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
burne the roots from whence the rest is sprung I will not leaue a root a stalke a tree A bowe a branch a blossome nor a leafe No not an hearb within this garden Plot Accursed complot of my miserie Fruitlesse for euer may this garden be Barren the earth and blislesse whosoeuer Immagines not to keep it vnmanurde An Easterne winde comixt with noisome aires Shall blast the plants and the yong saplings The earth with Serpents shal be pestered be And passengers for feare to be infect Shall stand aloofe and looking at it tell There murdred dide the sonne of Isabell I heere he dide and heere I him imbrace See where his Ghoast solicites with his wounds Reuenge on her that should reuenge his death Hieronimo make haste to see thy sonne For sorrow and dispaire hath scited me To heare Horatio plead with Radamant Make haste Hieronimo to holde excusde Thy negligence in pursute of their deaths Whose hatefull wrath bereu'd him of his breath Ah nay thou dost delay their deaths Forgiues the murderers of thy noble sonne And none but I bestirre me to no end And as I cursse this tree from further fruit So shall my wombe be cursed for his sake And with this weapon will I wound the brest The haples brest that gaue Horatio suck She stabs her selfe Enter Hieronimo he knocks vp the curtaine Enter the Duke of Castile Cas. How now Hieronimo where 's your fellows That you take all this paine Hiero. O sir it is for the Authors credit To look that all things may goe well But good my Lord let me intreat your grace To giue the King the coppie of the plaie This is the argument of what we shew Cas, I will Hieronimo Hiero. One thing more my good Lord Cas. What 's that Hiero. Let me intreat your grace That when the traine are past into the gallerie You would vouchsafe to throwe me downe the key Cas. I will Hieronimo Exit Cas. Hiero. What are you ready Balthazar Bring a chaire and a cushion for the King Enter Balthazar with a Chaire Well doon Balthazar hang vp the title Our scene is Rhodes what is your beard on Bal. Halfe on the other is in my hand Hiero. Dispatch for shame are you so long Exit Balthazar Bethink thy selfe Hieronimo Recall thy wits recompt thy former wrongs Thou hast receiued by murder of thy sonne And lastly not least how Isabell Once his mother and thy deerest wife All woe begone for him hath slaine her selfe Behoues thee then Hieronimo to be reueng'd The plot is laide of dire reuenge On then Hieronimo pursue reuenge For nothing wants but acting of reuenge Exit Hieronimo Enter Spanish King Vice-roy the Duke of Castile and their traine King Now Viceroy shall we see the Tragedie Of Soliman the Turkish Emperour Performde of pleasure by your Sonne the Prince My Nephew Don Lorenzo and my Neece Vice Who Bel-imperia King I and Hieronimo our Marshall At whose request they deine to doo 't themselues These be our pastimes in the Court of Spaine Heere brother you shall be the booke-keeper This is the argument of that they shew He giueth him a booke Gentlemen this play of Hieronimo in sundrie Languages was thought good to be set downe in English more largely for the easier vnderstanding to euery publique Reader Enter Balthazar Bel-imperia and Hieronimo Balthazar BAshaw that Rhodes is ours yeeld heauens the honor And holy Mahomet our sacred Prophet And be thou grac't with euery excelence That Soliman can giue or thou desire But thy desert in conquering Rhodes is lesse Then in reseruing this faire Christian Nimph Perseda blisfull lamp of Excellence Whose eies compell like powerfull Adamant The warlike heart of Soliman to wait King See Vice-Roy that is Balthazar your Sonne That represents the Emperour Solyman How well he acts his amorous passion Vice I Bel-imperia hath taught him that Castile That 's because his mind tunnes all on Bel-imperia Hiero. What euer ioy earth yeelds betide your Meiestie Balt. Earth yeelds no ioy without Persedaes loue Hiero. Let then Perseda on your grace attend Balt. She shall not wait on me but I on her Drawne by the influence of her lights I yeeld But let my friend the Rhodian knight come foorth Erasto dearer then my life to me That he may see Perseda my beloued Enter Erasto King Heere comes Lorenzo looke vp on the plot And tel me brother what part plaies he Bel. Ah my Erasto welcome to Perseda Lo. Thrice happie is Erasto that thou liuest Rhodes losse is nothing to Erastoes ioy Sith his Perseda liues his life suruiues Balt. Ah Bashaw heere is loue betweene Erasto And faire Perseda soueraigne of my soule Hiero. Remooue