The Spanish Tragedie Part 18

KING. What accident hath hapt [to] Hieronimo?

I haue not seene him to demeane him so.

LOR. My gratious lord, he is with extreame pride Conceiued of yong Horatio, his sonne, And couetous of hauing himselfe The ransome of the yong prince, Balthazar, Distract, and in a manner lunatick.

KING. Beleeue me, nephew, we are sorie for 't; This is the loue that fathers beare their sonnes.

But, gentle brother, goe giue to him this golde, The princes raunsome; let him haue his due; For what he hath, Horatio shall not want.

Happily Hieronimo hath need thereof.

LOR. But if he be thus helpelesly distract, Tis requisite his office be resignde And giuen to one of more discretion.

KING. We shall encrease his melanchollie so.

Tis best that we see further in it first; Till when, our-selfe will exempt the place.

And, brother, now bring in the emba.s.sadour, That he may be a witnes of the match Twixt Balthazar and Bel-imperia, And that we may prefixe a certaine time Wherein the marriage shalbe solemnized, That we may haue thy lord the vice-roy heere.

EM. Therein your Highnes highly shall content His maiestie, that longs to heare from hence.

KING. On then, and heare you, lord emba.s.sadour.

Exeunt.

[ACT III. SCENE 13.]

[HIERONIMO's house.]

Enter HIERONIMO with a book in his hand.

[HIERO.] Vindicta mihi.

I, heauen will be reuenged of euery ill, Nor will they suffer murder vnrepaide!

Then stay, Hieronimo, attend their will; For mortall men may not appoint their time.

Per scelus semper tutum est sceleribus iter: Strike, and strike home, where wrong is offred thee; For euils vnto ils conductors be, And death's the worst of resultion.

For he that thinks with patience to contend To quiet life, his life shall easily end.

Fata si miseros iuuant, habes selutem; Fata si vitam negant, habes sepulchrum: If destinie thy miseries doe ease, Then hast thou health, and happie shalt thou be; If destinie denie thee life, Hieronimo, Yet shalt thou be a.s.sured of a tombe; If neither, yet let this thy comfort be: Heauen couereth him that hath no buriall.

And, to conclude, I will reuenge his death!

But how? Not as the vulgare wits of men, With open, but ineuitable ils; As by a secret, yet a certaine meane, Which vnder kindeship wilbe cloked best.

Wise men will take their opportunitie, Closely and safely fitting things to time; But in extreames aduantage hath no time; And therefore all times fit not for reuenge.

Thus, therefore, will I rest me in unrest, Dissembling quiet in vnquietnes, Not seeming that I know their villanies, That my simplicitie may make them think That ignorantly I will let all slip; For ignorance, I wot, and well they know, Remedium malorum iners est.

Nor ought auailes it me to menace them.

Who, as a wintrie storme vpon a plaine, Will beare me downe with their n.o.bilitie.

No, no, Hieronimo, thou must enioyne Thine eies to obseruation, and thy tung To milder speeches then thy spirit affoords, Thy hart to patience, and thy hands to rest, Thy cappe to curtesie, and they knee to bow, Till to reuenge thou know when, where and how.

How now? what noise, what coile is that you keepe?

A noise within.

Enter a SERVANT.

SER. Heere are a sort of poore pet.i.tioners That are importunate, and it shall please you, sir, That you should plead their cases to the king.

HIERO. That I should plead their seuerall actions?

Why, let them enter, and let me see them.

Enter three CITIZENS and an OLDE MAN [DON BAZULTO].

I CIT. So I tell you this: for learning and for law There is not any aduocate in Spaine That can preuaile or will take halfe the paine That he will in pursuite of equitie.

HIERO. Come neere, you men, that thus importune me!

[Aside] Now must I beare a face of grauitie, For thus I vsde, before my marshalship, To pleide the causes as corrigedor.-- Come on, sirs, whats the matter?

II CIT. Sir, an action.

HIERO. Of batterie?

I CIT. Mine of debt.

HIERO. Giue place.

II CIT. No, sir, mine is an action of the case.

III CIT. Mine an eiectionae firmae by a lease.

HIERO. Content you, sirs; are you determined That I should plead your seuerall actions?

I CIT. I, sir; and heeres my declaration.

II CIT. And heere is my band.

III CIT. And heere is my lease.

They giue him papers.

HIERO. But wherefore stands you silly man so mute, With mournfall eyes and hands to heauen vprearde?

Come hether, father; let me know thy cause.

SENEX, [DON BAZULTO]. O worthy sir, my cause but slightly knowne May mooue the harts of warlike Myrmydons, And melt the Corsicke rockes with ruthfull teares!

HIERO. Say, father; tell me whats thy sute!

[BAZULTO]. No, sir, could my woes Giue way vnto my most distresfull words, Then should I not in paper, as you see, With incke bewray what blood began in me.

HIERO. Whats heere? "The Humble Supplication Of Don Bazulto for his Murdered Sonne."

[BAZULTO]. I, sir.

HIERO. No, sir, it was my murdred sonne!

Oh, my sonne, my sonne! oh, my sonne Horatio!

But mine or thine, Bazulto, be content; Heere, take my hand-kercher and wipe thine eies, Whiles wretched I in thy mishaps may see The liuely portraict of my dying selfe.