enemies nor mine to boot The pride of one man in your Court has done Almost before your face and sullied The reverence and honour of my age Advantag'd by his youth and by my weaknesse And so Sir these my haires which have growne white Under my helmet and my bloud which has So oft for you been spent should ha' descended Unto the grave with curelesse infamy Had I not got a Sonne to save my honour Who lending me his hand has slaine the Count If to shew courage and a sense of wrong If to revenge a blow o' th face deserve Severely to be punisht let it fall On me that tempest what soer'e it be For the armes fault we punish oft the head I am the head Sir he is but the arme And if Cimena doe complaine that he Has slaine her Father I must answer her Had I beene able he had never done it Sacrifice then this head which age will take The arme Sir may hereafter doe you service And let Cimena's wrong be satisfied At my owne bloud 's expence and I shall be So farre from thinking it an uniust censure That dying with mine honour I shall die Withou t regret KING Th' affaire is of importance And merits to be heard in a full Counsell Don Sancho wait upon Cimena home Don Diego's word shall be his surety Let his sonne be lookt out I 'le doe you justice CIMENA 'T is just great Sir to cut off murderers KING Daughter take truce a little with your griefes CIMENA To give them truce is to increase them more ACT III. SCENE I. D. RODERIGO ELVIRA ELVIRA WHat meane you Roderigo whither would you RODERIGO I would pursue the course of my sad fortune ELVIRA But this is a strange boldnesse to appeare In the same place which you have fill'd with mourning Come you t' affront the ghost of the dead Count Have not you slaine him RODERIGO His life was my disgrace Mine honour at my hands requir'd dis death ELVIRA But in the house of death to looke for refuge Did ever homicide make that his Asilum RODERIGO Did never any murderer present Himselfe unto his Judge ne're wonder at me I come to seeke for that I gave another That 's death my love Cimena is my Judge When I deserv'd her hate I deserv'd death And for that cause I stand here to receive My sentence from her mouth death from her hand ELVIRA Flie rather from her sight and doe not meet With the first motions of her griefe and anger Why would you more enflame her present passion RODERIGO No that deare object which I durst displease To punish me cannot have too much passion I should be happy if I could augment it And hasten so my death from her faire hand ELVIRA Cimena's at the Court bath'd in her teares And will returne thence with much company For heavens sake flie what will mens censures say If y' are discover'd here they must report Cimena t' have receiv'd into her house Th' Assassin of her father Harke she comes It is her voice at least Roderigo To save her reputation hide your selfe SCENE II. D. SANCHO CIMENA ELVIRA D. SANCHO I Madame never thinke of any other But bloudy sacrifices your anger 's just And your griefe lawfull for my part Madame I 'le neither goe about to pacifie Or comfort you but if my present service Can be of use to you imploy my Sword To cut out your revenge from your commands My heart takes courage and my arme its strength CIMENA O me unfortunate D. SANCHO Madame accept my service CIMENA I shall offend the King then who has promis'd To doe me Justice D. SANCHO But you know justice Is so slow pac'd and languishing that seldome It overtakes the crime the wrong was done By th' sword then let a Cavalier revenge it By the sword againe It is the readiest way CIMENA 'T is the last remedy but if it must Arive at that and this your noble pitty Of my misfortunes doe continue with you I shall then give you the freedom you desire D. SANCHO It is the onely happinesse I wish So having hopes to see 't I take my leave SCENE III CIMENA ELVIRA CIMENA AT length I find I 'me free to open to thee The sadnesse of my soule and to give way to my deep sighs which else would stifle me My father 's dead Eluira the first sword That Roderigo us'd has cut his thred Weepe weepe mine eyes melt into teares my braine Halfe of my life the other halfe has slaine And ty's me to revenge on what is left That part of which by this I am bereft ELVIRA Quiet your selfe sweet Madame CIMENA How unfitly Thou bid'st me to be quiet when at once I must bewaile my losse and th' hand that made it Or what is 't I can hope for in this life But torments neere to be redres'd by time If loving th' Author I pursue the crime ELVIRA Can you then love the man that kill'd your Father CIMENA Love him Eluira more than that I adore him My love stands up against the sense I should have Of a slaine father and would quite o're-beare it I finde my lover in mine enemie And spight of all my anger in my heart Roderigo makes his part good 'gainst my father Yet though my love has these advantages I 