And, well entreated in the court of Spain,
Humbly commends him to your Majesty.
These eyes beheld; and these my followers,
With these, the letters of the king's commends,
Gives him letters.
Are happy witnesses of his Highness' health.
The KING looks on the letters, and proceeds.
VICE. [reads] "Thy son doth live; your tribute is receiv'd;
Thy peace is made, and we are satisfied.
The rest resolve upon as things propos'd
For both our honours and thy benefit."
AMBASS. These are his Highness' farther articles.
He gives him more letters.
VICE. Accursed wretch to intimate these ills
Against the life and reputation
Of noble Alexandro! come, my lord, unbind him!
[To ALEXANDRO] Let him unbind thee that is bound to death,
To make acquittal for thy discontent.
They unbind him.
ALEX. Dread lord, in kindness you could do no less,
Upon report of such a damned fact;
But thus we see our innocence hath sav'd
The hopeless life which thou, Villuppo, sought
By thy suggestions to have massacred.
VICE. Say, false Villuppo, wherefore didst thou thus
Falsely betray Lord Alexandro's life?
Him whom thou know'st that no unkindness else
But even the slaughter of our dearest son
Could once have mov'd us to have misconceiv'd.
ALEX. Say, treacherous Villuppo; tell the King!
Or wherein hath Alexandro us'd thee ill?
VIL. Rent with remembrance of so foul a deed,
My guilty soul submits me to thy doom,
For, not for Alexandro's injuries,
But for reward and hope to be prefer'd,
Thus have I shamelessly hazarded his life.
VICE. Which, villain, shall be ransom'd with thy death,
And not so mean a torment as we here
Devis'd for him who thou said'st slew our son,
But with the bitterest torments and extremes
That may be yet invented for thine end.
ALEXANDRO seems to entreat.
Entreat me not! Go, take the traitor hence!
Exit VILLUPPO.
And, Alexandro, let us honour thee
With public notice of thy loyalty.
To end those things articulated here
By our great lord, the mighty king of Spain,
We with our council will deliberate.
Come, Alexandro, keep us company.
Exeunt.
[ACT III. SCENE 2.]
[Spain: near the DUKE's castle.]
Enter HIERONIMO.
HIERO. Oh eyes! no eyes but fountains fraught with tears;
Oh life! no life, but lively form of death;
Oh world! no world, but mass of public wrongs,
Confus'd and fill'd with murder and misdeeds;
Oh sacred heav'ns, if this unhallow'd deed,
If this inhuman and barbarous attempt,
If this incomparable murder thus
Of mine, but now no more my son shall pass,
Unreveal'd and unrevenged pass,
How should we term your dealings to be just,
If you unjustly deal with those that in your justice trust?
The night, sad secretary to my moans,
With direful visions wake my vexed soul,
And with the wounds of my distressful son
Solicit me for notice of his death;
The ugly fiends do sally forth of hell,
And frame my heart with fierce inflamed thoughts;
The cloudy day my discontents records,
Early begins to register my dreams
And drive me forth to seek the murderer.
Eyes, life, world, heav'ns, hell, night and day,
See, search, show, send, some man, some mean, that may--
A letter falleth.
What's here? a letter? Tush, it is not so!
A letter for Hieronimo.
[Reads] "For want of ink receive this bloody writ.
Me hath my hapless brother hid from thee.
Revenge thyself on Balthazar and him,
For these were they that murdered thy son.
Hieronimo, revenge Horatio's death,
And better fare then Bel-imperia doth!"--
What means this unexpected miracle?
My son slain by Lorenzo and the prince?
What cause had they Horatio to malign?
Or what might move thee, Bel-imperia,
To accuse thy brother, had he been the mean?
Hieronimo, beware! thou art betray'd,
And to entrap thy life this train is laid.
Advise thee therefore, be not credulous:
This is devised to endanger thee,
That thou, by this, Lorenzo should'st accuse.
And he, for thy dishonour done, should draw
Thy life in question and thy name in hate.
Dear was the life of my beloved son,
And of his death behooves me be aveng'd:
Then hazard not thine own, Hieronimo,
But live t'effect thy resolution!
