Polytropy

From The Iliads of Homer prince of poets (as typeset by Early English Books Online)

Neuer before in any languag truely translated. With a co[m]ment vppon some of his chiefe places; donne according to the Greeke by Geo: Chapman.

THE SIXTH BOOKE OF HOMERS ILIADS.

THe stern fight freed of al the Gods; conquest, with doubtful wings
Flew on their lances; euerie way, the restlesse field she flings,
Betwixt the floods of Symois, and Xanthus, that confin’d
All their affaires at Ilion, and round about them shin’d.
The first that weigh’d downe all the field, of one particular side,
Was Aiax, sonne of Telamon: who like a bulwarke plide
The Greekes protection, and of Troy, the knottie orders brake:
Held out a light to all the rest, and shew’d them how to make
Way to their conquest: he did wound, the strongest man of Thrace,
The tallest, and the biggest set, (Eussorian Acamas:)
His lance fell on his caskes plum’d top, in stooping; the fell head
Draue through his forehead to his iawes; his eyes Night shadowed.
Tydides slue Teuthranides, Axilus, that did dwell
In faire Arisbas well-built towres, he had of wealth a Well,*
And yet was kind and bountifull: he would a traueller pray
To be his guest; his friendly house, stood in the brode high way;
In which, he all sorts nobly vsd: yet none of them would stand,
Twixt him and death; but both himselfe, and he that had command
Of his faire horse, Calisius, fell liuelesse on the ground.
Euryalus; Opheltius, and Dresus dead did wound;Page 84
Nor ended there his fierie course, which he againe begins,
And ran to it succesfully, vpon a paire of twins,
Aesepus, and bold Pedasus, whom good Bucolion,
(That first cald father, though base borne, renowm’d Laomedon)
On Nais Abarbaraea got; a Nymph that (as she fed
Her curled flocks) Bucolion woo’d, and mixt in loue and bed.
Both these were spoild of armes, and life, by Mecistiades.
Then Polypaetes, for sterne death, Astialus did seise:
Vlysses slue Percosius: Teucer, Aretaon:
Antilochus (old Nestors ioy) Ablerus: the great sonne
Of Atreus, and king of men, Elatus; whose abode
He held at vpper Pedasus, where Satnius riuer flow’d.
The great Heroe Leitus, staid Philacus in flight,
From further life: Eurypilus, Melanthius reft of light.
The brother to the king of men, Adrestus tooke aliue;
Whose horse, (affrighted with the flight) their driuer now did driue,
Amongst the low-growne Tam[ri]cke trees; and at an arme of one
The chariot in the draught-tree brake; the horse brake loose, and ron
The same way other flyers fled; contending all to towne:
Himselfe close at the chariot wheele, vpon his face was throwne,
And there lay flat, roll’d vp in dust: Atrides inwards draue;
And (holding at his breast his lance) Adrestus sought to saue
His head, by losing of his feet, and trusting to his knees:
On which, the same parts of the king, he hugs, and offers fees
Of worthie value for his life; and thus pleades their receipt:
Take me aliue, O Atreus sonne, and take a worthie weight
Of brasse, elaborate iron, and gold: a heape of precious things*
Are in my fathers riches hid; which (when your seruant brings
Newes of my safetie to his eares) he largely will diuide
With your rare bounties: Atreus sonne, thought this the better side,
And meant to take it; being about, to send him safe to fleete:
Which when (farre off) his brother saw, he wing’d his royall feet,
And came in threatning, crying out; O soft heart? whats the cause*
Thou spar’st these men thus? haue not they, obseru’d these gentle lawes
Of mild humanitie to thee, with mightie argument,
Why thou shouldst deale thus? In thy house? and with all president
Of honord guest rites entertaind? not one of them shall flie
A bitter end for it, from heauen; and much lesse (dotingly)
Scape our reuengefull fingers; all, euen th’infant in the wombe
Shall tast of what they merited, and haue no other tombe,
Then razed Ilion; nor their race, haue more fruite, then the dust.
This iust cause turnd his brothers mind, who violently thrust
The prisoner from him; in whose guts, the king of men imprest
His ashen lance; which (pitching downe, his foote vpon the brest,
Of him that vpwards fell) he drew; then Nestor spake to all:
O friends and household men of Mars, let not your pursuit fall*
With those ye fell, for present spoile; nor (like the king of men)
Let any scape vnfeld: but on, dispatch them all; and thenPage 85
Ye shall haue time enough to spoile. This made so strong their chace,
That all the Troians had bene housd, and neuer turnd a face,
Had not the Priamist Helenus (an Augure most of name)*
Will’d Hector, and Aeneas thus: Hector? Anchises fame?
