The Spanish Tragedie Part 14

HANG. Wel, thou art euen the meriest peece of mans flesh that ere gronde at my office-doore.

PED. Is your roaguery become an office, with a knaues name?

HANG. I, and that shall all they witnes that see you seale it with a theeues name.

PED. I prithee, request this good company to pray [for]

me.

HANG. I, mary, sir, this is a good motion! My maisters, you see heers a good fellow.

PED. Nay, nay, now I remember me, let them alone till some other time; for now I haue no great need.

HIERO. I haue not seen a wretch so impudent.

O monstrous times where murders are so light, And where the soule that should be shrinde in heauen Solelie delights in interdicted things, Still wandring in the thornie pa.s.sages That intercepts it-selfe of hapines!

Murder? O bloudy monster! G.o.d forbid A fault so foule should scape vnpunished!

Dispatch and see this execution done; This makes me to remember thee, my sonne.

Exit HIERO[NIMO].

PED. Nay, soft! no hast!

DEPU. Why, wherefore stay you? haue you hope of life?

PED. Why, I?

HANG. As how?

PED. Why, rascall, by my pardon from the king.

HANG. Stand you on that? then you shall off with this.

He turnes him off.

DEPU. So, executioner, conuey him hence; But let his body be vnburied.

Let not the earth be chokt or infect What that which Heauens contemnes 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 exclaimes that haue surcharged the aire With ceasles plaints for my deceased sonne?

The bl.u.s.tring winds, conspiring with my words, At my lament haue moued to leaueless trees, Dis...o...b..e the medowes of their flowred greene, Made mountains marsh with spring-tides of my teares, And broken through the brazen gates of h.e.l.l; Yet still tormented is my tortured soule With broken sighes and restles pa.s.sions, That, winged, mount, and houering in the aire, Beat at the windowes of the brightest heauens, Soliciting for iustice and reuenge.

But they are plac't in those imperiall heights, Where, countermurde with walles of diamond, I finde the place impregnable, and they Resist my woes and giue my words no way.

Enter HANGMAN with a letter.

HANG. O Lord, sir! G.o.d blesse you, sir! The man, sir,-- Petergade, sir: he that was so full of merie conceits--

HIER. Wel, what of him?

HANG. O Lord, sir! he went the wrong way; the fellow had a faire commission to the contrary. Sir, heere is his pasport, I pray you, sir; we haue done him wrong.

HIERO. I warrant thee; giue it me.

HANG. You will stand between the gallowes and me?

HIERO. I, I!

HANG. I thank your l[ord] worship.

Exit HANGMAN.

HIERO. And yet, though somewhat neerer me concernes I will, to ease the greefe that I sustaine, Take truce with sorrow while I read on this.

[Reads] "My lord, I writ, as mine extreames require, That you would labour my deliuerie: If you neglect, my life is desperate, And in my death I shall reueale the troth.

You know, my lord, I slew him for your sake, And was confederate with the prince and you; Wonne by rewards and hopefull promises, I holpe to murder Don Horatio too."-- Holpe he to murder mine Horatio?

And actors in th' accursed tragedie Wast thou, Lorenzo? Bathazar and thou, Of whome my sone, my sonne deseru'd so well?

What haue I heard? what haue mine eies behelde?

O sacred heauens, may it come to pa.s.se That such a monstrous and detested deed, So closely smootherd and so long conceald, Shall thus by this be [revenged] or reuealed?

Now see I, what I durst not then suspect, That Bel-imperias letter was not fainde, Nor fained she, though falsly they haue wrongd Both her, my-selfe, Horatio and themselues.

Now may I make compare twixt hers and this Of euerie accident. I neere could finde Till now, and now I feelingly perceiue, They did what Heauen vnpunisht [should] not leaue.

O false Lorenzo! are these thy flattering lookes?

Is this honour that thou didst my sonne?

And, Balthazar,--bane to thy soule and me!-- What this the ransome he reseru'd [for thee]?

Woe to the cause of these constrained warres!

Woe to thy basenes and captiuitie!

Woe to thy birth, thy body and thy soule, Thy cursed father, and thy conquerd selfe!

And band with bitter execrations be The day and place where he did pittie thee!

But wherefore waste I mine vnfruitfull words, When naught but blood will satisfie my woes?

I will goe plaine me to my lord the king, And cry aloud for iustice through the court, Wearing the flints with these my withered feet, And either purchase iustice by intreats Or tire them all with my reuenging threats.

Exit.

[ACT III. SCENE 8.]

[HIERONIMO's house.]

Enter ISABELL and her MAID.