I therefore will by circumstances try
What I can gather to confirm this writ,
And, harken near the Duke of Castile's house,
Close if I can with Bel-imperia,
To listen more, but nothing to bewray.
Enter PEDRINGANO.
Now, Pedringano!
PED. Now, Hieronimo!
HIERO. Where's thy lady?
PED. I know not; here's my lord.
Enter LORENZO.
LOR. How now, who's this? Hieronimo?
HIERO. My lord.
PED. He asketh for my lady Bel-imperia.
LOR. What to do, Hieronimo? Use me.
HIERO. Oh, no, my lord, I dare not, it must not be;
I humbly thank your lordship.
LOR. Why then, farewell!
HIERO. My grief no heart, my thoughts no tongue can tell.
Exit.
LOR. Come hither, Pedringano; see'st thou this?
PED. My lord, I see it, and suspect it too.
LOR. This is that damned villain Serberine,
That hath, I fear, reveal'd Horatio's death.
PED. My lord, he could not; 'twas so lately done,
And since he hath not left my company.
LOR. Admit he have not; his conditions such
As fear or flattering words may make him false.
I know his humour, and therewith repent
That e'er I us'd him in this enterprise.
But, Pedringano, to prevent the worst,
And 'cause I know thee secret as my soul,
Here, for thy further satisfaction, take thou this!
Gives him more gold.
And hearken to me; thus it is devis'd:
This night thou must--and prithee so resolve--
Meet Serberine at St. Luigi's Park,--
Thou knowest 'tis here hard by behind the house;
There take thy stand, and see thou strike him sure,
For die he must, if we do mean to live.
PED. But how shall Serberine be there, my lord?
LOR. Let me alone, I'll send him to meet
The prince and me where thou must do this deed.
PED. It shall be done, my lord; it shall be done;
And I'll go arm myself to meet him there.
LOR. When things shall alter, as I hope they will,
Then shalt thou mount for this, thou knowest my mind.
Exit PEDRINGANO.
Che le Ieron!
Enter PAGE.
PAGE. My lord.
LOR. Go, sirrah,
To Serberine, and bid him forthwith meet
The prince and me at S. Luigi's Park,
Behind the house, this evening, boy.
PAGE. I go, my lord.
LOR. But, sirrah, let the hour be eight o'clock.
Bid him not fail.
PAGE. I fly, my lord.
Exit.
LOR. Now to confirm the complot thou hast cast
Of all these practices, I'll spread the watch,
Upon precise commandment from the king
Strongly to guard the place where Pedringano
This night shall murder hapless Serberine.
Thus must we work that will avoid distrust,
Thus must we practice to prevent mishap,
And thus one ill another must expulse.
This sly enquiry of Hieronimo
For Bel-imperia breeds suspicion;
And this suspicion bodes a further ill.
As for myself, I know my secret fault,
And so do they, but I have dealt for them.
They that for coin their souls endangered
To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs;
And better 'tis that base companions die
Than by their life to hazard our good haps.
Nor shall they live for me to fear their faith;
I'll trust myself, myself shall be my friend;
For die they shall,--
Slaves are ordain'd to no other end.
Exit.
[ACT III. SCENE 3.]
[San Luigi's Park.]
Enter PEDRINGANO with a pistol.
PED. Now, Pedringano, bid thy pistol hold;
And hold on, Fortune! Once more favour me!
Give but success to mine attempting spirit,
And let me shift for taking of mine aim.
Here is the gold! This is the gold propos'd!
It is no dream that I adventure for,
But Pedringano is posses'd thereof.
And he that would not strain his conscience
For him that thus his liberal purse hath stretch'd,
Unworthy such a favour, may he fail,
And, wishing, want, when such as I prevail!
As for the fear of apprehension,
I know, if need should be, my noble lord
Will stand between me and ensuing harms.
Besides, this place is free from all suspect.
Here therefore will I stay and take my stand.
Enter the WATCH.
I WATCH. I wonder much to what intent it is
That we are thus expressly charg'd to watch.
II WATCH. This by commandment in the king's own
name.
III WATCH. But we were never wont to watch and ward
So near the duke his brother's house before.
II WATCH. Content yourself, stand close, there's somewhat
in't.
Enter SERBERINE.