Since on your shoulders, with good cause, the weightie burthen lies
Of Troy and Lycia, (being both, of noblest faculties,
For counsell, strength of hand, and apt, to take chance at her best,
In euery turne she makes) stand fast, and suffer not the rest
(By any way searcht out for scape) to come within the ports:
Lest (fled into their wiues kind armes) they there be made the sports
Of the pursuing enemie: exhort and force your bands
To turne their faces: and while we, employ our ventur’d hands
(Though in a hard condition) to make the other stay:
Hector, go thou to Ilion, and our Queene mother pray,
To take the richest robe she hath; the same that’s chiefly deare
To her Court fancie: with which Iemme, (assembling more to her,
Of Troys chiefe Matrones) let all go, (for feare of all our fates)
To Pallas temple: take the key, vnlocke the leauie gates;
Enter, and reach the highest towre, where her Palladium stands,
And on it put the precious veile, with pure, and reuerend hands:
And vow to her (besides the gift) a sacrificing stroke
Of twelue fat Heifers of a yeare, that neuer felt the yoke:
(Most answering to her maiden state) if she will pittie vs;
Our towne, our wiues, our yongest ioyes: and (him that plagues them thus)
Take from the conflict; Diomed, that Furie in a fight;
That true sonne of great Tydeus; that cunning Lord of Flight:
Whom I esteeme the strongest Greeke: for we haue neuer fled
Achilles (that is Prince of men, and whom a Goddesse bred)
Like him; his furie flies so high, and all mens wraths commands.
Hector intends his brothers will; but first through all his bands,
He made quicke way, encouraging, and all (to feare) affraide:
All turnd their heads and made Greece turne. Slaughter stood still dismaid,
On their parts; for they thought some God, falne from the vault of starres,
Was rusht into the Ilions aide, they made such dreadfull warres.
Thus Hector, toyling in the waues, and thrusting backe the flood*
Of his ebb’d forces: thus takes leaue: So, so, now runs your blood
In his right current; Forwards now, Troians? and farre cald friends?
Awhile hold out, till for successe, to this your braue amends,
I haste to Ilion, and procure, our Counsellours, and wiues
To pray, and offer Hecatombs, for their states in our liues.
Then faire-helm’d Hector turnd to Troy, and (as he trode the field)*
The blacke Buls hide, that at his backe, he wore about his shield,
(In the extreme circumference) was with his gate so rockt,
That (being large) it (both at once) his necke and ankles knockt.
And now betwixt the hosts were met, Hippolochus braue sonne*
Glaucus, who (in his verie looke) hope of some wonder wonne:
And little Tydeus mightie heire: who seeing such a man
Offer the field; (for vsuall blowes) with wondrous words began.Page 86
What art thou (strongst of mortall men) that putst so farre before?*
Whom these fights neuer shew’d mine eyes? they haue bene euermore
Sonnes of vnhappie parents borne, that came within the length
Of this Minerua-guided lance, and durst close with the strength
That she inspires in me. If heauen, be thy diuine abode,
And thou a Deitie; thus inform’d, no more, with any God
Will I change lances: the strong sonne, of Drias did not liue
Long after such a conflict dar’d, who godlesly did driue
Nisaeus Nurses through the hill, made sacred to his name,
And cald Niss[e]ius: with a goade, he puncht each furious dame,
And made them euery one cast downe, their greene and leauie speares.
