A Discourse of Life and Death, by Mornay; and Antonius by GarnierMornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly
Religion
A Discourse of Life and Death, by Mornay; and Antonius by Garnier
Mornay, Philippe de, seigneur du Plessis-Marly
Antonius, Marcus, 83 B.C.?-30 B.C. -- Drama; Death -- Early works to 1800
Who said from hir he had commaundement
To bring him to hir to the monument.
The poore soule at these words euen rapt with Ioy
Knowing she liu’d, prai’d vs him to conuey
Vnto his Ladie. Then vpon our armes
We bare him to the Tombe, but entred not.
For she, who feared captiue to be made,
And that she should to _Rome_ in triumph goe,
Kept close the gate: but from a window high
Cast downe a corde, wherin he was impackt.
Then by hir womens helpt the corps she rais’d,
And by strong armes into hir windowe drew.
So pittifull a sight was neuer sene.
Little and little _Antonie_ was pull’d,
Now breathing death: his beard was all vnkempt,
His face and brest all bathed in his bloud.
So hideous yet, and dieng as he was,
His eies half-clos’d vppon the Queene he cast:
Held vp his hands, and holpe himself to raise,
But still with weakenes back his bodie fell.
The miserable ladie with moist eies,
With haire which careles on hir forhead hong,
With brest which blowes had bloudilie benumb’d,
With stooping head, and bodie down-ward bent,
Enlast hir in the corde, and with all force
This life-dead man couragiously vprais’de.
The bloud with paine into hir face did flowe,
Hir sinewes stiff, her selfe did breathles growe.
The people which beneath in flocks beheld,
Assisted her with gesture, speech, desire:
Cri’de and incourag’d her, and in their soules
Did sweate, and labor, no white lesse then shee.
Who neuer tir’d in labor, held so long
Helpt by hir women, and hir constant heart,
That _Antonie_ was drawne into the tombe,
And ther (I thinke) of dead augments the summe.
The Cittie all to teares and sighes is turn’d,
To plaints and outcries horrible to heare:
Men, women, children, hoary-headed age
Do all pell mell in house and strete lament,
Scratching their faces, tearing of their haire,
Wringing their hands, and martyring their brests.
Extreame their dole: and greater misery
In sacked townes can hardlie euer be.
Not if the fire had scal’de the highest towers:
That all things were of force and murther full;
That in the streets the bloud in riuers stream’d;
That sonne his sire saw in his bosome slaine,
The sire his sonne: the husband reft of breath
In his wiues armes, who furious runnes to death.
Now my brest wounded with their piteouse plaints
I left their towne, and tooke with me this sworde,
Which I tooke vp at what time _Antonie_
Was from his chamber caried to the tombe:
And brought it you, to make his death more plaine,
And that therby my words may credite gaine.
_Cæs._ Ah Gods what cruell happ! poore _Antonie_,
Alas hast thou this sword so long time borne
Against thy foe, that in the ende it should
Of thee his Lord the cursed murthr’er be?
_O Death_ how I bewaile thee! we (alas!)
So many warres haue ended, brothers, frends,
Companions, coozens, equalls in estate:
And must it now to kill thee be my fate?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account