SER. [aside] Here, Serberine, attend and stay thy pace;
For here did Don Lorenzo's page appoint
That thou by his command shouldst meet with him.
How fit a place, if one were so dispos'd,
Methinks this corner is to close with one.
PED. [aside] Here comes the bird that I must seize upon;
Now, Pedringano, or never play the man!
SER. [aside] I wonder that his lordship stays so long,
Or wherefore should he send for me so late.
PED. For this, Serberine; and thou shalt ha't!
Shoots.
So, there he lies; my promise is perform'd.
The WATCH.
I WATCH. Hark, gentlemen, this is a pistol shot!
II WATCH. And here's one slain; stay the murderer!
PED. Now, by the sorrows of the souls in hell,
He strives with the WATCH.
Who first lays hands on me, I'll be his priest!
III WATCH. Sirrah, confess, and therein play the priest.
Why hast thou thus unkindly kill'd the man?
PED. Why, because he walk'd abroad so late.
III WATCH. Come sir, you had been better kept your bed
Then have committed this misdeed so late.
II WATCH. Come to the marshall's with the murderer!
I WATCH. On to Hieronimo's! help me here
To bring the murder'd body with us too.
PED. Hieronimo? Carry me before whom you will;
What e'er he be, I'll answer him and you.
And do your worst, for I defy you all!
Exeunt.
[ACT III. SCENE 4.]
[The DUKE's castle]
Enter LORENZO and BALTHAZAR.
BAL. How now, my lord? what makes you rise so soon?
LOR. Fear of preventing our mishaps too late.
BAL. What mischief is it that we not mistrust?
LOR. Our greatest ills we least mistrust, my lord,
And unexpected harms do hurt us most.
BAL. Why, tell me, Don Lorenz,--tell me, man,
If aught concerns our honour and your own!
LOR. Nor you nor me, my lord, but both in one;
But I suspect--and the presumptions great--
That by those base confed'rates in our fault
Touching the death of Don Horatio
We are all betray'd to old Hieronimo.
BAL. Betray'd, Lorenzo? tush! it cannot be.
LOR. A guilty conscience urged with the thought
Of former evils, easily cannot err:
I am persuaded--and dissuade me not--
That all's revealed to Hieronimo.
And therefore know that I have cast it thus--
[Enter PAGE.]
But here's the page. How now? what news with thee?
PAGE. My lord, Serberine is slain.
BAL. Who? Serberine, my man?
PAGE. Your Highness' man, my lord.
LOR. Speak, page: who murder'd him?
PAGE. He that is apprehended for the fact.
LOR. Who?
PAGE. Pedringano.
BAL. Is Serberine slain, that lov'd his lord so well?
Injurious villain! murd'rer of his friend!
LOR. Hath Pedringano murder'd Serberine?
My lord, let me entreat you to take the pains
To exasperate and hasten his revenge
With your complaints unto my lord the king.
This their dissension breeds a greater doubt.
BAL. Assure thee, Don Lorenzo, he shall die,
Or else his Highness hardly shall deny.
Meanwhile, I'll haste the marshall sessions,
For die he shall for this his damned deed.
Exit BALTHAZAR.
LOR. [aside] Why, so! this fits our former policy;
And thus experience bids the wise and deal.
I lay the plot, he prosecutes the point;
I set the trap, he breaks the worthless twigs,
And sees not that wherewith the bird was lim'd.
Thus hopeful men, that means to hold their own,
Must look, like fowlers, to their dearest friends.
He runs to kill whom I have holp to catch,
And no man knows it was my reaching fetch.
'Tis hard to trust unto a multitude,--
Or any one, in mine opinion,
When men themselves their secrets will reveal.
Enter a MESSENGER with a letter.
LOR. Boy.
PAGE. My lord.
LOR. What's he?
MES. I have a letter to your lordship.
LOR. From whence?
MES. From Pedringano that's imprison'd.
LOR. So he is in prison then?
MES. Aye, my good lord.
LOR. What would he with us?
[Reads the letter.]
He writes us here
To stand good lord and help him in distress.
Tell him I have his letters, know his mind;
And what we may, let him assure him of.
Fellow, be gone; my boy shall follow thee.
Exit MESSENGER.
