Gorboduc Gorboduc EMOTHE0329

Texto utilizado para esta edición digital:
Norton, Thomas and Thomas Sackville. “Gorboduc”. In: Tydeman, William (ed.) Two Tudor Tragedies. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1992. Penguin Classics.

Adaptación digital para EMOTHE:

Tronch Pérez, Jesus

Note on this digital edition

Reproduced with kind permission by William Tydeman.
© William Tydeman, 1992

With the support of research project GVAICO2016-094, funded by Generalitat Valenciana.

THE ARGUMENT OF THE TRAGEDY

Gorboduc, King of Britain, divided his realm in his lifetime to his sons, Ferrex and Porrex. The sons fell to dissension. The younger killed the elder. The mother, that more dearly loved the elder, for revenge killed the younger. The people, moved with the cruelty of the fact, rose in rebellion and slew both father and mother. The nobility assembled and most terribly destroyed the rebels. And afterwards for want of issue of the Prince, whereby the succession of the crown became uncertain, they fell to civil war in which both they and many of their issues were slain, and the land for a long time almost desolate and miserably wasted.

THE P[RINTER]. TO THE READER

Where this tragedy was for furniture of part of the grand Christmas in the Inner Temple, first written about nine years ago by the Right Honourable Thomas now Lord Buckhurst, and by T. Norton, and after showed before her Majesty, and never intended by the authors thereof to be published: yet one W. G., getting a copy thereof at some young man’s hand that lacked a little money and much discretion, in the last great plague, an[no]. 1565, about five years past, while the said Lord was out of England, and T. Norton far out of London, and neither of them both made privy, put it forth exceedingly corrupted: even as if by means of a broker for hire, he should have enticed into his house a fair maid and done her villainy, and after all to-bescratched her face, torn her apparel, berayed and disfigured her, and then thrust her out of doors dishonested. In such plight after long wandering she came at length home to the sight of her friends, who scant knew her but by a few tokens and marks remaining. They, the authors I mean, though they were very much displeased that she so ran abroad without leave, whereby she caught her shame, as many wantons do, yet seeing the case as it remediless, have for common honesty and shamefastness new apparelled, trimmed, and attired her in such form as she was before. In which better form since she hath come to me, I have harboured her for her friend’s sake and her own, and I do not doubt her parents, the authors, will not now be discontent that she go abroad among you good readers, so it be in honest company. For she is by my encouragement and others’ somewhat less ashamed of the dishonesty done to her because it was by fraud and force. If she be welcome among you and gently entertained, in favour of the house from whence she is descended, and of her own nature courteously disposed to offend no man, her friends will thank you for it. If not, but that she shall be still reproached with her former mishap, or quarrelled at by envious persons, she (poor gentlewoman) will surely play Lucrece’s part, and of herself die for shame, and I shall wish that she had tarried still at home with me, where she was welcome: for she did never put me to more charge, but this one poor black gown lined with white that I have now given her to go abroad among you withal.

THE NAMES OF THE SPEAKERS

GORBODUC, King of Great Britain

VIDENA, Queen and wife to King Gorboduc

FERREX, elder son to King Gorboduc

PORREX, younger son to King Gordoduc

CLOTYN, Duke of Cornwall

FERGUS, Duke of Albany

MANDUD, Duke of Loegris

GWENARD, Duke of [Camberland]

EUBULUS, Secretary to the King

AROSTUS, a counsellor to the King

DORDAN, a counsellor assigned by the King to his eldest son Ferrex

PHILANDER, a counsellor assigned by the King to his younger son Porrex (Both being of the old King’s council before)

HERMON, a parasite remaining with Ferrex

TYNDAR, a parasite remaining with Porrex

NUNTIUS, a messenger of the elder brother’s death

NUNTIUS, a messenger of Duke Fergus rising in arms

MARCELLA, a lady of the Queen’s privy chamber

CHORUS, four ancient and sage men of Britain

[Soldiers, attendants, servants, etc.]

[The figures in the dumb-shows]

[The play is set in ancient Britain]

THE TRAGEDY OF GORBODUC

First the music of violins began to play, during which came in upon the stage six wild men clothed in leaves. Of whom the first bare in his neck a faggot of small sticks, which they all both severally and together assayed with all their strengths to break, but it could not be broken by them. At the length one of them plucked out one of the sticks and brake it. And the rest, plucking out all the other sticks one after another, did easily break them, the same being severed, which being conjoined they had before attempted in vain. After they had this done, they departed the stage, and the music ceased. Hereby was signified that a state knit in unity doth continue strong against all force, but being divided is easily destroyed. As befell upon Duke Gorboduc, dividing his land to his two sons which he before held in monarchy, and upon the dissension of the brethren to whom it was divided.

ACT I SCENE I

Enter Videna and Ferrex.

videna

The silent night, that brings the quiet pause

450

From painful travails of the weary day,

Prolongs my carefull thoughts, and makes me blame

The slow Aurore, that so for love or shame

Doth long delay to show her blushing face:

And now the day renews my griefull plaint.

ferrex

455

My gracious lady and my mother dear,

Pardon my grief for your so grieved mind,

To ask what cause tormenteth so your heart.

videna

So great a wrong, and so unjust despite,

Without all cause, against all course of kind!

ferrex

460

Such causeless wrong and so unjust despite,

May have redress, or at the least, revenge.

videna

Neither, my son: such is the froward will,

The person such, such my mishap and thine.

ferrex

Mine know I none, but grief for your distress.

videna

465

Yes; mine for thine, my son. A father? No.

In kind a father, not in kindliness.

ferrex

My father? Why? I know nothing at all,

Wherein I have misdone unto his grace.

videna

Therefore the more unkind to thee and me.

470

For I have ever borne and bear to thee,

He, griev’d thereat, is not content alone

To spoil me of thy sight, my chiefest joy,

But thee of thy birthright and heritage

Causeless, unkindly, and in wrongful wise,

475

Against all law and right, he will bereave.

Half of his kingdom he will give away.

ferrex

To whom?

videna

Even to Porrex, his younger son,

Whose growing pride I do so sore suspect,

That, being rais’d to equal rule with thee,

480

Methinks I see his envious heart to swell,

Fill’d with disdain and with ambitious hope.

The end the gods do know, whose altars I

Full oft have made in vain of cattle slain

To send the sacred smoke to Heaven’s throne,

485

For thee, my son, if things do so succeed,

As now my jealous mind misdeemeth sore.

ferrex

Madam, leave care and carefull plaint for me:

Just hath my father been to every wight.

His first unjustice he will not extend

490

To me, I trust, that give no cause thereof:

My brother’s pride shall hurt himself, not me.

videna

So grant the gods! But yet thy father so

Hath firmly fixed his unmoved mind

That plaints and prayers can no whit avail,

495

For those have I assay’d, but even this day

He will endeavour to procure assent

Of all his council to his fond device.

ferrex

Their ancestors from race to race have borne

True faith to my forefathers and their seed:

500

I trust they eke will bear the like to me.

videna

There resteth all. But if they fail thereof,

And if the end bring forth an ill success,

On them and theirs the mischief shall befall,

And so I pray the gods requite it them,

505

And so they will, for so is wont to be!

When lords, and trusted rulers under kings,

To please the present fancy of the prince

With wrong transpose the course of governance,

Murders, mischief, or civil sword at length,

510

Or mutual treason, or a just revenge,

When right succeeding line returns again,

By Jove’s just judgement and deserved wrath,

Brings them to cruel and reproachful death,

And roots their names and kindreds from the earth.

ferrex

515

Mother, content you; you shall see the end.

videna

The end? Thy end I fear: Jove end me first!

Exeunt.

ACT I SCENE 2

[Gorboduc’s court]

[Enter Gorboduc, Arostus, Philander, Eubulus, Chorus, Attendants etc.]

gorboduc

My lords, whose grave advice and faithful aid

Have long upheld my honour and my realm,

And brought me to this age from tender years,

520

Guiding so great estate with great renown,

Now more importeth me than erst to use

Your faith and wisdom, whereby yet I reign:

That when my death my life and rule shall cease,

The kingdom yet may with unbroken course

525

Have certain prince, by whose undoubted right

Your wealth and peace may stand in quiet stay;

And eke that they whom nature hath prepar’d

In time to take my place in princely seat –

While in their father’s time their pliant youth

530

Yields to the frame of skilful governance–

May so be taught and train’d in noble arts,

As what their fathers which have reigned before

Have with great fame derived down to them,

With honour they may leave unto their seed

535

And not be thought for their unworthy life,

And for their lawless swerving out of kind,

Worthy to lose what law and kind them gave;

But that they may preserve the common peace,

The cause that first began and still maintains

540

The lineal course of kings’ inheritance.

For me, for mine, for you, and for the state,

Whereof both I and you have charge and care,

Thus do I mean to use your wonted faith

To me and mine, and to your native land.

545

My lords, be plain without all wry respect

Or poisonous craft to speak in pleasing wise,

Lest as the blame of ill-succeeding thing

Shall light on you, so light the harms also.

arostus

Your good acceptance so, most noble King,

550

Of such our faithfulness as heretofore

We have employed in duties to your grace

And to this realm, whose worthy head you are,

Well proves that neither you mistrust at all,

Nor we shall need in boasting wise to show

555

Our truth to you, nor yet out wakeful care

For you, four yours, and for our native land.

Wherefore, O King, I speak as one for all –

Sith all as one do bear you equal faith –

Doubt not to use our counsels and our aids,

560

Whose honours, goods and lives are whole avow’d

To serve, to aid, and to defend your grace.

gorboduc

My lords, I thank you all. This is the case:

Ye know the gods, who have the sovereig care

For kings, for kingdoms, and for commonweals,

565

Gave me two sons in my more lusty age,

Who now in my decaying years are grown

Well towards riper state of strength,

To take in hand some greater princely charge.

As yet they live and spend their hopeful days

570

With me and with their mother here in court.

Their age now asketh other place and trade,

And mine also doth ask another change,

Theirs to more travail, mine to greater ease.

When fatal death shall end my mortal life,

575

My purpose is to leave unto them twain

The realm divided into two sundry parts:

The one Ferrex, mine elder son, shall have;

The other shall the younger, Porrex, rule.

