Prop of my age and fulnesse of my joy Touch these white hayres whose honor thou hast sav'd Come kisse this cheeke and view the place which thou Being affronted rescud'st from disgrace RODERIGO The honor 's due to you heaven be my witnesse That comming from you I could doe no lesse I hold my selfe most happy that the first Triall of my poore valour should please him To whom I owe my life but in these pleasures Have not a jealousie of me because After you I dare satisfie my selfe Give me leave to despaire 't is all I aske Let not your praise flatter me out of that D. DIEGO By from so brave a heart banish this weaknesse Thinke there are Mistrisses enough i th' world But no more than one honour love is but A little pleasure honour is a duty RODERIGO What say you Sir D. DIEGO That which thou ought'st to know RODERIGO Would you then shame me with inconstancy A coward Souldier and a perjur'd Lover Run the same course of infamy alike Cannot I be thought generous unlesse I be perfidious Alas my bonds Are too fast ty'd to be so soone undone And since I can nor have nor leave my love The death I meane to seeke is my best comfort D. DIEGO This is no time to seeke out death Thy King Thy Country needs thy aid the Fleet wee fear'd That enter'd on the River is now ready To take the City by surprise The Moores Are come in silence almost to our wals The Court is in an uproare and the people Call to take armes Nothing but cries are heard I' th mid'st of these calamities my fortune Has favor'd me so much to let me see Five hundred of my frinds within my house Who hearing of the affront was given me Offer'd their lives to vindicate mine honour Thou hast prevented them but their brave valours Will better be imployed against the Moores Goe march i' th head of them where honour cals thee Impeach the landing of the enemy And if thou must seeke death goe find it there But rather Crown'd with victory returne And by thy valour force ev'n justice selfe To pardon and Cimena to be silent If thou do'st love her thinke thy comming home A Conquerour must regaine her heart or nothing But time 's too precious to be spent in talke I stay thee in discourse when thou should'st fly Come follow mee to my house Let the King see What he has lost i th' Count he has found in thee ACT IV. SCENE I. CIMENA ELVIRA CIMENA BUt is this true Elvira art thou sure on 't ELVIRA How hard it is to be faith in you When every man extoll's the glorious actions Of this young Heros The Moores before him Appear'd but to their shame They quickly landed But quicker was their flight Three houres fight Left to our men a victory intire And two Kings prisoners Their leaders valour Could meet with nothing durst stand in its way CIMENA And was 't Roderigo's hand that did these wonders ELVIRA The two Kings which he vanquish'd are his prize CIMENA Whence could'st thou gather this strange news Elvira ELVIRA From those who sound his praises up and downe The people who with one voice doe salute him Their Guardian Angell saver of their Countrey CIMENA How does the King looke upon this his valour ELVIRA Roderigo dares not yet appeare in Court But Don Diego in the Conquerours name Has made a present of these Crowned Captives And all he does demand is that the King Would daigne to see the hand that freed his Country CIMENA But has he got no wound ELVIRA I know not that Why change you colour so resume your spirits CIMENA Let me resume my anger which my love Has so enfeebled must my care for him Make me forget my selfe peace peace my love And let my anger worke though he have vanquish'd Two kings he has not overcome my duty These mourning habits where I read my miseries Are the first fruits his valour did produce And though all tongues should speake in his defence All objects here doe represent his crime Veile Cypres and these blacks sad memories Of my dead Father keepe a little up Mine honour 'gainst my passion and when love Shall get the power of me tell my heart I owe a duty to a Father slaine ELVIRA Be not transported so The Infanta's here SCENE II. INFANTA CIMENA LEONORA ELVIRA INFANTA I Come not here Cimena with faint comforts To plead against thy griefe but with sad sighs To mingle with thy teares CIMENA Nay rather Madame Share in the common joy and fully taste The happinesse kind heaven has sent to you I only am design'd for grief the dangers From which y' are rescu'd by Roderigo's hand And all your safeties purchas'd by his armes To me alone bequeath these teares and sighs 'T is he has sav'd the Citty serv'd his King And onely ruin'd me INFANTA 'T is true Cimena He has done wonders CIMENA Yes the unwelcome newes Has pierc'd my eares already I can heare How the voyce goes and that hee 's fam'd no lesse A Valiant Souldier than a lucklesse lover INFANTA How comes this newes to be unwelcome to you Was not the man they prais'd your servant once And had not he your heart in honouring him They honour much your choise CIMENA I needs must say His honours are but due and yet to me Each praise of him is a new punishment For I can't chose but know how great my losse is Finding the value of the thing I lose The more his merit and my love increases The more my duty gets