Thomas Sackville

Gorboduc

Norton, Thomas and Thomas Sackville. “ <<Gorboduc>> ”. In: Tydeman, William (ed.) <<Two Tudor Tragedies.>> Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1992. Penguin Classics.

Joan Oleza Simó (Investigador principal) Tronch Pérez, Jesus (Editor)

English · Verso · 1794 versos

https://playcode.fly.dev/plays/EMOTHE0329_Gorboduc

Tiempo histórico: Edad Media
Datación: 1562
anterior o hasta 1562; 1562

Bibliografía

Ediciones modernas

A Critical Edition of 'Gorboduc'. Walsh, Sister Maureen. St. Louis Univ., 1964. Unpub. Doct. Diss.[Abstr. in Dissertation Abstracts International, XXV, 4693.].
Adams, Joseph Quincy, ed. Chief Pre-Shakespearean Dramas. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1924, pp. 503-35. Supposes, pp. 536-67.
Cunliffe, J. W., ed. Early English Classical Tragedies. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1912, pp. 1-64.
Fraser, Russell A.; Rabkin, Norman, ed. Drama of the English Renaissance I: The Tudor Period. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc., 1976, pp. 81-100.
Gassner, John, ed. Medieval and Tudor Drama. New York: Bantam Books, 1963.
Irby, B.; Cauthen, Jr., ed. Gorboduc, or Ferrex and Porrex. Norton, Thomas; Sackville, Thomas. Lincoln, 1970. Regents Renaissance Drama.
Tydeman, William, ed. Two Tudor Tragedies. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1992. Penguin Classics.

Bibliografía crítica

Babula, William. "'Gorboduc' as Apology and Critique". Tennessee Studies in Literature. 1972, 17, p. 37-43.
Bacquet, Paul. "L'imitation de Sénèque dans 'Gorboduc' de Sackville et Norton". Ed. Jacquot, Jean. Les Tragédies de Sénèque et le Théâtre de la Renaissance. Paris: Éditions du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1964, p. 153-74.
Bacquet, Paul. "L'influence de Sénèque sur 'Gorboduc'". Etudes Anglaises. 1961, 14, p. 344-345.
Bacquet, Paul. "Structure et valeur dramatiques de 'Gorboduc'". Filoloski Pregled: Casopis Saveza Drustava za Strane Jezike i Knjizevnost SFRJ. 1964, 1, 2, p. 247-259.
Baker, Howard. "Some Blank Verse Written by Thomas Norton before 'Gorboduc'". Modern Language Notes. 1933, 48, 8, p. 529-30.
Berg, James Emmanuel. "Gorboduc as a Tragic Discovery of 'Feudalism'". SEL: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 2000, 40, 2, p. 199-226.
Breitenberg, Mark. "Reading Elizabethan Iconicity: 'Gorboduc' and the Semiotics of Reform". English Literary Renaissance. 1988, 18, 2, p. 194-217.
Carneiro de Mendonça, Barbara Heliodora. "The Influence of 'Gorboduc' on King Lear". Shakespeare Survey. 1960, 13, p. 41-48.
Cunningham, Karen J. "'So Many Books, So Many Rolls of Ancient Time': The Inns of Court and 'Gorboduc'". Ed. Kezar, Dennis. Solon and Thespis: Law and Theater in the English Renaissance. Notre Dame: U of Notre Dame P, 2007, p. 197-217.
Dunn, Kevin. "English Literary Renaissance". 2003, 33, 3, p. 279-308.
Dust, Philip. "The Theme of 'Kinde' in 'Gorboduc'". Ed. Hogg, James. Salzburg Studies in English Literature: Elizabethan Studies. Salzburg: Inst. fur Englische Sprache und Literatur, Univ. Salzburg A-5020, 1973, p. 43-81.
Estill, Laura; Kelly, Erin E. "New Contexts for Early Tudor Plays: William Briton, an Early Reader of 'Gorboduc'". Early Theatre: A Journal Associated with the Records of Early English Drama. 2013, 16, 2, p. 197-210.
Herman, Peter C. "'He Said What?!?': Misdeeming Gorboduc; or, Problematizing Form, Service and Certainty". Exemplaria: A Journal of Theory in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. 2001, 13, 1, p. 287-321.
Hunt, Alice. "Dumb Politics in 'Gorboduc'". Ed. Betteridge, Thomas; Walker, Greg. The Oxford Handbook of Tudor Drama. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, p. 547-565.
Jones, Norman; White, Paul Whitfield. "Gorboduc' and royal marriage politics: an Elizabethan playgoer's report of the premiere performance". English Literary Renaissance. 1996, 26, 1, p. 3-16.
Kim, Jaecheol. "The North-South Divide in 'Gorboduc': Fratricide Remembered and Forgotten". Studies in Philology. 2014, 111, 4, p. 691-719.
Kobayashi, Junji. "'Gorboduc' and the Inner Temple Revels of Christmas". Shakespeare Studies. 2003, 41, p. 25-43.
Lascombes, André. "Time and Place in Tudor Theater: Two Remarkable Achievements-'Fulgens and Lucres' and 'Gorboduc'". Ed. Maguin, Jean-Marie; Willems, Michèle. French Essays on Shakespeare and His Contemporaries: 'What Would France with Us?'. Newark: U of Delaware P--Associated UP, 1995, p. 66-80.
Peyré, Yves. "'Excellent Dumb Discourse': Le Symbolisme des dumb shows de la tragédie élisabéthaine: De 'Gorboduc' à 'Locrine'". Ed. Lascombes, André. Tudor Theatre: 'Let There Be Covenants ...': Convention et Théâtre. Bern: Peter Lang, 1998, p. 89-102.
Pincombe, Mike. "Robert Dudley, Gorboduc, and 'The Masque of Beauty and Desire': A Reconsideration of the Evidence for Political Intervention". Parergon: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. 2003, 20, 1, p. 19-44.
Reilly, Terry. "'This Is the Case': 'Gorboduc' and Early Modern English Legal Discourse Concerning Inheritance". Ed. Kermode, Lloyd Edward; Scott-Warren, Jason; Van Elk, Martine. Tudor Drama before Shakespeare, 1485-1590: New Directions for Research, Criticism, and Pedagogy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004, p. 195-210.
Schmidt, H. "Seneca's Influence upon 'Gorboduc". Seneca's Influence upon 'Gorboduc. 1887, 2, 2, p. 28-35.
Talbert, Ernest W. "The Political Import and the First Two Audiences of 'Gorboduc'". Ed. Harrison, Thomas P; Mossner, Ernest C; Sledd, James. Studies in Honor of DeWitt T. Starnes. Austin: Univ. of Texas, 1967, p. 89-115.
Turner, Robert Y. "Pathos and the Gorboduc Tradition, 1560-1590". Huntington Library Quarterly. 1962, 25, p. 97-120.
Vanhoutte, Jacqueline. "Community, Authority, and the Motherland in Sackville and Norton's 'Gorboduc'". SEL: Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. 2000, 40, 2, p. 227-39.
Walker, Greg. "Allegory in the Interludes: Chronology, Taxonomy, and 'Gorboduc' (Again)". Medieval English Theatre. 2003, 25, p. 54-70.
Watson, Sara R. "'Gorboduc' and the Theory of Tyrannicide". Modern Language Review. 1939, 34, p. 355-366.
Winston, Jessica. ""Expanding the Political Nation: 'Gorboduc' at the Inns of Court and Succession Revisited". Early Theatre: A Journal Associated with the Records of Early English Drama. 2005, 8, 1, p. 11-34.

Traducciones

Français

Norton, Thomas; Sackville, Thomas. "Gorboduc". Tra. Lascombes, André. Ed. Cottegnies, Line; Laroque, François; Maguin, Jean-Marie. Théâtre élisabéthain. Vol. 1. Paris: Gallimard, 2009.

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]