That both my purpose may more firmly stand,

580

And eke that they may better rule their charge,

I mean forthwith to place them in the same,

That in my life they may both learn to rule

And I may joy to see their ruling well.

This is in sum what I would have ye weigh:

585

First, whether ye allow my whole device

And think it good for me, for them, for you,

And for our country, mother of us all;

And if ye like it, and allow it well,

Then for their guiding and their governance,

590

Show forth such means of circumstance

As ye think meet to be both known and kept.

Lo, this is all; now tell me your advice.

arostus

And this is much, and asketh great advice.

But for my part, my sovereign lord and King,

595

This do I think; your Majesty doth know

How under you in justice and in peace

Great wealth and honour long we have enjoy’d,

So as we cannot seem with greedy minds

To wish for change of prince or governance.

600

But if we like your purpose and device,

Our liking must be deemed to proceed

Of rightful reason and of heedful care,

Not for ourselves, but for the common state,

Sith our own state doth need no better change.

605

I think in all as erst your grace hath said:

First, when you shall unload your aged mind

Of heavy care and troubles manifold

And lay the same upon my lords your sons,

Whose growing years may bear the burden long

610

(And long I pray the gods to grant it so)

And in your life while you shall so behold

Their rule, their virtues, and their noble deeds,

Such as their kind behighteth to us all,

Great be the profits that shall grow thereof.

615

Your age in quiet shall the longer last;

Your lasting age shall be their longer stay,

For cares of kings, that rule as you have rul’d

For public wealth and not for private joy,

Do waste man’s life and hasten crooked age,

620

With furrow’d face and with enfeebl’d limbs,

To draw on creeping death a swifter pace:

They two, yet young, shall bear the parted reign

With greater ease than one, now old, alone,

Can wield the whole, for whom much harder is

625

With lessen’d strength the double weight to bear.

Your eye, your counsel, and the grace regard

Of father, yea, of such a father’s name –

Now at beginning of their whole success,

Shall bridle so their force of youthful heats,

630

And so restrain the rage of insolence

Which most assails the young and noble minds,

And so shall guide and train in temper’d stay

Their yet green-bending wits with reverent awe,

As now inur’d with virtues at the first,

635

Custom, O King, shall bring delightfulness.

By use of virtue, vice shall grow in hate;

But if you so dispose it that the day

Which ends your life shall first begin their reign,

Great is the peril what will be the end.

640

When such beginning of such liberties –

Void of such stays as in your life do lie –

Shall leave them free to random of their will,

An open prey to traitorous flattery,

The greastest pestilence of noble youth.

645

Which peril shall be past, if in your life

Their temper’d youth with aged father’s awe

Be brought in ure of skilful stayedness,

And in your life their lives disposed so

Shall length your noble life in joyfulness.

650

Thus think I that your grace hath wisely thought,

And that your tender care of common weal

Hath bred this thought, so to divide your land,

And plant your sons to bear the present rule,

While you yet live to see their ruling well,

655

That you may longer live by joy therein.

What further means behoveful are and meet

At greater leisure may your grace devise,

When all have said, and when we agreed

If this be best to part the realm in twain

660

And place your sons in present government,

Whereof, as I have plainly said my mind,

So would I hear the rest of all my lords.

philander

In part I think as hath been said before;

In part again my mind is otherwise.

665

As for dividing of this realm in twain,

And lotting out the same in equal parts

To either of my lords, your grace’s sons,

That think I best for this your realm’s behove,

For profit and advancement of your sons,

670

And for your comfort and your honour eke.

But so to place them while your life do last;

To yield to them your royal governance;

To be above them only in the name

Of father, not in kingly state also;

675

I think not good for you, for them, nor us.

This kingdom, since the bloody civil field

Where Morgan slain did yield his conquered part

Unto his cousin’s sword in Camberland,

Containeth all that whilom did suffice

680

Three noble sons of your forefather Brute:

So your two sons it may suffice also,

The moe the stronger, if they gree in one.

The smaller compass that the realm doth hold,

The easier is the sway thereof to wield,

685

The nearer justice to the wronged poor,

The smaller charge, and yet enough for one.

And when the region is divided so,

That brethren be the lords of either part,

Such strength doth nature knit between them both,

690

In sundry bodies by conjoined love,

That not as two, but one of doubled force,

Each is to other as a sure defence.

The nobleness and glory of the one

Doth sharp the courage of the other’s mind

695

With virtuous envy to content for praise.

And such an equalness hath nature made

Between the brethren of one father’s seed,

As an unkindly wrong it seems to be

To throw the brother-subject under feet

700

Of him whose peer he is by course of kind.

And Nature, that did make this equalness,

Oft so repineth at so great a wrong,

That oft she raiseth up a grudging grief

In younger brethren at the elder’s state,

705

Whereby both towns and kingdoms have been raz’d

And famous stocks of royal blood destroy’d.

The brother, that should be the brother’s aid

And have a wakeful care for his defence,

Gapes for his death, and blames the lingering years

710

That draw not forth his end with faster course;

And, oft impatient of so long delays,

With hateful slaughter he prevents the fates,

And heaps a just reward for brother’s blood,

With endless vengeance on his stock for aye.

715

Such mischiefs here are wisely met withal,

If equal state may nourish equal love,

Where none hath cause to grudge at other’s good:

But now the head to stoop beneath them both,

Ne kind, ne reason, ne good order bears.

720

And oft it hath been seen, where Nature’s course

Hath been perverted in disolder’d wise,

When fathers cease to know that they should rule,

The children cease to know they should obey,

And often overkindly tenderness

725

Is mother of unkindly stubbornness.

I speak not this in envy or reproach

As if I grudg’d the glory of your sons,

Whose honour I beseech the gods increase,

Nor yet as if I thought there did remain

730

So filthy cankers in their noble breasts,

Whom I esteem –which is their greatest praise–

Undoubted children of so good a King.

Only I mean to show by certain rules

Which kind hath graft within the mind of man

735

That Nature hath her order and her course,

Which, being broken, doth corrupt the state

Of minds and things, even in the best of all.

My lord, your sons may learn to rule of you;

Your own example in your noble court

740

Is fittest guider of their youthful years.

If you desire to see some present joy

By sight of their well ruling in your life,

See them obey, so shall you see them rule.

Whoso obeyeth not with humbleness

745

Will rule with outrage and with insolence.

Long may they rule, I do beseech the gods;

Long may they learn, ere they begin to rule!

If kind and fates would suffer, I would wish

Them aged princes and immortal kings.

750

Wherefore, most noble King, I well assent

Between your sons that you divide your realm,

And as in kind, so match them in degree;

But while the gods prolong your royal life,

Prolong your reign; for thereto live you here,

755

And therefore have the gods so long forborne

To join you to themselves that still you might

Be prince and father of our commonweal.

They, when they see your children ripe to rule,

Will make them room, and will remove you hence,

760

That yours, in right ensuing of your life,

May rightly honour your immortal name.

eubulus

Your wonted true regard of faithful hearts

Makes me, O King, the bolder to presume,

To speak what I conceive within my breast,

765

Although the same do not agree at all

With that which other here my lords have said,

Nor which yourself have seemed best to like.

Pardon I crave, and that my words be deem’d

To flow from hearty zeal unto your grace,

770

And to the safety of your commonweal.

To part your realm unto my lords, your sons,

I think not good for you, ne yet for them,

But worst of all for this our native land.

Within one land, one single rules is best:

775

Divided reigns do make divides hearts,

But peace preserves the country and the prince.

Such is in man the greedy mind to reign,

So great is his desire to climb aloft,

In worldly stage the stateliest parts to bear,

780

That faith and justice and all kindly love

Do yield unto desire of sovereignty,

Where equal state doth raise an equal hope

To win the thing that either would attain.

Your grace remembereth how in passed years

785

The mighty Brute, first prince of all this land,

Possess’d the same and rul’d it well in one;

He, thinking that the compass did suffice

For his three sons three kingdoms eke to make,

Cut it in three, as you would now in twain.

790

But how much British blood hath since been spilt

To join again the sunder’d unity!

What princes slain before their timely hour,

What waste of towns and people in the land,

What treasons heap’d on murders and on spoils

795

Whose just revenge even yet is scarcely ceas’d,

Ruthful remembrance is yet raw in mind –

The gods forbid the like to change again!

And you, O King, give not the cause thereof:

Mu lord Ferrex, your elder son, perhaps

800

(Whom kind and custom gives a rightful hope

To be your heir and to succeed your reign)

Shall think that he doth suffer greater wrong

Than he perchance will bear, if power serve;

Porrex, the younger, so uprais’d in state,

805

Perhaps in courage will be rais’d also.

If flattery, then, which fails not to assail

The tender minds of yet unskilful youth,

In one shall kindle and increase disdain

And envy in the other’s heart inflame,

810

This fire shall waste their love, their lives, their land,

And ruthful ruin shall destroy them both.

I wish not this, O King, so to befall,

But fear the thing that I do most abhor.

Give no beginning to so dreadful end:

815

Keep them in order and obedience,

And let them both by now obeying you

Learn such behaviour as beseems their state:

The elder, mildness in his governance,

The younger, a yielding contentedness.

820

And keep them near unto your presence still,

That they, restrained by the awe of you,

May live in compass of well-temper’d stay

And pass the perils of their youthful years.

Your aged life draws on to feebler time,

825

Wherein you shall less able be to bear

The travails that in youth you have sustain’d,

Both in your person’s and your realm’s defence;

If planting now your sons in further parts,

You send them further from your present reach,

830

Less shall you know how they themselves demean.

Traitorous corrupters of their pliant youth

Shall have unspied a much more free access;

And if ambition and inflam’d disdain

Shall arm the one, the other, or them both,

835

To civil war, or to usurping pride,

Late shall you rue, that you ne reck’d before.

Good is, I grant, of all to hope the best,

But not to live still dreadless of the worst;

So trust the one, that the other be foreseen.

840

Arm not unskilfulness with princely power,

But you that long have wisely rul’d the reins

Of royalty within your noble realm,

So hold them, while the gods for our avails

Shall stretch the thread of your prolonged days:

845

Too soon he clamb into the flaming car,

Whose want of skill did set the earth on fire.