advantage of me And spight of my affection puts me on To prosecute his crime INFANTA But will you Madam Beleeve the counsell of a faithfull friend CIMENA Not to obey you were a sin unpardonable INFANTA Though yesterday pursuing your revenge You did so much that all the Court admir'd Your height of spirit and bewaild your love Yet the same way is not now to be taken Roderigo's now the onely hope and stay Of all Castile The terrour of the Mores His valour has restor'd us what before It tooke away in him your father seemes To live againe and in a word pursuing His death you goe about the publicke ruine What to revenge a father is it lawfull To give your Country up to its Enemies And are we to be punish'd for his fault I say not this that I would have you marry The man y' are bound to prosecute I 'de rather You should avoid that envy and deprive Him of your love but not us of his life CIMENA Ah Madam give my spirit it s full course Though my heart make a faction against me Though he be lov'd by the King ador'd by th' people Though he be compass'd with the stoutest Souldiers He overwhelme his Laurell with my Cipresse INFANTA I must confesse it is a marke of spirit To prosecute the life you lov'd so dearely Yet I should thinke it were more noble fat To give up to
I lov'd Shine now at full my love thou need'st not feare My Father 's satisfi'd One onely blow has to mine honour giv'n security To my soule despaire to my love liberty D. SANCHO Heare me with better temper CIMENA Dar'st thou yet Speake to me Cursed murderer of that Heros Which I doe most adore Goe thou hast slaine him Perfidiously for otherwise that man Could never fall by such a hand as thine ELVIRA But heare him Madame CIMENA What wouldst thou have me heare Can I doubt when my eyes are satisfied I have obtain'd the mischiefe which I sought for And my just suit has had too good successe Pardon deare love it s bloudy cruelty Thinke though a lover yet I was a daughter If on thy bloud I have reveng'd my Father For thy revenge I will exhaust my owne My soule has nothing now that should retaine it It shall goe after thine to aske it pardon And thou that think'st t' obtaine me by his death Disloyall minister of my cruell fate Hope nothing at my hands Thou hast done me No service onely hastned on my death D. SANCHO 'T is a strange passion will not give me hearing CIMENA What would'st thou have me heare thee whilst with boasting Thou paint'st out to me my owne fatall crime And his misfortunes that thy cruell story May kill me in thy sight No I can dye Without thy help My soule can find out death Instructed by no ayd but her owne mischiefes To them The KING D. DIEGO D. ARIAS. D. ALONSO CIMENA SIr I need not now dissemble any longer What never art of mine could hide from you I lov'd you know yet to revenge my Father I would proscribe the head I held so deare By that your Majesty might easily see I meant my love should give place to my duty In fine Roderigoe 's dead His death has chang'd Her who was once his mortall enemy To an afflicted lover That revenge I to my Father ought and to my love These teares which now I shed Don Sancho has In taking of my part quite ruin'd me And yet for doing so I 'me made his prize Sir if kind pitty ever mov'd a King Now of your grace revoke this cruell law Though he have slaine the man I lov'd so dearely I 'le give him all I have for his reward So he will leave me to my selfe and that I may bewaile the time I have to live My Father and my Lover in a Cloister D. DIEGO Now you perceive she loves Sir and not thinkes 'T is such a crime t' a vow her lawfull love KING Sweet heart mistake not Roderigo lives Don Sancho has made thee a false report D. SANCHO Sir not by me but by her too much heat Shee was deceiv'd For had she given me leave I should have told her that her noble Lover When he disarm'd me bade me banish feare For that sai'd he I 'de rather leave the conquest Uncertaine than I 'de spill a drop of bloud That 's ventur'd for Cimena but since I Am by my duty call'd to attend the King Goe you and entertaine her in my stead And at her feet offer your life and sword Which when I came to doe the sword deceiv'd her With which seeing me returne she thought that I Had beene the Victor Presently her anger Betray'd her love with such impatience That I had not a minutes audience For my part though I am a vanquish'd man And though the interest of my love be great Yet I repute my selfe in this my losse To be a gainer loving my distresse Which brings so faire a flame so good successe KING You must not be asham'd of such a love Cimena or seeke meanes to disavow it Your honour 's disingag'd your duty quitted Your Father satisfied what would you more Must you still put Roderigo in new danger You see heaven otherwise disposes of him And since that it has done so much for him Doe you too something for your selfe and take Him for your husband that I offer you And whom I know you love To them INFANTA RODERIGO LEONORA INFANTA COme Cimena Drye thy eyes And receive with a glad heart This noble Conquerour from thy Princesse's hand RODERIGO Great Sir be not offended if before you The duty which I owe to love doe cast me Here at