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 449

From painful travails of the weary day, 450

Prolongs my carefull thoughts, and makes me blame 451

The slow Aurore, that so for love or shame 452

Doth long delay to show her blushing face: 453

And now the day renews my griefull plaint. 454

ferrex

My gracious lady and my mother dear, 455

Pardon my grief for your so grieved mind, 456

To ask what cause tormenteth so your heart. 457

videna

So great a wrong, and so unjust despite, 458

Without all cause, against all course of kind! 459

ferrex

Such causeless wrong and so unjust despite, 460

May have redress, or at the least, revenge. 461

videna

Neither, my son: such is the froward will, 462

The person such, such my mishap and thine. 463

ferrex

Mine know I none, but grief for your distress. 464

videna

Yes; mine for thine, my son. A father? No. 465

In kind a father, not in kindliness. 466

ferrex

My father? Why? I know nothing at all, 467

Wherein I have misdone unto his grace. 468

videna

Therefore the more unkind to thee and me. 469

For I have ever borne and bear to thee, 470

He, griev’d thereat, is not content alone 471

To spoil me of thy sight, my chiefest joy, 472

But thee of thy birthright and heritage 473

Causeless, unkindly, and in wrongful wise, 474

Against all law and right, he will bereave. 475

Half of his kingdom he will give away. 476

ferrex

To whom? 477

videna

Even to Porrex, his younger son,

Whose growing pride I do so sore suspect, 478

That, being rais’d to equal rule with thee, 479

Methinks I see his envious heart to swell, 480

Fill’d with disdain and with ambitious hope. 481

The end the gods do know, whose altars I 482

Full oft have made in vain of cattle slain 483

To send the sacred smoke to Heaven’s throne, 484

For thee, my son, if things do so succeed, 485

As now my jealous mind misdeemeth sore. 486

ferrex

Madam, leave care and carefull plaint for me: 487

Just hath my father been to every wight. 488

His first unjustice he will not extend 489

To me, I trust, that give no cause thereof: 490

My brother’s pride shall hurt himself, not me. 491

videna

So grant the gods! But yet thy father so 492

Hath firmly fixed his unmoved mind 493

That plaints and prayers can no whit avail, 494

For those have I assay’d, but even this day 495

He will endeavour to procure assent 496

Of all his council to his fond device. 497

ferrex

Their ancestors from race to race have borne 498

True faith to my forefathers and their seed: 499

I trust they eke will bear the like to me. 500

videna

There resteth all. But if they fail thereof, 501

And if the end bring forth an ill success, 502

On them and theirs the mischief shall befall, 503

And so I pray the gods requite it them, 504

And so they will, for so is wont to be! 505

When lords, and trusted rulers under kings, 506

To please the present fancy of the prince 507

With wrong transpose the course of governance, 508

Murders, mischief, or civil sword at length, 509

Or mutual treason, or a just revenge, 510

When right succeeding line returns again, 511

By Jove’s just judgement and deserved wrath, 512

Brings them to cruel and reproachful death, 513

And roots their names and kindreds from the earth. 514

ferrex

Mother, content you; you shall see the end. 515

videna

The end? Thy end I fear: Jove end me first! 516

(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 517

Have long upheld my honour and my realm, 518

And brought me to this age from tender years, 519

Guiding so great estate with great renown, 520

Now more importeth me than erst to use 521

Your faith and wisdom, whereby yet I reign: 522

That when my death my life and rule shall cease, 523

The kingdom yet may with unbroken course 524

Have certain prince, by whose undoubted right 525

Your wealth and peace may stand in quiet stay; 526

And eke that they whom nature hath prepar’d 527

In time to take my place in princely seat – 528

While in their father’s time their pliant youth 529

Yields to the frame of skilful governance– 530

May so be taught and train’d in noble arts, 531

As what their fathers which have reigned before 532

Have with great fame derived down to them, 533

With honour they may leave unto their seed 534

And not be thought for their unworthy life, 535

And for their lawless swerving out of kind, 536

Worthy to lose what law and kind them gave; 537

But that they may preserve the common peace, 538

The cause that first began and still maintains 539

The lineal course of kings’ inheritance. 540

For me, for mine, for you, and for the state, 541

Whereof both I and you have charge and care, 542

Thus do I mean to use your wonted faith 543

To me and mine, and to your native land. 544

My lords, be plain without all wry respect 545

Or poisonous craft to speak in pleasing wise, 546

Lest as the blame of ill-succeeding thing 547

Shall light on you, so light the harms also. 548

arostus

Your good acceptance so, most noble King, 549

Of such our faithfulness as heretofore 550

We have employed in duties to your grace 551

And to this realm, whose worthy head you are, 552

Well proves that neither you mistrust at all, 553

Nor we shall need in boasting wise to show 554

Our truth to you, nor yet out wakeful care 555

For you, four yours, and for our native land. 556

Wherefore, O King, I speak as one for all – 557

Sith all as one do bear you equal faith – 558

Doubt not to use our counsels and our aids, 559

Whose honours, goods and lives are whole avow’d 560

To serve, to aid, and to defend your grace. 561

gorboduc

My lords, I thank you all. This is the case: 562

Ye know the gods, who have the sovereig care 563

For kings, for kingdoms, and for commonweals, 564

Gave me two sons in my more lusty age, 565

Who now in my decaying years are grown 566

Well towards riper state of strength, 567

To take in hand some greater princely charge. 568

As yet they live and spend their hopeful days 569

With me and with their mother here in court. 570

Their age now asketh other place and trade, 571

And mine also doth ask another change, 572

Theirs to more travail, mine to greater ease. 573

When fatal death shall end my mortal life, 574

My purpose is to leave unto them twain 575

The realm divided into two sundry parts: 576

The one Ferrex, mine elder son, shall have; 577

The other shall the younger, Porrex, rule. 578

That both my purpose may more firmly stand, 579

And eke that they may better rule their charge, 580

I mean forthwith to place them in the same, 581

That in my life they may both learn to rule 582

And I may joy to see their ruling well. 583

This is in sum what I would have ye weigh: 584

First, whether ye allow my whole device 585

And think it good for me, for them, for you, 586

And for our country, mother of us all; 587

And if ye like it, and allow it well, 588

Then for their guiding and their governance, 589

Show forth such means of circumstance 590

As ye think meet to be both known and kept. 591

Lo, this is all; now tell me your advice. 592

arostus

And this is much, and asketh great advice. 593

But for my part, my sovereign lord and King, 594

This do I think; your Majesty doth know 595

How under you in justice and in peace 596

Great wealth and honour long we have enjoy’d, 597

So as we cannot seem with greedy minds 598

To wish for change of prince or governance. 599

But if we like your purpose and device, 600

Our liking must be deemed to proceed 601

Of rightful reason and of heedful care, 602

Not for ourselves, but for the common state, 603

Sith our own state doth need no better change. 604

I think in all as erst your grace hath said: 605

First, when you shall unload your aged mind 606

Of heavy care and troubles manifold 607

And lay the same upon my lords your sons, 608

Whose growing years may bear the burden long 609

(And long I pray the gods to grant it so) 610

And in your life while you shall so behold 611

Their rule, their virtues, and their noble deeds, 612

Such as their kind behighteth to us all, 613

Great be the profits that shall grow thereof. 614

Your age in quiet shall the longer last; 615

Your lasting age shall be their longer stay, 616

For cares of kings, that rule as you have rul’d 617

For public wealth and not for private joy, 618

Do waste man’s life and hasten crooked age, 619

With furrow’d face and with enfeebl’d limbs, 620

To draw on creeping death a swifter pace: 621

They two, yet young, shall bear the parted reign 622

With greater ease than one, now old, alone, 623

Can wield the whole, for whom much harder is 624

With lessen’d strength the double weight to bear. 625

Your eye, your counsel, and the grace regard 626

Of father, yea, of such a father’s name – 627

Now at beginning of their whole success, 628

Shall bridle so their force of youthful heats, 629

And so restrain the rage of insolence 630

Which most assails the young and noble minds, 631

And so shall guide and train in temper’d stay 632

Their yet green-bending wits with reverent awe, 633

As now inur’d with virtues at the first, 634

Custom, O King, shall bring delightfulness. 635

By use of virtue, vice shall grow in hate; 636

But if you so dispose it that the day 637

Which ends your life shall first begin their reign, 638

Great is the peril what will be the end. 639

When such beginning of such liberties – 640

Void of such stays as in your life do lie – 641

Shall leave them free to random of their will, 642

An open prey to traitorous flattery, 643

The greastest pestilence of noble youth. 644

Which peril shall be past, if in your life 645

Their temper’d youth with aged father’s awe 646

Be brought in ure of skilful stayedness, 647

And in your life their lives disposed so 648

Shall length your noble life in joyfulness. 649

Thus think I that your grace hath wisely thought, 650

And that your tender care of common weal 651

Hath bred this thought, so to divide your land, 652

And plant your sons to bear the present rule, 653

While you yet live to see their ruling well, 654

That you may longer live by joy therein. 655

What further means behoveful are and meet 656

At greater leisure may your grace devise, 657

When all have said, and when we agreed 658

If this be best to part the realm in twain 659

And place your sons in present government, 660

Whereof, as I have plainly said my mind, 661

So would I hear the rest of all my lords. 662

philander

In part I think as hath been said before; 663

In part again my mind is otherwise. 664

As for dividing of this realm in twain, 665

And lotting out the same in equal parts 666

To either of my lords, your grace’s sons, 667

That think I best for this your realm’s behove, 668

For profit and advancement of your sons, 669

And for your comfort and your honour eke. 670

But so to place them while your life do last; 671

To yield to them your royal governance; 672

To be above them only in the name 673

Of father, not in kingly state also; 674

I think not good for you, for them, nor us. 675

This kingdom, since the bloody civil field 676

Where Morgan slain did yield his conquered part 677

Unto his cousin’s sword in Camberland, 678

Containeth all that whilom did suffice 679

Three noble sons of your forefather Brute: 680

So your two sons it may suffice also, 681

The moe the stronger, if they gree in one. 682

The smaller compass that the realm doth hold, 683

The easier is the sway thereof to wield, 684

The nearer justice to the wronged poor, 685

The smaller charge, and yet enough for one. 686

And when the region is divided so, 687

That brethren be the lords of either part, 688

Such strength doth nature knit between them both, 689

In sundry bodies by conjoined love, 690

That not as two, but one of doubled force, 691

Each is to other as a sure defence. 692

The nobleness and glory of the one 693

Doth sharp the courage of the other’s mind 694

With virtuous envy to content for praise. 695

And such an equalness hath nature made 696

Between the brethren of one father’s seed, 697

As an unkindly wrong it seems to be 698

To throw the brother-subject under feet 699

Of him whose peer he is by course of kind. 700

And Nature, that did make this equalness, 701

Oft so repineth at so great a wrong, 702

That oft she raiseth up a grudging grief 703

In younger brethren at the elder’s state, 704

Whereby both towns and kingdoms have been raz’d 705

And famous stocks of royal blood destroy’d. 706

The brother, that should be the brother’s aid 707

And have a wakeful care for his defence, 708

Gapes for his death, and blames the lingering years 709

That draw not forth his end with faster course; 710

And, oft impatient of so long delays, 711

With hateful slaughter he prevents the fates, 712

And heaps a just reward for brother’s blood, 713

With endless vengeance on his stock for aye. 714

Such mischiefs here are wisely met withal, 715

If equal state may nourish equal love, 716

Where none hath cause to grudge at other’s good: 717

But now the head to stoop beneath them both, 718

Ne kind, ne reason, ne good order bears. 719

And oft it hath been seen, where Nature’s course 720

Hath been perverted in disolder’d wise, 721

When fathers cease to know that they should rule, 722

The children cease to know they should obey, 723

And often overkindly tenderness 724

Is mother of unkindly stubbornness. 725

I speak not this in envy or reproach 726

As if I grudg’d the glory of your sons, 727

Whose honour I beseech the gods increase, 728

Nor yet as if I thought there did remain 729

So filthy cankers in their noble breasts, 730

Whom I esteem –which is their greatest praise– 731

Undoubted children of so good a King. 732

Only I mean to show by certain rules 733

Which kind hath graft within the mind of man 734

That Nature hath her order and her course, 735

Which, being broken, doth corrupt the state 736

Of minds and things, even in the best of all. 737

My lord, your sons may learn to rule of you; 738

Your own example in your noble court 739

Is fittest guider of their youthful years. 740

If you desire to see some present joy 741

By sight of their well ruling in your life, 742

See them obey, so shall you see them rule. 743

Whoso obeyeth not with humbleness 744

Will rule with outrage and with insolence. 745

Long may they rule, I do beseech the gods; 746

Long may they learn, ere they begin to rule! 747

If kind and fates would suffer, I would wish 748

Them aged princes and immortal kings. 749

Wherefore, most noble King, I well assent 750

Between your sons that you divide your realm, 751

And as in kind, so match them in degree; 752

But while the gods prolong your royal life, 753

Prolong your reign; for thereto live you here, 754

And therefore have the gods so long forborne 755

To join you to themselves that still you might 756

Be prince and father of our commonweal. 757

They, when they see your children ripe to rule, 758

Will make them room, and will remove you hence, 759

That yours, in right ensuing of your life, 760

May rightly honour your immortal name. 761

eubulus

Your wonted true regard of faithful hearts 762

Makes me, O King, the bolder to presume, 763

To speak what I conceive within my breast, 764

Although the same do not agree at all 765

With that which other here my lords have said, 766

Nor which yourself have seemed best to like. 767

Pardon I crave, and that my words be deem’d 768

To flow from hearty zeal unto your grace, 769

And to the safety of your commonweal. 770

To part your realm unto my lords, your sons, 771

I think not good for you, ne yet for them, 772

But worst of all for this our native land. 773

Within one land, one single rules is best: 774

Divided reigns do make divides hearts, 775

But peace preserves the country and the prince. 776

Such is in man the greedy mind to reign, 777

So great is his desire to climb aloft, 778

In worldly stage the stateliest parts to bear, 779

That faith and justice and all kindly love 780

Do yield unto desire of sovereignty, 781

Where equal state doth raise an equal hope 782

To win the thing that either would attain. 783

Your grace remembereth how in passed years 784

The mighty Brute, first prince of all this land, 785

Possess’d the same and rul’d it well in one; 786

He, thinking that the compass did suffice 787

For his three sons three kingdoms eke to make, 788

Cut it in three, as you would now in twain. 789

But how much British blood hath since been spilt 790

To join again the sunder’d unity! 791

What princes slain before their timely hour, 792

What waste of towns and people in the land, 793

What treasons heap’d on murders and on spoils 794

Whose just revenge even yet is scarcely ceas’d, 795

Ruthful remembrance is yet raw in mind – 796

The gods forbid the like to change again! 797

And you, O King, give not the cause thereof: 798

Mu lord Ferrex, your elder son, perhaps 799

(Whom kind and custom gives a rightful hope 800

To be your heir and to succeed your reign) 801

Shall think that he doth suffer greater wrong 802

Than he perchance will bear, if power serve; 803

Porrex, the younger, so uprais’d in state, 804

Perhaps in courage will be rais’d also. 805

If flattery, then, which fails not to assail 806

The tender minds of yet unskilful youth, 807

In one shall kindle and increase disdain 808

And envy in the other’s heart inflame, 809

This fire shall waste their love, their lives, their land, 810

And ruthful ruin shall destroy them both. 811

I wish not this, O King, so to befall, 812

But fear the thing that I do most abhor. 813

Give no beginning to so dreadful end: 814

Keep them in order and obedience, 815

And let them both by now obeying you 816

Learn such behaviour as beseems their state: 817

The elder, mildness in his governance, 818

The younger, a yielding contentedness. 819

And keep them near unto your presence still, 820

That they, restrained by the awe of you, 821

May live in compass of well-temper’d stay 822

And pass the perils of their youthful years. 823

Your aged life draws on to feebler time, 824

Wherein you shall less able be to bear 825

The travails that in youth you have sustain’d, 826

Both in your person’s and your realm’s defence; 827

If planting now your sons in further parts, 828

You send them further from your present reach, 829

Less shall you know how they themselves demean. 830

Traitorous corrupters of their pliant youth 831

Shall have unspied a much more free access; 832

And if ambition and inflam’d disdain 833

Shall arm the one, the other, or them both, 834

To civil war, or to usurping pride, 835

Late shall you rue, that you ne reck’d before. 836

Good is, I grant, of all to hope the best, 837

But not to live still dreadless of the worst; 838

So trust the one, that the other be foreseen. 839

Arm not unskilfulness with princely power, 840

But you that long have wisely rul’d the reins 841

Of royalty within your noble realm, 842

So hold them, while the gods for our avails 843

Shall stretch the thread of your prolonged days: 844

Too soon he clamb into the flaming car, 845

Whose want of skill did set the earth on fire. 846

Time and example of your noble grace 847

Shall teach your sons both to obey and rule; 848

When time hath taught them, time shall make the place, 849

The place that now is full: and so, I pray, 850

Long it remain, to confort of us all. 851

gorboduc

I take your faithful hearts in thankful part, 852

But sith I see no cause to draw my mind 853

To fear the nature of my loving sons, 854

Or to misdeem that envy or disdain 855

Can there work hate where Nature planteth love, 856

In one self purpose do I still abide. 857

My love extendeth equally to both; 858

My land sufficeth for them both also. 859

Humber shall part the marches of their realms, 860

The southern part the elder shall possess, 861

The northern shall Porrex, the younger, rule; 862

In quiet I will pass my aged days, 863

Free from the travail and the painful cares 864

That hasten age upon the worthiest kings. 865

But lest the fraud (that ye do seem to fear) 866

Of flattering tongues corrupt their tender youth 867

And writhe them to the ways of youthful lust, 868

To climbing pride, or to revenging hate, 869

Or to neglecting of their carefull charge, 870

Lewdly to live in wanton recklessness, 871

Or to oppressing of the rightful cause, 872

Or not to wreak the wrongs done to the poor, 873

To tread down truth, or favour false deceit, 874

I mean to join to either of my sons 875

Someone of those whose long approved faith 876

And wisdom tried may well assure my heart 877

That mining fraud shall find no way to creep 878

Into their fenced ears with grave advice. 879

This is the end, and so I pray you all 880

To bear my sons the love and loyalty 881

That I have found within your faithful breasts. 882

arostus

You, nor your sons, our sovereing lord, shall want 883

Our faith and service while our lives do last. 884

([Exeunt all but the Chorus.])