Time and example of your noble grace

Shall teach your sons both to obey and rule;

When time hath taught them, time shall make the place,

850

The place that now is full: and so, I pray,

Long it remain, to confort of us all.

gorboduc

I take your faithful hearts in thankful part,

But sith I see no cause to draw my mind

To fear the nature of my loving sons,

855

Or to misdeem that envy or disdain

Can there work hate where Nature planteth love,

In one self purpose do I still abide.

My love extendeth equally to both;

My land sufficeth for them both also.

860

Humber shall part the marches of their realms,

The southern part the elder shall possess,

The northern shall Porrex, the younger, rule;

In quiet I will pass my aged days,

Free from the travail and the painful cares

865

That hasten age upon the worthiest kings.

But lest the fraud (that ye do seem to fear)

Of flattering tongues corrupt their tender youth

And writhe them to the ways of youthful lust,

To climbing pride, or to revenging hate,

870

Or to neglecting of their carefull charge,

Lewdly to live in wanton recklessness,

Or to oppressing of the rightful cause,

Or not to wreak the wrongs done to the poor,

To tread down truth, or favour false deceit,

875

I mean to join to either of my sons

Someone of those whose long approved faith

And wisdom tried may well assure my heart

That mining fraud shall find no way to creep

Into their fenced ears with grave advice.

880

This is the end, and so I pray you all

To bear my sons the love and loyalty

That I have found within your faithful breasts.

arostus

You, nor your sons, our sovereing lord, shall want

Our faith and service while our lives do last.

[Exeunt all but the Chorus.]

chorus

885

When settled stay doth hold the royal throne

In steadfast place, by known and doubtless right,

And chiefly when descent on one alone

Makes single and unparted reign to light,

Each change of course unjoints the whole estate,

890

And yields it thrall to ruin by debate.

The strength that, knit by fast accord in one

Against all foreign power of mighty foes,

Could of itself defend itself alone,

Disjoined once, the former force doth lose:

895

The sticks that sunder’d brake so soon in twain,

In faggot bound attempted were in vain.

Oft tender mind that leads the partial eye

Of erring parents in their children’s love

Destroys the wrongly loved child thereby:

900

This doth the proud son of Apollo prove,

Who, rashly set in chariot of his sire,

Inflam’d the parched earth with heaven’s fire.

And this great King, that doth divide his land,

And change the course of his descending crown,

905

And yields the rein into his children’s hand,

From blissful state of joy and great renown,

A mirror shall become to princes all,

To learn to shun the cause of such a fall.

First the music of cornets began to play, during which came in upon the stage a king accompanied with a number of his nobility and gentlemen. And after he had placed himself in a chair of estate prepared for him, there came and kneeled before him a grave and aged gentleman and offered up a cup unto him of wine in a glass, which the king refused. After him comes a brave and lusty young gentleman and presents the king with a cup of gold filled with poison, which the king accepted, and, drinking the same, immediately fell down dead upon the stage, and so was carried thence away by his lords and gentlemen, and then the music ceased. Hereby was signified that as glass by nature holdeth no poison, but is clear and may easily be seen through, ne boweth by any art, so a faithful counsellor holdeth no treason, but is plain and open, ne yieldeth to any undiscreet affection, but giveth wholesome counsel, which the ill-advised prince refuseth. The delighful gold filled with poison betokeneth flattery, which under fair seeming of pleasant words beareth deadly poison, which destroyeth the prince that receiveth it, as befell in the two brethren Ferrex and Porrex, who, refusing the wholesome advice of grave counsellors, credited these young parasites and brought to themselves death and destruction thereby.

ACT II SCENE I

[Ferrex’s court]

Enter Ferrex, Hermon and Dordan.]

ferrex

I marvel much what reason led the King

910

My father, thus without all my desert,

To reave me half the kingdom, which by course

Of law and nature should remain to me.

hermon

If you with stubborn and untamed pride

Had stood against him in rebelling wise,

915

Or if with grudging mind you had envied

So slow a sliding of his aged years,

Or sought before your time to haste the course

Of fatal death upon his royal head,

Or stain’d your stock with murder of your kin,

920

Some face of reason might perhaps have seem’d

To yield some likely cause to spoil ye thus.

ferrex

The wreakful gods pour on my cursed head

Eternal plagues and never-dying woes;

The hellish prince adjudge my damned ghost

925

To Tantale’s thirst, or proud Ixion’s wheel,

Or cruel gripe to gnaw my growing heart,

To during torments and unquenched flames,

If ever I conceiv’d so foul a thought,

To wish his end of life, or yet of reign!

dordan

930

Ne yet your father, O most noble Prince,

Did ever think so foul a thing of you:

For he, with more than father’s tender love,

While yet the fates do lend him life to rule

(Who long might live to see your ruling well),

935

To you, my lord, and to his other son,

Lo, he resigns his realm and royalty,

Which never would so wise a prince have done

If he had once misdeem’d that in your heart

There ever lodged so unkind a thought.

940

But tender love, my lord, and settled trust

Of your good nature and your noble mind

Made him to place you thus in royal throne,

And now to give you half his realm to guide –

Yea, and that half which in abounding store

945

Of things that serve to make a wealthy realm,

In stately cities, and in fruitful soil,

In temperate breathing of the milder Heaven,

In things of needful use, which friendly sea

Transports by traffic from the foreign parts,

950

In flowing wealth, in honour and in force,

Doth pass the double value of the part

That Porrex hath allotted to his reign.

Such is your case, such is your father’s love.

ferrex

Ah love, my friends? Love wrongs not whom he loves.

dordan

955

Ne yet he wrongeth you, that giveth you

So large a reign, ere that the course of time

Bring you to kingdom by descended right,

Which time perhaps might end your time before.

ferrex

Is this no wrong, say you, to reave from me

960

My native right of half so great a realm,

And thus to match his younger son with me

In equal power, and in as great degree?

Yea, and what son? The son whose swelling pride

Would never yield one point of reverence,

965

When I the elder and apparent heir

Stood in the likelihood to possess the whole;

Yea, and that son which from his childish age

Envieth mine honour and doth hate my life.

What will he now do, when his pride, his rage,

970

The mindful malice of his grudging heart,

Is arm’d with force, with wealth, and kingly state?

hermon

Was this not wrong, yea, ill-advised wrong,

To give so mad a man so sharp a sword,

To so great peril of so great mishap,

975

Wide open thus to set so large a way?

dordan

Alas, my lord, what griefull thing is this,

That of your brother you can think so ill?

I never saw him utter likely sign

Whereby a man might see or once misdeem

980

Such hate of you, ne such unyielding pride.

Ill is their counsel, shameful be their end,

That, raising such mistrustful fear in you,

Sowing the seed of such unkindly hate,

Travail by treason to destroy you both.

985

Wise is your brother, and of noble hope,

Worthy to wield a large and mighty realm;

So much a stronger friend have you thereby,

Whose strength is your strength, if you gree in one.

hermon

If nature and the gods had pinched so

990

Their flowing bounty, and their noble gifts

Of princely qualities, from you, my lord,

And pour’d them all at once in wasteful wise

Upon your father’s younger son alone,

Perhaps there be that in your prejudice

995

Would say that birth should yield to worthiness.

But sith in each good gift and princely art

Ye are his match, and in the chief of all –

In mildness and in sober governance –

Ye far surmount; and sith there is in you

1000

Sufficing skill, and hopeful towardness

To wield the whole, and match your elder’s praise,

I see no cause why ye should lose the half.

Ne would I wish you yield to such a loss,

Lest your mild sufferance of so great a wrong

1005

Be deemed cowardish and simple dread,

Which shall give courage to the fiery head

Of your young brother to invade the whole.

While yet, therefore, sticks in the people’s mind

The loathed wrong of your disheritance;

1010

And ere your brother have by settled power,

By guileful cloak of an alluring show,

Got him some force and favour in the realm;

And while the noble Queen your mother lives,

To work and practise all for your avail;

1015

Attempt redress by arms, and wreak yourself

Upon his life, that gaineth by your loss

Who now to shame of you, and grief of us,

Show now your courage meet for kingly state,

That they, which have avow’d to spend their goods,

1020

Their lands, their lives and honours in your cause,

May be the bolder to maintain your part,

When they do see that coward fear in you

Shall not betray ne fail their faithful hearts.

If once the death of Porrex end the strife

1025

And pay the price of his usurped reign,

Your mother shall persuade the angry King;

The lords your friends eke shall appease rage;

For they be wise, and well they can foresee

That ere long time your aged father’s death

1030

Will bring a time when you shall well requite

Their friendly favour, or their hateful spite,

Yea, or their slackness to advance your cause.

‘Wise men do not so hang on passing state

Of present princes, chiefly in their age,

1035

But they will further cast their reaching eye

To view and weigh the times and reigns to come’.

Ne is it likely, though the King be wroth,

That he yet will, or that the realm will, bear

Extreme revenge upon his only son;

1040

Or if he would, what one is he that dare

Be minister to such an enterprise?

And here you be now placed in your own,

Amid your friends, your vassals, and your strength:

We shall defend and keep your person safe,

1045

Till either counsel turn his tender mind,

Or age or sorrow end his weary days.

But if the fear of gods, and secret grudge

Of Nature’s law, repining at the fact,

Withhold your courage from so great attempt,

1050

Know ye that lust of kingdoms hath no law:

The gods do bear and well allow in kings

The things that they abhor in rascal routs.

‘When king on slender quarrels run to wars,

And then in cruel and unkindly wise

1055

Command thefts, rapes, murders of innocents,

The spoil of towns, ruins of mighty realms,

Think you such princes do suppose themselves

Subject to laws of kind and fear of gods?’

Murders and violent thefts in private men

1060

Are heinous crimes and full of foul reproach,

Yet none offence, but deck’d with glorious name

Of noble conquests, in the hands of kings!

But if you like not yet so hot device,

Ne list to take such vantage of the time,

1065

But, though with peril of your own estate,

You will not be the first that shall invade,

Assemble yet your force for your defence,

And for your safety stand upon your guard.

dordan

O Heaven, was there ever heard or known

1070

So wicked counsel to a noble prince?

