A Dictionary of Shakespeare's Classical Mythology

2

Dardanus is immediate heir from Jhove,

And by Candame, got Erichthonius,

Erichthon Tros; Tros Ilion; next him strove

Laomedon, and he got Priamus,

And when the Greeks from Troy Aeneas drove,

He by Creusa had Ascanius—

   Who, after Carthaginian Dido passed,

   Up through the river Tiber sails at last.

Dardanus son to Jupiter and Electra

3

At Hostia’s port—the place the gods behight—

Aeneas lands. Evander him receives.

The Latins’ king his daughter at first sight

Aeneas loves, and for her sake, bereaves

The Tuskayne king of life in single fight.

Turnus being dead, the fair Lavinia leaves

   Her virgin vows, by whom the Trojan prince

   Silvius begot; and Silvius, Brutus since.

Turnus king of Tuskayne

5

Brute, Grecian Pandras who denied him way

And through his spacious kingdom passage free,

O’ercomes in battle, but denies to stay

Till he more coasts and various climates see.

Fair Innogen a virgin fresh as May,

He marrieth, and with Pandras doth agree

   For her rich dower to have a royal fleet,

   Well furnished for his train, with all things meet.

Innogen daughter to Pandras

7

When Ayoth judged Israel in the year

Threescore and twelve of his command and state,

Egyptian Danaus’ daughters landed here,

After long search, who for they had of late

Their nine and forty husbands by th’austere

Injunction of their sire brought to sad fate,

   Were in a mastless ship to exile thrown

   And landing here, called this isle Albion.

Hugh Genesis and Hardyng

Albion of Albania the eldest sister

8

Some say of these viragos spirits begot

Giants, that were of huge and monstrous size,

Who when they grew to stature, spared not

Affinity, for son with mother lies,

Brother with sister: so the learned Scot

Marian doth in his chronicles comprise:

   And of these lustful ladies, in small while,

   Twelve thousand giants peopled this large isle.

The year of the world above the line

The year before Christ below the line

9

Prince Brute with Corineus doth Albion enter

At Totnes; thirty monstrous giants kills,

And after much and dangerous adventure,

Builds London (called New Troy): his throne he fills

Twenty-four years, then pays his last debenter

To nature. Britain he to Locrine wills,

   Scotland to Albanact, Wales Camber sways,

   Israel was judged by Samuel in their days.

Brute

2855/1108

2878/1085

10 

Locrine reigned twenty years. His wife him slew,

Because he Sabrine loved, and her forsook.

Mother and child bold Guendolina threw

Into the Severn streams, who their name took

From Sabrine; in his days young David grew,

And with a sling the great Goliah strook,

   At Locrine’s death, stern Guendoline began;

   Her husband she succeeds; and her, her son.

Locrine

Guendoline

2889/1074

11

Madan ruled forty years, and in his days

Was beautious Absolom by Joab slain.

Memprisius twenty years the sceptre sways,

Procuring first his brother Manlius’ bane

Whom Madan loved, and had intent to raise.

In lust and riot he consumed his reign,

   For which just heavens their righteous vengeance poured,

   Memprisius hunting was by wolves devoured.

Madan

2916/1047

Memprisius

2954/1009

12

Him his son Ebranke in the throne succeeds,

Who governs threescore happy summers through.

Famous for many charitable deeds,

He builded York, Dunbar, and Edenborowe.

Next him Brute Green-shield donned th’imperial weeds.

After twelve happy years his subjects’ sorrow

   For his untimely fate; and in his reign,

   B’Elias’ prayer the priests of Baal were slain.

Ebranke

2972/991

Brute Green.

3033/930

3034/929

13

Leill, Brute’s son, reigned five and twenty years

And Carleil built, then did his seat  resign

To young Lud  Hurdibras, loved of his peers,

Who governed Britain’s sceptre twenty-nine.

He Winchester and Canterbury rears,

With Shaftsbury, then seeks a throne divine,

   Whose obits were in Britain long bemoaned.

   The prophet Zachary in his days was stoned.

Leill

3046/917

Lud Hurdibras

3071/892

14

Bladud, Lud’s son, reigned next and Bath erected,

A sorcerer, and did attempt to fly,

And having twenty years the realm protected,

He brake his neck down from a steeple high.

Amos and Amazia were directed

In those holy days by the spirit of prophecy.

   Leir next him, in whose time, as books say,

   Jonas three days in the whale’s belly lay.

3097/896

Bladud

3109/854

Leir

3123/840

15

Leir built Leicester, forty years was crowned,

Famous in his three daughters and their love,

The youngest most suspected, faithful found,

And they that promised most, least thankful prove.

Kindest Cordeilla that did most abound

In filial zeal next Leir sits above:

   Morgan and Cunedagius two false peers,

   Depose their aunt after five unhappy years.

Cordeilla

3158/805

Morgan

Cunedagius

16

They jointly reign, till Cunedagius slew

His brother Morgan in Glamorganshire,

From whom the title of that country grew,

And after governed three and thirty yeare,

Now Naum preached. Rivallo doth pursue

The kingdom next, a prince that had no peer.

   In his days prophecied Esay, Micheas,

   The prophets Adad, Amos and Oseas.

3162/801

Rivallo

3196/767

17

Forty-six years he governed. In his reign

Rome was first built, wise Sybil gave forth saws,

King Ezechy by God healed of his pain,

Had fifteen years’ life promised. For some cause

The sun full ten degrees turned back again.