chorus

When settled stay doth hold the royal throne 885

In steadfast place, by known and doubtless right, 886

And chiefly when descent on one alone 887

Makes single and unparted reign to light, 888

Each change of course unjoints the whole estate, 889

And yields it thrall to ruin by debate. 890

The strength that, knit by fast accord in one 891

Against all foreign power of mighty foes, 892

Could of itself defend itself alone, 893

Disjoined once, the former force doth lose: 894

The sticks that sunder’d brake so soon in twain, 895

In faggot bound attempted were in vain. 896

Oft tender mind that leads the partial eye 897

Of erring parents in their children’s love 898

Destroys the wrongly loved child thereby: 899

This doth the proud son of Apollo prove, 900

Who, rashly set in chariot of his sire, 901

Inflam’d the parched earth with heaven’s fire. 902

And this great King, that doth divide his land, 903

And change the course of his descending crown, 904

And yields the rein into his children’s hand, 905

From blissful state of joy and great renown, 906

A mirror shall become to princes all, 907

To learn to shun the cause of such a fall. 908

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 909

My father, thus without all my desert, 910

To reave me half the kingdom, which by course 911

Of law and nature should remain to me. 912

hermon

If you with stubborn and untamed pride 913

Had stood against him in rebelling wise, 914

Or if with grudging mind you had envied 915

So slow a sliding of his aged years, 916

Or sought before your time to haste the course 917

Of fatal death upon his royal head, 918

Or stain’d your stock with murder of your kin, 919

Some face of reason might perhaps have seem’d 920

To yield some likely cause to spoil ye thus. 921

ferrex

The wreakful gods pour on my cursed head 922

Eternal plagues and never-dying woes; 923

The hellish prince adjudge my damned ghost 924

To Tantale’s thirst, or proud Ixion’s wheel, 925

Or cruel gripe to gnaw my growing heart, 926

To during torments and unquenched flames, 927

If ever I conceiv’d so foul a thought, 928

To wish his end of life, or yet of reign! 929

dordan

Ne yet your father, O most noble Prince, 930

Did ever think so foul a thing of you: 931

For he, with more than father’s tender love, 932

While yet the fates do lend him life to rule 933

(Who long might live to see your ruling well), 934

To you, my lord, and to his other son, 935

Lo, he resigns his realm and royalty, 936

Which never would so wise a prince have done 937

If he had once misdeem’d that in your heart 938

There ever lodged so unkind a thought. 939

But tender love, my lord, and settled trust 940

Of your good nature and your noble mind 941

Made him to place you thus in royal throne, 942

And now to give you half his realm to guide – 943

Yea, and that half which in abounding store 944

Of things that serve to make a wealthy realm, 945

In stately cities, and in fruitful soil, 946

In temperate breathing of the milder Heaven, 947

In things of needful use, which friendly sea 948

Transports by traffic from the foreign parts, 949

In flowing wealth, in honour and in force, 950

Doth pass the double value of the part 951

That Porrex hath allotted to his reign. 952

Such is your case, such is your father’s love. 953

ferrex

Ah love, my friends? Love wrongs not whom he loves. 954

dordan

Ne yet he wrongeth you, that giveth you 955

So large a reign, ere that the course of time 956

Bring you to kingdom by descended right, 957

Which time perhaps might end your time before. 958

ferrex

Is this no wrong, say you, to reave from me 959

My native right of half so great a realm, 960

And thus to match his younger son with me 961

In equal power, and in as great degree? 962

Yea, and what son? The son whose swelling pride 963

Would never yield one point of reverence, 964

When I the elder and apparent heir 965

Stood in the likelihood to possess the whole; 966

Yea, and that son which from his childish age 967

Envieth mine honour and doth hate my life. 968

What will he now do, when his pride, his rage, 969

The mindful malice of his grudging heart, 970

Is arm’d with force, with wealth, and kingly state? 971

hermon

Was this not wrong, yea, ill-advised wrong, 972

To give so mad a man so sharp a sword, 973

To so great peril of so great mishap, 974

Wide open thus to set so large a way? 975

dordan

Alas, my lord, what griefull thing is this, 976

That of your brother you can think so ill? 977

I never saw him utter likely sign 978

Whereby a man might see or once misdeem 979

Such hate of you, ne such unyielding pride. 980

Ill is their counsel, shameful be their end, 981

That, raising such mistrustful fear in you, 982

Sowing the seed of such unkindly hate, 983

Travail by treason to destroy you both. 984

Wise is your brother, and of noble hope, 985

Worthy to wield a large and mighty realm; 986

So much a stronger friend have you thereby, 987

Whose strength is your strength, if you gree in one. 988

hermon

If nature and the gods had pinched so 989

Their flowing bounty, and their noble gifts 990

Of princely qualities, from you, my lord, 991

And pour’d them all at once in wasteful wise 992

Upon your father’s younger son alone, 993

Perhaps there be that in your prejudice 994

Would say that birth should yield to worthiness. 995

But sith in each good gift and princely art 996

Ye are his match, and in the chief of all – 997

In mildness and in sober governance – 998

Ye far surmount; and sith there is in you 999

Sufficing skill, and hopeful towardness 1000

To wield the whole, and match your elder’s praise, 1001

I see no cause why ye should lose the half. 1002

Ne would I wish you yield to such a loss, 1003

Lest your mild sufferance of so great a wrong 1004

Be deemed cowardish and simple dread, 1005

Which shall give courage to the fiery head 1006

Of your young brother to invade the whole. 1007

While yet, therefore, sticks in the people’s mind 1008

The loathed wrong of your disheritance; 1009

And ere your brother have by settled power, 1010

By guileful cloak of an alluring show, 1011

Got him some force and favour in the realm; 1012

And while the noble Queen your mother lives, 1013

To work and practise all for your avail; 1014

Attempt redress by arms, and wreak yourself 1015

Upon his life, that gaineth by your loss 1016

Who now to shame of you, and grief of us, 1017

Show now your courage meet for kingly state, 1018

That they, which have avow’d to spend their goods, 1019

Their lands, their lives and honours in your cause, 1020

May be the bolder to maintain your part, 1021

When they do see that coward fear in you 1022

Shall not betray ne fail their faithful hearts. 1023

If once the death of Porrex end the strife 1024

And pay the price of his usurped reign, 1025

Your mother shall persuade the angry King; 1026

The lords your friends eke shall appease rage; 1027

For they be wise, and well they can foresee 1028

That ere long time your aged father’s death 1029

Will bring a time when you shall well requite 1030

Their friendly favour, or their hateful spite, 1031

Yea, or their slackness to advance your cause. 1032

‘Wise men do not so hang on passing state 1033

Of present princes, chiefly in their age, 1034

But they will further cast their reaching eye 1035

To view and weigh the times and reigns to come’. 1036

Ne is it likely, though the King be wroth, 1037

That he yet will, or that the realm will, bear 1038

Extreme revenge upon his only son; 1039

Or if he would, what one is he that dare 1040

Be minister to such an enterprise? 1041

And here you be now placed in your own, 1042

Amid your friends, your vassals, and your strength: 1043

We shall defend and keep your person safe, 1044

Till either counsel turn his tender mind, 1045

Or age or sorrow end his weary days. 1046

But if the fear of gods, and secret grudge 1047

Of Nature’s law, repining at the fact, 1048

Withhold your courage from so great attempt, 1049

Know ye that lust of kingdoms hath no law: 1050

The gods do bear and well allow in kings 1051

The things that they abhor in rascal routs. 1052

‘When king on slender quarrels run to wars, 1053

And then in cruel and unkindly wise 1054

Command thefts, rapes, murders of innocents, 1055

The spoil of towns, ruins of mighty realms, 1056

Think you such princes do suppose themselves 1057

Subject to laws of kind and fear of gods?’ 1058

Murders and violent thefts in private men 1059

Are heinous crimes and full of foul reproach, 1060

Yet none offence, but deck’d with glorious name 1061

Of noble conquests, in the hands of kings! 1062

But if you like not yet so hot device, 1063

Ne list to take such vantage of the time, 1064

But, though with peril of your own estate, 1065

You will not be the first that shall invade, 1066

Assemble yet your force for your defence, 1067

And for your safety stand upon your guard. 1068

dordan

O Heaven, was there ever heard or known 1069

So wicked counsel to a noble prince? 1070

Let me, my lord, disclose unto your grace 1071

This heinous tale, what mischief it contains: 1072

Your father’s death, your brother’s and your own, 1073

Your present murder and eternal shame. 1074

Hear me, O King, and suffer not to sink 1075

So high a treason in your princely breast! 1076

ferrex

The mighty gods forbid that ever I 1077

Should once conceive such mischief in my heart! 1078

Although my brother hath bereft my realm, 1079

And bear perhaps to me an hateful mind, 1080

Shall I revenge it with his death therefore, 1081

Or shall I so destroy my father’s life 1082

That gave me live? The gods forbid, I say! 1083

[To Hermon.] Cease you to speak so any more to me. 1084

[To Dordan.] Ne you, my friend, with answer once repeat 1085

So foul a tale. In silence let it die. 1086

What lord or subject shall have hope at all 1087

That under me they safely shall enjoy 1088

Their goods, their honours, lands and liberties, 1089