This, t’homicide Lycurgus did; and those vngodly feares,
He put the Froes in, seisd their God. Euen Bacchus he did driue
From his Nisseius; who was faine (with huge exclaimes) to diue
Into the Ocean: Thetis there, in her bright bosome tooke
The flying Deitie; who so feard, Lycurgus threats, he shooke:
For which, the freely-liuing Gods, so highly were incenst,
That Saturns great sonne strooke him blind, and with his life dispenc’t
But small time after: all because, th’immortals lou’d him not:
Nor lou’d him, since he striu’d with them: and his end hath begot
Feare in my powres to fight with heauen: but if the fruits of earth
Nourish thy bodie, and thy life, be of our humane birth,
Come neare, that thou maist soone arriue, on that life-bounding shore,
To which I see thee hoise such saile. Why dost thou so explore,*
(Said Glaucus) of what race I am? when like the race of leaues
The race of man is, that deserues, no question; nor receiues
My being any other breath: The wind in Autumne strowes
The earth with old leaues; then the Spring, the woods with new endowes:
And so death scatters men on earth: so life puts out againe
Mans leauie issue: but my race, if (like the course of men)
Thou seekst in more particular termes: tis this; (to many knowne)
In midst of Argos, nurse of horse, there stands a walled towne
Ephyré, where the Mansion house, of Sysiphus did stand;*
Of Sysiphus Aeolides, most wise of all the land:
Glaucus was sonne to him, and he, begat Bellerophon,
Whose bodie heauen endued with strength, and put a beautie on,
Exceeding louely: Pr[oe]tus yet, his cause of loue did hate,
And banisht him the towne: he might; he ruld the Argiue state:
The vertue of the one, Iou[e] plac’t, beneath the others powre.
His exile grew, since he denied, to be the Paramour
Of faire Ant[ei]ta, Pr[oe]tus wife; who felt a raging fire
Of secret loue to him: but he, whom wisedome did inspire
As well as prudence (one of them, aduising him to shunne
The danger of a Princesse loue: the other, not to runne
Within the danger of the Gods: the act being simply ill)
Still entertaining thoughts diuine, subdu’d the earthly still.
She (rul’d by neither of his wits) preferd her lust to both;
And (false to Pr[oe]tus) would seeme true, with this abhorr’d vntroth;Page 87
Praetus? or die thy selfe (said she) or let Bellerophon die;*
He vrg’d dishonour to thy bed: which since I did denie,
He thought his violence should grant, and sought thy shame by force,
The king, incenst with her report, resolu’d vpon her course;
But doubted, how it should be runne: he shund his death direct;
(Holding a way so neare, not safe) and plotted the effect,
By sending him with letters seald (that, opened, touch his life)
To Rheuns king of Lycia, and father to his wife.
He went, and happily he went: the Gods walkt all his way.
And being arriu’d in Lycia, where Xanthus doth display
The siluer ensignes of his waues: the king of that brode land
Receiu’d him, with a wondrous free, and honourable hand.
Nine daies he feasted him, and kild, an Oxe in euery day,
In thankfull sacrifice to heauen, for his faire guest; whose stay,
With rosie fingers, brought the world, the tenth wel-welcomd morne:
And then the king did moue to see, the letters he had borne
From his lou’d sonne in law; which seene, he wrought thus their conten’s.
Chym[ae]ra the inuincible, he sent him to conuince:
Sprung from no man, but meere diuine; a Lyons shape before,
Behind, a dragons, in the midst, a Gotes shagg’d forme she bore;
And flames of deadly feruencie, flew from her breath and eyes:
Yet her he slue, his confidence, in sacred prodigies
Renderd him victor. Then he gaue, his second conquest way,
Ag[a]inst the famous Solymi, when (he himselfe would say
Reporting it) he enterd on, a passing vigorous fight.
His third huge labour he approu’d, against a womans spight
That fild a field of Amazons: be ouercame them all.
Then set they on him slie Deceipt, when Force had such a fall;
An ambush of the strongest men, that spacious Lycia bred,
Was lodg’d for him; whom he lodg’d sure: they neuer raisd a head.
His deeds thus shewing him deriu’d, from some Celestiall race,
The king detaind, and made amends, with doing him the grace
Of his faire daughters Princely gift; and with her (for a dowre)
Gaue halfe his kingdome; and to this, the Lycians on did powre
More then was giuen to any king: a goodly planted field,
In some parts, thicke of groues, and woods: the rest, rich crops did yeeld.
This field, the Lycians futurely (of future wandrings there
And other errors of their Prince, in the vnhappie Rere
Of his sad life) the Err[a]nt cald: the Princesse brought him forth
Three children (whose ends grieu’d him more, the more they were of worth)
Isander, and Hippolochus, and faire Laodomy:
With whom, euen Iupiter himselfe, left heauen it selfe, to lie;
And had by her the man at armes, Sarpedon, cald diuine.
