A Select Collection of Old English Plays Part 29

ELE. Friars, stand to her and me; and by your sin I'll shoulder out Mendoza from his seat, And of two friars create you cardinals.

O, how would cardinals' hats on their heads sit?

COLE. This face would look most goodly under it.

Friar[s] Crab and Cole do swear In those circles still to appear, In which she or you do charge us rise; For you our lives we'll sacrifice.

_Valete, gaudete: Si pereamus, flete; Orate pro n.o.bis, Oremus pro vobis._ Cole will be burnt and Crab be press'd, Ere they prove knaves; thus are you cross'd and bless'd.

ELE. Away! you know. [_Exeunt_ FRIARS.] Now, madam, none shall throw Their leaden envy in an opposite scale, To weigh down our true golden happiness.

QUEEN-M. Yes, there is one.

ELE. One! who?

Give me his name, and I will turn It to a magic spell to bind Him here, here. Who?

QUEEN-M. Your wife Maria.

ELE. Ha! my Maria!

QUEEN-M. She's The h.e.l.lespont divides my love and me: She being cut off----

ELE. Stay, stay; cut off!

Let's think upon't; my wife!

Humph! kill her too!

QUEEN-M. Does her love make thee cold?

ELE. Had I a thousand wives, down go they all.

She dies; I'll cut her off. Now, Balthazar!

_Enter_ BALTHAZAR.

BAL. Madam, the king entreats your company.

QUEEN-M. His pleasure be obey'd. Dear love, farewell; Remember your Maria.

[_Exit._

ELE. Dear,[56] adieu; With this I'll guard her, whilst it stabs at you.

[_Points to his sword._

My lord,[57] the friars are won to join with us.

Be prosperous! about it, Balthazar.

BAL. The watchword?

ELE. O, the word; let it be _Treason_.

When we cry treason, break ope chamber doors: Kill Philip and the cardinal. Hence!

BAL. I fly.

[_Exit._

ELE. Murder, now ride in triumph; darkness, horror, Thus I invoke your aid; your act begin; Night is a glorious robe for th' ugliest sin.

SCENE IV.

_Enter_ COLE _and_ CRAB _in trousers; the_ CARDINAL _in one of their weeds, and_ PHILIP _putting on the other_.

FRIARS. Put on, my lord, and fly, or else you die.

PHIL. I will not, I will die first. Cardinal, Prythee, good cardinal, pluck off, friars; slave!

Murder us two! he shall not, by this sword.

CAR. My lord, you will endanger both our lives.

PHIL. I care not; I'll kill some before I die.

Away! s'heart! take your rags! Moor, devil, come.

FRIARS. My lord, put on, or else----

PHIL. G.o.d's foot! come, help.

CAR. Ambitious villain! Philip, let us fly Into the chamber of the mother-queen.

PHIL. Thunder beat down the lodgings.

CAR. Else Let's break into the chamber of the king.

PHIL. Agreed.

A pox upon these lousy gabardines.

Agreed; I am for you, Moor; stand side by side; Come, hands off; leave your ducking.[58] h.e.l.l cannot fright Their spirits that do desperately fight.

COL. You are too rash, you are too hot; Wild desperateness doth valour blot.

The lodging of the king's beset With staring faces black as jet, And hearts of iron: your deaths are vow'd, If you fly that way; therefore shroud Your body in friar Cole's grey weed; For is't not madness, man, to bleed, When you may 'scape untouch'd away?

Here's h.e.l.l, here's heaven: here if you stay, You're gone, you're gone; friar Crab and I Will here dance friskin, whilst you fly.

Gag us, bind us, come put on; The gag's too wide; so gone, gone, gone!

PHIL. O, well, I'll come again. Lord Cardinal, Take you the castle, I'll to Portugal.

I vow I'll come again, and if I do----

CAR. Nay, good my lord.

PHIL. Black devil, I'll conjure you.

[_Exeunt._

SCENE V.