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  • Title: The Tragedy of Locrine (Third Folio, 1664)

    • Copyright Digital Renaissance Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Authors: Anonymous, William Shakespeare
    Not Peer Reviewed

    The Tragedy of Locrine (Third Folio, 1664)

    90
    The Tragedy of Locrine.
    Actus Tertius. Scena prima.
    Enter Ate as before. The dumb show. A Crocadile sit-
    ting on a rivers bank, and a little Snake stinging it.
    945Then let both of them fall into the water.
    Ate. Scelera in authorem cadunt.
    High on a bank by Nilus boystrous streams,
    Fearfully sat th'Egyptian Crocodile,
    Dreadfully grinding in her sharp long teeth,
    950The broken bowels of a silly fish,
    His back was arm'd against the dint of spear,
    With shields of brasse that shin'd like burnisht gold,
    And as he stretched forth his cruel paws,
    A subtil Adder creeping closely near,
    955Thrusting his forked sting into his claws,
    Privily shead his poison through his bones,
    Which made him swell that there his bowels burst,
    That did so much in his own greatnesse trust.
    So Humber having conquered Albanact,
    960Doth yield his glory unto Locrine's sword.
    Mark what ensues, and you may easily see,
    That all our life is but a Tragedy.Exit.
    Scena Secunda.
    Enter Locrine, Guendoline, Corineus, Assaracus,
    965Thrasimachus, Camber.

    Locrine. And is this true, is Albanactus slain?
    Hath cursed Humber with his stragling host,
    With that his army made of mungrel currs,
    Brought our redoubted brother to his end?
    970O that I had the Thracian Orpheus harp,
    For to awake out of the infernal shade
    Those ugly Devils of black Erebus,
    That might torment the damned traitor's soul:
    O that I had Amphion's instrument,
    975To quicken with his vital notes and tunes
    The flintie joynts of every stonie rock,
    By which the Scythians might be punished;
    For, by the lightning of almighty Jove,
    The Hunne shall die had he ten thousand lives:
    980And would to God he had ten thousand lives,
    That I might with the arm-strong Hercules
    Crop off so vile an Hydra's hissing heads.
    But say me, Cousin, for I long to hear
    How Albanact came by untimely death?
    985Thrasi. After the traiterous host of Scythians
    Entred the field with martial equipage,
    Young Albanact impatient of delay,
    Led forth his army 'gainst the stragling mates,
    Whose multitude did daunt our souldiers minds,
    990 Yet nothing could dismay the forward Prince;
    But with a courage most heroical,
    Like to a lion 'mongst a flock of lambs,
    Made havock of the faint-heart fugitives,
    Hewing a passage through them with his sword;
    995Yea we had almost given them the repulse,
    When suddenly from out the silent wood
    Hubba with twenty thousand souldiers,
    Cowardly came upon our weakned backs,
    And murthered all with fatal massacre;
    1000Amongst the which old Debon, martial Knight,
    With many wounds was brought unto the death:
    And Albanact opprest with multitude,
    Whilst valiantly he feld his enemies,
    Yielded his life and honour to the dust,
    1005He being dead, the souldiers fled amain,
    And I alone escaped them by flight,
    To bring you tidings of these accidents.
    Locr. Not aged Priam King of stately Troy,
    Grand Emperour of barbarous Asia,
    1010When he beheld his noble minded sonnes
    Slain troiterously by all the Mirmidons,
    Lamented more then I for Albanact.
    Guen. Not Hecuba the Queen of Ilium,
    When she beheld the town of Pergamus,
    1015 Her pallace burnt, with all-devouring flames,
    Her fifty sonnes and daughters fresh of hue,
    Murthred by the wicked Pyrrhus bloudy sword,
    Shed such sad tears as I for Albanact.
    Cam. The grief of Niobe fair Athens Queen,
    1020For her seven sonnes magnanimous in field,
    For her seven daughters fairer then the fairest,
    Is not to be compar'd with my laments.
    Cor. In vain you sorrow for the slaughtred Prince,
    In vain you sorrow for his overthrow;
    1025He loves not most that doth lament the most,
    But he that seeks to venge the injury.
    Think you to quell the enemies warlike train,
    With childish sobs and womanish laments?
    Unsheath your swords, unsheath your conquering sword?
    1030And seek revenge, the comfort for this sore:
    In Cornwall where I hold my regiment,
    Even just ten thousand valiant men at armes
    Hath Corineius ready at command:
    All these and more, if need shall more require,
    1035Hath Corineius ready at command.
    Cam. And in the fields of martial Cambria,
    Close by the boystrous Iscan's silver streams,
    Where lightfoot Fairies skip from bank to bank,
    Full twenty thousand brave couragious Knights
    1040 Well exercis'd in feats of Chivalrie,
    In manly manner most invincible,
    Young Camber hath with gold and victual;
    All these and more, if need shall more require,
    I offer up to venge my brothers death.
    1045Loc. Thanks loving Uncle, and good Brother too,
    For this revenge; for this sweet word Revenge
    Must ease and cease my wrongfull injuries;
    And by the sword of bloudie Mars I swear,
    Ne'er shall sweet quiet enter this my front,
    1050'Till I be venged on his traiterous head
    That slew my noble brother Albanact.
    Sound drums and trumpets, muster up the camp,
    For we will straight march to Albania.Exeunt.
    Scena Tertia.
    1055Enter Humber, Estrild, Hubba, Trussier, & the souldiers.
    Hum. Thus are we come victorious Conquerors
    Unto
    [G1v]
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