With whom neither one only brother dear, 1090

Ne father dearer, could enjoy their lives? 1091

But sith I fear my younger brother’s rage, 1092

And sith perhaps some other man may give 1093

Some like advice to move his grudging head 1094

At mine estate, which counsel may perchance 1095

Take greater force with him than this with me, 1096

I will in secret so prepare myself, 1097

As if his malice or his lust to reign 1098

Break forth in arms or sudden violence, 1099

I may withstand his rage and keep mine own. 1100

([Exeunt Ferrex and Hermon.])

dordan

I fear the fatal time now draweth on 1101

When civil hate shall end the noble line 1102

Of famous Brute and of his royal seed. 1103

Great Jove defend the mischief now at hand! 1104

Oh that the Secretary’s wise advise 1105

Had erst been heard when he besought the King 1106

Not to divide his land, nor send his sons 1107

To further parts from presence of his court, 1108

Ne yet to yield to them his governance! 1109

Lo, such are they now in the royal throne 1110

As was rash Phaeton in Phoebus’ car; 1111

Ne then the fiery steeds did draw the flame 1112

With wilder random through the kindled skies, 1113

Than traitorous counsel now will whirl about 1114

The youthful heads of these unskilful kings. 1115

But I hereof their father will inform: 1116

The reverence of him perhaps shall stay 1117

The growing mischiefs, while they yet are green. 1118

If this help not, then woe unto themselves, 1119

The Prince, the people, the divided land! 1120

([Exit.])

ACT II SCENE 2

([Porrex’s court.])

([Enter Porrex, Philander, and Tyndar.])

porrex

And is it thus? And doth he so prepare 1121

Against his brother as his mortal foe? 1122

And now, while yet his aged father lives? 1123

Neither regards he him, nor fears he me? 1124

War would he have? And he shall have it so. 1125

tyndar

I saw myself the great prepared store 1126

Of horse, of armour, and of weapon there; 1127

Ne bring I to my lord reported tales 1128

Without the ground of seen and searched truth. 1129

Lo, secret quarrels run about his court 1130

To bring the name of you, my lord, in hate: 1131

Each man almost can now debate the cause 1132

And ask a reason of so great a wrong, 1133

Why he, so noble and so wise a prince, 1134

Is as unworthy reft his heritage, 1135

And why the King, misled by crafty means, 1136

Divided thus his land from course of right? 1137

The wiser sort hold down their griefull heads; 1138

Each man withdraws from talk and company 1139

Of those that have been known to favour you. 1140

To hide the mischief of their meaning there, 1141

Rumours are spread of your preparing here; 1142

The rascal numbers of unskilful sort 1143

Are filled with monstrous tales of you and yours. 1144

In secret I was counsell’d by my friends 1145

To haste me thence, and brought you, as you know, 1146

Letters from those that both can truly tell 1147

And would not write unless they knew it well. 1148

philander

My lord, yet ere you move unkindly war, 1149

Send to your brother to demand the cause: 1150

Perhaps some traitorous tales have fill’d his ears 1151

With false reports against your noble grace, 1152

Which, once disclos’d, shall end the growing strife, 1153

That else not stay’d with wise foresight in time, 1154

Shall hazard both your kingdoms and your lives. 1155

Send to your father eke; he shall appease 1156

Your kindled minds, and rid you of this fear. 1157

porrex

Rid me of fear? I fear him not at all, 1158

Ne will to him ne to my father send! 1159

If danger were for one to tarry there, 1160

Think ye it safety to return again? 1161

In mischiefs, such as Ferrex now intends, 1162

The wonted courteous laws to messengers 1163

Are not observ’d, which in just war they use. 1164

Shall I so hazard any one of mine? 1165

Shall I betray my trusty friends to him, 1166

That have disclos’d his treason unto me? 1167

Let him entreat that fears; I fear him not. 1168

Or shall I to the King my father send? 1169

Yea, and send now, while such a mother lives 1170

That loves my brother and that hateth me? 1171

Shall I give leisure, by my fond delays, 1172

To Ferrex to oppress me all unware? 1173

I will not, but I will invade his realm 1174

And seek the traitor prince within his court! 1175

Mischief for mischief is a due reward: 1176

His wretched head shall pay the worthy price 1177

Of this his treason and his hate to me. 1178

Shall I abide, and treat, and send, and pray, 1179

And hold my yielden throat to traitor’s knife, 1180

While I with valiant mind and conquering force 1181

Might rid myself of foes and win a realm? 1182

Yet rather, when I have the wretch’s head, 1183

Then to the King my father will send. 1184

The bootless case may yet appease his wrath; 1185

If not, I will defend me as I may. 1186

([Exeunt Porrex and Tyndar.])

philander

Lo, here the end of these two youthful kings, 1187

The father’s death, the ruin of their realms. 1188

‘O most unhappy state of counsellors 1189

That light on so unhappy lord and times, 1190

That neither can their good advice be heard 1191

Yet must they bear the blames of ill success.’ 1192

But I will to the King, their father, haste, 1193

Ere this mischief come to the likely end; 1194

That if the mindful wrath of wreakful gods, 1195

Since mighty Ilion’s fall nor yet appeased 1196

With these poor remnants of the Trojan name, 1197

Have not determin’d by unmoved fate 1198

Out of this realm to rase the British line, 1199

By good advice, by awe of father’s name, 1200

By force of wiser lords, this kindled hate 1201

May yet be quenched, ere it consume us all. 1202

([Exit.])

chorus

When youth, not bridled with a guiding satay, 1203

Is left to random of their own delight, 1204

And wields whole realms by force of sovereign sway, 1205

Great is the danger of unmaster’d might, 1206

Lest skilless rage throw down with headlong fall 1207

Their lands, their states, their lives, themselves and all. 1208

When growing pride doth fill the swelling breast, 1209

And greedy lust doth raise the climbing mind, 1210

Oh, hardly may the peril be repress’d! 1211

Ne fear of angry gods, ne laws [of] kind, 1212

Ne country’s care can fired hearts restrain, 1213

When force hath armed envy and disdain; 1214

When kings of foreset will neglect the rede 1215

Of best advice, and yield to pleasing tales 1216

That do their fancies noisome humour feed, 1217

Ne reason nor regard of right avails; 1218

Succeeding heaps of plagues shall teach too late 1219

To learn the mischiefs of misguided state. 1220

Foul fall the traitor false that undermines 1221

The love of brethren to destroy them both! 1222

Woe to the prince that pliant ear inclines, 1223

And yields his mind to poisonous tale that floweth 1224

From flattering mouth! And woe to wretched land 1225

That wasted itself with civil sword in hand! 1226

Lo, thus it is, poison in gold to take, 1227

And wholesome drink in homely cup forsake. 1228

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, 1229

Whose vengeance neither Simois’ stained streams 1230

Flowing with blood of Trojan princes slain, 1231

Nor Phrygian fields made rank with corpses dead 1232

Of Asian kings and lords, can yet appease, 1233

Ne slaughter of unhappy Priam’s race, 1234

Nor Ilion’s fall made level with the soil, 1235

Can yet suffice, but still continu’d rage 1236

Pursues our line, and from the farthest seas 1237

Doth chase the issues of destroyed Troy. 1238

‘Oh no man happy, till his end be seen!’ 1239

If any flowing wealth and seeming joy 1240

In present years might make a happy wright, 1241

Happy was Hecuba, the woefullest wretch 1242

That ever liv’d to make a mirror of, 1243

And happy Priam with his noble sons, 1244

And happy I, till now! Alas, I see 1245

And feel my most unhappy wretchedness: 1246

Behold, my lords, read ye this letter here. 1247

Lo, it contains the ruin of our realm, 1248

If timely speed provide not hasty help. 1249

Yet, O ye gods, if ever woeful king 1250

Might move ye, kings of kings, wreak it on me 1251

And on my sons, not on this guiltless realm! 1252

Send down your wasting flames from wrathful skies, 1253

To reave me and my sons the hatefull breath! 1254

Read, read, my lords. This is the matter why 1255

I call’d ye now to have your good advice. 1256

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

eubulus

‘My sovereing lord, what I am loath to write 1257

But loathest am to see, that I am forc’d 1258

By letters now to make you understand. 1259

My Lord Ferrex, your eldest son, misled 1260

By traitorous fraud of young untemper’d wits, 1261

Assembleth force against your younger son: 1262

Ne can my counsel yet withdraw the heat 1263

And furious pangs of his inflamed head. 1264

Disdain, saith he, of his disheritance 1265

Arms him to wreak the great pretended wrong 1266

With civil sword upon his brother’s life. 1267

If present help do nor restrain this rage, 1268

This flame will waste your sons, your land, and you. 1269

Your majesty’s faithful and most 1270

humble subject, Dordan,’ 1271

arostus

O King, appease your grief and stay your plaint; 1272

Great is the matter, and a woeful case, 1273

But timely knowledge may bring timely help. 1274

Send for them both unto your presence here; 1275

The reverence of your honour, age, and state, 1276

Your grave advice, the awe of father’s name, 1277

Shall quickly knit again this broken peace. 1278

And if in either of my lords your sons 1279

Be such untamed and unyielding pride 1280

As will not bend unto your noble hests; 1281

If Ferrex, the elder son, can bear no peer, 1282

Or Porrex, not content, aspires to more 1283

Than you him gave above his native right, 1284

Join with the juster side. So shall you force 1285

Them to agree, and hold the land in stay. 1286

eubulus

[looking offstage] What meaneth this? Lo, yonder 1287

comes in haste 1288

Philander from my lord, your younger son. 1289

([Enter Philander.])

