GORBODUC, A TRAGEDY. BY THOMAS SACKVILLE, LORD BUCKHURST, afterwards Whilst king GORBODUC in the presence of his councillors laments the death of his eldest son, FERREX, whom PORREX, the younger son, has slain; MARCELLA, a court lady, enters and relates the miserable end of PORREX, stabbed by his mother in his bed. GORBODUC, AROSTUS, EUBULUS, and others. Gorb. What cruel destiny, What froward fate hath sorted us this chance? Should rest and be, even there our only grief And deepest sorrows to abridge our life, Most pining cares and deadly thoughts do grave. of yours, Have found ere this the price of mortal joys, To whom both man and all the world doth owe VOL. I. B Than as the naked hand whose stroke assays And can in speech both rule and conquer kind*, MARCELLA enters. Marc. Oh where is ruth? or where is pity now? Whither is gentle heart and mercy fled? Are they exil'd out of our stony breasts, Never to make return? is all the world Drowned in blood, and sunk in cruelty? If not in women mercy may be found, If not (alas) within the mother's breast To her own child, to her own flesh and blood; If ruth be banisht thence, if pity there May have no place, if there no gentle heart Do live and dwell, where should we seek it then? Gorb. Madam (alas) what means your woful tale ? Marc. O silly woman I, why to this hour Have kind and fortune thus deferr'd my breath, That I should live to see this doleful day? Will ever wight believe that such hard heart Could rest within the cruel mother's breast, With her own hand to slay her only son? But out (alas) these eyes beheld the same, They saw the dreary sight, and are become Most ruthful records of the bloody fact. Porrex, alas, is by his mother slain, And with her hand, a woful thing to tell, While slumb'ring on his careful bed he rests, His heart stabb'd in with knife is reft of life. Gorb. O Eubulus, oh draw this sword of ours, And pierce this heart with speed. O hateful light, O loathsome life, O sweet and welcome death. Dear Eubulus, work this we thee beseech. *Nature; natural affection. [Exit. Eub. Patient your grace, perhaps he liveth yet, Marc. But hear his ruthful end. The noble prince, pierced with the sudden wounds, Despoiled streight his breast, and all we might Arost. Never did age bring forth so vile a fact. By which, alas, so heinous crime was wrought ;— * Twinkling of the eye. Awaked; raised up. + Started. O queen of adamant, O marble breast, With tears, for ruth to reave such one by death; Thee mounted on thy fierce and trampling steed, And with thy mistress' sleeve tied on thy helm, How oft in arms on foot to break the sword, Arost. Madam, alas, in vain these plaints are shed. Marc. What wight is that which saw that I did see, And could refrain to wail with plaint and tears? Not I, alas, that heart is not in me ; But let us go, for I am griev'd anew, To call to mind the wretched father's woe. [Exeunt. [to reign Chorus of aged men. When greedy lust in royal seat Hath reft all care of gods and eke of men; And cruel heart, wrath, treason, and disdain, Within th' ambitious breast are lodged, then Behold how mischief wide herself displays, And with the brother's hand the brother slays. When blood thus shed doth stain this heaven's face, |