Erasto mighty Solyman And then Perseda will be quickly wonne Balt. Erasto is my friend and while he liues Perseda neuer will remooue her loue Hiero. Let not Erasto liue to greeue great Soliman Balt. Deare is Erasto in our Princly eye Hiero. But if he be your riuall let him die Balt. VVhy let him die so loue commaundeth me Yet greeue I that Erasto should so die Hiero. Erasto Solyman saluteth thee And lets thee wit by me his highnes will VVhich is thou shouldst be thus imploid Stab him Bel. Ay me Erasto see Solyman Erastoe 's slaine Balt. Yet liueth Solyman to comfort thee Faire Queene of beautie let not fauour die But with a gratious eye beholde his griefe That with Persedaes beautie is encreast If by Persedaes griefe be not releast Bel. Tyrant desist soliciting vaine sutes Relentles are mine eares to thy laments As thy butcher is pittilesse and base VVhich seazd on my Erasto harmelesse knight Yet by thy power thou thinkest to commaund And to thy power Perseda doth obey But were she able thus she would reuenge Thy treacheries on thee ignoble Prince Stab him And on herselfe she would be thus reuengd Stab herselfe King VVell said olde Marshal this was brauely done Hiero. But Bel-imperia plaies Perseda well Vice were this in earnest Bel-imperia You would be better to my Sonne then so King But now what followes for Hieronimo Hiero Marrie this followes for Hieronimo Heere breake we off our sundrie languages And thus conclude I in our vulgare tung Happely you think but bootles are your thoughts That this is fabulously counterfeit And that we doo as all Tragedians doo To die to day for fashioning our scene The death of Aiax or some Romaine peere And in a minute starting vp againe Reuiue to please to morrowes audience No Princes know I am Hieronimo The hopeles Father of a haples Sonne Whose tung is tun'd to tell his latest tale Not to excuse grosse errors in the play I see your lookes vrge instance of these words Beholde the reason vrging me to this Shewes his dead sonne See heere my shew look on this spectacle Heere lay my hope and heere my hope hath end Heere lay my hart and heere my hart was slaine Heere lay my treasure heere my treasure lost Heere lay my blisse and heere
my blisse bereft But hope hart treasure ioy and blisse All fled faild died yea all decaide with this From forth these wounds came breath that gaue me life They murdred me that made these fatall markes The cause was loue whence grew this mortall hate The hate Lorenzo and yong Balthazar The loue my sonne to Bel-imperia But night the couerer of accursed crimes With pitchie silence husht these traitors harmes And lent them leaue for they had sorted leasure To take aduantage in my Garden plot Vpon my Sonne my deere Horatio There mercilesse they butcherd vp my boy In black darke night to pale dim cruell death He shrikes I heard and yet me thinks I heare His dismall out-cry eccho in the aire With soonest speed I hasted to the noise Where hanging on a tree I found my sonne Through girt with wounds and slaughtred as you see And greeued I think you at this spectacle Speak Calabrian whose losse resembles mine If thou canst weep vpon thy Balthazar T is like I wailde for my Horatio And you my L. whose reconciled sonne Marcht in a net and thought him selfe vnseene And rated me for brainsicke lunacie With God amend that mad Hieronimo How can you brook our plaies catastrophe And heere beholde this bloudie hand-kercher Which at Horatios death I weeping dipt Within the riuer of his bleeding wounds It as propitious see I haue reserued And neuer hath it left my bloody hart Soliciting remembrance of my vow With these O these accursed murderers Which now perform'd my hart is satisfied And to this end the Bashaw I became That might reuenge me on Lorenzos life Who therefore was appointed to the part And was to represent the Knight of Rhodes That I might kill him more conueniently So Vice-roy was this Balthazar thy Sonne That Soliman which Bel-imperia In person of Perseda murdered Solie appointed to that tragicke part That she might slay him that offended her Poore Bel-imperia mist her part in this For though the story saith she should haue died Yet I of kindenes and of care to her Did otherwise determine of her end But loue of him whom they did hate too much Did vrge her resolution to be such And Princes now beholde Hieronimo Author and actor in this Tragedie Bearing his latest fortune in his fist And will as resolute conclude his parte As any of the Actors gone before And Gentles thus I end my play Vrge no more words I haue no more