gorboduc

The gods send joyful news! 1290

philander

The mighty Jove

Preserve your Majesty, O noble King. 1291

gorboduc

Philander, welcome. But how doth my son? 1292

philander

Your son, sir, lives, and healthy I him left. 1293

But yet, O King, the want of lustful health 1294

Could not be half so griefull to your grace 1295

As these most wretched tidings that I bring. 1296

gorboduc

O Heavens, yet more? No end of woes to me? 1297

philander

Tyndar, O King, came lately from the court 1298

Of Ferrex to my lord your younger son, 1299

And made report of great prepared store 1300

For war, and saith that it is wholly meant 1301

Against Porrex, for high disdain that he 1302

Lives now a king and equal in degree 1303

With him that claimeth to succeed the whole, 1304

As by due title of descending right. 1305

Porrex is now so set on flaming fire, 1306

Partly with kindled rage of cruel wrath, 1307

Partly with hope to gain a realm thereby, 1308

That he in haste prepareth to invade 1309

His brother’s land, and with unkindly war 1310

Threatens the murder of your elder son; 1311

Ne could I him persuade that first he should 1312

Send to his brother to demand the cause, 1313

Nor yet to you to stay this hatefull strife. 1314

Wherefore sith there no more I can be heard, 1315

I come myself now to inform your grace, 1316

And to beseech you, as you love the life 1317

And safety of your children and your realm, 1318

Now to employ your wisdom and your force 1319

To stay this mischief ere it be too late. 1320

gorboduc

Are they in arms? Would he not send to me? 1321

Is this the honour of a father’s name? 1322

In vain we travail to assuage their minds, 1323

As if their hearts, whom neither brother’s love, 1324

Nor father’s awe, nor kingdom’s care can move, 1325

Our counsels could withdraw from raging heat: 1326

Jove slay them both, and end the cursed line! 1327

For though perhaps fear of such mighty force 1328

As I, my lords, joined with your noble aids, 1329

May yet raise, shall repress their present heat, 1330

The secret grudge and malice will remain; 1331

The fire not quench’d, but kept in close restraint, 1332

Fed still within, breaks forth with double flame: 1333

Their death and mine must pease the angry gods. 1334

philander

Yield not, O king, so much to weak despair: 1335

Your sons yet live, and long, I trust, they shall. 1336

If fates had taken you from earthly life 1337

Before beginning of this civil strife, 1338

Perhaps your sons in their unmaster’d youth, 1339

Loose from regard of any living wight, 1340

Would run on headlong, with unbridled race, 1341

To their own death and ruin of this realm. 1342

But sith the gods, that have the care for kings, 1343

Of things and times dispose the order so 1344

That in your life this kindled flame breaks forth, 1345

While yet your life, your wisdom, and your power 1346

May stay the growing mischief, and repress 1347

The fiery blaze of their enkindled heat. 1348

It seems, and so ye ought to deem thereof, 1349

That this debate to happen in your days, 1350

That you yet living may the same appease, 1351

And add it to the glory of your latter age, 1352

And they your sons may learn to live in peace. 1353

Beware, O King, the greatest harm of all, 1354

Lest by your wailful plaints your hasten’d death 1355

Yield larger room unto their growing rage: 1356

Preserve your life, the only hope of stay. 1357

And if your highness herein list to use 1358

Wisdom or force, counsel or knightly aid, 1359

Lo, we, our persons, powers and lives are yours; 1360

Use us till death, O King; we are your own. 1361

eubulus

Lo, here the peril that was erst foreseen 1362

When you, O King, did first divide your land, 1363

And yield your present reign unto your sons: 1364

But now, O noble prince, now is no time 1365

To wail and plain, and waste your woeful life. 1366

Now is the time for present good advice: 1367

Sorrow doth dark the judgement of the wit. 1368

‘The heart unbroken and the courage free 1369

From feeble faintness of bootless despair 1370

Doth either rise to safety or renown 1371

By noble valure of unvanquish’d mind, 1372

Or yet doth perish in more happy sort.’ 1373

Your grace may send to either of your sons 1374

Some one both wise and noble personage, 1375

Which with good counsel and with weighty name 1376

Of father shall present before their eyes 1377

Your hest, your life, your safety, and their own, 1378

The present mischief of their deadly strife. 1379

And in the while, assemble you the force 1380

Which your commandment and the speedy haste 1381

Of all my lords here present can prepare: 1382

The terror of your mighty power shall stay 1383

The rage of both, or yet of one at least. 1384

([Enter Nuntiun.])

nuntius

O King, the greatest grief that ever prince did hear. 1385

That ever woeful messenger did tell, 1386

That ever wretched land hath seen before, 1387

I bring to you: Porrex, your younger son, 1388

With sudden force invaded hath the land 1389

That you to Ferrex did allot to rule, 1390

And with his own most bloody hand he hath 1391

His brother slain, and doth possess his realm. 1392

gorboduc

O Heavens, send down the flames of your revenge! 1393

Destroy, I say, with flash of wreakful fire 1394

The traitor son, and then the wretched sire! 1395

But let us go, that yet perhaps I may 1396

Die with revenge, and pease the hatefull gods. 1397

([Exeunt all but the Chorus.])

chorus

The lust of kingdom knows no sacred faith, 1398

No rule of reason, no regard of right, 1399

No kindly love, no fear of Heaven’s wrath, 1400

But with contempt of gods, and man’s despite, 1401

Through bloody slaughter doth prepare the ways 1402

To fatal sceptre and accursed reign: 1403

The son so loathes the father’s lingering days, 1404

Ne dreads his hand in brother’s blood to stain. 1405

O wretched prince, ne dost thou yet record 1406

The yet fresh murders done within the land 1407

Of thy forefathers, when the cruel sword 1408

Bereft Morgan his life with cousin’s hand? 1409

Thus fatal plagues pursue the guilty race, 1410

Whose murderous hand imbru’d with guiltless blood 1411

Asks vengeance still before the Heaven’s face, 1412

With endless mischiefs on the cursed brood. 1413

The wicked child thus brings to woeful sire 1414

The mournful plaints, to waste his very life; 1415

Thus do the cruel flames of civil fire 1416

Destroy the parted reign with hateful strife, 1417

And hence doth spring the well from which doth flow 1418

The dead black streams of mourning, plaints and woe. 1419

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

Why Should I live and linger forth my time 1420

In longer life to double my distress? 1421

O me, most woeful wight, whom no mishap 1422

Long ere this day could have bereaved hence! 1423

Mought not these hands by fortune, or by fate, 1424

Have pierc’d this breast, and life with iron reft? 1425

Or in this palace here, where I so long 1426

Have spent my days, could not that happy hour 1427

Once, once, have happ’d in which these hugy frames 1428

With death by fall might have oppressed me? 1429

Or should not this most hard and cruel soil, 1430

So oft where I have press’d my wretched steps, 1431

Sometime had ruth of mine accursed life, 1432

To rend in twain and swallow me therein? 1433

So had my bones possessed now in peace 1434

Their happy grave within the closed ground, 1435

And greedy worms had gnawen this pined heart 1436

Without my feeling pain. So should not now 1437

This living breast remain the ruthful tomb, 1438

Wherein my heart yielden to death is grav’d, 1439

Nor dreary thoughts with pangs of pining grief 1440

My doleful mind had nor afflicted thus. 1441

O my beloved son, O my sweet child, 1442

My dear Ferrex, my joy, my life’s delight! 1443

Is my beloved son, is my sweet child, 1444

My dear Ferrex, my Joy, my life’s delight, 1445

Murder’d with cruel death? O hateful wretch! 1446

O heinous traitor both to heaven and earth! 1447

Thou, Porrex, thou this damned deed hast wrought; 1448

Thou, Porrex, thou shalt dearly bye the same; 1449

Traitor to kin and kind, to sire and me, 1450

To thine own flesh, and traitor to thyself! 1451

The gods on thee in Hell shall wreak their wrath, 1452

And here in earth this hand shall take revenge, 1453

On thee, Porrex, thou false and caitiff wight! 1454

If after blood so eager were thy thirst, 1455

And murderous mind had so possessed thee; 1456

If such hard heart of rock and stony flint 1457

Liv’d in thy breast, that nothing else could like 1458

Thy cruel tyrant’s thought but death and blood; 1459

Wild savage beasts, mought not their slaughter serve 1460

To feed thy greedy will, and in the midst 1461

Of their entrails to stain thy deadly hands 1462

With blood deserv’d, and drink thereof thy fill? 1463

Or if nought else but death and blood of man 1464

Might please thy lust, could none in Britain land, 1465

Whose heart betorn out of his panting breast 1466

With thine own hand or work what death thou would’st – 1467

Suffice to make a sacrifice to pease 1468

That deadly mind and murderous thought in thee 1469

But he who in the self-same womb was wrapp’d, 1470

Where thou in dismal hour receivedst life? 1471

Or if needs, needs, thy hand must slaughter make, 1472

Mightest thou not have reach’d a mortal wound, 1473

And with thy sword have pierc’d this cursed womb 1474

That the accursed Porrex brought to light, 1475

And given me a just reward therefore? 1476

So Ferrex yet sweet life mought have enjoy’d, 1477

And to his aged father comfort brought, 1478

With some young son un whom they both might live. 1479

But whereunto waste I this ruthful speech 1480

To thee that hast thy brother’s blood thus shed? 1481

Shall I still think that from this womb thou sprung? 1482

That I thee bare? Or take thee for my son? 1483

No, traitor, no! I thee refuse for mine: 1484

Murderer, I thee renounce, thou art not mine! 1485

Never, O wretch, this womb conceived thee, 1486

Nor never bode I painful throes for thee; 1487

Changeling to me thou art, and not my child, 1488

Nor to no wight that spark of pity knew. 1489

Ruthless, unkind, monster of Nature’s work, 1490

Thou never suck’d the milk of woman’s breast, 1491

But from thy birth the cruel tiger’s teats 1492

Have nursed thee. Not yet of flesh and blood 1493

Form’d is thy heart, but of hard iron wrought, 1494

And wild and desert woods bred thee to life. 1495

But canst thou hope to scape my just revenge, 1496

Or that these hands will not be wroke on thee? 1497

Does thou not know that Ferrex’ mother lives 1498

That loved him more dearly than herself? 1499

And doth she live, and is not veng’d on thee? 1500

([Exit.])