The Gods th[e]n left him (lest a man should in their glories shine)*
And set against him, for his sonne, Isandrus, (in a strife,
Against the valiant Solymi) Mars reft of light and life,
Laodamia (being enuied, of all the Goddesses)
The golden-bridle-handling Queene, the maiden Patronesse,Page 88
Slue with an arrow: and for this, he wandred euermore
Alone through his Aleian field; and fed vpon the core
Of his sad bosome: flying all, the loth’d consorts of men.
Yet had he one suruiu’d to him, of those three childeren;
Hippolochus, the root of me: who sent me here, with charge,
That I should alwaies beare me well, and my deserts enlarge
Beyond the vulgar: lest I sham’d, my race, that farre exceld
All that Ephyras famous towres, or ample Lycia held.
This is my stocke, and this am I. This cheard Tydides heart,
Who pitcht his speare downe; leand, and talkt, in this affectionate part.
Certesse (in thy great Ancetor, and in mine owne) thou art*
A guest of mine, right ancient; king Oeneus twentie daies
Detaind, with feasts, Bellerophon, whom all the world did praise:
Betwixt whom, mutuall gifts were giuen: my Grandsi[r]e gaue to thine,
A girdle of Phoenician worke, impurpl’d wondrous fine:
Thine gaue a two-neckt Iugge of gold, which though I vse not here,
Yet still it is my gemme at home. But if our fathers were
Familiar; or each other knew, I know not: since my sire
Left me a child, at siege of Thebes: where he left his lifes fire.
But let vs proue our Grandsires sonnes, and be each others guests:
To Lycia when I come, do thou, receiue thy friend with feasts:
Peloponnesus, with the like, shall thy wisht presence greet;
Meane space, shun we each other here, though in the preasse we meet:
There are enow of Troy beside, and men enough renownd,
To right my powres, whom euer heauen, sh[a]ll let my lance confound:
So are there of the Greeks for thee: kill who thou canst: and now
For signe of amitie twixt vs, and that all these may know
We glorie in th’hospitious rites, our Grandsires did commend,
Change we our armes before them all. From horse then Both descend,
Ioyne hands, giue faith, and take; and then, did Iupiter* elate
The mind of Glaucus: who to shew, his reuerence to the state
Of vertue in his grandsires heart, and gratulate beside
The offer of so great a friend: exchang’d (in that good pride)
Curets of gold for those of brasse, that did on Diomed shine:
One of a hundred Oxens price, the other but of nine.
By this, had Hector reacht the ports, of Scaea, and the tow’rs:
About him flockt the wiues of Troy, the children, paramours,
Enquiring how their husbands did, their fathers, brothers, loues.
He stood not then to answer them, but said; It now behoues
Ye should go all [t]’implore the aide, of heauen, in a distresse
Of great effect, and imminent. Then hasted he accesse,
To Priams goodly builded Court; which round about was runne
With walking porches, galleries, to keepe off raine and Sunne;
Within, of one side, on a rew, of sundrie colourd stones,
Fiftie faire lodgings were built out, for Priams fiftie sonnes:
And for as faire sort of their wiues; and in the opposite view
Twelue lodgings of like stone, like height, were likewise built arew;
Where, with their faire and vertuous wiues, twelue Princes, sons in law,Page 89
To honourable Priam, lay: And here met Hecub[a]
(The louing mother) her great sonne, and with her, needs must be
The fairest of her femall race, the bright Laodice.*
The Queene grip’t hard her Hectors hand, and said; O worthiest sonne,
Why leau’st thou field? is’t not because, the cursed nation
Afflict our countrimen and friends? they are their mones that moue
Thy mind to come and lift thy hands (in his high towre) to Ioue:
But stay a little, that my selfe, may fetch our sweetest wine,
To offer first to Iupiter: then that these ioynts of thine
May be refresht: for (wo is me) how thou art toyld and spent!
Thou for our cities generall state: thou, for our friends farre sent,
Must now the preasse of fight endure: now solitude to call
Vpon the name of Iupiter: thou onely for vs all.
But wine will something comfort thee: for to a man dismaid,
With carefull spirits; or too much, with labour ouerlaid,
Wine brings much rescue, strengthning much, the bodie and the mind.
The great Helme-mouer thus receiu’d, the authresse of his kind;*
My royall mother, bring no wine, lest rather it impaire,
Then helpe my strength; and make my mind, forgetfull of th’affaire
Committed to it. And (to poure, it out in sacrifice)
I feare, with vnwasht hands to serue, the pure-liu’d Deities;
Nor is it lawfull, thus imbrew’d, with blood, and dust; to proue
The will of heauen: or offer vowes, to clowd-compelling Ioue.
