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The Tragedy of Locrine (Third Folio, 1664)

Author: Anonymous
Not Peer Reviewed
785
Scena Sexta.
Sound the Alarm. Enter Humber and his Soldiers.
Hum. How bravely this young Britain, Albanact,
Darteth abroad the thunderbolts of warre,
Beating down millions with his furious mood;
790And in his glory triumphs over all,
Moving the massie squadrants of the ground;
Heap hills on hills, to scale the starry skie:
As when Briareus armed with an hundred hands,
Flung forth an hundred mountains at great Jove,
795And when the monstrous gyant Monichus
Hurl'd mount Olimpus at great Mars his targe,
And shot huge Cedars at Minerva's shield.
How doth he overlook with haughty front
My fleeting hoasts, and lifts his lofty face
800Against us all that now do fear his force,
Like as we see the wrathfull Sea from farre,
In a great mountain heapt with hideous noyse,
With thousand billowes beat against the Ships,
And tosse them in the Waves like Tennis Balls.
805
Sound the Alarm.
Humb. Ay me, I fear my Hubba is surpris'd.
Sound again. Enter Albanact.
Alba. Follow me, Souldiers, follow Albanact;
Pursue the Scythians flying through the field:
810Let none of them escape with victory:
That they may know the Britains force is more
Than all the power of the trembling Hunnes.
Forward, brave soldiers, forward, keep the chase,
He that takes captive Humber or his Son,
815Shall be rewarded with a Crown of gold.
Sound alarm, then let them fight, Humber give back
Hubba enters at their backs, and kills Debon, let Strumbo
fall down, Albanact run in, and afterwards enter wounded
.
Alba. Injurious fortune, hast thou crost me thus?
820Thus in the morning of my victories,
Thus in the prime of my felicity
To cut me off by such hard overthrow.
Hadst thou no time thy rancour to declare,
But in the spring of all my dignities?
825Hadst thou no place to spit thy venome out
But on the person of young Albanact?
I that ere while did scare mine enemies,
And drove them almost to a shamefull flight:
I that ere while full Lyon-like did fare
830Amongst the dangers of the thick throng'd pikes,
Must now depart most lamentably slain
By Humber's treacheries and fortunes spights:
Curst be their charmes, damn'd be her cursed charmes
That doth delude the wayward hearts of men,
835Of men that trust unto her fickle wheele,
Which never leaveth turning upside down.
O gods, O heavens, allot me but the place
Where I may finde her hatefull mansion,
I'le passe the Alpes to watry Meroe,
840Where fiery Phoebus in his charriot,
The wheeles whereof are dect with Emeralds,
Cast such a heat, yea such a scorching heat,
And spoileth Flora of her chequered grasse,
I'le overturn the mountain Caucasus,
845Where fell Chimæra in her triple shape,
Rolleth hot flames from out her monstrous panch,
Scaring the beasts with issue of her gorge,
I'le passe the frozen Zone where Icy flakes
Stopping the passage of the fleeting ships
850Do lie, like mountains in the congeal'd Sea,
Where if I find that hatefull house of Hers,
I'le pull the fickle wheele from out her hands,
And tie her self in everlasting bands:
But all in vain I breathe these threatnings,
855The day is lost, the Hunnes are conquerors,
Debon is slain, my men are done to death,
The currents swift swimme violently with blood,
And last, O that this last night so long last,
My self with wounds past all recovery,
860Must leave my Crown for Humber to possesse.
Strum. Lord have mercy upon us, Masters, I think
this is a holy-day, every man lies sleeping in the fields,
but God knowes full sore against their wills.
Thra. Fly, noble Albanact, and save thy self,
865The Scythians follow with great celerity,
And there's no way but fight, or speedy death,
Flie, noble Albanact, and save thy self.
Sound the Alarm.
Alba. Nay let them flie that fear to die the death,
870That tremble at the name of fatall Mors,
Ne're shall proud Humber boast or brag himself,
That he hath put young Albanact to flight:
And least he should triumph a
t my decay,
This sword shall reave his Master of his life,
875That oft hath sav'd his Masters doubtfull life:
But oh my brethren if you care for me,
Revenge my death upon his traiterous head.
Et vos queis domus est nigrantis regia ditis,
Qui regitis rigido stigios moderamine lucos:
880Nox cæci regina poli furialis Erinnis,
Diique deæque omnes Albanum tollite regem,
Tollite flumineis undis rigidaque palude
Nunc me fata vocant, hoc condam pectore ferrum.
Thrust himself through
885
Enter Trumpart.
O what hath he done? his Nose bleeds: but I smell a Fox,
Look where my Master lies, Master, Master.
Strum. Let me alone, I tell thee, for I am dead.
Trum. Yet one, good, good, Master.
890Strum. I will not speak, for I am dead I tell thee.
Trum. And is my Master dead?
O sticks and stones, brickbats and bones,
and is my Master dead?
O you cockatrices, and you bablatrices,
895 that in the woods dwell:
You briers and brambles, you Cook shops and shambles,
come howle and yell.
With howling and screeking, with wailing and weeping,
come you to lament.
900O Colliers of Croyden, and Rusticks of Royden,
and Fishers of Kent.
For Strumbo the Cobler, the fine merry Cobler
of Cathnes town:
At this same stoure, at this very hour
905 lies dead on the ground.
O Master, thieves, thieves, thieves.
Strum. Where be they? cox me tunny, bobekin,
let me be rising, be gone, we shall be robb'd by and by.