to say He runs to hang himselfe King O hearken Vice-roy holde Hieronimo Brother my Nephew and thy Sonne are slaine Vice We are betraide my Balthazar is slaine Breake ope the doores runne saue Hieronimo Hieronimo doe but enforme the King of these euents Ypon mine honour thou shalt haue no harme Hiero. Vice-roy I will not trust thee with my life Which I this day haue offered to my Sonne Accursed wretch why staiest thou him that was resolued to die King Speak traitor damned bloudy murderer speak For now I haue thee I will make thee speak Why hast thou done this vndeseruing deed Vice Why hast thou murdered my Balthazar Cas. Why hast thou butchered both my children thus Hiero. O good words as deare to me was my Horatio As yours or yours or yours my L. to you My guiltles Sonne was by Lorenzo slaine And by Lorenzo and that Balthazar Am I at last reuenged thorowly Vpon whose soules may heauens be yet auenged With greater far then these afflictions Cas. But who were thy confederates in this Vice That was thy daughter Bel-imperia For by her hand my Balthazar was slaine I saw her stab him King Why speakest thou not Hiero. What lesser libertie can Kings affoord Then harmeles silence then affoord it me Sufficeth I may not nor I will not tell thee King Fetch forth the tortures Traitor as thou art I le make thee tell Hiero. Indeed thou maiest torment me as his wretched Sonne Hath done in murdring my Horatio But neuer shalt thou force me to reueale The thing which I haue vowd inuiolate And therefore in despight of all thy threats Pleasde with their deaths and easde with their reuenge First take my tung and afterwards my hart King O monstrous resolution of a wretch See Vice-roy hee hath bitten foorth his tung Rather then to reueale what we requirde Cas Yet can he write King And if in this he satisfie vs not We will deuise th e'xtreamest kinde of death That euer was inuented for a wretch Then he makes signes for a knife to mend his pen Cas. O he would haue a knife to mend his Pen Vice Heere and aduise thee that thou write the troth Looke to my brother saue Hieronimo He with a knife stabs the Duke and himselfe King What age hath euer heard such monstrous deeds My brother and the whole succeeding hope That Spaine expected after my discease Go beare his body hence that we may mourne The losse of our beloued brothers death That he may be entom'd what ere befall I am the next the neerest last of all Vice And thou Don Pedro do the like for vs Take vp our haples sonne vntimely slaine Set me with him and he with wofull me Vpon the maine mast of a ship vnmand And let the winde and tide hall me along To Sallas barking and vntamed greefe Or to the loth some poole of Acheron To weepe my want for my sweet Balthazar Spaine hath no refuge for a Portingale The Trumpets sound a dead march the King of Spaine mourning after his brothers body and the King of Portingale bearing the body of his Sonne Enter Ghoast and Reuenge Ghoast I now my hopes haue end in their effects When blood and sorrow finnish my desires Horatio murdered in his Fathers bower Vilde Serberine by Pedringano slaine False Pedringano hangd by quaint deuice Faire Isabella by her selfe misdone Prince Balthazar by Bel-imperia stabd The Duke of Castile and his wicked Sonne Both done to death by olde Hieronimo My Bel-imperia falne as Dido fell And good Hieronimo slaine by himselfe I these were spectacles to please my soule Now will I beg at louely Proserpine That by the vertue of her Princely doome I may consort my freends in pleasing sort And on my foes worke iust and sharpe reuenge I le lead my freend Horatio through those feeldes Where neuer dying warres are still inurde I le lead faire Isabella to that traine Where pittie weepes but neuer feeleth paine I le lead my Bel-imperia to those ioyes That vestal Virgins and faire Queenes possesse I le lead Hieronimo where Orpheus plaies Adding sweet pleasure to eternall daies But say Reuenge for thou must helpe or none Against the rest how shall my hate be showne Reuenge This hand shall hale them down to deepest hell Where none but furies bugs and tortures dwell Ghoast Then sweet Reuenge doo this at my request Let me be iudge and doome them to vnrest Let loose poore Titius from the vultures gripe And let Don Ciprian supply his roome Place Don Lorenzo on Ixions wheele And let the louers endles paines surcease Iuno forgets olde wrath and graunts him ease Hang Balthazar about Chineras neck And let him there bewaile his bloudy loue Repining at our ioyes that are aboue Let Serberine goe roule the fatall stone And take from Siciphus his endles mone False Pedringano for his trecherie Let him be dragde through boyling Acheron And there liue dying still in endles flames Blaspheming Gods and all their holy names Reuenge Then haste we downe to meet thy freends and foes To place thy freends in ease the rest in woes For heere though death hath end their miserie I le there begin their endles Tragedie Exeunt FINIS
