is this A man hangd vp and all the murderers gone And in my bower to lay the guilt on me This place was made for pleasure not for death He cuts him downe Those garments that he weares I oft haue seene Alas it is Horatio my sweet sonne O no but he that whilome was my sonne O was it thou that call'dst me from my bed O speak if any sparke of life remaine I am thy father who hath slaine my sonne What sauadge monster not of humane kinde Hath heere beene glutted with thy harmeles blood And left thy bloudie corpes dishonoured heere For me amidst this darke and deathfull shades To drowne thee with an ocean of my teares O heauens why made you night to couer sinue By day this deed of darkenes had not beene O earth why didst thou not in time deuoure The vilde prophaner of this sacred bower O poore Horatio what hadst thou misdoone To leese thy life ere life was new begun O wicked butcher what so ere thou wert How could thou strangle vertue and desert Ay me most wretched that haue lost my ioy In leesing my Horatio my sweet boy Enter Isabell Isa. My husbands absence makes my hart to throb Hieronimo Hiero. Heere Isabella helpe me to lament For sighes are stopt and all my teares are spent Isa. What world of griefe my sonne Horatio O where 's the author of this endles woe Hiero. To know the author were some ease of greefe For in reuenge my hart would finde releefe Isa. Then is he gone and is my sonne gone too O gush out teares fountains and flouds of teares Blow sighes and raise an euerlasting storme For outrage fits our cursed wretchednes Hiero. Sweet louely Rose ill pluckt before thy time Faire worthy sonne not conquerd but betraid I le kisse thee now for words with teares are stainde Isa. And I le close vp the glasses of his sight For once these eyes were onely my delight Hiero. Seest thou this handkercher besmerd with blood It shall not from me till I take reuenge Seest thou those wounds that yet are bleeding fresh I le not intombe them till I haue reueng'd Then will I ioy amidst my discontent Till then my sorrow neuer shal be spent Isa. The heauens are iust murder cannot be hid Time is the author both of truth and right And time will bring this trecherie to light Hiero. Meane while good Isabella cease thy plaints Or at the least dissemble them a while So shall we sooner finde the practise out And learne by whom all this was brought about Come Isabell now let vs take him vp They take him vp And beare him in from out this cursed place I le say his dirge singing fits not this case O aliquis mihi quas pulcbrum var educet herbas Hiero sets his brest vnto his sword Misceat nostro detur medicina dolori Aut siquifaciunt annum oblimia succos Prebeat ipse metum magnam quicunque per orbem Gramina Sol pulcbras effecit inluminis oras Ipse bibam quicquid meditatur saga veneri Quicquid irrani euecaca menia nectit Omnia perpetiar letbum quoque dum semel omnis Noster in extincto moriatur pectora sensus Ergo tuos occulos nunquam mea vita videbo Et tua perpetuus sepeliuit lumina somnus Emoriar tecum Sic sic iuuat Ire sub vmbras Attamen absistam proper 〈…〉 Ne mortem vindicta tuam iam nulla sequatur Heere he throwes it from him and beares the body away Andrea Broughtst thou me hether to increase my paine I lookt that Balthazar should haue been slaine But t is my freend Horatis that is slaine And they abuse faire Bel-imperia Or whom I doted more then all the world Because she lou'd me more then all the world Reuenge Thou talkest of haruest when the corne is greene The end is crowne of euery worke well done The Sickle comes not till the corne be ripe Be still and ere I lead thee from this place I le shew thee Balthazar in heauy case Actus Tertius Enter Viceroy of Portingale Nobles Alexandro Villuppo Viceroy INfortunate condition of Kings Seated amidst so many helpeles doubts First we are plast vpon extreamest height And oft supplanted with exceeding heat But euer subiect to the wheele of chance And at our highest never ioy we so As we both doubt and dread our ouerthrow So striueth not the waues with sundry winds As fortune toyleth in the affaires of kings That would be feard yet feare to be beloued Sith feare or loue to Kings is flatteries For instance Lordings look vpon your King By hate depriued of his dearest sonne The onely hope of our succes successive line Nob. I had not thought that Alexandros hart Had beene enuenomde with such extreame hate But now I see that words haue seuerall workes And there 's no credit in the countenance Vil. No for my Lord had you behelde the traine That fained loue had coloured in his lookes When he in campe consorted Belthazar Farre more inconstant had you thought the Sunne That howerly coasts the center of the earth Then Alexandros purpose to the Prince Vice No more Villuppo thou hast said enough And with thy words thou slaiest our wounded thoughts Nor shall I longer dally with the world Procrastinating Alexandros death Goe some of you and fetch the