Let me, my lord, disclose unto your grace

This heinous tale, what mischief it contains:

Your father’s death, your brother’s and your own,

Your present murder and eternal shame.

1075

Hear me, O King, and suffer not to sink

So high a treason in your princely breast!

ferrex

The mighty gods forbid that ever I

Should once conceive such mischief in my heart!

Although my brother hath bereft my realm,

1080

And bear perhaps to me an hateful mind,

Shall I revenge it with his death therefore,

Or shall I so destroy my father’s life

That gave me live? The gods forbid, I say!

[To Hermon.]

Cease you to speak so any more to me.

1085

[To Dordan.]

Ne you, my friend, with answer once repeat

So foul a tale. In silence let it die.

What lord or subject shall have hope at all

That under me they safely shall enjoy

Their goods, their honours, lands and liberties,

1090

With whom neither one only brother dear,

Ne father dearer, could enjoy their lives?

But sith I fear my younger brother’s rage,

And sith perhaps some other man may give

Some like advice to move his grudging head

1095

At mine estate, which counsel may perchance

Take greater force with him than this with me,

I will in secret so prepare myself,

As if his malice or his lust to reign

Break forth in arms or sudden violence,

1100

I may withstand his rage and keep mine own.

[Exeunt Ferrex and Hermon.]

dordan

I fear the fatal time now draweth on

When civil hate shall end the noble line

Of famous Brute and of his royal seed.

Great Jove defend the mischief now at hand!

1105

Oh that the Secretary’s wise advise

Had erst been heard when he besought the King

Not to divide his land, nor send his sons

To further parts from presence of his court,

Ne yet to yield to them his governance!

1110

Lo, such are they now in the royal throne

As was rash Phaeton in Phoebus’ car;

Ne then the fiery steeds did draw the flame

With wilder random through the kindled skies,

Than traitorous counsel now will whirl about

1115

The youthful heads of these unskilful kings.

But I hereof their father will inform:

The reverence of him perhaps shall stay

The growing mischiefs, while they yet are green.

If this help not, then woe unto themselves,

1120

The Prince, the people, the divided land!

[Exit.]

ACT II SCENE 2

[Porrex’s court.]

[Enter Porrex, Philander, and Tyndar.]

porrex

And is it thus? And doth he so prepare

Against his brother as his mortal foe?

And now, while yet his aged father lives?

Neither regards he him, nor fears he me?

1125

War would he have? And he shall have it so.

tyndar

I saw myself the great prepared store

Of horse, of armour, and of weapon there;

Ne bring I to my lord reported tales

Without the ground of seen and searched truth.

1130

Lo, secret quarrels run about his court

To bring the name of you, my lord, in hate:

Each man almost can now debate the cause

And ask a reason of so great a wrong,

Why he, so noble and so wise a prince,

1135

Is as unworthy reft his heritage,

And why the King, misled by crafty means,

Divided thus his land from course of right?

The wiser sort hold down their griefull heads;

Each man withdraws from talk and company

1140

Of those that have been known to favour you.

To hide the mischief of their meaning there,

Rumours are spread of your preparing here;

The rascal numbers of unskilful sort

Are filled with monstrous tales of you and yours.

1145

In secret I was counsell’d by my friends

To haste me thence, and brought you, as you know,

Letters from those that both can truly tell

And would not write unless they knew it well.

philander

My lord, yet ere you move unkindly war,

1150

Send to your brother to demand the cause:

Perhaps some traitorous tales have fill’d his ears

With false reports against your noble grace,

Which, once disclos’d, shall end the growing strife,

That else not stay’d with wise foresight in time,

1155

Shall hazard both your kingdoms and your lives.

Send to your father eke; he shall appease

Your kindled minds, and rid you of this fear.

porrex

Rid me of fear? I fear him not at all,

Ne will to him ne to my father send!

1160

If danger were for one to tarry there,

Think ye it safety to return again?

In mischiefs, such as Ferrex now intends,

The wonted courteous laws to messengers

Are not observ’d, which in just war they use.

1165

Shall I so hazard any one of mine?

Shall I betray my trusty friends to him,

That have disclos’d his treason unto me?

Let him entreat that fears; I fear him not.

Or shall I to the King my father send?

1170

Yea, and send now, while such a mother lives

That loves my brother and that hateth me?

Shall I give leisure, by my fond delays,

To Ferrex to oppress me all unware?

I will not, but I will invade his realm

1175

And seek the traitor prince within his court!

Mischief for mischief is a due reward:

His wretched head shall pay the worthy price

Of this his treason and his hate to me.

Shall I abide, and treat, and send, and pray,

1180

And hold my yielden throat to traitor’s knife,

While I with valiant mind and conquering force

Might rid myself of foes and win a realm?

Yet rather, when I have the wretch’s head,

Then to the King my father will send.

1185

The bootless case may yet appease his wrath;

If not, I will defend me as I may.

[Exeunt Porrex and Tyndar.]

philander

Lo, here the end of these two youthful kings,

The father’s death, the ruin of their realms.

‘O most unhappy state of counsellors

1190

That light on so unhappy lord and times,

That neither can their good advice be heard

Yet must they bear the blames of ill success.’

But I will to the King, their father, haste,

Ere this mischief come to the likely end;

1195

That if the mindful wrath of wreakful gods,

Since mighty Ilion’s fall nor yet appeased

With these poor remnants of the Trojan name,

Have not determin’d by unmoved fate

Out of this realm to rase the British line,

1200

By good advice, by awe of father’s name,

By force of wiser lords, this kindled hate

May yet be quenched, ere it consume us all.

[Exit.]

chorus

When youth, not bridled with a guiding satay,

Is left to random of their own delight,

1205

And wields whole realms by force of sovereign sway,

Great is the danger of unmaster’d might,

Lest skilless rage throw down with headlong fall

Their lands, their states, their lives, themselves and all.

When growing pride doth fill the swelling breast,

1210

And greedy lust doth raise the climbing mind,

Oh, hardly may the peril be repress’d!

Ne fear of angry gods, ne laws [of] kind,

Ne country’s care can fired hearts restrain,

When force hath armed envy and disdain;

1215

When kings of foreset will neglect the rede

Of best advice, and yield to pleasing tales

That do their fancies noisome humour feed,

Ne reason nor regard of right avails;

Succeeding heaps of plagues shall teach too late

1220

To learn the mischiefs of misguided state.

Foul fall the traitor false that undermines

The love of brethren to destroy them both!

Woe to the prince that pliant ear inclines,

And yields his mind to poisonous tale that floweth

1225

From flattering mouth! And woe to wretched land

That wasted itself with civil sword in hand!

Lo, thus it is, poison in gold to take,

And wholesome drink in homely cup forsake.

First the music of flutes began to play, during which came un upon the stage a company of mourners all clad in black, betokening death and sorrow to ensue upon the ill-advised misgovernment and dissension of brethren, as befell upon the murder of Ferrex by his younger brother. After the mourners had passed thrice about the stage, they departed, and then the music ceased.

ACT III SCENE I

[Gorboduc’s court]

[Enter Gorboduc with a letter, Eubulus, Arostus and Attendants etc.]

gorboduc

O cruel fates! O mindful wrath of gods,

1230

Whose vengeance neither Simois’ stained streams

Flowing with blood of Trojan princes slain,

Nor Phrygian fields made rank with corpses dead

Of Asian kings and lords, can yet appease,

Ne slaughter of unhappy Priam’s race,

1235

Nor Ilion’s fall made level with the soil,

Can yet suffice, but still continu’d rage

Pursues our line, and from the farthest seas

Doth chase the issues of destroyed Troy.

‘Oh no man happy, till his end be seen!’

1240

If any flowing wealth and seeming joy

In present years might make a happy wright,

Happy was Hecuba, the woefullest wretch

That ever liv’d to make a mirror of,

And happy Priam with his noble sons,

1245

And happy I, till now! Alas, I see

And feel my most unhappy wretchedness:

Behold, my lords, read ye this letter here.

Lo, it contains the ruin of our realm,

If timely speed provide not hasty help.

1250

Yet, O ye gods, if ever woeful king

Might move ye, kings of kings, wreak it on me

And on my sons, not on this guiltless realm!

Send down your wasting flames from wrathful skies,

To reave me and my sons the hatefull breath!

1255

Read, read, my lords. This is the matter why

I call’d ye now to have your good advice.

The letter from Dordan, the counsellor of the elder prince. Eubulus readeth the letter.

eubulus

‘My sovereing lord, what I am loath to write

But loathest am to see, that I am forc’d

By letters now to make you understand.

1260

My Lord Ferrex, your eldest son, misled

By traitorous fraud of young untemper’d wits,

Assembleth force against your younger son:

Ne can my counsel yet withdraw the heat

And furious pangs of his inflamed head.

1265

Disdain, saith he, of his disheritance

Arms him to wreak the great pretended wrong

With civil sword upon his brother’s life.

If present help do nor restrain this rage,

This flame will waste your sons, your land, and you.

1270

Your majesty’s faithful and most

humble subject, Dordan,’

arostus

O King, appease your grief and stay your plaint;

Great is the matter, and a woeful case,

But timely knowledge may bring timely help.

1275

Send for them both unto your presence here;

The reverence of your honour, age, and state,

Your grave advice, the awe of father’s name,

Shall quickly knit again this broken peace.

And if in either of my lords your sons

1280

Be such untamed and unyielding pride

As will not bend unto your noble hests;

If Ferrex, the elder son, can bear no peer,

Or Porrex, not content, aspires to more

Than you him gave above his native right,

1285

Join with the juster side. So shall you force

Them to agree, and hold the land in stay.

eubulus

[looking offstage]

What meaneth this? Lo, yonder

comes in haste

Philander from my lord, your younger son.

[Enter Philander.]

gorboduc

1290

The gods send joyful news!

philander

The mighty Jove

Preserve your Majesty, O noble King.

gorboduc

Philander, welcome. But how doth my son?

philander

Your son, sir, lives, and healthy I him left.