ACT IV SCENE 2

([Gorboduc’s court])

([Enter Gorboduc and Arostus.])

gorboduc

We marvel much whereto this lingering stay 1501

Falls out so long: Porrex unto our court, 1502

By order of our letters, is return’d, 1503

And Eubulus receiv’d from us by hest 1504

At his arrival here to give him charge 1505

Before our presence straight to make repair, 1506

And yet we have no word whereof he stays. 1507

arostus

[looking offstage] Lo, where he comes and Eubulus with him. 1508

([Enter Porrex and Eubulus.])

eubulus

According to your highness’ hest to me, 1509

Here have I Porrex brought, even in such sort 1510

As from his wearied horse he did alight, 1511

For that your grace did will such haste therein. 1512

gorboduc

We like and praise this speedy will in you 1513

To work the thing that to your charge we gave. 1514

Porrex, if we so far should swerve from kind 1515

And from those bounds which law of Nature sets, 1516

As thou hast done by vile and wretched deed, 1517

In cruel murder of thy brother’s life, 1518

Our present hand could stay no longer time, 1519

But straight should bathe this blade in blood of thee 1520

As just revenge of thy detested crime. 1521

No, we should not offend the law of kind, 1522

If now this sword of ours did slay thee here, 1523

For thou hast murder’d him, whose heinous death 1524

Even Nature’s force doth move us to revenge 1525

By blood again, and justice forceth us 1526

To measure death for death, thy due desert. 1527

Yet sithens thou art our child, and sith as yet 1528

In this hard case what word thou canst allege 1529

For thy defence by us hath not been heard, 1530

We are content to stay our will for that 1531

Which justice bids us presently to work, 1532

And give thee leave to use thy speech at full 1533

If aught thou have to lay for thine excuse. 1534

porrex

Neither, O King, I can or will deny 1535

But that this hand from Ferrex life hath reft, 1536

Which fact how much my doleful heart doth wail; 1537

Oh would it might as full appear to sight 1538

As inward grief doth pour it forth to me! 1539

So yet perhaps if ever ruthful heart 1540

Melting in tears within a manly breast 1541

Through deep repentance of his bloody fact; 1542

If ever grief, if ever woeful man, 1543

Might move regrate with sorrow of his fault; 1544

I think the torment of my mournful case, 1545

Known to your grace, as I do feel the same, 1546

Would force even Wrath herself to pity me. 1547

But as the water troubled with the mud 1548

Shows not the face which else the eye should see, 1549

Even so your ireful mind with stirred thought 1550

Cannot so perfectly discern my cause. 1551

But this unhap, amongst so many heaps, 1552

I must content me with, most wretched man, 1553

That to myself I must reserve my woe 1554

In pining thoughts of mine accursed fact, 1555

Since I may not show here my smallest grief 1556

Such as it is, and as my breast endures, 1557

Which I esteem the greatest misery 1558

Of all mishaps that fortune now can send. 1559

Not that I rest in hope with plaint and tears 1560

To purchase life, for to the gods I clepe 1561

For true record of this my faithful speech; 1562

Never this heart shall have the thoughtfull dread 1563

To die the death that by your grace’s doom 1564

By just desert shall be pronounc’d to me: 1565

Nor never shall this tongue once spend the speech 1566

Pardon to crave, or seek by suit to live. 1567

I mean not this, as though I were not touch’d 1568

With care of dreadful death, or that I held 1569

Life in contempt, but that I know the mind 1570

Stoops to no dread, although the flesh be frail; 1571

And for my guilt, I yield the same so great 1572

As in myself I find a fear to sue 1573

For grant of life. 1574

gorboduc

In vain, O wretch, thou showest

A woeful heart: Ferrex now lies in grave, 1575

Slain by thy hand. 1576

porrex

Yet this, O father, hear:

And then I end. Your Majesty well knows 1577

That when my brother Ferrex and myself 1578

By your own hest were join’d in governance 1579

Of this your grace’s realm of Britain land, 1580

I never sought nor travail’d for the same, 1581

Nor by myself, nor by no friend I wrought, 1582

But from your Highness’ will alone it sprung, 1583

Of your most gracious goodness bent to me. 1584

But how my brother’s heart even then repin’d 1585

With swollen disdain against mine equal rule, 1586

Seeing that realm, which by descent should grow 1587

Wholly to him, allotted half to me! 1588

Even in your Highness’ court he now remains, 1589

And with my brother then in nearest place, 1590

Who can record what proof thereof was show’d, 1591

And how my brother’s envious heart appear’d? 1592

Yet I that judged it my part to seek 1593

His favour and good will, and loath to make 1594

Your Highness know the thing which should have brought 1595

Grief to your grace, and your offence to him, 1596

Hoping my earnest suit should soon have won 1597

A loving heart within a brother’s breast, 1598

Wrought in that sort that for a pledge of love 1599

And faithful heart, he gave to me his land. 1600

This made me think that he had banish’d quite 1601

All rancour from his thought and bare to me 1602

Such hearty love as I did owe to him; 1603

But after once we left your grace’s court, 1604

And from your Highness’ presence liv’d apart, 1605

This equal rule still, still, did grudge him so 1606

That now those envious sparks, which erst lay rak’d 1607

In living cinders of dissembling breast, 1608

Kindled so far within his heart disdain, 1609

That longer could he not refrain from proof 1610

Of secret practice to deprive me life 1611

By poison’s force, and had bereft me so, 1612

If mine own servant hired to this fact 1613

And mov’d by truth with hate to work the same, 1614

In time had not bewray’d it unto me. 1615

When thus I saw the knot of love unknit, 1616

All honest league and faithful promise broke, 1617

The law of kind and truth thus rent in twain, 1618

His heart on mischief set, and in his breast 1619

Black treason hid, then, then, did I despair 1620

That ever time could win him friend to me! 1621

Then saw I how he smil’d with slaying knife 1622

Wrapp’d under cloak; then saw I deep deceit 1623

Lurk in his face and death prepar’d for me. 1624

Even Nature mov’d me then to hold my life 1625

More dear to me than his, and bade this hand 1626

(Since by his life my death must needs ensue, 1627

And by his death my life to be preserv’d) 1628

To shed his blood, and seek my safety so: 1629

And wisdom willed me without protract 1630

In speedy wise to put the same in ure. 1631

Thus have I told the cause that moved me 1632

To work my brother’s death, and so I yield 1633

My life, my death, to judgement of your grace. 1634

gorboduc

O cruel wight, should any cause prevail 1635

To make thee stain thy hands with brother’s blood? 1636

But what of thee we will resolve to do 1637

Shall yet remain unknown. Thou in the mean 1638

Shalt from our royal presence banish’d be, 1639

Until our princely pleasure further shall 1640

To thee be show’d. Depart therefore our sight, 1641

Accursed child! 1642

([Exit Porrex.])

What cruel destiny,

What froward fate, hath sorted us this chance, 1643

That even in those where we should comfort find, 1644

Where our delight now in our aged days 1645

Should rest and be, even there our only grief 1646

And deepest sorrows to abridge our life, 1647

Most pining cares and deadly thoughts do grow? 1648

arostus

Your grace should now in these grave years of yours 1649

Have found ere this the price of mortal joys, 1650

How short they be, how fading here in earth, 1651

How full of change, how brittle our estate, 1652

Of nothing sure, save only of the death, 1653

To whom both man and all the world doth owe 1654

Their end at last. Neither should Nature’s power 1655

In other sort against your heart prevail 1656

Than as the naked hand whose stroke assays 1657

The armed breast where force doth light in vain. 1658

gorboduc

Many can yield right sage and grave advice 1659

Of patient sprite to others wrapp’d in woe, 1660

And can in speech both rule and conquer kind, 1661

Who if by proof they might feel Nature’s force, 1662

Would show themselves men as they are in deed, 1663

Which now will needs be gods. 1664

[Looking offstage] But what doth mean 1665

The sorry cheer of her that here doth come? 1666

([Enter Marcella.])

marcella

Oh, where is ruth? Or where is pity now? 1667

Whither is gentle heart and mercy fled? 1668

Are they exil’d out of our stony breasts, 1669

Never to make return? Is all the world 1670

Drowned in blood, and sunk in cruelty? 1671

If not in women mercy may be found – 1672

If not, alas, within the mother’s breast 1673

To her own child, to her own flesh and blood – 1674

If ruth be banish’d thence, if pity there 1675

May have no place, if there no gentle heart 1676

Do live and dwell, where should we seek it then? 1677

gorboduc

Madam, alas! what means your woeful tale? 1678

marcella

O silly woman I, why to this hour 1679

Have kind and fortune thus deferr’d my breath, 1680

That I should live to see this doleful day? 1681

Will ever wight believe that such hard heart 1682

Could rest within the cruel mother’s breast, 1683

With her own hand to slay her only son? 1684

But out, alas! these eyes beheld the same; 1685

They saw the dreary sight, and are becomen 1686

Most ruthful records of the bloody fact. 1687

Porrex, alas, is by his mother slain, 1688

And with her hand, a woeful thing to tell, 1689

While slumb’ring on his carefull bed he rests, 1690

His heart, stabb’d in with knife, is reft of life! 1691

gorboduc

O Eubulus, oh draw this sword of ours, 1692

And pierce this heart with speed! O hateful light! 1693

O loathsome life! O sweet and welcome death! 1694

Dear Eubulus, work this we thee beseech! 1695

eubulus

Patient your grace, perhaps he liveth yet, 1696

With wound received, but not of certain death. 1697

gorboduc

Oh, let us then repair unto the place, 1698

And see if Porrex live, or thus be slain. 1699

([Exeunt Gorboduc and Eubulus.])

marcella

Alas, he liveth not; it is too true, 1700

That with these eyes of him, a peerless prince, 1701

Son to a king, and in the flower of youth, 1702

Even with a twink a senseless stock I saw. 1703

arostus

O damned deed! 1704

marcella

But hear his ruthful end.

The noble Prince, pierc’d with the sudden wound, 1705

Out of his wretched slumber, hastily start, 1706

Whose strength now failing, straight he overthrew, 1707

When in the fall his eyes, even new unclos’d, 1708

Beheld the Queen, and cried to her for help. 1709

We then, alas, the ladies which that time 1710

Did there attend, seeing that heinous deed, 1711

And hearing him oft call the wretched name 1712

Of mother, and to cry to her for aid, 1713

Whose direful hand gave him mortal wound, 1714

Pitying, alas – for nought else could we do – 1715

His ruthful end, ran to the woeful bed, 1716

Dispoiled straight his breast, and all we might, 1717

Wiped in vain with napkins next at hand, 1718

The sudden stream of blood that flushed fast 1719

Out of the gaping wound. Oh, what a look, 1720

Oh, what a ruthful, steadfast eye methought 1721

He fix’d upon my face, which to my death 1722

Will never part from me, when with a braid 1723

A deep-fet sigh he gave, and therewithal 1724

Clasping his hands, to Heaven he cast his sight; 1725

And straight pale Death pressing within his face, 1726

The flying ghost his mortal corpse forsook. 1727

arostus

Never did age bring forth so vile a fact. 1728

marcella

O hard and cruel hap, that thus assign’d 1729

Unto so worthy a wight so wretched end! 1730

But most hard, cruel heart, that could consent 1731

To lend the hateful destinies that hand 1732

By which, alas, so heinous crime was wrought! 1733

O queen of adamant! O marble breast! 1734

If not the favour of his comely face, 1735

If not his princely cheer and countenance, 1736

His valiant, active arms, his manly breast, 1737

If not his fair and seemly personage, 1738

His noble limbs in such proportion cast 1739

As would have rapt a silly woman’s thought – 1740

If this mought not have mov’d thy bloody heart 1741

And that most cruel hand the wretched weapon 1742

Even to let fall, and kiss’d him in the face, 1743

With tears for ruth to reave such one by death, 1744

Should Nature yet consent to slay her son? 1745

O mother, thou to murder thus thy child! 1746

Even Jove with justice must with lightning flames 1747

From Heaven send down some strange revenge on thee! 1748

Ah, noble Prince, how oft have I beheld 1749

Thee mounted on thy fierce and trampling steed, 1750

Shining in armour bright before the tilt 1751

And charge thy staff to please thy lady’s eye 1752

That bow’d the headpiece of thy friendly foe? 1753

How oft in arms on horse to bend the mace? 1754

How oft in arms on foot to break the sword, 1755

Which never now these eyes may see again? 1756

arostus

Madam, alas, in vain these plaints are shed. 1757

Rather with me depart, and help to suage 1758

The thoughtfull griefs that in the aged King 1759

Must needs by nature grow, by death of this 1760

His only son, whom he did hold so dear. 1761

marcella

What wight is that which saw that I did see, 1762

And could refrain to wail with plaint and tears? 1763

Not I, alas; that hearts is not in me. 1764

But let us go, for I am griev’d anew, 1765

To call to mind the wretched father’s woe. 1766

([Exeunt.])