traitor forth That as he is condemned he may dye Enter Alexandro with a Noble man and Halberts Nob. In such extreames will nought but patience serue Alex. But in extreames what patience shall I vse Nor discontents it me to leaue the world With whome there nothing can preuaile but wrong Nob. Yet hope the best Alex. T is Heauen is my hope As for the earth it is too much infect To yeeld me hope of any of her mould Vice Why linger ye bring forth that daring feend And let him die for his accursed deed Alex. Not that I feare the extremitie of death For Nobles cannot stoop to seruile feare Doo I O King thus discontented liue But this O this torments my labouring soule That thus I die suspected of a sinne Whereof as heauens haue knowne my secret thoughts So am I free from this suggestion Vice No more I say to the tortures when Binde him and burne his body in those flames They binde him to the stake That shall prefigure those vnquenched fiers Of Phlegiton prepared for his soule Alex. My guiltles death will be aueng'd on thee On thee Villuppo that hath malisde thus Or for thy meed hast falsely me accusde Vil. Nay Alexandro if thou menace me I le lend a hand to send thee to the lake Where those thy words shall perish with thy workes Iniurious traitour monstrous homicide Enter Embassadour Stay hold a while and heer with pardon of his Maiestie Lay hands vpon Villuppo Vice Embassadour what news hath vrg'd this sodain entrance Em. Know soueraigne L. that Balthazar doth liue Vice What saiest thou liueth Balthazar our sonne Em. Your highnes sonne L. Balthazar doth
liue And well intreated in the Court of Spaine Humbly commends him to your Maiestie These eies beheld and these my followers With these the letters of the Kings commends Giues him Letters Are happie witnesses of his highnes health The King lookes on the letters and proceeds Vice Thy sonne doth liue your tribute is receiu'd Thy peace is made and we are satisfied The rest resolue vpon as things proposde For both our honors and thy benefite Em. These are his highnes farther articles He giues him more Letters Vice Accursed wretch to intimate these ills Against the life and reputation Of noble Alexandro come my Lord vnbinde him Let him vnbinde thee that is bound to death To make a quitall for thy discontent They vnbinde him Alex. Dread Lord in kindenes you could do no lesse Vpon report of such a damned fact But thus we see our innocence hath sau'd The hopeles life which thou Villuppo sought By thy suggestions to haue massacred Vice Say false Villuppo wherefore didst thou thus Falsly betray Lord Alexandros life Him whom thou knowest that no vnkindenes els But euen the slaughter of our deerest sonne Could once haue moued vs to haue misconceaued Alex. Say trecherous Villuppo tell the King Or wherein hath Alexandro vsed thee ill Vil. Rent with remembrance of so foule a deed My guiltie soule submits me to thy doome For not for Alexandros iniuries But forreward and hope to be preferd Thus haue I shamelesly hazarded his life Vice which villaine shal be ransomed with thy deeth And not so meane a torment as we heere Deuisde for him who thou saidst slew our sonne But with the bitterest torments and extreames That may be yet inuented for thine end Alex. seemes to intreat Intreat me not goe take the traitor hence Exit Vil. And Alexandro let vs honor thee With publique notice of thy loyaltie To end those things articulated heere By our great L the mightie king of Spaine We with our councell will deliberate Come Alexandro keepe vs company Exeunt Enter Hieronimo Hiero. Oh eies no eies but fountains fraught with teares Oh life no life but liuely fourme of death Oh world no world but masse of publique wrongs Confusde and filde with murder and misdeeds Oh sacred heauens if this vnhallowed deed If this inhumane and barberous attempt If this incomparable murder thus Of mine but now no more my sonne Shall vnreueald and vnreuenged passe How should we tearme your dealings to be iust If you vniustly deale with those that in your iustice trust The night sad secretary to my mones With direfull visions wake my vexed soule And with the wounds of my distresfull sonne Solicite me for notice of his death The ougly feends do sally forth of hell And frame my steps to vnfrequented paths And feare my hart with fierce inflamed thoughts The cloudie day my discontents records Early begins to regester my dreames And driue me forth to seeke the murtherer Eies life world heauens hel night and day See search shew send some man Some meane that may A Letter falleth What 's heere a letter tush it is not so A Letter written to Hieronimo Red incke Bel. For want of incke receiue this bloudie writ Me hath my haples brother hid from thee Reuenge thy selfe on Balthazar and him For these were they that murdred thy Sonne Hieronimo reuenge Horatios death And better fare then Bel-imperia doth Hiero What meanes this vnexpected miracle My Sonne slaine by Lorenzo and