her feet I come not to demand The prize which I have won but once more yet To offer you my life My love shall not Or plead the combats law or the Kings will If all that 's done cannot appease your anger Tell me what meanes is left to satisfie Must I encounter yet a thousand Rivals Travaile from one end of the Earth to th' other Or force a Camp my selfe or rout an Army If at length I may expiate my crime I shall attempt all this But if your honour Be still inexorable and nothing can Appease it but my death Behold my head I cast it at your feet Take it your selfe And arme no other hand for your revenge Since none but yours can do 't Yet let my death Be all my punishment and let me not Be banish'd from your memory but say If any time you call to mind my paine Had he not lov'd me he had not been slaine CIMENA Rise Roderigo Sir I must needs say My love has shew'd it selfe too much for me Now to deny it Roderigo has Such vertues as I know not how to hate And you 're my King I cannot but obey you But is there here any appearance of A Marriage if it be it is a sad one That one day should begin and end my mourning That having lay'd my Father in his grave I should lay Roderigo in my bed That were to hold intelligence with 's murtherer And soyle my honour with eternall shame KING Time often makes that lawfull which at present Seemes not to be so Roderigo has won thee And his thou must be But though his valour Have made you his yet I should doe you wrong So soone to give him the reward he fought for Take if you will a yeare to end your mourning In the meane time Roderigo shall take armes And having under his command my Army Shall carry back the War unto the Moores Which they brought hither that they all may tremble At this brave name of CID which they have given thee They 've call'd thee Lord already and they would Make thee their King But let not Roderigo Thy great exploits take off thy loyalty Returne if possible more worthy of her And let thy deeds set such a price upon thee That she may court thy Marriage as an honour RODERIGO For my Cimena Sir and for your service What can you bid me doe I won't accomplish And though I hardly can endure her absence Yet are the hopes you give sufficient happinesse KING Rely upon thy valour and my promise And now thou hast thy Mistresse heart already This point of honour which is the last thing Let time o're come thy valour and thy King FINIS * Sen. Rhet. sua 1. sub finem THis Tragicomedy called The Valiant Cid translated out of French as it was acted before the King and Queene at Court may be printed HENRY HERBERT Janu. 12. 1637 Imprimatur THO. WYKES Jan. 26. 1637 HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENCE
the publick interest The private ones of bloud For credit me Cimena 't is enough to leave to love him Banish him from your heart and he will find A heavy punishment Your Countries good Requires this besides you must not thinke The King should grant you your request CIMENA He may Refuse me if he please but I must speake INFANTA Consider well Cimena what it is You goe about and thinke of it at leasure SCENE III KING D. DIEGO D. ARIAS. D. RODERIGO KING THou brave descendent of a noble race Who have been still supporters of my kingdome Who 's valour the first proofe of thine has equall'd My power is too narrow for thy merit To free thy Country of so rude a foe As are the Moores before my selfe could give Order for their repulse is such an act As flies beyond all thought of recompence But the two captiv'd Kings which thou hast taken Shall give thee thy reward they both have nam'd thee Their CID before me which in their tongue sounds As much as Lord in ours and this faire title I will not envy thee from henceforth be Their CID that at thy name the Moores may tremble And that my Subjects hearing it may know Thy value and how much to thee I owe RODERIGO Let not your Majesty confound your servant With too much shame to set so high a prise Upon so poore a service I must blush To see such honour done so slender merit My debt to you Sir and my Country is The bloud I live by and the aire I breath And when I lose 'um for so faire an object I doe Sir but the duty of a Subject KING Few of those whom their duty binds to serve me Can so acquit themselves as thou hast done Suffer then thy just praises and at full Relate the story of thy Victory RODERIGO Sir you have heard how in this urgent danger Which put the City in so great a tumult A company of my friends met at my fathers Mov'd me to goe upon this enterprize But I crave pardon of your Majesty For daring to imploy 'um without leave The danger was at hand So were my friends The hazard of my head made me I durst not Appeare at Court and I had rather lose My life in the defence of the whole State Than give it up unto Cimena's plaints KING I must excuse the heat of thy revenge The State defended speakes in thy defence Henceforth Cimena moves me but in vaine Whom if I heare 't is but to give her comfort But on with your relation RODERIGO Under me This troop advanc'd with such a confidence And so good order that where ere they pass'd They diffus'd courage through the lookers on Which so much mov'd um that although