chorus

When greedy lust in royal seat to reign 1767

Hath reft all care of gods and eke of men, 1768

And cruel heart, wrath, treason, and disdain 1769

Within ambitious breast are lodged, then 1770

Behold how mischief wide herself displays, 1771

And with the brother’s hand the brother slays. 1772

When blood thus shed doth stain the heaven’s face, 1773

Crying to Jove for vengeance of the deed, 1774

The mighty god even moveth from his place, 1775

With wrath to wreak. Then sends he forth with speed 1776

The dreadful Furies, daughters of the night, 1777

With serpents girt, carrying the whip of ire, 1778

With hair of stinging snakes, and shining bright 1779

With flames and blood, and with a brand of fire: 1780

These for revenge of wretched murder done 1781

Do make the mother kill her only son. 1782

Blood asked blood, and death must death requite; 1783

Jove by his just and everlasting doom 1784

Justly hath ever so requited it. 1785

The times before record, and times to come, 1786

Shall find it true, and so doth present proof 1787

Present before our eyes for our behoof. 1788

O happy wight that suffers not the snare 1789

Of murderous mind to tangle him in blood! 1790

And happy he that can in time beware 1791

By other’s harms and turn it to his good: 1792

But woe to him that, fearing not to offend, 1793

Doth serve his lust, and will not see the end. 1794

([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? 1

The brother hath bereft the brother’s life, 2

The mother she hath dy’d her cruel hands 3

In blood of her own son, and now at last 4

The people, lo, forgetting truth and love, 5

Contemning quite both law and loyal heart, 6

Even they have slain their sovereign lord and Queen. 7

mandud

Shall this their traitorous crime unpunish’d rest? 8

Even yet they cease not, carried on with rage, 9

In their rebellious routs, to threaten still 10

A new bloodshed unto the prince’s kin, 11

To slay them all, and to uproot the race 12

Both of the King and Queen, so are they mov’d 13

With Porrex’ death wherein they falsely charge 14

The guiltless King without desert at all, 15

And traitorously have murder’d him therefore, 16

And eke the Queen. 17

gwenard

Shall subjects dare with force

To work revenge upon their prince’s fact? 18

Admit the worst that may – as sure in this 19

The deed was foul, the Queen to slay her son – 20

Shall yet the subjects seek to take the sword, 21

Arise against his lord, and slay his King? 22

O wretched state, where those rebellious hearts 23

Are not rent out even from their living breasts, 24

And with the body thrown unto the fowls 25

As carrion food, for terror of the rest! 26

fergus

There can no punishment be thought too great 27

For this so grievous crime; let speed therefore 28

Be used therein, for it behoveth so. 29

eubulus

Ye all, my lords, I see, consent in one, 30

And I as one consent with ye in all; 31

I hold it more than need with sharpest law 32

To punish this tumultuous bloody rage. 33

For nothing more may shake the common state 34

Than sufferance of uproars without redress; 35

Whereby how some kingdoms of mighty power 36

After great conquests made, and flourishing 37

In fame and wealth, have been to ruin brought: 38

I pray to Jove that we may rather wail 39

Such hap in them than witness in ourselves. 40

Eke fully with the Duke my mind agrees 41

That no cause serves, whereby the subject may 42

Call to account the doings of his prince; 43

Much less in blood by sword to work revenge 44

No more than may the hand cut off the head: 45

In act nor speech, no, not in secret thought 46

The subject may rebel against his lord, 47

Or judge of him that sits in Caesar’s seat, 48

With grudging mind to damn those he mislikes. 49

Though kings forget to govern as they ought, 50

Yet subjects must obey as they are bound. 51

But now, my lords, before ye farther wade 52

Or spend your speech what sharp revenge shall fall 53

By justice’ plague on these rebellious wights, 54

Methinks ye rather should first search the way 55

By which in time the rage of this uproar 56

Might be repress’d, and these great tumults ceas’d. 57

Even yet the life of Britain land doth hang 58

In traitors’ balance of unequal weight: 59

Think not, my lords, the death of Gorboduc, 60

Not yet Videna’s blood, will cease their rage. 61

Even our own lives, our wives and children dear, 62

Our country, dearest of all, in danger stands, 63

Now to be spoil’d, now, now made desolate, 64

And by ourselves a conquest to ensue. 65

For give once sway unto the people’s lusts 66

To rush forth on, and stay them not in time, 67

And as the stream that rolleth down the hill, 68

So will they headlong run with raging thoughts 69

From blood to blood, from mischief unto moe, 70

To ruin of the realm, themselves and all; 71

So giddy are the common people’s minds, 72

So glad of change, more wavering than the sea. 73

Ye see, my lords, what strength these rebels have, 74

What hugy number is assembled still; 75

For though the traitorous fact for which they rose 76

Be wrought and done, yet lodge they still in field, 77

So that how far their furies yet will stretch 78

Great cause we have to dread. That we may seek 79

By present battle to repress their power, 80

Speed must we use to levy force therefore; 81

For either they forthwith will mischief work, 82

Or their rebellious roars forthwith will cease: 83

These violent things may have no lasting long. 84

Let us therefore use this for present help: 85

Persuade by gentle speech, and offer grace 86

With gift of pardon, save unto the chief; 87

And that upon condition that forthwith 88

They yield the captains of their enterprise 89

To bear such guerdon of their traitorous fact 90

As may be both due vengeance to themselves 91

And wholesome terror to posterity. 92

This shall, I think, scatter the greatest part 93

That now are holden with desire of home, 94

Wearied in field with cold of winter’s nights, 95

And some, no doubt, stricken with dread of law. 96

When this is once proclaimed, it shall make 97

The captains to mistrust the multitude, 98

Whose safety bids them to betray their heads, 99

And so much more because the rascal routs 100

In things of great and perilous attempts 101

Are never trusty to the noble race. 102

And while we treat and stand on terms of grace, 103

We shall both stay their fury’s rage the while, 104

And eke gain time, whose only help sufficeth 105

Withouten war to vanquish rebel’s power. 106

In the meanwhile, make you in readiness 107

Such band of horsemen as ye may prepare; 108

Horsemen, you know, are not the commons’ strength, 109

But are the force and store of noble men, 110

Whereby the unchosen and unarmed sort 111

Of skilless rebels, whom none other power 112

But number makes to be of dreadful force, 113

With sudden brunt may quickly be oppress’d. 114

And if this gentle mean of proffer’d grace 115

With stubborn hearts cannot so far avail 116

As to assuage their desperate courages, 117

Then do I wish such slaughter to be made 118

And present age and eke posterity 119

May be adread with horror of revenge 120

That justly then shall on these rebels fall. 121

This is, my lords, the sum of mine advice. 122

clotyn

Neither this case admits debate at large, 123

And thought it did, this speech that hath been said 124

Hath well abridg’d the tale I would have told. 125

Fully with Eubulus do I consent 126

In all that he hath said, and if the same 127

To you, my lords, may seem for best advice, 128

I wish that it should straight be put in ure. 129

mandud

My lords, then let us presently depart 130

And follow this that liketh us so well. 131

([Exeunt all but Fergus.])

fergus

If ever time to gain a kingdom here 132

Were offer’d man, now it is offer’d me: 133

The realm is reft both of their King and Queen; 134

The offspring of the Prince is slain and dead; 135

No issue now remains, the heir unknown; 136

The people are in arms and mutinies; 137

The nobles they are busi’d how to cease 138

The great rebellious tumults and uproars; 139

And Britain land, now desert, left alone 140

Amid these broils uncertain where to rest, 141

Offers herself unto that noble heart 142

That will or dare pursue to bear her crown. 143

Shall I that am the Duke of Albany, 144

Descended from that line of noble blood 145

Which hath so long flourish’d in worthy fame 146

Of valiant hearts, such as in noble breasts 147

Of right should rest above the baser sort, 148

Refuse to venture life to win a crown? 149

Whom shall I find enemies that will withstand 150

My fact herein, if I attempt by arms 151

To seek the same now in these times of broil? 152

These duke’s power can hardly well appease 153

The people that already are in arms, 154

But if perhaps my force be once in field, 155

Is not my strength in power above the best 156

Of all these lords now left in Britain land? 157

And though they should match me with power of men, 158

Yet doubtful is the chance of battles joined: 159

If victors of the field we may depart, 160

Ours is the sceptre then of great Britain; 161

If slain amid the plain this body lie, 162

Mine enemies yet shall not deny me this, 163

But that I died giving the noble charge 164

To hazard life for conquest of a crown. 165

Forthwith therefore will I in post depart 166

To Albany, and raise in armour there 167

All power I can. And here my secret friends 168

By secret practice shall solicit still 169

To seek to win to me the people’s hearts. 170

([Exit.])