'le not advise with it about my duty Nothing is dearer to me than Roderigo My heart would take his part but then my honour Tels me I had a father which he slew ELVIRA But doe you meane to prosecute him Madam CIMENA O cruell meaning cruell prosecution To which I 'me forc'd I aske his head and yet Feare to obtaine it I would ha him punish'd And yet my death I know must wait on his ELVIRA Fie Madam quit this tragicall designe Be not so cruell to your selfe CIMENA Shall I see My father die betweene my armes his bloud Crying vengeance to me and shan't I heare him Shall my heart thinke because 't is charm'd by love That nothing's due unto a fathers death But childish teares or shall I suffer love To steale into my heart and thrust out honour ELVIRA Beleeve me Madam you may well be pardon'd If you preserve unto your selfe a man You cannot paralell and one you love Y'have done enough to ha' beene with the King Ne're presse it farther be not obstinate CIMENA Then is my glory lost no it behoves I be reveng'd ELVIRA But you love Roderigo He can't displease you CIMENA No I 'le sweare he can't ELVIRA These things consider'd Madam what can you doe CIMENA To save mine honour and to put an end To all my griefes at once I am resolv'd First to pursue him unto death and then To die my selfe SCENE IV. RODERIGO to them RODERIGO TO save the trouble of Pursuing me behold I 'me here before you Glut your selfe with the pleasure of my death CIMENA What place is this Elvira who is this Roderigo in my house before my face RODERIGO Spare not my
you so onely to doe me an outrage Or will you be so cruell to my father That having conquer'd him you will submit Your selfe to any hand No Roderigo Defend thy honor though thou slight thy life RODERIGO Mine honor cannot need any defence More than it has already He that could Defeat the Moores and kill the Count of Gormas Has not an enemy besides to feare No no Roderigo know's what ere you thinke How in this fight to die and save his honour That none shall dare to thinke he wanted courage Onely they 'le say he did adore Cimena He would not live having deserv'd her hate How he gave way unto the cruell fate which forc'd his Mistresse to pursue his death Shee ask'd his head and his great heart conceiv'd He should commit a crime if he deny'd it T' acquit his honour he renounc'd his love T' acquit his Mistresse he renounc'd his life Thus shall you see my glory in this Combat Shine more than ere it did My willing death Shall have this honour that no Man but I Could for the wrong done to you satisfy CIMENA Since nor thy love nor honour can prevaile To hold thee from thy ruine deare Roderigo If ere I lov'd thee I conjure thee now To doe thy best if for no other end To free me from Don Sancho let me not Be given up to th' object of my loathing What shall I say more goe defend thy selfe And if thy love be not congeal'd to ice Be Victor where Cimena is the price Adieu this last word makes me blush for shame RODERIGO Is there an Enemy now that I can feare Moores and Castilians or what ere you be Whom Aragon or Spaine thinkes valiant Appeare and make one army of your selves My soule encouraged thus shall throw me on you For so sweet hopes what is 't I dare not meet with SCENE II. INFANTA LEONORA INFANTA IS it to me you come now Leonora LEONORA Madame I come to testifie the joy I feele to see your heart at rest INFANTA My heart Can rest come to a heart that 's fill'd with griefes LEONORA If love doe live on hope and dye with it Roderigo cannot trouble you any longer You know the Combat where he is ingag'd By his Cimena there he must or dye Or be her husband but what ever happen Whether he live or dye your hope is dead INFANTA But how canst thou assure me it is dead If upon these conditions Roderigo Doe entertaine the Combat have not I Inventions enough to breake it off Love the sweet Author of my punishment Can teach the wits of lovers many slights LEONORA Hope you to breed a discontent between 'um Which a Fathers death cannot Cimena shewes By her conduct of this affaire that hate Causes not her pursuite 't is true sh' has got The Combat graunted but to take her part Whom has she chosen not an expert man Or one already famous for his actions Don Sancho serves her turne who till this time Did never put on armes she loves in him His small experience This her suddaine choise Must make you see she sought for such a Combat As might enforce her duty to be silent And yet assure Roderigo's conquest INFANTA I see it well enough and yet my heart Strives with Cimena's who shal most adore him What had I best resolve on Leonora LEONORA Madam bethink your selfe of whom y' are borne A King heav'n owes you and you love a subject INFANTA No no my thoughts are off from their first object I love not Roderigo as a Gentleman Hee that I love now is the Valiant CID The Maister of two