[Aside] This works like wax! Yet once more try thy wits.--
Boy, go convey this purse to Pedringano,--
Thou know'st the prison,--closely give it him,
And be advis'd that none be thereabout.
Bid him be merry still, but secret;
And, though the marshall sessions be today,
Bid him not doubt of his delivery.
Tell him his pardon is already sign'd,
And thereon bid him boldly be resolv'd;
For, were he ready to be turned off,--
As 'tis my will the uttermost be tried,--
Thou with his pardon shalt attend him still.
Show him this box, tell him his pardon's in't;
But open't not, and if thou lov'st thy life,
But let him wisely keep his hopes unknown.
He shall not want while Don Lorenzo lives.
Away!
PAGE. I go, my lord, I run!
LOR. But, sirrah, see that this be cleanly done.
Exit PAGE.
Now stands our fortune on a tickle point,
And now or never ends Lorenzo's doubts.
One only thing is uneffected yet,
And that's to see the executioner,--
But to what end? I list not trust the air
With utterance of our pretence therein,
For fear the privy whisp'ring of the wind
Convey our words amongst unfriendly ears,
That lie too open to advantages.
Et quel che voglio io, nessun lo sa,
Intendo io quel mi bastera.
Exit.
[ACT III. SCENE 5.]
[A street.]
Enter BOY with the box.
[BOY.] My master hath forbidden me to look in this box, and, by
my troth, 'tis likely, if he had not warned me, I should not have had so
much idle time; for we men-kind in our minority are like women in
their uncertainty; that they are most forbidden, they will soonest
attempt; so I now. By my bare honesty, here's nothing but the bare
empty box! Were it not sin against secrecy, I would say it were a
piece of gentlemanlike knavery. I must go to Pedringano and tell him
his pardon is in this box! Nay, I would have sworn it, had I not
seen the contrary. I cannot choose but smile to think how the villain
will flout the gallows, scorn the audience, and descant on the hangman,
and all presuming of his pardon from hence. Will't not be an odd jest,
for me to stand and grace every jest he makes, pointing my finger at
this box, as who should say: "Mock on, here's thy warrant!" Is't not
a scurvy jest that a man should jest himself to death? Alas, poor
Pedringano! I am in a sort sorry for thee, but, if I should be hanged
with thee, I could not weep.
Exit.
[ACT III. SCENE 6.]
[The court of justice.]
Enter HIERONIMO and the DEPUTY.
HIERO. Thus must we toil in others men's extremes
That know not how to remedy our own,
And do them justice, when unjustly we
For all our wrongs can compass no redress.
But shall I never live to see the day
That I may come by justice to the Heav'ns
To know the cause that may my cares allay?
This toils my body, this consumeth age,
That only I to all men just must be,
And neither gods nor men be just to me!
DEP. Worthy Hieronimo, your office asks
A care to punish such as do transgress.
HIERO. So is't my duty to regard his death
Who when he liv'd deserv'd my dearest blood.
But come; for that we came for, let's begin;
For here lies that which bids me to be gone.
Enter OFFICERS, BOY, & PEDRINGANO with a letter
in his hand, bound.
DEPU. Bring forth the prisoner for the court is set.
PED. Gramercy, boy! but it was time to come,
For I had written to my lord anew
A nearer matter that concerneth him,
For fear his lordship had forgotten me;
But, sith he hath remember'd me so well,
Come, come, come on! when shall we to this gear?
HIERO. Stand forth, thou monster, murderer of men,
And here, for satisfaction of the world,
Confess thy folly and repent thy fault,
For there's thy place of execution.
PED. This is short work! Well, to your martiallship
First I confess, nor fear I death therefore,
I am the man,--'twas I slew Serberine.
But, sir, then you think this shall be the place
Where we shall satisfy you for this gear?
DEPU. Aye, Pedrigano.
PED. No I think not so.
HEIRO. Peace, impudent! for thou shalt find it so;
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as judge,
Be satisfied, and the law discharg'd.
And, though myself cannot receive the like,
Yet will I see that others have their right.
Dispatch! the fault approved and confess'd,
And by our law he is condemn'd to die.
HANG. Come on, sir! are you ready?
PED. To do what, my fine officious knave?
HANG. To go to this gear.