the Prince What cause had they Horatio to maligne Or what might mooue thee Bel-imperia To accuse thy brother had he beene the meane Hieronimo beware thou art betraide And to intrap thy life this traine is laide Aduise thee therefore be not credulous This is deuised to endanger thee That thou by this Lorenzo shouldst accuse And he for thy dishonour done should draw Thy life in question and thy name in hate Deare was the life of my beloued Sonne And of his death behoues me be reueng'd Then hazard not thine owne Hieronimo But liue t' effect thy resolution I therefore will by circumstances trie What I can gather to confirme this writ And harkning neere the Duke of Castiles house Close if I can with Belimperia To listen more but nothing to bewray Enter Pedringano Hiero. Now Pedringano Ped. Now Hieronimo Hiero. Where 's thy Lady Ped. I know not heer 's my Lord Enter Lorenzo Lor. How now whos 's this Hieronimo Hiero. My Lord Ped. He asketh for my Lady Bel-imperia Lor. What to doo Hieronimo The Duke my father hath Vpon some disgrace a while remoou'd her hence But if it be ought I may enforme her of Tell me Hieronimo and I le let her know it Hiero. Nay nay my Lord I thank you it shall not need I had a sute vnto her but too late And her disgrace makes me vnfortunate Lor. Why so Hieronimo vse me Hiero. Oh no my Lord I dare not it must not be I humbly thank your Lordship Lor. Why then farewell Hiero. My griefe no hart my thoughts no tung can tell Exit Lor. Come hither Pedringano seest thou this Ped. My Lord I see it and suspect it too Lor. This is that damned villain Serberine That hath I feare reuealde Horatios death Ped. My Lord he could not t was so lately done And since he hath not lest my company Lor. Admit he haue not his conditions such As feare of flattering words may make him false I know his humour and there with repent That ere I vsde him in this enterprise But Pedringano to preuent the worst And cause I know thee secret as my soule Heere for thy further satisfaction take thou this Giues him more golde And harken to me thus it is deuisde This night thou must and prethee so resolue Meet Serberine at S. Liugis Parke Thou knowest t is heere hard by behinde the house There take thy stand and see thou strike him sure For dye he must if we do meane to liue Ped. But how shall Serberine be there my Lord Lor. Let me alone I le send to him to meet The Prince and me where thou must doe this deed Ped. It shal be done my L. it shall be done And I le goe arme my selfe to meet him there Lor. When things shall alter as I hope they wil Then shalt thou mount for this thou knowest my minde Exit Ped. Che le Ieron Enter Page Page My Lord Lor. Goe sirra to Serberine and bid him forthwith Meet the Prince and me at S. Liugis Parke Behinde the house this euening boy Page I goe my Lord But sirra let the houre be eight a clocke Bid him not faile Page I flye my Lord Exit Lor. Now to confirme the complot thou hast cast Of all these practises I le spread the watch Vpon precise commandement from the king Strongly to guard the place where Pedringano This night shall murder haples Serberine Thus must we worke that will auoide distrust Thus must we practise to preuent mishap And thus one ill another must expulse
ouer spread the purple plaine In all this turmoyle three long hovres and more The victory to neither part inclinde Till Don Andrea with his braue Launciers In their maine battell made so great a breach That halfe dismaid the multitude retirde But Balthazar the Portingales young Prince Brought rescue and encouragde them to stay Heere-hence the fight was eagerly renewd And in that conflict was Andrea slaine Braue man at armes but weake to Balthazar Yet while the Prince insulting ouer him Breathd out proud vaunts sounding to our reproch Friendship and hardie valour ioynd in one Prickt forth Horatio our Knight Marshals sonne To challenge forth that Prince in single fight Not long betweene these twaine the fight indurde But straight the Prince was beaten from his horse And forcd to yeeld him prisoner to his foe When he was taken all the rest they fled And our Carbines pursued them to the death Till Phoebus wauing to the western deepe Our Trumpeters were chargde to sound retreat King Thanks good L. Generall for these good newes And for some argument of more to come Take this and weare it for thy soueraignes sake Giue him his chaine But tell me now hast thou confirmd a peace Gen. No peace my Liege but peace conditionall That if with homage tribute be well paid The fury of your forces wil be staide And to this peace their Viceroy hath subscribde Giue the K. a paper And made a solemne vow that during life His tribute shal be truely paid to Spaine King These words these deeds become thy person wel But now Knight Marshall frolike with thy King For t is thy Sonne that winnes this battels prize Hiero. Long may he liue to serue my soueraigne liege And soone decay vnlesse he serue my liege