at first We number'd but five hundred ere we reacht The Port we were increas'd into three thousand Two thirds of these when I ariv'd I hid i th' bottom of our ships which there I found The rest whose number every houre increas'd Lay close to the ground and in deep silence past The greatest part of that faire night away To th' guard I gave commaund to doe the like Affirming stoutly that I had your order For what I did At length the glimmering star light Made us discover thirty saile comming up With a full tide for the swolne Sea at once Powr'd both it selfe and them into our Haven We let 'um passe discovering none of us i th' haven or the wals and this our silence Made them so confident of our surprise That presently they landed fiercely running To meet the ruine which awaited them Then rose we up having receiv'd the signall From those within our ships Who starting up in armes did so confound The Moores that they were frighted ere halfe landed They came to pillage but they met with War At Sea and Land we bore 'um down before us Many we slew i th' place before they could Fall into ranke or make the least resistance When sudainly in spight of our endeavours Their Princes rally'd their dispersed troops And from a shame they felt to dye so tamely They tooke new courage and restor'd their ranks With their swords drawne making their fight on foot Then fell the bravest of our Souldiers Mixt with their Captains the land the water Their Fleet our Haven seem'd a feild of slaughter Where death did onely triumph blood and darknesse Cover'd the place what had their valour beene Who fought thus in the darke had they been seene I on all sides encourag'd our own men Some I made fall upon the foe and others I kept from falling from us those that came I rang'd in order put 'um on the places Which they were to make good but what was done We had no meanes to know 'till the first light Shew'd us our victory and their losse They seeing a new supply come to our aide Fled now more fiercely than before they fought They got into their ships and cut their cables Disorderly retreating and not minding Whether their Kings retir'd or stay'd behind Feare more prevailing made them lose their duty They came in with the flood and with the ebb They went away In the meane time their Kings And some few of their men ingag'd amongst us Sold their lives deare enough I bid 'um yeeld But while they had a Sword to fight they would not Till seeing their Souldiers fall about their feet And that alone they must defend them selves They ask'd who was our leader I was nam'd They yeild themselves to me So was this Battaile Ended for want of men to fight it out And thus Sir when we are about your service To them D. ALONSO D. ALONSO Sir here 's Cimena come to aske you justice KING What shall I doe I would not have her see thee In stead of thankes I must dismisse thee from me But ere thou leav'st the Court returne againe Unto thy Kings embraces D. DIEGO 'T is strange she should Pursue the man thus whom she faine would save KING I 'me told she is in love with him I 'le try Cimena ent Make shew as you were sad At length Cimena Content your self for your desires have met With their successe Though Roderigo's valour Ha' got the better of the Moores Himselfe Has perish'd with the wounds he there receiv'd Give thankes to heaven that has given you vengeance Her colour 's chang'd already D. DIEGO But Sir marke Her swoundings and by them how she betrayes The secrets of her Soule surely she loves him CIMENA Is Roderigo dead then KING No no he lives And still remaines thy true and constant lover Thou shalt enjoy him take thy mirth againe CIMENA Sir we as often faint with joy as sadnesse And when excesse of that surprizes us It soone confounds our senses KING Thou would'st faine That to do thee a courtesie we should Beleeve impossibles but here thy sadnesse Has shew'd it selfe too plain CIMENA Well Sir you may Adde this too if you please to my misfortunes And call my
swoundings the effects of griefe I must confesse I grieved to see my selfe Rob'd of the life I sue for If he dye Of wounds he has receiv'd for 's Countries good My vengeance is lost and my designes betray'd I aske his death but not a glorious one I would not have him dye i th' bed of honour But on a Scaffold that his name may rot And his memoriall perish 'T is no shame To say I love his victory by it He has assur'd the State and render'd me A noble sacrifice in stead of Flowers Crown'd with victorious baies and such a one As I 'de have offer'd to my Fathers ghost But why alas am I transported so Roderigo needs not feare what I can doe What can a Virgins teares despis'd and scorn'd Your Kingdome is to him a place of free Security and he shall triumph over me As 'ore his enemies the bloud o th' Moores Shall choake up justice here which must be made A Trophee to the Victors crimes Whilest I Amongst the rest adorne his victory KING Sweet heart y' are too much hurri'd with your passions We when we render Justice use to cast Each thing in ballance Roderigo kill'd Thy Father but he gave the first offence Equity binds me then to shew some sweetnesse To the first injur'd But before thou accuse