PED. O, sir, you are to forward; thou wouldst fain
furnish me with a halter, to disfurnish me of my habit.
So should I go out of this gear, my raiment, into that
gear, the rope. But, hangman, now I spy your knavery, I'll
not change without boot; that's flat.
HANG. Come, sir.
PED. So then I must up?
HANG. No remedy.
PED. Yes, but there shall be for my coming down.
HANG. Indeed here's a remedy for that.
PED. How? be turn'd off?
HANG. Aye, truly. Come, are you ready?
I pray you, sir, dispatch, the day goes away.
PED. What, do you hang by the hour? If you do, I
may chance to break your old custom.
HANG. Faith, you have no reason, for I am like to break
your young neck.
PED. Dost thou mock me, hangman? Pray God I be not
preserved to break your knaves-pate for this!
HANG. Alas, sir, you are a foot too low to reach it, and I
hope you will never grow so high while I am in office.
PED. Sirrah, dost see yonder boy with the box in his
hand?
HANG. What, he that points to it with his finger?
PED. Aye, that companion.
HANG. I know him not; but what of him?
PED. Dost thou think to live till his old doublet will
make thee a new truss?
HANG. Aye, and many a fair year after, to truss up many
an honester man then either thou or he.
PED. What hath he in his box, as thou thinkst?
HANG. Faith, I cannot tell, nor I care not greatly.
Me thinks you should rather hearken to your soul's health.
PED. Why, sirrah hangman, I take it that that is good for
the body is likewise good for the soul: and it may be in
that box is balm for both.
HANG. Well, thou art even the merriest piece of man's
flesh that e'er groaned at my office-door.
PED. Is your roguery become an office, with a knave's
name?
HANG. Aye, and that shall all they witness that see you seal
it with a thief's name.
PED. I prithee, request this good company to pray for
me.
HANG. Aye, marry, sir, this is a good motion! My masters,
you see here's a good fellow.
PED. Nay, nay, now I remember me, let them alone till
some other time; for now I have no great need.
HIERO. I have not seen a wretch so impudent.
O monstrous times where murders are so light,
And where the soul that should be shrin'd in heav'n
Solely delights in interdicted things,
Still wand'ring in the thorny passages
That intercepts itself of happiness!
Murder? O bloody monster! God forbid
A fault so foul should 'scape unpunished!
Dispatch and see this execution done;
This makes me to remember thee, my son.
Exit HIERONIMO.
PED. Nay, soft! no haste!
DEPU. Why, wherefore stay you? Have you hope of life?
PED. Why, aye.
HANG. As how?
PED. Why, rascal, by my pardon from the king.
HANG. Stand you on that? then you shall off with this.
He turns him off.
DEPU. So, executioner, convey him hence;
But let his body be unburied.
Let not the earth be choked or infect
What that which Heav'ns contemns and men neglect.
Exeunt.
[ACT III. SCENE 7.]
[HIERONIMO's house.]
Enter HIERONIMO.
HIER. Where shall I run to breath abroad my woes,--
My woes whose weight hath wearied the earth,
Or mine exclaims that have surcharg'd the air
With ceaseless plaints for my deceased son?
The blust'ring winds, conspiring with my words,
At my lament have mov'd to leafless trees,
Disrob'd the meadows of their flower'd green,
Made mountains marsh with spring-tides of my tears,
And broken through the brazen gates of hell;
Yet still tormented is my tortur'd soul
With broken sighs and restless passions,
That, winged, mount, and hovering in the air,
Beat at the windows of the brightest heav'ns,
Soliciting for justice and revenge.
But they are plac'd in those empyreal heights,
Where, countermur'd with walls of diamond,
I find the place impregnable, and they
Resist my woes and give my words no way.
Enter HANGMAN with a letter.
HANG. O Lord, sir! God bless you, sir! The man, sir,--
Petergade, sir: he that was so full of merry conceits--
HIER. Well, what of him?
HANG. O Lord, sir! he went the wrong way; the fellow
had a fair commission to the contrary. Sir, here is his
passport, I pray you, sir; we have done him wrong.
HIERO. I warrant thee; give it me.
HANG. You will stand between the gallows and me?
HIERO. Aye, aye!
HANG. I thank your lord's worship.
Exit HANGMAN.