A tucket a farre off King Not thou nor he shall dye without reward What meanes this warning of this trumpets sound Gen. This tels me that your graces men of warre Such as warres fortune hath reseru'd from death Come marching on towards your royall seate To show themselues before your Maiestie For so I gaue in charge at my depart Whereby by demonstration shall appeare That all except three hundred or few more Are safe returnd and by their foes inricht The Armie enters Balthazar betweene Lorenzo and Horatio captiue King A gladsome sight I long to see them heere They enter and passe by Was that the warlike Prince of Portingale That by our Nephew was in triumph led Gen. It was my Liege the Prince of Portingale King But what was he that on the other side Held him by th' arme as partner of the prize Hiero. That was my sonne my gratious soueraigne Of whome though from his tender infancie My louing thoughts did neuer hope but well He neuer pleasd his fathers eyes till now Nor fild my hart with ouercloying ioyes King Goe let them march once more about these walles That staying them we may conferre and talke With our braue prisoner and his double guard Hieronimo it greatly pleaseth vs That in our victorie thou haue a share By vertue of thy worthy sonnes exploit Enter againe Bring hether the young Prince of Portingale The rest martch on but ere they be dismist We will bestow on euery souldier two duckets And on euery leader ten that they may know Our largesse welcomes them Exeunt all but Bal. Lor. Hor Welcome Don Balthazar welcome Nephew And thou Horatio thou art welcome too Young Prince although thy fathers hard misdeedes In keeping backe the tribute that he owes Deserue but euill measure at our hands Yet shalt thou know that Spaine is honorable Balt. The trespasse that my Father made in peace Is now controlde by fortune of the warres And cards once dealt it bootes not aske why so His men are slaine a weakening to his Realme His colours ceaz'd a blot vnto his name His Sonne distrest a corsiue to his hart These punishments may cleare his late offence King I Balthazar if he obserue this truce Our peace will grow the stronger for these warres Meane while liue thou though not in libertie Yet free from bearing any seruile yoake For in our hearing thy deserts were great And in our sight thy selfe art gratious Balt. And I shall studie to deserue this grace King But tell me for their holding makes me doubt To which of these twaine art thou prisoner Lor. To me my Liege Hor. To me my Soueraigne Lor. This hand first tooke his courser by the raines Hor. But first my launce did put him from his horse Lor. ceaz'd his weapon and enioyde it first Hor. But first I forc'd him lay his weapons downe King Let goe his arme vpon our priuiledge Let him goe Say worthy Prince to whether didst thou yeeld Balt. To him in curtesie to this perforce He spake me faire this other gaue me strokes He promisde life this other threatned death He wan my loue this other conquerd me And truth to say I yeeld my selfe to both Hiero. But that I knaw your grace for iust and wise And might seeme partiall in this difference Inforct by nature and by law of armes My tongue should plead for young Horatios right He hunted well that was a Lyons death Not he that in a garment wore his skin So Hares may pull dead Lyons by the beard King Content thee Marshall thou shalt haue no wrong And for thy sake thy Sonne shall want no right Will both abide the censure of my doome Lor. I craue no better then your grace awards Hor. Nor I although I sit beside my right King Then by my iudgement thus your strife shall end You both deserue and both shall haue reward Nephew thou tookst his weapon and his horse His weapons and his horse are thy reward Horatio thou didst force him first to yeeld His ransome therefore is thy valours fee Appoint the sum as you shall both agree But Nephew thou shalt haue the Prince in guard For thine estate best fitteth such a guest Horatios house were small for all his traine Yet in regarde thy substance passeth his And that iust guerdon may befall desert To him we yeeld the armour of the Prince How likes Don Balthazar of this deuice Balt. Right well my Liege if this prouizo were That Don Horatio beare vs company Whome I admire and loue for chiualrie King Horatio leaue him not that loues thee so Now let vs hence to see our souldiers paide And feast our prisoner as our friendly guest Exeunt Enter Viceroy Alexandro Villuppo Vice Is our embassadour dispatcht for Spaine Alex. Two daies my Liege are past since his depart Vice And tribute paiment gone along with him Alex. I my good Lord Vice Then rest we heere a while in our vnrest And feed our sorrowes with some inward sighes For deepest cares break neuer into teares But wherefore sit I in a Regall throne This better fits a wretches endles moane Yet this is higher then my fortunes reach And therefore better then my state deserues Falles to the ground I