But yet, O King, the want of lustful health

1295

Could not be half so griefull to your grace

As these most wretched tidings that I bring.

gorboduc

O Heavens, yet more? No end of woes to me?

philander

Tyndar, O King, came lately from the court

Of Ferrex to my lord your younger son,

1300

And made report of great prepared store

For war, and saith that it is wholly meant

Against Porrex, for high disdain that he

Lives now a king and equal in degree

With him that claimeth to succeed the whole,

1305

As by due title of descending right.

Porrex is now so set on flaming fire,

Partly with kindled rage of cruel wrath,

Partly with hope to gain a realm thereby,

That he in haste prepareth to invade

1310

His brother’s land, and with unkindly war

Threatens the murder of your elder son;

Ne could I him persuade that first he should

Send to his brother to demand the cause,

Nor yet to you to stay this hatefull strife.

1315

Wherefore sith there no more I can be heard,

I come myself now to inform your grace,

And to beseech you, as you love the life

And safety of your children and your realm,

Now to employ your wisdom and your force

1320

To stay this mischief ere it be too late.

gorboduc

Are they in arms? Would he not send to me?

Is this the honour of a father’s name?

In vain we travail to assuage their minds,

As if their hearts, whom neither brother’s love,

1325

Nor father’s awe, nor kingdom’s care can move,

Our counsels could withdraw from raging heat:

Jove slay them both, and end the cursed line!

For though perhaps fear of such mighty force

As I, my lords, joined with your noble aids,

1330

May yet raise, shall repress their present heat,

The secret grudge and malice will remain;

The fire not quench’d, but kept in close restraint,

Fed still within, breaks forth with double flame:

Their death and mine must pease the angry gods.

philander

1335

Yield not, O king, so much to weak despair:

Your sons yet live, and long, I trust, they shall.

If fates had taken you from earthly life

Before beginning of this civil strife,

Perhaps your sons in their unmaster’d youth,

1340

Loose from regard of any living wight,

Would run on headlong, with unbridled race,

To their own death and ruin of this realm.

But sith the gods, that have the care for kings,

Of things and times dispose the order so

1345

That in your life this kindled flame breaks forth,

While yet your life, your wisdom, and your power

May stay the growing mischief, and repress

The fiery blaze of their enkindled heat.

It seems, and so ye ought to deem thereof,

1350

That this debate to happen in your days,

That you yet living may the same appease,

And add it to the glory of your latter age,

And they your sons may learn to live in peace.

Beware, O King, the greatest harm of all,

1355

Lest by your wailful plaints your hasten’d death

Yield larger room unto their growing rage:

Preserve your life, the only hope of stay.

And if your highness herein list to use

Wisdom or force, counsel or knightly aid,

1360

Lo, we, our persons, powers and lives are yours;

Use us till death, O King; we are your own.

eubulus

Lo, here the peril that was erst foreseen

When you, O King, did first divide your land,

And yield your present reign unto your sons:

1365

But now, O noble prince, now is no time

To wail and plain, and waste your woeful life.

Now is the time for present good advice:

Sorrow doth dark the judgement of the wit.

‘The heart unbroken and the courage free

1370

From feeble faintness of bootless despair

Doth either rise to safety or renown

By noble valure of unvanquish’d mind,

Or yet doth perish in more happy sort.’

Your grace may send to either of your sons

1375

Some one both wise and noble personage,

Which with good counsel and with weighty name

Of father shall present before their eyes

Your hest, your life, your safety, and their own,

The present mischief of their deadly strife.

1380

And in the while, assemble you the force

Which your commandment and the speedy haste

Of all my lords here present can prepare:

The terror of your mighty power shall stay

The rage of both, or yet of one at least.

[Enter Nuntiun.]

nuntius

1385

O King, the greatest grief that ever prince did hear.

That ever woeful messenger did tell,

That ever wretched land hath seen before,

I bring to you: Porrex, your younger son,

With sudden force invaded hath the land

1390

That you to Ferrex did allot to rule,

And with his own most bloody hand he hath

His brother slain, and doth possess his realm.

gorboduc

O Heavens, send down the flames of your revenge!

Destroy, I say, with flash of wreakful fire

1395

The traitor son, and then the wretched sire!

But let us go, that yet perhaps I may

Die with revenge, and pease the hatefull gods.

[Exeunt all but the Chorus.]

chorus

The lust of kingdom knows no sacred faith,

No rule of reason, no regard of right,

1400

No kindly love, no fear of Heaven’s wrath,

But with contempt of gods, and man’s despite,

Through bloody slaughter doth prepare the ways

To fatal sceptre and accursed reign:

The son so loathes the father’s lingering days,

1405

Ne dreads his hand in brother’s blood to stain.

O wretched prince, ne dost thou yet record

The yet fresh murders done within the land

Of thy forefathers, when the cruel sword

Bereft Morgan his life with cousin’s hand?

1410

Thus fatal plagues pursue the guilty race,

Whose murderous hand imbru’d with guiltless blood

Asks vengeance still before the Heaven’s face,

With endless mischiefs on the cursed brood.

The wicked child thus brings to woeful sire

1415

The mournful plaints, to waste his very life;

Thus do the cruel flames of civil fire

Destroy the parted reign with hateful strife,

And hence doth spring the well from which doth flow

The dead black streams of mourning, plaints and woe.

First the music of hautboys began to play, during which there came from under the stage, as though out of Hell, three Furies – Alecto, Megera, and Tisiphone – clad in black garments sprinkled with blood and flames, their bodies girt with snakes, their heads spread with serpents instead of hair, the one bearing in her hand a snake, the other a whip, and the third a burning firebrand, each driving before them a king and a queen, which, moved by Furies, unnaturally had slain their own children. The names of the kings and queens were these: Tantalus, Medea, Athamas, Ino, Cambises, Althea. After that the Furies and these had passed about the stage thrice, they departed, and then the music ceased. Hereby was signified the unnatural murders to follow, that is to say, Porrex, slain by his own mother, and of King Gorboduc and Queen Videna, killed by their own subjects.

ACT IV SCENE I

[Enter Videna.]

videna

1420

Why Should I live and linger forth my time

In longer life to double my distress?

O me, most woeful wight, whom no mishap

Long ere this day could have bereaved hence!

Mought not these hands by fortune, or by fate,

1425

Have pierc’d this breast, and life with iron reft?

Or in this palace here, where I so long

Have spent my days, could not that happy hour

Once, once, have happ’d in which these hugy frames

With death by fall might have oppressed me?

1430

Or should not this most hard and cruel soil,

So oft where I have press’d my wretched steps,

Sometime had ruth of mine accursed life,

To rend in twain and swallow me therein?

So had my bones possessed now in peace

1435

Their happy grave within the closed ground,

And greedy worms had gnawen this pined heart

Without my feeling pain. So should not now

This living breast remain the ruthful tomb,

Wherein my heart yielden to death is grav’d,

1440

Nor dreary thoughts with pangs of pining grief

My doleful mind had nor afflicted thus.

O my beloved son, O my sweet child,

My dear Ferrex, my joy, my life’s delight!

Is my beloved son, is my sweet child,

1445

My dear Ferrex, my Joy, my life’s delight,

Murder’d with cruel death? O hateful wretch!

O heinous traitor both to heaven and earth!

Thou, Porrex, thou this damned deed hast wrought;

Thou, Porrex, thou shalt dearly bye the same;

1450

Traitor to kin and kind, to sire and me,

To thine own flesh, and traitor to thyself!

The gods on thee in Hell shall wreak their wrath,

And here in earth this hand shall take revenge,

On thee, Porrex, thou false and caitiff wight!

1455

If after blood so eager were thy thirst,

And murderous mind had so possessed thee;

If such hard heart of rock and stony flint

Liv’d in thy breast, that nothing else could like

Thy cruel tyrant’s thought but death and blood;

1460

Wild savage beasts, mought not their slaughter serve

To feed thy greedy will, and in the midst

Of their entrails to stain thy deadly hands

With blood deserv’d, and drink thereof thy fill?

Or if nought else but death and blood of man

1465

Might please thy lust, could none in Britain land,

Whose heart betorn out of his panting breast

With thine own hand or work what death thou would’st –

Suffice to make a sacrifice to pease

That deadly mind and murderous thought in thee

1470

But he who in the self-same womb was wrapp’d,

Where thou in dismal hour receivedst life?

Or if needs, needs, thy hand must slaughter make,

Mightest thou not have reach’d a mortal wound,

And with thy sword have pierc’d this cursed womb

1475

That the accursed Porrex brought to light,

And given me a just reward therefore?

So Ferrex yet sweet life mought have enjoy’d,

And to his aged father comfort brought,

With some young son un whom they both might live.

1480

But whereunto waste I this ruthful speech

To thee that hast thy brother’s blood thus shed?

Shall I still think that from this womb thou sprung?

That I thee bare? Or take thee for my son?

No, traitor, no! I thee refuse for mine:

1485

Murderer, I thee renounce, thou art not mine!

Never, O wretch, this womb conceived thee,

Nor never bode I painful throes for thee;

Changeling to me thou art, and not my child,

Nor to no wight that spark of pity knew.

1490

Ruthless, unkind, monster of Nature’s work,

Thou never suck’d the milk of woman’s breast,

But from thy birth the cruel tiger’s teats

Have nursed thee. Not yet of flesh and blood

Form’d is thy heart, but of hard iron wrought,

1495

And wild and desert woods bred thee to life.

But canst thou hope to scape my just revenge,

Or that these hands will not be wroke on thee?

Does thou not know that Ferrex’ mother lives

That loved him more dearly than herself?

1500

And doth she live, and is not veng’d on thee?

[Exit.]

ACT IV SCENE 2

[Gorboduc’s court]

[Enter Gorboduc and Arostus.]

gorboduc

We marvel much whereto this lingering stay

Falls out so long: Porrex unto our court,

By order of our letters, is return’d,

And Eubulus receiv’d from us by hest

1505

At his arrival here to give him charge

Before our presence straight to make repair,

And yet we have no word whereof he stays.

arostus

[looking offstage]

Lo, where he comes and Eubulus with him.

[Enter Porrex and Eubulus.]

eubulus

According to your highness’ hest to me,

1510

Here have I Porrex brought, even in such sort

As from his wearied horse he did alight,

For that your grace did will such haste therein.

gorboduc

We like and praise this speedy will in you

To work the thing that to your charge we gave.