HIERO. And yet, though somewhat nearer me concerns
I will, to ease the grief that I sustain,
Take truce with sorrow while I read on this.
[Reads] "My lord, I writ, as mine extremes requir'd,
That you would labour my delivery:
If you neglect, my life is desperate,
And in my death I shall reveal the troth.
You know, my lord, I slew him for your sake,
And was confed'rate with the prince and you;
Won by rewards and hopeful promises,
I holp to murder Don Horatio too."--
Holp he to murder mine Horatio?
And actors in th' accursed tragedy
Wast thou, Lorenzo? Balthazar and thou,
Of whom my son, my son deserv'd so well?
What have I heard? what have mine eyes beheld?
O sacred heav'ns, may it come to pass
That such a monstrous and detested deed,
So closely smoother'd and so long conceal'd,
Shall thus by this be venged or reveal'd?
Now see I what I durst not then suspect,
That Bel-imperia's letter was not feign'd,
Nor feigned she, though falsely they have wrong'd
Both her, myself, Horatio and themselves.
Now may I make compare 'twixt hers and this
Of every accident. I ne'er could find
Till now, and now I feelingly perceive,
They did what Heav'n unpunish'd should not leave.
O false Lorenzo! are these thy flattering looks?
Is this the honour that thou didst my son?
And, Balthazar,--bane to thy soul and me!--
What this the ransom he reserv'd for thee?
Woe to the cause of these constrained wars!
Woe to thy baseness and captivity!
Woe to thy birth, thy body and thy soul,
Thy cursed father, and thy conquer'd self!
And bann'd with bitter execrations be
The day and place where he did pity thee!
But wherefore waste I mine unfruitful words,
When naught but blood will satisfy my woes?
I will go plain me to my lord the king,
And cry aloud for justice through the court,
Wearing the flints with these my wither'd feet,
And either purchase justice by entreats
Or tire them all with my revenging threats.
Exit.
[ACT III. SCENE 8.]
[HIERONIMO's house.]
Enter ISABELL and her MAID.
ISA. So that you say this herb will purge the eyes,
And this the head? Ah! but none of them will purge the
heart!
No, there's no medicine left for my disease,
Nor any physic to recure the dead.
She runs lunatic.
Horatio! O, where's Horatio?
MAID. Good madam, affright not thus yourself
With outrage for your son Horatio;
He sleeps in quiet in the Elysian fields.
ISA. Why did I not give you gowns and goodly things,
Bought you a whistle and a whipstalk too,
To be revenged on their villainies?
MAID. Madame, these humors do torment my soul.
ISA. My soul? poor soul, thou talk'st of things
Thou know'st not what! My soul hath silver wings,
That mounts me up unto the highest heav'ns--
To heav'n? Aye, there sits my Horatio,
Back'd with troop of fiery cherubins
Dancing about his newly healed wounds,
Singing sweet hymns and chanting heav'nly notes,
Rare harmony to greet his innocence,
That died, aye, died a mirror in our days!
But say, where shall I find the men, the murderers,
That slew Horatio? whether shall I run
To find them out, that murdered my son?
Exeunt.
[ACT III. SCENE 9.]
[The DUKE's castle.]
BEL-IMPERIA at a window.
BEL. What means this outrage that is offer'd me?
Why am I thus sequester'd from the court?
No notice? shall I not know the cause
Of these my secret and suspicious ills?
Accursed brother! unkind murderer!
Why bend'st thou thus thy mind to martyr me?
Hieronimo, why writ I of thy wrongs,
Or why art thou so slack in thy revenge?
Andrea! O Andrea, that thou sawest
Me for thy friend Horatio handled thus,
And him for me thus causeless murdered!
Well, force perforce, I must constrain myself
To patience, and apply me to the time,
Till Heav'n, as I have hop'd, shall set me free.
Enter CHRISTOPHEL.
CHRIS. Come, Madame Bel-imperia, this must not be!
Exeunt.
[ACT III. Scene 10.]
[A room in the DUKE's castle.]
Enter LORENZO, BALTHAZAR and the PAGE.
LOR. Boy, talk no further; thus far things go well.
Thou art assur'd that thou sawest him dead?
PAGE. Or else, my lord, I live not.