AN Introduction penned by Nicholas Trotte, Gentleman, one of the Society of Grayes-Inne; which was pronounced in manner following: viz. Three Muses came on the stage apparelled accordingly, bringing five Gentlemen Students with them attyred in their usuall garments, whom one of the Muses presented to her Majestie as Captives: the cause whereof she delivered by speach as followeth.
Or conquest (gracious Queene) the signs and fruits,
Atchiv'd 'gainst such as wrongfully witheld
The service by choice wits to Muses due,
In humbliest wise these Captives we present.
And least your highnes might suspect the gift,
As spoile of warre that justice might impeach,
Heare and discerne how just our quarrell was,
Avowed (as you see) by good successe.
A dame there is, whom men Astrea terme,
Shee that pronounceth oracles of lawes,
Who to prepare fit servants for her traine,
As by commission, takes up flowring wits,
Whom first she schooleth to forget and scorne
The noble skils of language and of arts,
The wisedome which discourse of stories teach,
The ornaments which various knowledge yeelds:
But Poesie she hath in most disdaine
And marshals its next Follye's scorned place.
Then, when she hath these worthy prints defac'd
Out of the mindes that can endure her hand,
What doth she then supplie in steede of these?
Forsooth, some olde reports of altered lawes,
Clamors of Courts, and cavils upon words,
Grounds without ground, supported by conceit,
Avowed] i. e. avouehed, from the Fr. avouer.
And reasons of more subtiltie then sense.
What shall I say of moote points strange, and doubts
Still argued, but never yet agreed?
And shee that doth deride the poets lawe,
Because he must his words in order place,
Forgets her formes of pleading, more precise,
More bound to words then is the poets lore:
And for these fine conceits she fitly chose
A tongue that barbarisme it selfe doth use.
We, noting all these wrongs, did long expect
There hard condition would have made them wise,
To offer us their service, plac'd so ill;
But finding them addicted to their choyce,
And specially desirous to present
Your Majestie with fruits of province new,
Now did resolve to double force and skill,
And found and usde the vantage of the time,
Surprisde their fort and tooke them captives all.
So now submisse, as to their state belongs,
They gladly yeelde their homage long withdrawne,
And Poetry which they did most contemne,
They glory now her favours for to weare.
My sisters laught to see them take the penne,
And lose their wits all in unwoonted walkes:
But to your highnes that delight we leave
To see these poets new their stile advaunce.
Such as they are, or naught or litle worth,
Deigne to accept, and therewith we beseech,
That novelty give price to worthlesse things.
Unto this speach one of the Gentlemen answered as followeth :
Good Ladies, unacquaint with cunning reach,
And easly led to glory in your powre,
Heare now abasht our late dissembled mindes.
Not now the first time, as your selves best knowe,
Ye Muses sought our service to commaund:
Oft have ye wandred from Pernassus hill,
And shewed your selves with sweet and tempting grace,
But yet returnd, your traine increasde with fewe.
This resolution doth continue still:
Unto Astrea's name we honour beare,
Whose sound perfections we doe more admire
Then all the wanted store of Muses guifts,
Let this be one (which last you put in ure
In well depraving that deserveth praise)
No eloquence, disguising reason's shape,
Nor Poetrie, each vaine affection's nurce,
No various historie, that doth leade the minde
Abroad to auntient tales from instant use,
Nor these, nor other moe, too long to note,
Can winne Astrea's servants to remove
Their service once devote to better things.
They, with attentive mindes and serious wits,
Revolve records of deepe judiciall acts;
They waigh, with steaddy and indifferent hand,
Each word of lawe, each circumstance of right;
They hold the grounds which time and use hath
sooth'd,*
Though shallow sense conceive them as conceits,
Presumptuous sense, whose ignorance dare judge
Of things remov'd by reason from her reach.
One doubt, in mootes by argument encreas'd,
Cleares many doubts experience doth object.