I this earth Image of mellancholly Seeks him whome fates adiudge to miserie Heere let me lye now am I at the lowest Qvi iacet in terranon habet vnde cadat In me consumpsit vires fortunanocendo Nil superest vt iam possit obesse magis Yes Fortune may bereaue me of my Crowne Heere take it now let Fortune doe her worst She will not rob me of this sable weed O no she enuies none but pleasant things Such is the folly of dispightfull chance Fortune is blinde and sees not my deserts So is she deafe and heares not my laments And could she heare yet is she wilfull mad And therefore will not pittie my distresse Suppose that she could pittie me what then What helpe can be expected at her hands Whose foot standing on a rowling stone And minde more mutable then fickle windes Why waile I then where 's hope of no redresse O yes complaining makes my greefe seeme lesse My late ambition hath distaind my faith My breach of faith occasiond bloudie warres Those bloudie warres haue spent my treasure And with my treasure my peoples blood And with their blood my ioy and best beloued My best beloued my sweet and onely Sonne O wherefore went I not to warre my selfe The cause was mine I might haue died for both My yeeres were mellow his but young and greene My death were naturall but his was forced Alex. No doubt my Liege but still the Prince suruiues Vice Suruiues I where Alex. In Spaine a prisoner by mischance of warre Vice Then they haue slaine him for his fathers fault Alex. That were a breach to common law of armes Vice They recke no lawes that meditate reuenge Alex. His ransomes worth will stay from foule reuenge Vice No if he liued the newes would soone be heere Alex. Nay euill newes flie faster still than good Vice Tell me no more of newes for he is dead Villup. My soueraign pardon the Author of ill newes And I le bewray the fortune of thy Sonne Vice Speake on I le guerdon thee what ere it be Mine eare is ready to receiue ill newes My hart growne hard gainst mischiefes battery Stand vp I say and tell thy tale at large Villup. Then heare that truth which these mine eies haue seene When both the armies were in battell ioynd Don Balthazar amidst the thickest troupes To winne renowne did wondrous feats of armes Amongst the rest I saw him hand to hand In single fight with their Lord Generall Till Alexandro that heere counterfeits Vnder the colour of a duteous freend Discharged his Pistoll at the Princes back As though he would haue slaine their Generall But therwithall Don Balthazar fell downe And when he fell then we began to flie But had he liued the day had sure bene ours Alex. O wicked forgerie O traiterous miscreant Vice Holde thou thy peace but now Villuppo say Where then became the carkasse of my Sonne Villup. I saw them drag it to the Spanish tents Vice I I my nightly dreames haue tolde me this Thou false vnkinde vnthankfull traiterous beast Wherein had Balthazar offended thee That thou shouldst thus betray him to our foes Wast Spanish golde that bleared so thine eyes That thou couldst see no part of our deserts Perchance because thou art Terseraes Lord Thou hadst some hope to weare this Diadome If first my Sonne and then my selfe were slaine But thy ambitious thought shall breake thy neck I this was it that made thee spill his bloud Take the crowne and put it on againe But I le now weare it till thy bloud be spilt Alex. Vouchsafe dread Soueraigne to heare me speak Vice A way with him his sight is second hell Keepe him till we determine of his death If Balthazar be dead he shall not liue Villuppo follow vs for thy reward Exit Vice Villup. Thus haue I with an enuious forged tale Deceiued the King betraid mine enemy And hope for guerdon of my villany Exit Enter Horatio and Bel-imperia Bel. Signior Horatio this is the place and houre Wherein I must intreat thee to relate The circumstance of Don Andreas death Who liuing was my garlands sweetest flower And in his death hath buried my delights Hor. For loue of him and seruice to your selfe I nill refuse this heauy dolefull charge Yet teares and sighes I feare will hinder me When both our Armies were enioynd in fight Your worthie chiualier