The seuenth tragedie of Seneca, entituled Medea: translated out of Latin into English, by Iohn Studley, student in Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge

¶Chorus.

LAui••n of life and dreadlesse was the wyght, Attemp••yng fyrste in slender tot••ryng Barge Wyth slyuyng Ore the slyced waue to smyte, A••d durst commyt the dayntie tender charge Of hazered lyfe to inconstant cours of winde, That turnes wyth chaunge of chaunces euermore, To vew the land for••oke aloofe behynd••, And shouyng furthe the s••yp from s••fer shore, And glauncyng through the fomy channell deepe On sund••r c••t wych slender stem the waue, Twy•••• hope o•• lyfe, and dread of death to sweepe, In narrow gut hym selfe to ••pyll or saue: Expery••nc•• yet of Planets no man had, Th••y n••ded not the wandryng cours•• to knowe Of Sta••••••s, (wherwyth ••he paynted skye is clad,) Not ••l••••a••s, (whych returne of saylyng ••••••w) Nor Hyads ••that wyth showrs th•• Seas do b••a••e) No nor the st••rne Amaltheas h••rned ••ead (Who gaue the ••yppes of luckyng Ioue the t••ate) Were wonte to put the blunde••yug shyps in dread. They feared not the northerne ysye wayne, whych lazy olde boot••s w••••lds behynde,

A••d twynes aboute, no name yet could they fayne For Boreas rough, nor smother western wynde. Yet Typhys bould on open seas durst sh••we Hys hoysted sayl••s, and for the wynds decree New lawes: as now full gale aloofe to blow, Now tackle turnde to take syde wynde alee, Now vp to fa••le the crossayle on the mast, Theare safe to hange, the topsayle now to spred, Now missel sayl••, and drabler out to cast, When daglyng hanges hys sha••tryng tackle red whyle st••a••sman stur, and busy•• ne••••r blyn, Wyth pyth to pull all sayles eke to dysplay, wyth tooth and nayle all forc•• of wynde to wyn, To sheare the seas, and quyck to scud awaye. Th•• golden worlde our fathers haue possest, where ••anysht fra••de durst n••u••r come in place, All were content to lyue at home in r••st, wyth horye head, gray•• ••eard, and surrowed face. whych tract of tyme wythin hys con••rey brought, Ryche hauyng lytle, f••r more they dyd not toy••••, No vente for wares, nor Traficque far they sought, No wealth that sprange beyonde th••yr naty••e soyle, The Thessail shyp together now hath set, Th•• worlde that w••ll wyth seas dysseuered laye, It bydd••s the floods wyth oats to be bet, And stream••s vnknowen wyth shypwrack vs to fray That wyck••d R••le was loste ••y ruthfull wrack Ytossed through such perylles passyng great, where Cyanes rocks gan rore as thunde•• crack, whos•• bouncyng boult th•• shaken soyle doth bea••, The sowsyng surges dasshed eue••y star, The pe••t••rd seas the cloudes alo••te be••ayd, Thys scufflyng dyd boule Typhis mynd detar, Hys h••lme dyd slyp f••om tr••mblynge hande dismaid. Then Orpheus wyth his drowp••ng Ha••p was mum Dead in h••r dumpes the ••launtyng Argos glee, All hus••t in rest wyth sylence, w••xed dum, what hardye harte astound here wolde no•• bee•• To see at once eche yawnyng mouth to gape, Of Syllas gulph compact in wa••loyng paunche, Of dogges, who dothe not loth•• her mong••ell shape,

H••e visage, br••st, and hyddyous vgly ••aunche•• whom erketh not the scoulde wyth barkyng styll? To her•• the Mermaydes di••e who do••h not quayle, T••at lure the eares wyth pleasant syngyng ••••ryll Of such as on ••nsonius sea doe sayle? when Orpheus on his twancklyng Harpe did playe, That carst the Muse Calliop gaue to hym Almost those Nimphes that wonted was to staye The shypp••s, he causd fast folowyng hym to swym. How ••earely was that wyck••d iourney bought? Medea accurst, and eke the golden Flecce, That greater harme thē storme of s••as hath wrought Rewarded well that vo••age ••••rst of Gre••ce. Now seas controulde doe suffer passage free, The ••rgo proude erected by the hand Of Pallas fyrste, doth not com••layne that she, Conue••d hath back•• t••e kynges vnto theyr land, Eche whirty ••o••t now scuddes aboute the deepe, All stynts and waares are taken cleane awaye, The Cytyes frame new walles them selues to keepe, The open worlde lettes nought res•• where it laye: The ••oyes of Ind Arexes luckwarme leake, The Pers••ans stoute in Rhene and Albis streame Do bathe ••heyr barkes, ••yme ••••all in fyne out breake when Ocean waue shall open euery realme. The wandrynge worlde at w••ll shall open lye. And Typhis will some new found land suruaye. Some trauelers shall the Co••tre••es far escry••, Beyonde small Thule, knowen furthest at this day••.