Thales Milesius to the Greeks gave laws.

   In Britain it rained blood, Rivallo waned,

   And eight and thirty years Gurgustius reigned.

Gurgustius

3242/721

18

Now Joel  taught, his Iliads Homer  wrate,

And Glaucus Chius soldering first invented.

Sisillius next Gurgustius takes the state,

Forty-nine years he governs well contented.

Amon in Juda reigned, Zaleucus  sate

Judge on his son’s eye, Jeremy lamented

   For the sad tragedy of King Josias.

   Now flourish Olda, Baruch, Sophonius.

3252/711

Sisillius

3279/684

3295/668

19

Now Phalaris in Agrigentine swayed,

And thrust Perillus in his brazen bull

To taste the torment he for others made.

Iago next Sisillius makes up full

Twenty-five years, then in his tomb was laid.

Nebuchadnezar sought to disannul

   The Hebrew laws. Susanna’s fame increased,

   By th’Elders wronged, by Daniel’s doom released.

3311/652

Iago

3327/636

20

Fifty-four years Kinimachus was known

After Iago in the British chair;

Arion with his harp was o’erboard thrown,

Whom through the seas the pitious dolphin bare;

Bel was called God, and ’fore him trumpets blown,

And the three children in the robes they wear

   Cast in the fiery furnace. Now I guess,

   Lived Solon; Sappho the sweet poetess.

3351/612

Kinimachus

3369/594

21

Anaximander th’horoscope first made,

Aesop in birds and beasts first figured men.

Next King Kinimachus Gorbodug swayed

The British sceptre. In the lions’ den

Daniel was cast. Now Cyrus did invade

Cressus of Lydia. ’Twas the season when

   Zacharias, Aggeus, Malach’ prophesied,

   And the chaste Lucrece by her own hand died.

Gorbodug

3404/559

3417/546

3430/533

22

Next Gorbodug, Ferrex and Porrex reigned;

After five years, bold Porrex Ferrex slew,

For which their mother Porrex much disdained,

And in his blood did her black hands imbrue.

After their death sedition was maintained

Full one and fifty years. Whilst no man knew

   Th’immediate heir, and whilst these wars were nourished,

   Darius, Xerxes, and Queen Hester flourished.

Ferrex, Porrex

3467/496

3475/488

23

Th’Athenian Sophocles a tragic poet;

Plato, Cratinus, Aristarchus were

All comic writers, as their works best show it.

Empedocles of Athens did acquire

Music’s full ground, and made the world to know it;

Parmenides made logic first appear,

   Which in Mount Caucasus he first devised;

   Esdras the scribe the Scriptures now comprised.

3513/450

24

Mulmutius Dunwallo, son and heir

To Cloten, Duke of Cornwayle’s next instated.

He did the four broad highways first repair;

First crowned, Paul’s church first built and consecrated,

And after forty years from Britain’s chair

To a new throne in heaven he was translated.

   Now Socrates th’Athenian hearers charms,

   Demosthenes, famous for arts and arms. 

3522/441

Mulmutius

3550/413

25

Beline and Bren the British crown divide.

Being by their mother, after wars, atoned,

While Bren in foreign arms his valour tried,

Beline built Belinsgate; all Denmark groaned

Beneath his yoke. Bren, to the Gauls allied,

Sacked Rome, burnt Delphos, and was after stoned

   With hail and thunder-stroke; much blood was spilt.

   In Italy ten stately towns he built.

Beline, Bren

3563/400

26

Twenty-six years betwixt them they supply

The crown and sceptre. Dionysius reigned

In Sicily. Damon and Pythias try

Their mutual friendship. Xenophon maintained

His school in Athens. Plato, prized higher,

His Academy reared. Now was ordained

   For King Mausolus, by the Carian queen,

   A stately tomb ranked among the wonders nine.

3568/395

3586/377

27

Gurguintus, Belin’s son, nineteen years made

The Britons homagers, by even tradition.

Aristotle lived, whose fame shall never fade,

Son to Nicomachus, a great physician.

Now Macedonian Philip ’gan t’invade

His neighbour kings in many an expedition.

   The noble Marcus Curtius, for Rome’s sake

   Armed at all points, leapt in the Curtian lake.

Gurguintus

3588/375

3595/368

3604/359

28

Guintheline six and twenty years made good

His right in Britain. Mercia his fair wife

Devised the Mercian laws. By Tiber flood

The clouds rained stones. After Darius’ strife,

Which ended in effusion of much blood,

By poison Alexander lost his life.

   Next Guintheline seven years Cecilius reigned.

   Next him three years Kimar the state maintained.

Guintheline

3607/356

3628/335

Cecilius

Kimar

3633/330

29

Nine years Elanius reigned, Morindus eight,

Devoured of a sea monster. In their days

Onias son of Jaddus reached the height

Of the priest’s office. Gorbomanus sways

Eleven full years, a prince assisting right.

Simon, Onias’ son, the Hebrews raise

   To the priesthood. Next just Gorboman

   Fierce Archigall to tyrannise began;

Elanius, Morindus

3652/311

Gorbomanus

3660/303

Archigall

3671/292

30

After five years deposed. His second brother

Succeeded in the style of Elidure,

A virtuous prince, there sat not such another

In Britain’s chair, in life severe and pure;

Five years himself did Archigallo smother,

And his deposing patiently endure.

   At length by Elidurus met and known,

   To Archigallo he resigns his throne.

Elidure

3676/287

Archigallo

3681/282