amidst the thikst For glorious cause still aiming at the fairest Was at the last by yong Don Balthazar Encountred hand to hand their fight was long Their harts were great their clamours menacing Their strength alike their strokes both dangerous But wrathfull Nemesis that wicked power Enuying at Andreas praise and worth Cut short his life to end his praise and woorth She she her selfe disguisde in armours maske As Pallas was before proud Pergamus Brought in a fresh supply of Halberdiers Which pauncht his horse and dingd him to the ground Then yong Don Balthazar with ruthles rage Taking aduantage of his foes distresse Did finish what his Halberdiers begun And left not till Andreas life was done Then though too late incenst with iust remorce I with my band set foorth against the Prince And brought him prisoner from his Halberdiers Bel. Would thou hadst slaine him that so slew my loue But then was Don Andreas carkasse lost Hor. No that was it for which I cheefely stroue Nor stept I back till I recouerd him I tooke him vp and wound him in mine armes And welding him vnto my priuate tent There laid him downe and dewd him with my teares And sighed and sorrowed as became a freend But neither freendly sorrow sighes nor teares Could win pale death from his vsurped right Yet this I did and lesse I could not doe I saw him honoured with due funerall This scarfe I pluckt from off his liueles arme And weare it in remembrance of my freend Bel. I know the scarfe would he had kept it still For had he liued he would haue kept it still And worne it for his Bel-imperias sake For t was my fauour at his last depart But now weare thou it both for him and me For after him thou hast deserued it best But for thy kindnes in his life and death Be sure while Bel-imperias life endures She will be Don Horatios thankfull freend Hor. And Madame Don Horatio will not slacke Humbly to serue faire Bel-imperia But now if your good liking stand thereto We craue your pardon to goe seeke the Prince For so the Duke your father gaue me charge Exit Bel. I goe Horatio leaue me heere alone For sollitude best fits my cheereles mood Yet what auailes to waile Andreas death From whence Horatio proues my second loue Had he not loued Andria as he did He could not sit in Bel-imperias thoughts But how can loue finde harbour in my brest Till I reuenge the death of my beloued Yes second loue shall further my reuenge I le loue Horatio my Andreas freend The more to
spight the Prince that wrought his end And where Don Balthazar that slew my loue Himselfe now pleades for fauour at my hands He shall in rigour of my iust disdaine Reape long repentance for his murderous deed For what wa st els but murderous cowardise So many to oppresse one valiant knight Without respect of honour in the fight And heere he comes that murdred my delight Enter Lorenzo and Balthazar Lor. Sister what meanes this melanchollie walke Bel. That for a while I wish no company Lor. But heere the Prince is come to visite you Bel. That argues that he liues in libertie Bal. No Madame but in pleasing seruitude Bel. Your prison then belike is your conceit Bal. I by conceit my freedome is enthralde Bel. Then with conceite enlarge your selfe again Bal. What if conceite haue laid my hart to gage Bel. Pay that you borrowed and recouer it Bal. I die if it returne from whence it lyes Bel. A hartles man and liue A miracle Bal. I Lady loue can worke such miracles Lor. Tush tush my Lord let goe these ambages And in plaine tearmes acquaint her with your loue Bel. What bootes complaint when ther 's no remedy Bal. Yes to your gratious selfe must I complaine In whose faire answere lyes my remedy On whose perfection all my thoughts attend On whose aspect mine eyes finde beauties bowre In whose translucent brest my hart is lodgde Bel. Alas my Lord these are but words of course And but deuise to driue me from this place She in going in lets fall her Gloue which Horatio comming out takes vp Hor. Madame your Gloue Bel. Thanks good Horatio take it for thy paines Bal. Signior Horatio stoopt in happie time Hor. I reapt more grace then I deseru'd or hop'd Lor. My Lord be not dismaid for what is past You know that women oft are humerous These clouds will ouerblow with little winde Let me alone I le scatter them my selfe Meane while let vs deuise to spend the time In some delightfull sports and reuelling Hor. The King my Lords is comming hither straight To feast the Portingall Embassadour Things were in readines before I came Bal. Then heere it fits vs to attend the King To welcome hither our