I onely come to vse your paines (assembling other Dames,
Matrons, and women honourd most, with high and vertuous names)
With wine and odors; and a robe, most ample, most of price;
And which is dearest in your loue, to offer sacrifice,
In Pallas temple: and to put, the precious robe ye beare,
On her Palladium; vowing all, twelue Oxen of a yeare,
Whose necks were neuer wrung with yoke; shall pay her Grace their liues,
If she will pittie our sieg’d towne; pittie our selues, our wiues;
Pittie our children; and remoue, from sacred Ilion,
The dreadfull souldier Diomed; and when your selues are gone
About this worke, my selfe will go, to call into the field,
(If he will heare me) Hellens loue; whom would the earth would yeeld,
And headlong take into her gulfe, euen quicke before mine eye[s,]
For then my heart, I hope, would cast, her lode of miseries;
Borne for the plague he hath bene borne, and bred to the deface
(By great Olympius) of Troy, our Sire, and all our race.
This said, g[r]aue Hecuba went home, and sent her maids abou[t],
To bid the Matrones: she her selfe, descended, and searcht out
(Within a place that breath’d perfumes) the richest robe she had:
Which lay with many rich ones more, most curiously made,
By women of Sydonia; which Paris brought from thence,
Sailing the brode Sea, when he made, that voyage of offence,
In which he brought home Hellena. That robe, transferd so farre,
(That was the vndermost) she tooke; it glitterd like a starre;
And with it, went she to the Fane, with many Ladies more:Page 90
Amongst whom, faire cheekt Thean[o], vnlockt the folded dore;
Chaste Theano, Antenors wife, and of Cisseus race,
Sister to Hecuba, both borne, to that great king of Thrace.
Her, th▪Ilions made Mineruas Priest; and her they followed all,
Vp to the Temples highest towre; where, on their knees they fall▪
Lift vp their hands, and fill the Fane, with Ladies pitious cries.
Then louely Theano tooke the veile, and with it she implies*
The great Palladium, praying thus; Goddesse of most renowne?
In all the heauen of Goddesses? great guardian of our towne?
Reuerend Miner[u]a?! breake the lance, of Diomed; ceasse his grace;
Giue him to fall in shamefull flight, headlong, and on his face,
Before our ports of Ilion; that instantly we may,
Twelue vnyok’t Oxen of a yeare, in this thy Temple slay
To thy sole honor; take their bloods, and banish our offence;
Accept Troyes zeale; her wiues, and saue, our infants innocence.
She praid, but Pallas would not grant. Meane space was Hector come
Where Alexanders lodgings were; that many a goodly roome
Had, built in them by Architects, of Troys most curious sort;
And were no lodgings, but a house; nor no house, but a Court;
Or had all these containd in them; and all within a towre,
Next Hectors lodgings and the kings. The lou’d of heauens chiefe powre,
(Hector) here entred. In his hand, a goodly lance he bore,
Ten cubits long; the brasen head, went shining in before;
Helpt with a burnisht ring of gold; he found his brother then
Amongst the women; yet prepar’d, to go amongst the men.
For in their chamber he was set, trimming his armes, his shield,
His curets, and was trying how, his crooked bow would yeeld
To his streight armes; amongst her maids, was set the Argiue Queene,
Commanding them in choisest workes. When Hectors eye had seene
His brother thus accompanied; and that he could not beare
The verie touching of his armes, but where the women were;
And when the time so needed men: right cunningly he chid,
That he might do it bitterly; his cowardise he hid
(That simply made him so retir’d) beneath an anger faind,
In him, by Hector; for the hate, the citizens sustaind*
Against him, for the foile he tooke, in their cause; and againe,
For all their generall foiles in his. So Hector seemes to plaine
Of his wrath to them, for their hate, and not his cowardise;
As that were it that shelterd him, in his effeminacies;
And kept him in that dangerous time, from their fit aid in fight:
For which he chid thus; Wretched man? so timelesse is thy spight,
That tis not honest; and their hate, is iust, gainst which it bends:
Warre burns about the towne for thee; for thee our flaughterd friends
Besiege Troy with their carkasses, on whose heapes our high wals
Are ouerlookt by enemies: the sad sounds of their fals
Without, are eccho’d with the cries, of wines, and babes within;
And all for thee: and yet for them, thy honor cannot win
Head of thine anger: thou shouldst need, no spirit to stirre vp thine,Page 91
But thine should set the rest on fire; and with a rage diuine
Chastise impartially the best, that impiously forbeares:
Come forth, lest thy faire towers and Troy, be burnd about thine eares.