Kings And yet I meane T' orecome my selfe not for the feare of blame But that I won't disturbe so faire a flame And though they would now crown him yet I should not Resume the guift which I have giv'n another Then since thou saist Roderigoe's Victory Is certaine let 's goe give him to Cimena And thou that know'st how far my love has run Come see me finish what I have begun SCENE III CIMENA ELVIRA CIMENA WHat shall I doe Elvira all my hopes Are lost and I have nothing left but feares I dare not give consent to my owne wishes I 've caus'd two Rivals to take armes for me What ever happens Sorrow is my lot For thinke the best I can of fate obtaine My Father 's unreveng'd or lover slaine ELVIRA From both sides you will find reason of comfort Either you have revenge or Roderigo How ever destiny disposes of you It saves your honour and provides y'a husband CIMENA What the object of my hate or of my anger Roderigo's or my Fathers murderer From this or that I must expect a husband Dy'd in the bloud of him I held most deare I feare the issue worse than any death Goe vengeance or my love that troublest me Thou hast not sweets I 'me sure to make me amends And thou the powerfull mover of that fate Which does me all this violence determine This Combat equally without advantage That neither be the Victor or the Vanquisht ELVIRA That were to handle you with too much cruelty If when the fight were done you should be bound A new to demand justice and neare leave With rigour to pursue the man you love No it were better that his unmatch'd valour Should get him victory and silence you And that the King according to his law Should force you to comply with your owne wishes CIMENA Doest thinke though he be Conquerour that I will Yeeld my selfe his my duty is too strong And my losse over great He may o'recome Don Sancho easily but not so soone The glory of Cimena Though a Monarch Have promis'd me unto his victory Mine honour rather than I 'le be his prize Shall raise him up a thousand enemies ELVIRA Take heed lest heav'n for this strange pride of yours Suffer you not to be reveng'd at all What meane you to refuse this happinesse That you may when you please sit down with honour What is 't you would pretend what can you hope Will your Lovers death restore your Father to you Or is your Fathers death so small a mischiefe That you 'd heape up losse on losse griefe upon griefe Well doe continue in this stubborne humour You scarce deserve the man they 'ave destin'd for ye And heaven being weary of its too much favour In stead of him will wed you to Don Sancho CIMENA The griefes Elvira I sustaine already Need not thy fatall augury to augment 'um I would if possible avoid them both If not Roderigo has my best of wishes Not that my love inclines me more to him But lest he fayling I should be Don Sancho's The thought of that makes me to wish him well What 's this Elvira See 't is done already SCENE IV. D. SANCHO CIMENA ELVIRA D. SANCHO AT your feet Madame I present this sword CIMENA What that yet reaking with Roderigo's bloud Traytor how dar'st thou come into my sight When thou hast ravish'd from me all
bloud but taste the sweetnesse of My death and your revenge without resistance CIMENA Aye me RODERIGO Heare me Cimena CIMENA I dye RODERIGO A word CIMENA Away and let me dye RODERIGO And afterwards Make me no answer but with this my sword CIMENA That sword be smear'd with th' bloud of my dead father RODERIGO My Cimena CIMENA Fye take away that object Which to myne eyes upbraids thy crime and life RODERIGO Looke on it rather to increase thy hate T' excite thine anger and to speed my death CIMENA 'T is dy'd in my owne bloud RODERIGO Plunge it in mine And make it lose the colour so of thine CIMENA What cruelty is this which in one day Father and daughter both deprives of life One by the sword the other by the sight Remove that object of my hate thy sword Thou would'st be heard of her thou mean'st to kill RODERIGO I doe obey yet with the same desire To dye by thee For from my affection Never expect a cowardly repentance Of a good action the box o' th eare Thy father gave dishonor'd mine thou know'st How home that touches any man of spirit I shar'd in the affront and went to seeke The Author having found him I reveng'd Mine and my fathers honor wer 't to doe Againe I 'de do 't yet thinke not but thy love Held out against my father and my selfe A combat long enough and made me doubt Whether I should displease thee or sit down By th' injury receav'd I held my hand And blam'd my selfe for too much violence And without doubt thy beauty had o're sway'd Had I not cast in ballance that a man Dishonor'd never could be worthy thee That she who lov'd me when my fame stood cleare Would hate me stain'd with infamy 'T is true I did thee an affront and 't is as true I ought to doe it both to save my honor And