The language she first chose, and stiH retaines,
Exhibites naked truth in aptest termes.
Our industrie maintaineth unimpeacht
Prerogative of Prince, respect to Peeres,
The Commons libertie and each mans right;
Suppresseth mutin force and practicke fraude,
Things that for worth our studious care deserve:
Yet never did we banish nor reject
Those ornaments of knowledge nor of toungs:
That slander envious ignorance did raise.
With Muses still we entercourse allowe,
T'enrich our state with all their forreine fraight;
But never homage nor acknowledgement,
sooth'd] i. e. shewn to be true: the author has converted the substantive, scoth, into a verb.
Such as of subjects allegeance doth require.
Now heere the cause of your late conquest wonne.
We had discovered your intent to be
(And, sure, ye ladies are not secrete all ;
Speach and not silence is the Muse's grace)
We well perceiv'd (I say) your minde to be
T'employ such prisoners, as themselves did yeeld,
To serve a Queene, for whom her purest gold
Nature refin'd, that she might therein sette
Both private and imperiall vertues all.
Thus (Soveraigne Lady of our lawes and us)
Zeale may transforme us into any shape.
We, which with trembling hand the penne did guide,
Never well pleasde, all for desire to please;
For still your rare perfections did occurre,
Which are admir'd of Muses and of men.
Oh! with howe steddie hand, and heart assur'd,
Should we take up the warlike lance or sword,
With mind resolv'd to spend our loyall blood
Your least commaund with speede to execute!
O! that before our time the fleeting shippe
Ne'r wandred had in watery wildernes,
That we might first that venture undertake,
In strange attempt t'approve our loyall hearts!
Be it souldiers, seamen, poets, or what els.
In service once enjoynd, to ready mindes
Our want of use should our devoyer encrease.
Now since in steade of art we bring but zeale,
In steade of prayse we humbly pardon crave.
The matter which we purpose to present,
Since streights of time our liberty controwles,
In tragike notes the plagues of vice recounts.
How sutes a tragedie for such a time?
Thus for that since your sacred Majestie
In gratious hands the regall scepter held,
All tragedies are fled from state to stadge.
The misfortunes of Arthur (Uther Pendragons Sonne) reduced into tragicall notes by Thomas Hughes one of the societie of Grayes-Inne. And here set downe as it past from under his handes, and as it was presented, excepting certaine wordes and lines, where some of the Actors either helped their memories by brief omission, or fitted their acting by some alteration. With a note in the ende of such speaches as were penned by others, in lue of some of these hereafter following.
The Argument of the Tragedie.
At a banquet made by Uther Pendragon for the solemnising of his conquest against the Saxons, he fell inamoured of Igerna, wife to Gorlois Duke of Cornwell : who perceiving the king's passion, departed with his wife and prepared warres at Cornwell; where also, in a strong holde beyond him, hee placed her. Then the king levied an armye to suppresse him, but waxing impatient of his desire to Igerna, transformed himselfe, by Merlin his cunning, into the likenesse of Gorlois, and after his acceptance with Igerna he returned to his siedge, where he slew Gorlois. Igerna was delivered of Arthur and Anne, twins of the same birth. Uther Pendragon 15 years after, pursuing the Saxons, was by them poysoned. Arthur delighted in his sister Anne, who made him father of Mordred. Seventeene yeres after, Lucius Tiberius of Rome demanded a tribute, due by conquest of Cæsar. Arthur gathered his powers of 13 kinges besides his owne, and leaving his queene Guenevora in the tuition of Mordred, to whome likewise he committed the kingdome in his absence, arrived at Fraunce, where, after 9 yeares warres, he sent the slaine bodie of Tiberius unto Rome for the tribute. During this absence Mordred grew ambicious, for th'affecting whereof he made love to Guenevora, who gave eare unto him. Then by th' assistence of Gilla, a British Lord, hee usurped,
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