Paris acknowledg’d (as before) all iust that Hector spake;
Allowing iustice, though it were, for his iniustice sake:
And wh ere his brother put a wrath, vpon him, by his art;
He takes it (for his honors sake,) as sprung out of his hart:
And rather would haue anger seeme, his fault, then cowardise:
And thus he answerd: Since with right, you ioynd checke with aduise,*
And I heare you; giue equall eare; It is not any spleene
Against the Towne (as you conceiue) that makes me so vnseene;
But sorrow for it: which to ease, and by discourse digest,
(Within my selfe) I liue so close: and yet, since men might wrest
My sad retreat, like you; my wife, (with her aduice) inclinde
This my addression to the field; which was mine owne free minde,
As well as th’instance of her words: for though the foyle were mine,
Conquest brings forth her wreaths by turnes: stay then this hast of thine,
But till I ar me; and I am made, a consort for thee streight;
Or go, Ile ouertake thy haste. Hellen stood at receipt,
And tooke vp all great Hectors powers, t’attend her heauie words;*
By which had Paris no reply; this vent her griefe affords:
Brother, (if I may call you so, that had bene better borne
A dog, then such a horride Dame, as all men curse and scorne;
A mischiefe mak[e]r, a man-plague) O would to God the day
That first gaue light to me, had bene, a whirlwind in my way,
And borne me to some desert hill, or hid me in the rage
Of earths most far-resounding seas; ere I should thus engage
The deare liues of so many friends: yet since the Gods hau[e] beene
Helplesse foreseers of my plagues, they might haue likewise seene,
That he they put in yoke with me, to beare out their award,
Had bene a man of much more spirit; and, or had noblier dar’d
To shield mine honour with his deed; or with his mind had knowne
Much better the vpbraids of men; that so he might haue showne
(More like a man) some sence of griefe, for both my shame and his:
But he is senslesse, nor conceiues, what any manhood is;
Nor now, nor euer after will: and therefore hangs, I feare,
A plague aboue him. But come neare; good brother, rest you here,
Who (of the world of men) stands charg’d, with most vnrest for me,
(Vile wretch) and for my Louers wrong; on whom a destinie
So bitter is imposde by Ioue, that all succeeding times
Will put (to our vn-ended shames) in all mens mouthes our crimes.
He answerd: Hellen, do not seeke, to make me sit with thee:*
I must not stay, though well I know, thy honourd loue of me:
My mind cals forth to aid our friends, in whom my absence breeds
Longings to see me: for whose sakes, importune thou, to deeds,
This man by all meanes, that your care, may make his owne make hast,
And meete me in the open towne, that all may see at last,
He minds his louer: I my selfe, will now go home and seePage 92
My houshold, my deare wife, and sonne, that little hope of me.
For (sister) tis without my skill, if I shall euer more
Returne and see them; or to earth, her right in me restore:
The Gods may stoupe me by the Greekes. This said, he went to see
The vertuous Princesse, his true wife, white arm’d Andromache.
She (with her infant sonne, and maide) was climb’d the towre, about
The sight of him that sought for her, weeping and crying out.
Hector, not finding her at home, was going forth; retir’d;
Stood in the gate: her woman cald; and curiously enquir’d,
Where she was gone; bad tell him true, if she were gone to see
His sisters, or his brothers wiues? or whether she should be
At Temple with the other Dames, t’implore Mineruas ruth.
Her woman answerd; since he askt, and vrg’d so much the truth;
The truth was, she was neither gone, to see his brothers wiues,
His sisters, nor t’implore the ruth, of Pallas on their liues;
But (she aduertisde of the bane, Troy sufferd; and how vast
Conquest had made her selfe, for Greece) like one distraught, made hast
To ample Ilion, with her sonne, and Nurse; and all the way
Mournd, and dissolu’d in teares for him. Then Hector made no stay;
But trod her path, and through the streets (magnificently built)
All the great Citie past, and came, where (seeing how bloud was spilt)
Andromache might see him come; who made as he would passe
The ports without saluting her, not knowing where she was:
She, with his sight, made breathlesse hast, to meet him: she, whose grace
Brought him, withall, so great a dowre; she that of all the race
Of king Action, onely liu’d: Action, whose house stood
Beneath the mountaine Placius, enuirond with the wood
Of Theban Hippoplace, being Court, to the Cilician land:
She ran to Hector, and with her (tender of heart and hand)
Her sonne, borne in his Nurses armes: when like a heauenly signe,
Compact of many golden starres, the princely child did shine;
Whom Hector cald Scamandrius; but whom the towne did name
Astianax; because his sire, did onely prop the same.
