A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vii Part 7

Gismund, it is no man's nor men's report, That have by likely proofs inform'd me thus.

Thou know'st how hardly I could be induc'd To vex myself, and be displeas'd with thee, With flying tales of flattering sycophants.

No, no, there was in us such settled trust Of thy chaste life and uncorrupted mind That if these eyes had not beheld thy shame.

In vain ten thousand censures could have told That thou didst once unprincelike make agree With that vile traitor County Palurin: Without regard had to thyself or me, Unshamefastly to stain thy state and mine.

But I, unhappiest, have beheld the same, And, seeing it, yet feel th'exceeding grief That slays my heart with horror of that thought: Which grief commands me to obey my rage, And justice urgeth some extreme revenge, To wreak the wrongs that have been offer'd us.

But nature, that hath lock'd within thy breast Two lives, the same inclineth me to spare Thy blood, and so to keep mine own unspilt.

This is that overweening love I bear To thee undutiful, and undeserved.

But for that traitor, he shall surely die; For neither right nor nature doth entreat For him, that wilfully, without all awe Of G.o.ds or men, or of our deadly hate, Incurr'd the just displeasure of his king; And to be brief, I am content to know What for thyself thou canst object to us, Why thou should'st not together with him die.

So to a.s.suage the griefs that overthrow Thy father's heart.

GISMUND. O king and father, humbly give her leave To plead for grace, that stands in your disgrace.

Not that she recks this life,[72] for I confess I have deserv'd, when so it pleaseth you, To die the death, mine honour and my name, As you suppose, distained with reproach: And well contented shall I meet the stroke That must dissever this detested head From these lewd limbs. But this I wish were known, That now I live not for myself alone.

For when I saw that neither my request, Nor the entreaty of my careful aunt, Could win your highness' pleasure to our will; "Then love, heat of the heart, life of the soul, Fed by desire, increasing by restraint,"

Would not endure controlment any more, But violently enforc'd my feeble heart (For who am I, alas! still to resist Such endless conflicts?) to relent and yield: Therewith I chose him for my lord and pheer, Guiscard mine Earl, that holds my love full dear.

Then if it be so settled in your mind, He shall not live, because he dar'd to love Your daughter: thus I give your grace to know.

Within his heart there is inclos'd my life.

Therefore, O father, if that name may be Sweet to your ears, and that we may prevail By name of father, that you favour us: But otherwise, if now we cannot find That which our falsed hope did promise us; Why then proceed, and rid our trembling hearts Of these suspicions; since neither in this case His good deserts in service to your grace, Which always have been just, nor my desires, May mitigate the cruel rage of grief That strains your heart, but that mine Earl must die; Then all in vain you ask, what I can say, Why I should live. Sufficeth for my part To say I will not live, and so resolve.

TANCRED. Dar'st thou so desperate decree thy death?

GISMUND. A dreadless heart delights in such decrees.

TANCRED. Thy kind abhorreth such unkindly thoughts.

GISMUND. Unkindly thoughts they are to them that live In kindly love.

TANCRED. As I do unto thee.

GISMUND. To take his life who is my love from me?

TANCRED. Have I then lost thy love?

GISMUND. If he shall lose His life, that is my love.

TANCRED.

Thy love? Begone.

Return into thy chamber.

GISMUND.

I will go.

[GISMUND _departeth to her chamber_.

ACT IV., SCENE 4.

JULIO _with his guard bringeth in the_ COUNTY PALURIN _prisoner_.

JULIO. If it please your highness, hither have we brought This captive Earl, as you commanded us.

Whom, as we were foretold, even there we found.

Where by your majesty we were enjoin'd To watch for him. What more your highness wills.

This heart and hand shall execute your best.

TANCRED. Julio, we thank your pains. Ah, Palurin!

Have we deserved in such traitorous sort Thou shouldst abuse our kingly courtesies, Which we too long in favour have bestow'd Upon thy false, dissembling heart with us?

What grief thou therewithal hast thrown on us, What shame upon our house, what dire distress Our soul endures, cannot be uttered.

And durst thou, villain, dare to undermine Our daughter's chamber? durst thy shameless face Be bold to kiss her? th'rest we will conceal.

Sufficeth that thou know'st I too well know All thy proceedings in thy private shames.

Herein what hast thou won? thine own content, With the displeasure of thy lord and king; The thought whereof if thou hadst had in mind The least remorse of love and loyalty Might have restrain'd thee from so foul an act.

But, Palurin, what may I deem of thee, Whom neither fear of G.o.ds, nor love of him, Whose princely favour hath been thine uprear, Could quench the fuel of thy lewd desires?

Wherefore content thee, that we are resolv'd (And therefore laid to snare thee with this bait) That thy just death, with thine effused blood, Shall cool the heat and choler of our mood.

GUISCARD. My lord the king, neither do I mislike Your sentence, nor do your smoking sighs, Reach'd from the entrails of your boiling heart, Disturb the quiet of my calmed thoughts: For this I feel, and by experience prove, Such is the force and endless might of love, As never shall the dread of carrion death, That hath envy'd our joys, invade my breast.

For if it may be found a fault in me, That evermore hath lov'd your majesty, Likewise to honour and to love your child; If love unto you both may be a fault-- But unto her my love exceeds compare-- Then this hath been my fault, for which I joy, That in the greatest l.u.s.t of all my life, I shall submit for her sake to endure The pangs of death. O mighty lord of Love, Strengthen thy va.s.sal boldly to receive Large wounds into this body for her sake!

Then use my life or death, my lord and king, For your relief to ease your grieved soul: For whether I live, or else that I must die To end your pains, I am content to bear; Knowing by death I shall bewray the truth Of that sound heart, which living was her own, And died alive for her, that lived mine.

TANCRED. Thine, Palurin? What! lives my daughter thine?

Traitor, thou wrong'st me, for she liveth mine.

Rather I wish ten thousand sundry deaths, Than I to live, and see my daughter thine.

Thine that is dearer than my life to me?

Thine whom I hope to see an emp[e]ress?

Thine whom I cannot pardon from my sight?

Thine unto whom we have bequeath'd our crown?-- Julio, we will that thou inform from us Renuchio the captain of our guard, That we command this traitor be convey'd Into the dungeon underneath our tower; There let him rest, until he be resolv'd What farther we intend; which to understand We will Renuchio repair to us.

JULIO. O, that I might your majesty entreat With clemency to beautify your seat Toward this prince, distress'd by his desires, Too many, all too strong to captivate.

TANCRED. "This is the soundest safety for a king, To cut them off, that vex or hinder him."

JULIO. "This have I found the safety of a king, To spare the subjects that do honour him."

TANCRED. Have we been honour'd by this lecher's l.u.s.t?

JULIO. No, but by his devout submission.

TANCRED. Our fortune says we must do what we may.

JULIO. "This is praise-worth, not to do what you may."

TANCRED. And may the subject countermand the king?

JULIO. No, but entreat him.

TANCRED. What he shall decree?

JULIO. What wisdom shall discern.

TANCRED. Nay, what our word Shall best determine. We will not reply.