ACT V SCENE 2

([Enter Eubulus.])

eubulus

O Jove, how are these people’s hearts abus’d! 171

What blind fury thus headlong carries them! 172

That thought so many books, so many rolls 173

Of ancient time, record what grievous plagues 174

Light on these rebels aye, and though so oft 175

Their ears have heard their aged fathers tell 176

What just reward these traitors still receive, 177

Yea, though themselves have seen deep death and blood, 178

By strangling cord and slaughter of the sword 179

To such assign’d, yet can they not beware, 180

Yet cannot stay their lewd rebellious hands, 181

But suffering, lo, foul treason to distain 182

Their wretched minds, forget their loyal heart, 183

Reject all truth and rise against their prince. 184

A ruthful case, that those whom duty’s bond, 185

Whom grafted law by nature, truth and faith 186

Bound to preserve their country and their King, 187

Born to defend their commonwealth and prince, 188

Even they should give consent thus to subvert 189

Thee, Britain land, and from thy womb should spring, 190

O native soil, those that will needs destroy 191

And ruin thee and eke themselves in fine. 192

For lo, when once the dukes had offer’d grace 193

Of pardon sweet, the multitude, misled 194

By traitorous fraud of their ungracious heads, 195

One sort, that saw the dangerous success 196

Of stubborn standing in rebellious war, 197

And knew the difference of prince’s power 198

From headless number of tumultuous routs, 199

Whom common country’s care and private fear 200

Taught to repent the error of their rage, 201

Laid hands upon the captains of their band, 202

And brought them bound unto the mighty dukes. 203

Another sort, not trusting yet so well 204

The truth of pardon, or mistrusting more 205

Their own offence than that they could conceive 206

Such hope of pardon for so foul misdeed, 207

Or of that they their captains could not yield 208

(Who, fearing to be yielded, fled before), 209

Stale home by silence of the secret night. 210

The third unhappy and enraged sort 211

Of desperate hearts, who, stain’d in princes’ blood, 212

From traitorous furor could not be withdrawn 213

By love, by law, by grace, ne yet by fear, 214

By proffer’d life, ne yet by threaten’d death, 215

With minds hopeless of life, dreadless of death, 216

Careless of country, and aweless of God, 217

Stood bent to fight, as Furies did them move, 218

With violent death to close their traitorous life. 219

These all by power of horsemen were oppress’d 220

And with revenging sword slain in the field, 221

Or with the strangling cord hang’d on the trees 222

Where yet their carrion carcasses do preach 223

The fruits that rebels reap of their uproars 224

And of the murder of their sacred prince. 225

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

By whom these tumults have been thus appeas’d. 226

([Enter Clotyn, Mandud, Gwenard and Arostus.])

clotyn

I think the world will now at lenght beware 227

And fear to put on arms against their prince. 228

mandud

If not, those traitorous hearts that dare rebel 229

Let them behold the wide and hugy fields 230

With blood and bodies spread of rebels slain, 231

The lofty trees cloth’d with the corpses dead 232

That strangled with the cord do hang thereon. 233

arostus

A just reward, such as all times before 234

Have ever lotted to those wretched folks. 235

gwenard

But what means he that cometh here so fast? 236

([Enter Nuntius.])

nuntius My lords, as duty and my truth doth move 237

And of my country work a care in me, 238

That, if the spending of my breath avail’d 239

To do the service that my heart desires, 240

I would not shun to embrace a present death: 241

So have I now in that wherein I thought 242

My travail might perform some good effect, 243

Ventur’d my life to bring these tidings here. 244

Fergus, the mighty Duke of Albany, 245

Is now in arms and lodgeth in the field 246

With twenty thousand men. Hither he bends 247

His speedy march, and mind to invade the crown. 248

Daily he gathereth strength, and spreads abroad 249

That to this realm no certain heir remains; 250

That Britain land is left without a guide; 251

That he the sceptre seeks for nothing else 252

But to preserve the people and the land, 253

Which now remain as ship without a stern. 254

Lo, this is that which I have here to say. 255

clotyn

Is this his faith? And shall he falsely thus 256

Abuse the vantage of unhappy times? 257

O wretched land, if his outrageous pride, 258

His cruel and untemper’d wilfulness, 259

His deep dissembling show of false pretence, 260

Should once attain the crown of Britain land! 261

Let us, my lords, with timely force resist 262

The new attempt of this our common foe, 263

As me would quench the flames of common fire. 264

mandud

Though we remain without a certain prince 265

To wield the realm or guide the wand’ring rule, 266

Yet now the common mother of us all, 267

Our native land, our country, that contains 268

Our wives, children, kindred, ourselves and all 269

That ever is or may be dear to man, 270

Cries unto us to help ourselves and her. 271

Let us advance our powers to repress 272

This growing foe of all our liberties. 273

gwenard

Yea, let us so, my lords, with hasty speed: 274

And ye, O gods, send us the welcome death 275

To shed our blood in field, and leave us not 276

In loathsome life to linger out our days, 277

To see the hugy heaps of these unhaps 278

That now roll down upon the wretched land 279

Where empty place of princely governance, 280

No certain stay now left of doubtless heir. 281

Thus leave this guideless realm an open prey 282

To endless storms and waste of civil war. 283

arostus

That ye, my lords, do so agree in one 284

To save tour country from the violent reign 285

And wrongfully usurped tyranny 286

Of him that threatens conquest of you all, 287

To save your realm, and in this realm yourselves, 288

From foreign thraldom of so proud a prince, 289

Much do I praise; and I beseach the gods 290

With happy honour to requite it you. 291

But, O my lords, sith now the heaven’s wrath 292

Hath reft this land the issue of their prince; 293

Sith of the body of our late sovereign lord 294

Remains no moe, since the young kings be slain; 295

And of the title of descended crown 296

Uncertainly the diverse minds do think 297

Even of the learned sort, and more uncertainly 298

Will partial fancy and affection deem, 299

But most uncertainly will climbing pride 300

And hope of reign withdraw to sundry parts 301

The doubtful right and hopeful lust to reign. 302

When once this noble service is achiev’d 303

For Britain land, the mother of ye all; 304

When once ye have with armed force repress’d 305

The proud attempts of this Albanian prince 306

That threatens thraldom to your native land; 307

When ye shall vanquishers return from field 308

And find the princely state an open prey 309

To greedy lust and to usurping power; 310

Then, them my lords, if ever kindly care 311

Of ancient honour of your ancestors, 312

Of present wealth and nobless of your stocks, 313

Yea, of the lives and safety yet to come 314

Of your dear wives, your children, and yourselves, 315

Might move your noble hearts with gentle ruth; 316

Then, then, have pity on the torn estate. 317

Then help to salve the well-near hopeless sore, 318

Which ye shall do, if ye yourselves withhold 319

Then slaying knife from your own mother’s throat. 320

Her shall you save, and you, and yours in her, 321

If ye shall all with one assent forbear 322

Once to lay hand or take unto yourselves 323

The crown, by colour of pretended right, 324

Or by what other means soever it be, 325

Till first by common counsel of you all 326

In parliament the regal diadem 327

Be set in certain place of governance, 328

In which your parliament, and in your choice, 329

Prefer the right, my lords, without respect 330

Of strength or friends, or whatsoever cause 331

That may set forward any other’s part: 332

For right will last, and wrong cannot endure. 333

Right mean I his or hers, upon whose name 334

The people rest by mean of native line, 335

Or by the virtue of some former law 336

Already made their title to advance. 337

Such one, my lords, let be your chosen king; 338

Such one so born within your native land; 339

Such one prefer, and in no wise admit 340

The heavy yoke of foreign governance: 341

Let foreign titles yield to public wealth. 342

And with that heart wherewith ye now prepare 343

Thus to withstand the proud invading foe, 344

With that same heart, my lords, keep out also 345

Unnatural thraldom of [a] stranger’s reign, 346

Ne suffer you against the rules of king 347

Your motherland to serve a foreign prince. 348

eubulus

Lo, here the end of Brutus’ royal line, 349

And, lo, the entry to the woeful wrack 350

And utter ruin of this noble realm; 351

The royal King and eke his sons are slain; 352

No ruler rests within the regal seat; 353

The heir, to whom the sceptre longs, unknown; 354

That to each force of foreign prince’s power, 355

Whom vantage of our wretched state may move 356

By sudden arms to gain so rich a realm 357

And so the proud and greedy mind at home, 358

Whom blinded lust to reign leads to aspire, 359

Lo, Britain realm is left an open prey, 360

A present spoil by conquest to ensue. 361

Who seeth not now how many rising minds 362

Do feed their thoughts with hope to reach a realm? 363

And who will not by force attempt to win 364

So great a gain, that hope persuades to have? 365

A simple colour shall for title serve: 366

Who wins the royal crown will want no right, 367

Nor such as shall display by long descent 368

A lineal race to prove him lawful king. 369

In the meanwhile these civil arms shall rage 370

And thus a thousand mischiefs shall unfold, 371

And far and near spread thee, O Britain land: 372

All right and law shall cease, and he that had 373

Nothing today, tomorrow shall enjoy 374

Great heaps of gold, and he that flow’d in wealth, 375

Lo, he shall be bereft of life and all, 376

And happiest he that then possesseth least. 377

The wives shall suffer rape, the maids deflower’d, 378

And children fatherless shall weep and wail; 379

With fire and sword thy native folk shall perish, 380

One kinsman shall bereave another’s life; 381

The father shall unwitting slay the son, 382

The son shall slay the sire and know it not, 383

Women and maids the cruel soldier’s sword 384

Shall pierce to death, and silly children, lo, 385

That playing in the streets and fields are found 386

By violent hand shall close their latter day. 387

Whom shall the fierce and bloody soldier 388

Reserve to life? Whom shall he spare from death? 389

Even thou, O wretched mother, half alive, 390

Thou shalt behold thy dear and only child 391

Slain with the sword while he yet sucks thy breast! 392

Lo, guiltless blood shall thus each where be shed: 393

Thus shall the wasted soil yield forth no fruit, 394

But dearth and famine shall possess the land. 395

The towns shall be consum’d and burnt with fire, 396

The peopled cities shall wax desolate, 397

And thou, O Britain, whilom in renown, 398

Whilom in wealth and fame, shalt thus be torn, 399

Dismember’d thus, and thus be rent in twain, 400

Thus wasted and defac’d, spoil’d and destroy’d! 401

These be the fruits your civil wars will bring; 402

Hereto it comes when kings will not consent 403

To grave advice, but follow wilful will; 404

This is the end, when in young princes’ hearts 405

Flattery prevails and sage rede hath no place; 406

These are the plagues, when murder is the mean 407

To make new heirs unto the royal crown. 408

Thus wreak the gods, when that the mother’s wrath 409

Nought but the blood of her own child may suage; 410

These mischiefs spring when rebels will arise, 411

To work revenge and judge their prince’s fact; 412

This, this ensues, when noble men do fail 413

In loyal truth and subjects will be kings. 414

And this doth grow when, lo, unto the prince, 415

Whom death or sudden hap of life bereaves, 416

No certain heir remains, such certain heir, 417

As not all only is the rightful heir 418

But to the realm is so made known to be, 419

And truth thereby vested in subjects’ hearts, 420

To owe faith there where right is known to rest. 421

Alas, in parliament what hope can be, 422

When is of parliament no hope at all? 423

Which, though it be assembled by consent, 424

Yet is not likely with consent to end, 425

While each one for himself, or for his friend, 426

Against his foe, shall travail what he may; 427

While now the state, left open to the man 428

That shall with greatest force invade the same, 429

Shall fill ambitious minds with gaping hope: 430

When will they once with yielding hearts agree? 431

Or in the while, how shall the realm be us’d? 432

No, no! Then parliament should have been holden, 433

And certain heirs appointed to the crown 434

To stay the title of establish’d right 435

And in the people plant obedience 436

While yet the prince did live, whose name and power 437

By lawful summons and authority 438

Might make a parliament to be of force 439

And might have set the state in quiet stay. 440

But now, O happy man, whom speedy death 441

Deprives of life, ne is enforc’d to see 442

These hugy mischiefs and these miseries, 443

These civil wars, these murders and these wrongs. 444

Of justice yet must Jove in fine restore 445

This noble crown unto the lawful heir, 446

For right will always live and rise at length, 447

Bur wrong can never take deep root to lat. 448

([Exeunt.])