that best serves his King does but his duty If you thinke otherwise you are undone COUNT I shall beleeve you when I finde it so D. ARIAS. Yout can't but feare the power of the King COUNT One day destroyes not such a man as I am Let him arme all his power to punish me The state shall rather perish than I suffer D. ARIAS. Doe you so little feare the soveraigne power COUNT What of that Scepter which if not for me Had ere now falne out of his hand my person Is Sir of so much consequence to the King That if my head fall his crowne cannot stand D. ARIAS. My Lord give reason leave to settle you Thinke on 't a little COUNT The thought 's already taken D. ARIAS. What shall I say then I must give him an account COUNT This that I know not how to give consent To mine owne shame D. ARIAS. But my Lord imagine Kings will be absolute COUNT Let 'um be so The Die is cast Sir let 's talke no more on 't D. ARIAS. Then I must take my leave since my perswasions Can doe no good though you be cover'd o're with lawrels yet my Lord take heed of thunder COUNT I 'le wait it without feare D. ARIAS. It will come home COUNT If it doe D. Diego's satisfied How little am I scar'd with these poore threats My honour once engag'd a thousand deaths Presented to me in the most hideous formes Cannot once startle me SCENE II. RODERIGO COUNT de GORMAS RODERIGO MY Lord a word COUNT Speake RODERIGO Resolve me of a doubt doe you know Don Diego well COUNT I doe RODERIGO And that he was The spirit and the glory of his time Doe you know this COUNT Perhaps he might be so RODERIGO And that this ardor which mine eyes doe beare Doe you know it is his bloud it represents COUNT What 's that to me RODERIGO Some distance from this place I 'le make you know it COUNT Presumptuous boy RODERIGO Be not so hot I know I 'me young but yet In noble soules valour prevents their yeares COUNT But who has led thee to that vanity To set thee upon me thou that did'st never Beare armes perhaps thou know'st not who I am RODERIGO Yes and I know a stouter man than I Would tremble at the hearing of thy name Thy head is cover'd o're with lawrels where Victory perches and from thence reads to me The fate of my destruction I doe challenge Like a rash youth a man inur'd to conquest Yet having heart enough I shan't want strength Or if I should wearing my fathers cause Upon my sword and arme they cannot faile me COUNT This courage which appeares in thy discourse I have beene long acquainted with and hoping To see the honour of Castile in thee 'T was in my thoughts to give my daughter to thee I know thy love and am amaz'd to see It's motions to give place unto thy honour And meaning to finde out a perfect man And compleat Cavalier for my sonne in law I 'me not mistaken in the choice I 've made But here my pitty intervenes and though I wonder at thy courage yet I grieve To see thy rashnesse doe not seeke thy death Prethee excuse my valour from a combat So farre unequall If thou fall'st by me 'T will be no honour to me To o'recome Where there 's no danger will be a triumph Where there 's no glory for thou wilt be thought To have with ease beene ruin'd and my selfe Shall alone feele the griefe that I have done it RODERIGO Th' hast seconded th' affront thou gav'st my father With a pity worse than that dar'st thou deprive me Of my honour and yet fear'st to take my life COUNT Leave me good youth RODERIGO Let 's goe and talke no more on 't COUNT Art thou so weary of thy life RODERIGO Art thou So afraid to die COUNT Come then thou do'st no more Than is thy duty he 's a degenerate sonne That will out-live one jot his fathers honour SCENE III INFANTA CIMENA INFANTA BE not so griev'd Cimena dry thine eyes Use now thy constancie in this misfortune Thou 'lt see 't cleare up after a little tempest Thy happinesse is but clouded for a while And some small time will make thee no great loser CIMENA What can I hope now but continuall troubles A storme so sudden comming o're this calme Threatens a certaine shipwracke to our loves 'T is past all doubt I perish in the haven I lov'd was lov'd againe our friends agreed And I no sooner had told you the newes But in an ill houre sprung their fatall quarrell Which when I heard I knew my hopes were ruin'd Cursed ambition honour pittilesse Under whose tyranny the bravest soules Doe ever suffer how many teares and sighs Must I pay for you INFANTA Thou hast no reason To feare their quarrell which on a sudden borne Will as soone die there 's too much noise of it To let it live The King shall take it up And for thy sake I 'le see 't shall goe no farther CIMENA This businesse will admit no composition Th' affronts to honour never are repair'd Wisdome or power can prevaile little here This wound will not be heal'd it may be cover'd And stifled hate nourishes secret fires Within the brest but such as burne more fiercely INFANTA But th' holy knot which shall once joyne Cimena To Roderigo will dissolve the hatred Of both their fathers and the bonds of love As being more strong will quickly stop their discord CIMENA rather doe desire than hope it Madam Don Diego is too haughty and I know My father well of what a spirit he is I feele my teares runne which I would retaine What 's past torments me and I feare the sequell INFANTA Do'st thou feare what a weake old man can doe CIMENA Roderigo is not weake INFANTA But he 's too young CIMENA Valiant young men are ever very sudden INFANTA But that thou need'st not feare He loves thee too well To anger or displease thee one poore word Out of thy mouth will quickly stay his heat CIMENA If he doe not obey how great 's my griefe And if he doe what will men say of him That being a Gentleman he could put up Such an affront so that if he resist Or else give way to his affection I cannot but be troubled or asham'd At his too much respect or just deniall INFANTA Cimena's generous and though she be Ingag'd she cannot suffer a base thought But if I make a prisoner of this lover Untill this businesse be tane up betwixt them Will not your love turne into jealousie CIMENA Ah Madam in this case I have no such thought INFANTA Boy looke out Roderigo bring him hither BOY He and the Count of Gormas CIMENA Good God I tremble INFANTA Speake BOY Went out together INFANTA Alone BOY Alone and as it seem'd they went to quarell CIMENA Ay me my fear 's they 're fighting by this time INFANTA Let 's spend no more
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