1515

Porrex, if we so far should swerve from kind

And from those bounds which law of Nature sets,

As thou hast done by vile and wretched deed,

In cruel murder of thy brother’s life,

Our present hand could stay no longer time,

1520

But straight should bathe this blade in blood of thee

As just revenge of thy detested crime.

No, we should not offend the law of kind,

If now this sword of ours did slay thee here,

For thou hast murder’d him, whose heinous death

1525

Even Nature’s force doth move us to revenge

By blood again, and justice forceth us

To measure death for death, thy due desert.

Yet sithens thou art our child, and sith as yet

In this hard case what word thou canst allege

1530

For thy defence by us hath not been heard,

We are content to stay our will for that

Which justice bids us presently to work,

And give thee leave to use thy speech at full

If aught thou have to lay for thine excuse.

porrex

1535

Neither, O King, I can or will deny

But that this hand from Ferrex life hath reft,

Which fact how much my doleful heart doth wail;

Oh would it might as full appear to sight

As inward grief doth pour it forth to me!

1540

So yet perhaps if ever ruthful heart

Melting in tears within a manly breast

Through deep repentance of his bloody fact;

If ever grief, if ever woeful man,

Might move regrate with sorrow of his fault;

1545

I think the torment of my mournful case,

Known to your grace, as I do feel the same,

Would force even Wrath herself to pity me.

But as the water troubled with the mud

Shows not the face which else the eye should see,

1550

Even so your ireful mind with stirred thought

Cannot so perfectly discern my cause.

But this unhap, amongst so many heaps,

I must content me with, most wretched man,

That to myself I must reserve my woe

1555

In pining thoughts of mine accursed fact,

Since I may not show here my smallest grief

Such as it is, and as my breast endures,

Which I esteem the greatest misery

Of all mishaps that fortune now can send.

1560

Not that I rest in hope with plaint and tears

To purchase life, for to the gods I clepe

For true record of this my faithful speech;

Never this heart shall have the thoughtfull dread

To die the death that by your grace’s doom

1565

By just desert shall be pronounc’d to me:

Nor never shall this tongue once spend the speech

Pardon to crave, or seek by suit to live.

I mean not this, as though I were not touch’d

With care of dreadful death, or that I held

1570

Life in contempt, but that I know the mind

Stoops to no dread, although the flesh be frail;

And for my guilt, I yield the same so great

As in myself I find a fear to sue

For grant of life.

gorboduc

In vain, O wretch, thou showest

1575

A woeful heart: Ferrex now lies in grave,

Slain by thy hand.

porrex

Yet this, O father, hear:

And then I end. Your Majesty well knows

That when my brother Ferrex and myself

By your own hest were join’d in governance

1580

Of this your grace’s realm of Britain land,

I never sought nor travail’d for the same,

Nor by myself, nor by no friend I wrought,

But from your Highness’ will alone it sprung,

Of your most gracious goodness bent to me.

1585

But how my brother’s heart even then repin’d

With swollen disdain against mine equal rule,

Seeing that realm, which by descent should grow

Wholly to him, allotted half to me!

Even in your Highness’ court he now remains,

1590

And with my brother then in nearest place,

Who can record what proof thereof was show’d,

And how my brother’s envious heart appear’d?

Yet I that judged it my part to seek

His favour and good will, and loath to make

1595

Your Highness know the thing which should have brought

Grief to your grace, and your offence to him,

Hoping my earnest suit should soon have won

A loving heart within a brother’s breast,

Wrought in that sort that for a pledge of love

1600

And faithful heart, he gave to me his land.

This made me think that he had banish’d quite

All rancour from his thought and bare to me

Such hearty love as I did owe to him;

But after once we left your grace’s court,

1605

And from your Highness’ presence liv’d apart,

This equal rule still, still, did grudge him so

That now those envious sparks, which erst lay rak’d

In living cinders of dissembling breast,

Kindled so far within his heart disdain,

1610

That longer could he not refrain from proof

Of secret practice to deprive me life

By poison’s force, and had bereft me so,

If mine own servant hired to this fact

And mov’d by truth with hate to work the same,

1615

In time had not bewray’d it unto me.

When thus I saw the knot of love unknit,

All honest league and faithful promise broke,

The law of kind and truth thus rent in twain,

His heart on mischief set, and in his breast

1620

Black treason hid, then, then, did I despair

That ever time could win him friend to me!

Then saw I how he smil’d with slaying knife

Wrapp’d under cloak; then saw I deep deceit

Lurk in his face and death prepar’d for me.

1625

Even Nature mov’d me then to hold my life

More dear to me than his, and bade this hand

(Since by his life my death must needs ensue,

And by his death my life to be preserv’d)

To shed his blood, and seek my safety so:

1630

And wisdom willed me without protract

In speedy wise to put the same in ure.

Thus have I told the cause that moved me

To work my brother’s death, and so I yield

My life, my death, to judgement of your grace.

gorboduc

1635

O cruel wight, should any cause prevail

To make thee stain thy hands with brother’s blood?

But what of thee we will resolve to do

Shall yet remain unknown. Thou in the mean

Shalt from our royal presence banish’d be,

1640

Until our princely pleasure further shall

To thee be show’d. Depart therefore our sight,

Accursed child!

[Exit Porrex.]

What cruel destiny,

What froward fate, hath sorted us this chance,

That even in those where we should comfort find,

1645

Where our delight now in our aged days

Should rest and be, even there our only grief

And deepest sorrows to abridge our life,

Most pining cares and deadly thoughts do grow?

arostus

Your grace should now in these grave years of yours

1650

Have found ere this the price of mortal joys,

How short they be, how fading here in earth,

How full of change, how brittle our estate,

Of nothing sure, save only of the death,

To whom both man and all the world doth owe

1655

Their end at last. Neither should Nature’s power

In other sort against your heart prevail

Than as the naked hand whose stroke assays

The armed breast where force doth light in vain.

gorboduc

Many can yield right sage and grave advice

1660

Of patient sprite to others wrapp’d in woe,

And can in speech both rule and conquer kind,

Who if by proof they might feel Nature’s force,

Would show themselves men as they are in deed,

Which now will needs be gods.

1665

[Looking offstage]

But what doth mean

The sorry cheer of her that here doth come?

[Enter Marcella.]

marcella

Oh, where is ruth? Or where is pity now?

Whither is gentle heart and mercy fled?

Are they exil’d out of our stony breasts,

1670

Never to make return? Is all the world

Drowned in blood, and sunk in cruelty?

If not in women mercy may be found –

If not, alas, within the mother’s breast

To her own child, to her own flesh and blood –

1675

If ruth be banish’d thence, if pity there

May have no place, if there no gentle heart

Do live and dwell, where should we seek it then?

gorboduc

Madam, alas! what means your woeful tale?

marcella

O silly woman I, why to this hour

1680

Have kind and fortune thus deferr’d my breath,

That I should live to see this doleful day?

Will ever wight believe that such hard heart

Could rest within the cruel mother’s breast,

With her own hand to slay her only son?

1685

But out, alas! these eyes beheld the same;

They saw the dreary sight, and are becomen

Most ruthful records of the bloody fact.

Porrex, alas, is by his mother slain,

And with her hand, a woeful thing to tell,

1690

While slumb’ring on his carefull bed he rests,

His heart, stabb’d in with knife, is reft of life!

gorboduc

O Eubulus, oh draw this sword of ours,

And pierce this heart with speed! O hateful light!

O loathsome life! O sweet and welcome death!

1695

Dear Eubulus, work this we thee beseech!

eubulus

Patient your grace, perhaps he liveth yet,

With wound received, but not of certain death.

gorboduc

Oh, let us then repair unto the place,

And see if Porrex live, or thus be slain.

[Exeunt Gorboduc and Eubulus.]

marcella

1700

Alas, he liveth not; it is too true,

That with these eyes of him, a peerless prince,

Son to a king, and in the flower of youth,

Even with a twink a senseless stock I saw.

arostus

O damned deed!

marcella

But hear his ruthful end.

1705

The noble Prince, pierc’d with the sudden wound,

Out of his wretched slumber, hastily start,

Whose strength now failing, straight he overthrew,

When in the fall his eyes, even new unclos’d,

Beheld the Queen, and cried to her for help.

1710

We then, alas, the ladies which that time

Did there attend, seeing that heinous deed,

And hearing him oft call the wretched name

Of mother, and to cry to her for aid,

Whose direful hand gave him mortal wound,

1715

Pitying, alas – for nought else could we do –

His ruthful end, ran to the woeful bed,

Dispoiled straight his breast, and all we might,

Wiped in vain with napkins next at hand,

The sudden stream of blood that flushed fast

1720

Out of the gaping wound. Oh, what a look,

Oh, what a ruthful, steadfast eye methought

He fix’d upon my face, which to my death

Will never part from me, when with a braid

A deep-fet sigh he gave, and therewithal

1725

Clasping his hands, to Heaven he cast his sight;

And straight pale Death pressing within his face,

The flying ghost his mortal corpse forsook.

arostus

Never did age bring forth so vile a fact.

marcella

O hard and cruel hap, that thus assign’d

1730

Unto so worthy a wight so wretched end!

But most hard, cruel heart, that could consent

To lend the hateful destinies that hand

By which, alas, so heinous crime was wrought!

O queen of adamant! O marble breast!

1735

If not the favour of his comely face,

If not his princely cheer and countenance,

His valiant, active arms, his manly breast,

If not his fair and seemly personage,

His noble limbs in such proportion cast

1740

As would have rapt a silly woman’s thought –

If this mought not have mov’d thy bloody heart

And that most cruel hand the wretched weapon

Even to let fall, and kiss’d him in the face,

With tears for ruth to reave such one by death,

1745

Should Nature yet consent to slay her son?

O mother, thou to murder thus thy child!

Even Jove with justice must with lightning flames

From Heaven send down some strange revenge on thee!

Ah, noble Prince, how oft have I beheld

1750

Thee mounted on thy fierce and trampling steed,

Shining in armour bright before the tilt

And charge thy staff to please thy lady’s eye

That bow’d the headpiece of thy friendly foe?

How oft in arms on horse to bend the mace?