Hector (though griefe bereft his speech, yet) smil’d vpon his ioy:
Andromache cride out, mixt hands, and to the strength of Troy,
Thus wept forth her affection: O noblest in desire;*
Thy mind, inflam’d with others good, will set thy selfe on fire:
Nor pitiest thou thy sonne, nor wife, who must thy widdow be,
If now thou issue: all the field, will onely run on thee.
Better my shoulders vnderwent, the earth, then thy decease;
For then would earth beare ioyes no mo[r]e: then comes the blacke increase
Of griefes (like Greeks on Ilion): Alas, what one suruiues
To be my refuge? one blacke day, bereft seuen brothers liues,
By sterne Achilles; by his hand, my father breath’d his last:*
His high-wald rich Cilician Thebes, sackt by him, and laid wast;
The royall bodie yet he left, vnspoild: Religion charm’d
That act of spoile; and all in fire, he burnd him compleat arm’d;
Built ouer him a royall tombe: and to the monumentPage 93
He left of him; Th’Oreades (that are the high descent
Of Aegis-bearing Iupiter) another of their owne
Did adde to it, and set it round, with Elms; by which is showne
(In theirs) the barrennesse of death: yet might it serue beside
To shelter the sad Monument, from all the ruffinous pride
Of stormes and tempests, vsde to hurt, things of that noble kind:
The short life yet, my mother liu’d, he sau’d; and seru’d his mind
With all the riches of the Realme; which not enough esteemd,
He kept her prisoner; whom small time, but much more wealth redeemd:
And she in syluane Hyppoplace, Cilicia rul’d againe;
But soone was ouer-rul’d by death: Dianas chast disdaine
Gaue her a Lance, and tooke her life; yet all these gone from me,
Thou amply renderst all; thy life, makes still my father be;
My mother; brothers: and besides, thou art my husband too;
Most lou’d, most worthy. Pitie then (deare loue) and do not go;
For thou gone, all these go againe: pitie our common ioy,
Lest (of a fathers patronage, the bulwarke of all Troy)
Thou leau’st him a poore widdowes charge; stay, stay then, in this Towre,
And call vp to the wilde Fig-tree, all thy retired powre:
For there the wall is easiest scal’d, and fittest for surprise;
And there, th’Aiaces, Idomen, th’Atrides, Diomed, thrise
Haue both suruaid, and made attempt; I know not, if induc’d
By some wise Augure; or the fact, was naturally infusd
Into their wits, or courages. To this, great Hector said;*
Be well assur’d wife, all these things, in my kind cares are waid:
But what a shame, and feare it is, to thinke how Troy would scorne
(Both in her husbands and her wiues, whom long-traind gownes adorne)
That I should cowardly flie off? The spirit I first did breath,
Did neuer teach me that; much lesse, since the contempt of death
Was settl’d in me; and my mind, knew what a Worthy was;
Whose office is, to leade in fight, and giue no danger passe
Without improuement. In this fire, must Hectors triall shine;
Here must his country, father, friends, be (in him) made diuine.
And such a stormy day shall come, in mind and soule I know,
When sacred Troy shall shed her towres, for teares of ouerthrow;
When Priam, all his birth and powre, shall in those teares be drownd.
But neither. Troyes posteritie, so much my soule doth wound:
Priam, nor Hecuba her selfe, nor all my brothers woes
(Who though so many, and so good, must all be food for foes)
As thy sad state; when some rude Greeke, shall leade thee weeping hence;
These free dayes clouded; and a night, of captiue violence
Loding thy temples: out of which, thine eyes must neuer see;*
But spin the Greeke wiues, webs of taske; and their Fetch-water be,
To Argos, from Messeides, or cleare Hyperias spring:
Which (howsoeuer thou abhorst) Fate’s such a shrewish thing,
She will be mistris: whose curst hands, when they shall crush out cries
From thy oppressions, (being beheld, by oth[e]r enemies)
Thus they will nourish thy extremes: This dame was Hectors wife,Page 94
A man, that at the warres of Troy, did breath the worthiest life
Of all their armie. This againe, will rub thy fruitfull wounds,
To misse the man, that to thy bands, could giue such narrow bounds:
But that day shall not wound mine eyes; the solide heape of night
Shall interpose, and stop mine eares, against thy plaints, and plight.
