen By love, by law, by grace, ne yet by feare,
By proffereod life, ne yet by threatmed death,
With mindes hopelesse of life, dreadlesse of death,
Carelesse of countrey, and awelesse of God.
Stoode bent to fight, as furies did them move With violent death to close their traiterous life.
These power horsemen were opprest,
And with
Or with the strangling cord hangd the tree,
sworde slayne the field,
Where yet the caryen carcases preach
The fruites that rebelles reape their uproares,
And the murder their sacred prince. But loe, where approche the noble dukes,
By whom these tumults have ben thus appeasde.
Clotyn.
And feare
Mandud. rebell,
thinke the world will now length beware, put armes agaynst their prince.
not, those trayterous hartes that dare -
-
Let them beholde the wide and hugie fieldes With bloud and bodies spread rebelles slayne; The lofty trees clothed with corpses dead
That strangled with the cord hang thereon.
Arostus. just rewarde, such times before
Have ever lotted those wretched folkes. *
Marlow,
“Brother, revenge
“Preach upon poles for trespass their tongues. ”
Edward vol. 318.
and let these their heads
lusty trees,” edit. 1590. -
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166 FER REX AND POR REXs
[ACT v.
Gwenard. But what meanes he that commeth here ! so fast?
Nuntius. My lordes, as dutie and my trouth doth move,
And of my countrey worke a care in me,
That if the spending of my breath availed
To do the service that my hart desires,
I would not shunne to imbrace a present death; So have I now in that wherein I thought
Ventred my life to bring these tydings here. Fergus, the mightie duke of Albanye,
Is nowe in armes, and lodgeth in the fielde: With twentie thousand men hether he bendes
His spedy march, and mindes to invade the crowne. Dayly he gathereth strength, and spreads abrode,
That to this realme no certaine heire remaines,
. That Brittayne land is left without a guide, That he the scepter seekes, for nothing els
But to preserve the people and the land
Which now remaine as shippe without a sterne “: Loe this is that which I have here to say.
Clotyn. Is this his fayth? and shall he falsely thus Abuse the vauntage of unhappie times?
O wretched land, if his outragious pride,
His cruell and untempred wilfulnesse,
His deepe dissembling shewes of false pretence, Should once attaine the crowne of Brittaine land.
Let us, my lordes, with timely force resist
The new attempt of this our common foe,
As we would quench the flames of common fire.
Mandud. Though we remaine without a certain prince To weld the realm, or guide the wandring rule,
Yet now the common mother of us all,
Our native land, our countrey that conteines Our wives, children, kindred, ourselves, and all
That ever is or may be deare to man, Cries unto us to helpe ourselves and her:
** without a sternel 4 sterne was the antient term for the rudder. See King Henry V. S. -
My travayle mought performe some good effect
sc. II. ] .
FERREX AND PORREX. 167
Let us advaunce our powers to represse
This growing foe of our liberties.
Gwenard. Yea let so, my lordes, with hasty speede.
And goddes) send the welcome death, To shed our bloud field, and leave not
lothesome life lenger out our dayes,” To see the hugie heapes these unhappes,
That now roll downe upon the wretched land, Where emptie place princely governaunce,
No certaine stay now left doubtlesse heire,
Thus leave this guidelesse realme open pray To endlesse stormes and waste of civill warre.
Arostus. That (my lordes) agree one To save your countrey from the violent reigne And wrongfully usurped tyrannie
Of him that threatens conquest you all,
To save your realme, and this realme yourselves
From forreine thraldome
proud prince,
Much prayse; and besech the goddes With happy honour requite you.
But (O my lords) sith now the heavens wrath Hath reft this lande the issue their prince;
Sith the body our late soveraigne lorde Remaines moe; since the yong kinges slaine,
And the title discended crowne, Uncertainly the diverse mindes thinke Even the learned sort, and more uncertainly Will parciall fancie and affection deeme;
But most uncertainly will climbing pride
And hope reigne withdraw sundrie partes The doubtfull right and hopefull lust reigne;
When once this noble service For Brittaine land the mother
atchieved, all,
When once have with armed force represt, The proude attemptes this Albanian prince,
That threatens thraldome your native land, When shall vanquishers returne from field And find the princely state open pray,
To greedie lust and usurping power;
“To lenger out our lives. ” Edit. 1590.
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168 FER Rex AND Por Rex.
[ACT v.
then, then (my lordes) if ever kindly care
O. auncient honour of your auncesters,
Of present wealth and noblesse of your stockes, Yea of the lives and safetie yet to come
Of your deare wives, your children, and yourselves, Might move your noble hartes with gentle ruth,
Then, then have pitie on the torne estate,
Then helpe to salve the wel neare hopelesse sore!
Which ye shall do, if ye yourselves withholde
The slaying knife from your owne mother's throate,
Her shall you save, and you and yours in her,
If ye shall with one assent forbeare Once lay hand, take unto yourselves,
The crowne colour
Or what other meanes ever
pretended right;
be, you
Be set certaine place governaunce, which your parliament and your choise
Preferre the right (my lordes) without” respect Ofstrength frendes, whatsoever cause That may set forward any others part:
For right will last, and wrong can not endure.