1755

How oft in arms on foot to break the sword,

Which never now these eyes may see again?

arostus

Madam, alas, in vain these plaints are shed.

Rather with me depart, and help to suage

The thoughtfull griefs that in the aged King

1760

Must needs by nature grow, by death of this

His only son, whom he did hold so dear.

marcella

What wight is that which saw that I did see,

And could refrain to wail with plaint and tears?

Not I, alas; that hearts is not in me.

1765

But let us go, for I am griev’d anew,

To call to mind the wretched father’s woe.

[Exeunt.]

chorus

When greedy lust in royal seat to reign

Hath reft all care of gods and eke of men,

And cruel heart, wrath, treason, and disdain

1770

Within ambitious breast are lodged, then

Behold how mischief wide herself displays,

And with the brother’s hand the brother slays.

When blood thus shed doth stain the heaven’s face,

Crying to Jove for vengeance of the deed,

1775

The mighty god even moveth from his place,

With wrath to wreak. Then sends he forth with speed

The dreadful Furies, daughters of the night,

With serpents girt, carrying the whip of ire,

With hair of stinging snakes, and shining bright

1780

With flames and blood, and with a brand of fire:

These for revenge of wretched murder done

Do make the mother kill her only son.

Blood asked blood, and death must death requite;

Jove by his just and everlasting doom

1785

Justly hath ever so requited it.

The times before record, and times to come,

Shall find it true, and so doth present proof

Present before our eyes for our behoof.

O happy wight that suffers not the snare

1790

Of murderous mind to tangle him in blood!

And happy he that can in time beware

By other’s harms and turn it to his good:

But woe to him that, fearing not to offend,

Doth serve his lust, and will not see the end.

[The Chorus exits.]

First the drums and flutes began to sound, during which there came forth upon the stage a company of harquebusiers and of armed men, all in order of battle. These, after their pieces discharged and that the armed men had three times marched about the stage, departed, and then the drums and flutes did cease. Hereby was signified tumults, rebellions, arms and civil wars to follow, as fell in the realm of Great Britain, which by the space of fifty years and more continued in civil war between the nobility after the death King Gorboduc, and of his issues, for want of certain limitation, in the succession of the crown, till the time of Dunwallo Molmutius, who reduced the land to monarchy.

[An open plain]

ACT V SCENE I

[Enter Clotyn, Mandud, Gwenard, Fergus, and Eubulus.]

clotyn

Did ever age bring forth such tyrants’s hearts?

The brother hath bereft the brother’s life,

The mother she hath dy’d her cruel hands

In blood of her own son, and now at last

The people, lo, forgetting truth and love,

Contemning quite both law and loyal heart,

Even they have slain their sovereign lord and Queen.

mandud

Shall this their traitorous crime unpunish’d rest?

Even yet they cease not, carried on with rage,

In their rebellious routs, to threaten still

A new bloodshed unto the prince’s kin,

To slay them all, and to uproot the race

Both of the King and Queen, so are they mov’d

With Porrex’ death wherein they falsely charge

The guiltless King without desert at all,

And traitorously have murder’d him therefore,

And eke the Queen.

gwenard

Shall subjects dare with force

To work revenge upon their prince’s fact?

Admit the worst that may – as sure in this

The deed was foul, the Queen to slay her son –

Shall yet the subjects seek to take the sword,

Arise against his lord, and slay his King?

O wretched state, where those rebellious hearts

Are not rent out even from their living breasts,

And with the body thrown unto the fowls

As carrion food, for terror of the rest!

fergus

There can no punishment be thought too great

For this so grievous crime; let speed therefore

Be used therein, for it behoveth so.

eubulus

Ye all, my lords, I see, consent in one,

And I as one consent with ye in all;

I hold it more than need with sharpest law

To punish this tumultuous bloody rage.

For nothing more may shake the common state

Than sufferance of uproars without redress;

Whereby how some kingdoms of mighty power

After great conquests made, and flourishing

In fame and wealth, have been to ruin brought:

I pray to Jove that we may rather wail

Such hap in them than witness in ourselves.

Eke fully with the Duke my mind agrees

That no cause serves, whereby the subject may

Call to account the doings of his prince;

Much less in blood by sword to work revenge

No more than may the hand cut off the head:

In act nor speech, no, not in secret thought

The subject may rebel against his lord,

Or judge of him that sits in Caesar’s seat,

With grudging mind to damn those he mislikes.

Though kings forget to govern as they ought,

Yet subjects must obey as they are bound.

But now, my lords, before ye farther wade

Or spend your speech what sharp revenge shall fall

By justice’ plague on these rebellious wights,

Methinks ye rather should first search the way

By which in time the rage of this uproar

Might be repress’d, and these great tumults ceas’d.

Even yet the life of Britain land doth hang

In traitors’ balance of unequal weight:

Think not, my lords, the death of Gorboduc,

Not yet Videna’s blood, will cease their rage.

Even our own lives, our wives and children dear,

Our country, dearest of all, in danger stands,

Now to be spoil’d, now, now made desolate,

And by ourselves a conquest to ensue.

For give once sway unto the people’s lusts

To rush forth on, and stay them not in time,

And as the stream that rolleth down the hill,

So will they headlong run with raging thoughts

From blood to blood, from mischief unto moe,

To ruin of the realm, themselves and all;

So giddy are the common people’s minds,

So glad of change, more wavering than the sea.

Ye see, my lords, what strength these rebels have,

What hugy number is assembled still;

For though the traitorous fact for which they rose

Be wrought and done, yet lodge they still in field,

So that how far their furies yet will stretch

Great cause we have to dread. That we may seek

By present battle to repress their power,

Speed must we use to levy force therefore;

For either they forthwith will mischief work,

Or their rebellious roars forthwith will cease:

These violent things may have no lasting long.

Let us therefore use this for present help:

Persuade by gentle speech, and offer grace

With gift of pardon, save unto the chief;

And that upon condition that forthwith

They yield the captains of their enterprise

To bear such guerdon of their traitorous fact

As may be both due vengeance to themselves

And wholesome terror to posterity.

This shall, I think, scatter the greatest part

That now are holden with desire of home,

Wearied in field with cold of winter’s nights,

And some, no doubt, stricken with dread of law.

When this is once proclaimed, it shall make

The captains to mistrust the multitude,

Whose safety bids them to betray their heads,

100

And so much more because the rascal routs

In things of great and perilous attempts

Are never trusty to the noble race.

And while we treat and stand on terms of grace,

We shall both stay their fury’s rage the while,

105

And eke gain time, whose only help sufficeth

Withouten war to vanquish rebel’s power.

In the meanwhile, make you in readiness

Such band of horsemen as ye may prepare;

Horsemen, you know, are not the commons’ strength,

110

But are the force and store of noble men,

Whereby the unchosen and unarmed sort

Of skilless rebels, whom none other power

But number makes to be of dreadful force,

With sudden brunt may quickly be oppress’d.

115

And if this gentle mean of proffer’d grace

With stubborn hearts cannot so far avail

As to assuage their desperate courages,

Then do I wish such slaughter to be made

And present age and eke posterity

120

May be adread with horror of revenge

That justly then shall on these rebels fall.

This is, my lords, the sum of mine advice.

clotyn

Neither this case admits debate at large,

And thought it did, this speech that hath been said

125

Hath well abridg’d the tale I would have told.

Fully with Eubulus do I consent

In all that he hath said, and if the same

To you, my lords, may seem for best advice,

I wish that it should straight be put in ure.

mandud

130

My lords, then let us presently depart

And follow this that liketh us so well.

[Exeunt all but Fergus.]

fergus

If ever time to gain a kingdom here

Were offer’d man, now it is offer’d me:

The realm is reft both of their King and Queen;

135

The offspring of the Prince is slain and dead;

No issue now remains, the heir unknown;

The people are in arms and mutinies;

The nobles they are busi’d how to cease

The great rebellious tumults and uproars;

140

And Britain land, now desert, left alone

Amid these broils uncertain where to rest,

Offers herself unto that noble heart

That will or dare pursue to bear her crown.

Shall I that am the Duke of Albany,

145

Descended from that line of noble blood

Which hath so long flourish’d in worthy fame

Of valiant hearts, such as in noble breasts

Of right should rest above the baser sort,

Refuse to venture life to win a crown?

150

Whom shall I find enemies that will withstand

My fact herein, if I attempt by arms

To seek the same now in these times of broil?

These duke’s power can hardly well appease

The people that already are in arms,

155

But if perhaps my force be once in field,

Is not my strength in power above the best

Of all these lords now left in Britain land?

And though they should match me with power of men,

Yet doubtful is the chance of battles joined:

160

If victors of the field we may depart,

Ours is the sceptre then of great Britain;

If slain amid the plain this body lie,

Mine enemies yet shall not deny me this,

But that I died giving the noble charge

165

To hazard life for conquest of a crown.

Forthwith therefore will I in post depart

To Albany, and raise in armour there

All power I can. And here my secret friends

By secret practice shall solicit still

170

To seek to win to me the people’s hearts.

[Exit.]

ACT V SCENE 2

[Enter Eubulus.]

eubulus

O Jove, how are these people’s hearts abus’d!

What blind fury thus headlong carries them!

That thought so many books, so many rolls

Of ancient time, record what grievous plagues

175

Light on these rebels aye, and though so oft

Their ears have heard their aged fathers tell

What just reward these traitors still receive,

Yea, though themselves have seen deep death and blood,

By strangling cord and slaughter of the sword

180

To such assign’d, yet can they not beware,

Yet cannot stay their lewd rebellious hands,

But suffering, lo, foul treason to distain

Their wretched minds, forget their loyal heart,

Reject all truth and rise against their prince.

185

A ruthful case, that those whom duty’s bond,

Whom grafted law by nature, truth and faith

Bound to preserve their country and their King,

Born to defend their commonwealth and prince,

Even they should give consent thus to subvert

190

Thee, Britain land, and from thy womb should spring,

O native soil, those that will needs destroy

And ruin thee and eke themselves in fine.