This said, he reacht to take his sonne: who (of his armes afraid;
And then the horse-haire plume, with which, he was so ouerlaid,
Nodded so horribly) he clingd, backe to his nurse, and cride.
Laughter affected his great Sire; who doft, and laid aside
His fearfull Helme; that on the earth, cast round about it, light;
Then tooke and kist his louing sonne; and (ballancing his weight
In dancing him) these louing vowes, to liuing Ioue he vsde,
And all the other bench of Gods: O you that haue infusde*
Soule to this Infant; now set downe, this blessing on his starre:
Let his renowne be cleare as mine; equall his strength in warre;
And make his reigne so strong in Troy, that yeares to come may yeeld
His facts this fame; (when rich in spoiles, he leaues the conquerd field
Sowne with his slaughters.) These high deeds, exceed his fathers worth:
And let this eccho’d praise supply, the comforts to come forth
Of his kind mother, with my life. This said; th’Heroicke Sire
Gaue him his mother; whose faire eyes, fresh streames of loues salt fire,
Billow’d on her soft cheekes, to heare, the last of Hectors speech;
In which his vowes comprisde the summe, of all he did beseech
In her wisht comfort. So she tooke, into her odorous brest,
Her husbands gift; who (mou’d to see, her heart so much opprest)
He dried her teares; and thus desir’d: Afflict me not (deare wife)
With these vaine griefes; He doth not liue, that can disioyne my life
And this firme bosome; but my Fate; and Fate, whose wings can flie?
Noble, ignoble, Fate controuls: once borne, the best must die:
Go home, and set thy houswifrie, on these extremes of thought;
And driue warre from them with thy maids; keepe them from doing nought:
These will be nothing: leaue the cares, of warre, to men, and mee;
In whom (of all the Ilion race) they take their high’st degree.
On went his helme; his Princesse home, halfe cold with kindly feares;
When euery feare, turnd backe her lookes; and euery looke shed teares.
Fo-slaughtering Hectors house, soone reacht, her many women there
Wept all to see her: in his life, great Hectors funerals were;
Neuer lookt any eye of theirs, to see their Lord safe home,
Scap’t from the gripes and powers of Greece. And now was Paris come
From his high towres; who made no stay, when once he had put on*
His richest armour; but flew forth: the flints he trod vpon*
Sparkled with luster of his armes; his long-ebd spirits, now flowd
The higher, for their lower ebbe. And as a faire Steed, proud
With ful-giuen mangers; long tied vp, and now (his head-stall broke)
He breakes from stable, runnes the field, and with an ample stroke
Measures the center; neighs, and lifts, aloft his wanton head:
About his shoulders, shakes his Crest; and where he hath bene fed,
Or in some calme floud washt; or (stung, with his high plight) he fliesPage 95
Amongst his femals; strength put forth; his beautie beautifies.
And like Lifes mirror, beares his gate: so Paris from the towre
Of loftie Pergamus came forth; he shewd a Sun-like powre
In cariage of his goodly parts, addrest now to the strife;
And found his noble brother neere, the place he left his wife;
Him (thus respected) he salutes; Right worthy, I haue feare*
That your so serious haste to field, my stay hath made forbeare;
And that I come not, as you wish. He answerd, Honourd man,*
Be confident; for not my selfe, nor any others can
Reproue in thee, the worke of fight; at least, not any such,
As is an equall iudge of things: for thou hast strength as much
As serues to execute a mind, very important: But
Thy strength too readily flies off: enough will is not put
To thy abilitie. My heart, is in my minds strife, sad,
When Troy (out of her much distresse, she and her friends haue had
By thy procurement) doth depraue, thy noblesse in mine eares:
But come, hereafter we shall calme, these hard conceits of theirs,
When (from their ports the foe expulst) high Ioue to them hath giuen
Wisht peace; and vs free sacrifice, to all the powers of heauen.

Corrections:

• line 157: Ant…ta becomes Anteia
• line 318: ? to !