him Aske counsaile of thy heart Of which hee 's master I 'me sure thy love secretly thankes thy King Whose favour keepes so brave a Lover for thee CIMENA For me my Enemy the Author of My miscries the murderer of my father Is my just suite so slighted that I 'me thought To be oblig'd because I am not heard Sir since my teares cannot obtaine it of you Let the sword I beseech you give me justice By that I 'me injur'd and by that I crave To be reveng'd Of all your Cavaliers I aske his head to him that brings it me As to the Conquerour I give my selfe The Combat ended he shall be my husband This I beseech your Majesty may be publish'd By your authority KING This Countries custome More ancient than good under the colour Of punishing unjust attempts has rob'd The state of its best Souldiers and often The successe does not answer the intent The guilty scape and kill the innocent I must dispense with Roderigo's bloud It is more pretious to me than so slightly To be expos'd to hazard though his spirit Forc'd him to doe an outrage yet in freeing His Country from the Moores h' has freed himselfe D. DIEGO How Sir for him must you reverse your lawes Which have so often been observ'd what will The people or the tongue of envy say Hearing he lives by your protection And that it only serves him for a colour To hide his cowardise These are favors Sir Which bring dishonor with 'um to the takers The Count durst doe a wrong my Sonne durst punish Let him maintaine the honour hee has won KING Since you will have it so let it be done But if Roderigo be expos'd to all That will come in to fight for such a prize He must be sure to want no enemies I will have onely one t' incounter him Choose whom you will Cimena and choose wisely But after this urge me to nothing farther D. SANCHO An 't please your Majesty to let the lists Be opened I shall be th' undertaker Madam you know your promise I beseech you Let me obtaine the grace to be your Champion KING What say you Cimena shall he be the Man CIMENA Sir I have promised him KING Be ready than to morrow D. DIEGO Defer it not so long Sir A man of courage is at all times ready KING Shall he no sooner be returned from one But he must enter on another fight D. DIEGO He has tane breath Sir in recounting it KING How ere an houre or two let him repose But lest I should be thought to countenance Proceedings of this bloudy nature neither My selfe nor any of my Court shall see it perform'd Doe you looke to it and take care that both Present themselves as befits men of armes The Combat done bring me the Conquerour I meane my selfe to give him to Cimena CIMENA That were t' impose too hard a law upon me KING Thy love dares not avow this thy complaint If Roderigo conquer thou must have him Never dispute my sentence or repine Who ere is Victor I will make him thine ACT. V. SCENE I. D. RODERIGO CIMENA CIMENA WHat Roderigo in the open day Whence comes this boldnesse doe you meane t' undoe Mee and mine honour Fy retire your selfe RODERIGO Madame I goe to dye and therefore come Before my death to take my last farewell My love does owe you this and my thrall'd heart Dares not depart your Kingdome without leave CIMENA You goe to dye RODERIGO Nay more I run as soone As I have tane my leave the Count 's reveng'd CIMENA You goe to dye And is Don Sancho then A man so terrible that you need feare him Who has made you so weake or him so valiant Roderigo goes to fight and thinkes himselfe Already dead He that nor fear'd the Moores Nor yet my Father going to encounter Don Sancho trembles at it Does your spirit Fayle you at greatest need RODERIGO 'T is not to the Combat That I goe now but to my punishment For when you seeke my death my love cannot Defend a life against you My heart is still The same but not my arme when it should guard That which displeases you This night already Had beene my last if for my private quarrell The fight had beene But since 't was for the King His People and my Countrye had I left My selfe defencelesse I 'de betray'd them all I must confesse I did not hate my life So much as with false treachery to part from 't Now since no interest but mine owne is in it And you demaund my death I accept your sentence For which y'have made choise of another hand It seemes I not deserv'd to dye by yours I shall not goe to exchange blow for blow I owe him more respect that fights for you And since it is your honour which hee fights for I 'le open him my brest in his adoring Your hand from which I 'le welcome my destruction CIMENA If the just violence of a fatall duty Which makes me to pursue thee 'gainst my will Prescribe unto thy love so hard a law That thou wilt not defend thy selfe 'gainst him That fights for me Take head least thou forget That both thy life and glory fall together And howsoever Roderigo has liv'd Being slaine he will be thought a vanquisht man Honour was dearer once then I was to you When in my Fathers bloud you imbru'd your hands It made you then in spight of your affection Renounce the hope of ere injoying me But now you value it so little that You care not who it is that conquers you See how unseasonable your vertue is Why were you valiant once are not now Were