merit thee But having thus acquitted My father and my selfe 't is onely you That I now come to satisfie and make A present of my bloud I know the thought Of a slaine father armes thy hate against mee Nor will I rob thee of thy sacrifice Here offer to the blood already shed The blood of him that glories to have shed it CIMENA True Roderigo though thine enemy That thou did'st shun disgrace I cannot blame thee And whatsoever face my griefes put on I not accuse thee but my owne misfortune I know what honour after such an out rage Demaund's of any brave and generous spirit Thou did'st thy duty but in doeing it Thou taught'st me mine The same regard thou had'st To vindicate thine owne and fathers honor Fall's now one me and the more t' afflict me Of thee I must require what I have lost It is thy interest makes me despaire Had any other hand or sad missortune Depriv'd me of my father I had found My comfort in thy sight the onely charme Against my griefes When by so deare a hand My teares had beene wip'd off but now I must Lose him and thee too and what 's more cruell I 'me bound my selfe to labour thy destruction For never looke from my affection The least resentment for thy punishment For though our love would speak in favour of thee Mine honour yet must goe as high as thine Thou in my wrong shewd'st thy selfe worthy me I in thy death will appeare worthy thee RODERIGO Never deferre then longer what your honour Requires of you It demands my head To stay till justice give 't you will delay As well your glory as my punishment I shall die happy dying by your hand CIMENA Away I 'me thy accuser not thy heads-man Is 't fit for me to take the head thou offer'st 'T is of another that I must obtaine it I must pursue thy crime not punish it RODERIGO Though love speake to thee in my favour yet The brav'ry of thy minde ought to answer mine Which trust me my Cimena cannot be If to revenge thou borrow'st other hands For my revenge I us'd none but my owne And thou for thine must use thy hand alone CIMENA Cruell to be so obstinate in this If without helpe thou did'st revenge thy selfe Why do'st thou offer 't me I 'le follow thee My courage is too great to let thee beare The least part in my glory neither shall Mine or my fathers honour stoop so low As to thy love or thy despaire to owe RODERIGO Hard point of honour can I by no way Obtaine this grace punish me in the name Of thy dead father or our dearest love Either do 't in revenge or else in pity 'T will to thy lover prove a gentler fate To die thus by thy hand than to live with thy hate CIMENA Away I hate thee not RODERIGO Thou ought'st to hate me CIMENA I can't RODERIGO But fear'st thou not the blame and scandall Which men will raise when they shall know my crime And the continuance of thy love no rather Force 'um to silence and without more words By my death give thy reputation life CIMENA It will live better if I let thee live I 'le ha' the voice of the most blacke mouth'd envie Admire my glory and pitty my hard sufferings When they shall know that though I love thy person I prosecute thy crime Goe Roderigo And let the darknesse of the night conceale Thy parting hence mine honour cannot runne A greater hazzard than if men shall know That I have kept thee company so long RODERIGO 'T is death to heare this CIMENA Away RODERIGO But what are you resolv'd to doe CIMENA Spight of this loving fire which would restraine That of my anger I shall doe my best To have full vengeance for my fathers death And yet in spight of this so cruell honor My desire is to have my desires crost RODERIGO O miracle of love CIMENA But heap'd with griefes RODERIGO How many teares will these our fathers cost us CIMENA Who would ha' thought it Roderigo Who RODERIGO Cimena would ha' said it CIMENA That our joyes Should be so nigh us and so quickly lost RODERIGO And that so neere the Port a suddaine storme Should shipwrack all our hopes CIMENA Goe Roderigo And thinke I cannot dare not heare thee longer RODERIGO I goe then to draw out a dying life Till thy pursuit shall bring it to an end CIMENA If I obtaine th' effect I sadly vow Not to draw breath one minute after thee Adieu and have a care thou be not seene SCENE V. D. DIEGO D. RODERIGO D. DIEGO AT length I see what all my industry Could not effect chance offers to me this Must be my Sonne Roderigo blest be Heaven That gives me leave to see thee RODERIGO Ay me D. DIEGO Doe not confound my joyes with these sad accents But give me leave to praise thy early Valour Which shewes the noble stock from which thou sprang'st The first stroke of thy sword has equall'd all That mine could doe and thy brave youthfull spirit Has reach'd the glory of thy Ancestors
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
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
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