Embassadour And learne my Father and my Countries health Enter the banquet Trumpets the King and Embassadour King See Lord Embassador how Spaine intreats Their prisoner Balthazar thy Viceroyes Sonne We pleasure more in kindenes then in warres Embass. Sad is our King and Portingale laments Supposing that Don Balthazar is slaine Bal. So am I slaine by beauties tirannie You see my Lord how Balthazar is slaine I frolike with the Duke of Castiles Sonne Wrapt euery houre in pleasurs of the Court And graste with fauours of his Maiestie King Put off your greetings till our feast be done Now come and sit with vs and taste our cheere Sit to the banquet Sit downe young Prince you are our second guest Brother sit downe and Nephew take your place Signior Horatio waite thou vpon our cup For well thou hast deserued to be honored Now Lordings fall too Spaine is Portugall And Portugall is Spaine we both are freends Tribute is paid and we enioy our right But where is olde Hieronimo our Marshall He promised vs in honor of our guest To grace our banquet with some pompous iest Enter Hieronimo with a Drum three Knights each his Scutchin then he fetches three Kings they take their Crownes and them captiue Hieronimo this maske contents mine eie Although I sound not well the misterie Hiero. The first arm'd Knight that hung his Scutchin vp He takes the Scutchin and giues it to the King Was English Robert Earle of Glocester Who when king Stephen bore sway in Albion Arriued with fiue and twenty thousand men In Portingale and by successe of warre Enforced the King then but a Sarasin To beare the yoake of the English Monarchie King My Lord of Portingale by this you see That which may comfort both your King and you And make your late discomfort seeme the lesse But say Hieronimo what was the next Hiero. The second Knight that hung his Scutchin vp He doth as he did before Was Edmond Earle of Kent in Albion When English Richard wore the Diadem He came likewise and razed Lisbon walles And tooke the King of Portingale in fight For which and other such like seruice done He after was created Duke of Yorke King This is another speciall argument That Portingale may daine to beare our yoake When it by little England hath beene yoakt But now Hieronimo what were the last Hiero. The third and last not least in our account Dooing as before Was as the rest a valiant Englishman Braue Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster As by his Scutchin plainely may appeare He with a puissant armie came to Spaine And tooke our King of Castile prisoner Embass. This is an argument for our Viceroy That Spaine may not insult for her successe Since English warriours likewise conquered Spaine And made them bow their knees to Albion King Hieronimo I drinke to thee for this deuise Which hath pleasde both the Embassador and me Pledge me Hieronomo if thou loue the King Takes the Cup of Horatio My Lord I feare we sit but ouer-long Vnlesse our dainties were more delicate But welcome are you to the best we haue Now let vs in that you may be dispatcht I think our councell is already set Exeunt omnes Andrea Come we for this from depth of vnder ground To see him feast that gaue me my deaths wound These pleasant sights are sorrow to my soule Nothing but league and loue and banqueting Reuenge Be still Andrea ere we goe from hence I le turne their freendship into fell despight Their loue to mortall hate their day to night Their hope into dispaire their peace to warre Their ioyes to paine their blisse to miserie Actus Secundus Enter Lorenzo and Balthazar Lorenzo MY Lord though Bel-imperia seeme thus coy Let reason holde you in your wonted ioy In time the sauage Bull sustaines the yoake In time all haggard Hawkes will stoope to lure In time small wedges cleaue the hardest Oake In time the flint is pearst with softest shower And she in time will fall from her disdaine And rue the sufferance of your freendly paine Bal. No she is wilder and more hard withall Then beast or bird or tree or stony wall But wherefore blot I Bel-imperias name It is my fault not she that merites blame My feature is not to content her sight My wordes are rude and worke her no delight The lines I send her are but harsh and ill Such as doe drop from Pan and Marsias quill My presents are not of sufficient cost And being worthles all my labours lost Yet might she loue me for my valiancie I but that 's slaundred by captiuitie Yet might she loue me to content her fire I but her reason masters his desire Yet might she loue me as her brothers freend I but her hopes