For lo, when once the dukes had offer’d grace

Of pardon sweet, the multitude, misled

195

By traitorous fraud of their ungracious heads,

One sort, that saw the dangerous success

Of stubborn standing in rebellious war,

And knew the difference of prince’s power

From headless number of tumultuous routs,

200

Whom common country’s care and private fear

Taught to repent the error of their rage,

Laid hands upon the captains of their band,

And brought them bound unto the mighty dukes.

Another sort, not trusting yet so well

205

The truth of pardon, or mistrusting more

Their own offence than that they could conceive

Such hope of pardon for so foul misdeed,

Or of that they their captains could not yield

(Who, fearing to be yielded, fled before),

210

Stale home by silence of the secret night.

The third unhappy and enraged sort

Of desperate hearts, who, stain’d in princes’ blood,

From traitorous furor could not be withdrawn

By love, by law, by grace, ne yet by fear,

215

By proffer’d life, ne yet by threaten’d death,

With minds hopeless of life, dreadless of death,

Careless of country, and aweless of God,

Stood bent to fight, as Furies did them move,

With violent death to close their traitorous life.

220

These all by power of horsemen were oppress’d

And with revenging sword slain in the field,

Or with the strangling cord hang’d on the trees

Where yet their carrion carcasses do preach

The fruits that rebels reap of their uproars

225

And of the murder of their sacred prince.

[Looking offstage] But lo, where do approach the noble dukes

By whom these tumults have been thus appeas’d.

[Enter Clotyn, Mandud, Gwenard and Arostus.]

clotyn

I think the world will now at lenght beware

And fear to put on arms against their prince.

mandud

If not, those traitorous hearts that dare rebel

230

Let them behold the wide and hugy fields

With blood and bodies spread of rebels slain,

The lofty trees cloth’d with the corpses dead

That strangled with the cord do hang thereon.

arostus

A just reward, such as all times before

235

Have ever lotted to those wretched folks.

gwenard

But what means he that cometh here so fast?

[Enter Nuntius.]

nuntius My lords, as duty and my truth doth move

And of my country work a care in me,

That, if the spending of my breath avail’d

240

To do the service that my heart desires,

I would not shun to embrace a present death:

So have I now in that wherein I thought

My travail might perform some good effect,

Ventur’d my life to bring these tidings here.

245

Fergus, the mighty Duke of Albany,

Is now in arms and lodgeth in the field

With twenty thousand men. Hither he bends

His speedy march, and mind to invade the crown.

Daily he gathereth strength, and spreads abroad

250

That to this realm no certain heir remains;

That Britain land is left without a guide;

That he the sceptre seeks for nothing else

But to preserve the people and the land,

Which now remain as ship without a stern.

255

Lo, this is that which I have here to say.

clotyn

Is this his faith? And shall he falsely thus

Abuse the vantage of unhappy times?

O wretched land, if his outrageous pride,

His cruel and untemper’d wilfulness,

260

His deep dissembling show of false pretence,

Should once attain the crown of Britain land!

Let us, my lords, with timely force resist

The new attempt of this our common foe,

As me would quench the flames of common fire.

mandud

265

Though we remain without a certain prince

To wield the realm or guide the wand’ring rule,

Yet now the common mother of us all,

Our native land, our country, that contains

Our wives, children, kindred, ourselves and all

270

That ever is or may be dear to man,

Cries unto us to help ourselves and her.

Let us advance our powers to repress

This growing foe of all our liberties.

gwenard

Yea, let us so, my lords, with hasty speed:

275

And ye, O gods, send us the welcome death

To shed our blood in field, and leave us not

In loathsome life to linger out our days,

To see the hugy heaps of these unhaps

That now roll down upon the wretched land

280

Where empty place of princely governance,

No certain stay now left of doubtless heir.

Thus leave this guideless realm an open prey

To endless storms and waste of civil war.

arostus

That ye, my lords, do so agree in one

285

To save tour country from the violent reign

And wrongfully usurped tyranny

Of him that threatens conquest of you all,

To save your realm, and in this realm yourselves,

From foreign thraldom of so proud a prince,

290

Much do I praise; and I beseach the gods

With happy honour to requite it you.

But, O my lords, sith now the heaven’s wrath

Hath reft this land the issue of their prince;

Sith of the body of our late sovereign lord

295

Remains no moe, since the young kings be slain;

And of the title of descended crown

Uncertainly the diverse minds do think

Even of the learned sort, and more uncertainly

Will partial fancy and affection deem,

300

But most uncertainly will climbing pride

And hope of reign withdraw to sundry parts

The doubtful right and hopeful lust to reign.

When once this noble service is achiev’d

For Britain land, the mother of ye all;

305

When once ye have with armed force repress’d

The proud attempts of this Albanian prince

That threatens thraldom to your native land;

When ye shall vanquishers return from field

And find the princely state an open prey

310

To greedy lust and to usurping power;

Then, them my lords, if ever kindly care

Of ancient honour of your ancestors,

Of present wealth and nobless of your stocks,

Yea, of the lives and safety yet to come

315

Of your dear wives, your children, and yourselves,

Might move your noble hearts with gentle ruth;

Then, then, have pity on the torn estate.

Then help to salve the well-near hopeless sore,

Which ye shall do, if ye yourselves withhold

320

Then slaying knife from your own mother’s throat.

Her shall you save, and you, and yours in her,

If ye shall all with one assent forbear

Once to lay hand or take unto yourselves

The crown, by colour of pretended right,

325

Or by what other means soever it be,

Till first by common counsel of you all

In parliament the regal diadem

Be set in certain place of governance,

In which your parliament, and in your choice,

330

Prefer the right, my lords, without respect

Of strength or friends, or whatsoever cause

That may set forward any other’s part:

For right will last, and wrong cannot endure.

Right mean I his or hers, upon whose name

335

The people rest by mean of native line,

Or by the virtue of some former law

Already made their title to advance.

Such one, my lords, let be your chosen king;

Such one so born within your native land;

340

Such one prefer, and in no wise admit

The heavy yoke of foreign governance:

Let foreign titles yield to public wealth.

And with that heart wherewith ye now prepare

Thus to withstand the proud invading foe,

345

With that same heart, my lords, keep out also

Unnatural thraldom of [a] stranger’s reign,

Ne suffer you against the rules of king

Your motherland to serve a foreign prince.

eubulus

Lo, here the end of Brutus’ royal line,

350

And, lo, the entry to the woeful wrack

And utter ruin of this noble realm;

The royal King and eke his sons are slain;

No ruler rests within the regal seat;

The heir, to whom the sceptre longs, unknown;

355

That to each force of foreign prince’s power,

Whom vantage of our wretched state may move

By sudden arms to gain so rich a realm

And so the proud and greedy mind at home,

Whom blinded lust to reign leads to aspire,

360

Lo, Britain realm is left an open prey,

A present spoil by conquest to ensue.

Who seeth not now how many rising minds

Do feed their thoughts with hope to reach a realm?

And who will not by force attempt to win

365

So great a gain, that hope persuades to have?

A simple colour shall for title serve:

Who wins the royal crown will want no right,

Nor such as shall display by long descent

A lineal race to prove him lawful king.

370

In the meanwhile these civil arms shall rage

And thus a thousand mischiefs shall unfold,

And far and near spread thee, O Britain land:

All right and law shall cease, and he that had

Nothing today, tomorrow shall enjoy

375

Great heaps of gold, and he that flow’d in wealth,

Lo, he shall be bereft of life and all,

And happiest he that then possesseth least.

The wives shall suffer rape, the maids deflower’d,

And children fatherless shall weep and wail;

380

With fire and sword thy native folk shall perish,

One kinsman shall bereave another’s life;

The father shall unwitting slay the son,

The son shall slay the sire and know it not,

Women and maids the cruel soldier’s sword

385

Shall pierce to death, and silly children, lo,

That playing in the streets and fields are found

By violent hand shall close their latter day.

Whom shall the fierce and bloody soldier

Reserve to life? Whom shall he spare from death?

390

Even thou, O wretched mother, half alive,

Thou shalt behold thy dear and only child

Slain with the sword while he yet sucks thy breast!

Lo, guiltless blood shall thus each where be shed:

Thus shall the wasted soil yield forth no fruit,

395

But dearth and famine shall possess the land.

The towns shall be consum’d and burnt with fire,

The peopled cities shall wax desolate,

And thou, O Britain, whilom in renown,

Whilom in wealth and fame, shalt thus be torn,

400

Dismember’d thus, and thus be rent in twain,

Thus wasted and defac’d, spoil’d and destroy’d!

These be the fruits your civil wars will bring;

Hereto it comes when kings will not consent

To grave advice, but follow wilful will;

405

This is the end, when in young princes’ hearts

Flattery prevails and sage rede hath no place;

These are the plagues, when murder is the mean

To make new heirs unto the royal crown.

Thus wreak the gods, when that the mother’s wrath

410

Nought but the blood of her own child may suage;

These mischiefs spring when rebels will arise,

To work revenge and judge their prince’s fact;

This, this ensues, when noble men do fail

In loyal truth and subjects will be kings.

415

And this doth grow when, lo, unto the prince,

Whom death or sudden hap of life bereaves,

No certain heir remains, such certain heir,

As not all only is the rightful heir

But to the realm is so made known to be,

420

And truth thereby vested in subjects’ hearts,

To owe faith there where right is known to rest.

Alas, in parliament what hope can be,

When is of parliament no hope at all?

Which, though it be assembled by consent,

425

Yet is not likely with consent to end,

While each one for himself, or for his friend,

Against his foe, shall travail what he may;

While now the state, left open to the man

That shall with greatest force invade the same,

430

Shall fill ambitious minds with gaping hope:

When will they once with yielding hearts agree?

Or in the while, how shall the realm be us’d?

No, no! Then parliament should have been holden,

And certain heirs appointed to the crown

435

To stay the title of establish’d right

And in the people plant obedience

While yet the prince did live, whose name and power

By lawful summons and authority

Might make a parliament to be of force

440

And might have set the state in quiet stay.

But now, O happy man, whom speedy death

Deprives of life, ne is enforc’d to see

These hugy mischiefs and these miseries,

These civil wars, these murders and these wrongs.

445

Of justice yet must Jove in fine restore

This noble crown unto the lawful heir,

For right will always live and rise at length,

Bur wrong can never take deep root to lat.

[Exeunt.]