The Spanish Tragedie. Thomas Kyd

VICE. Then they haue slaine him for his fathers fault.

       ALEX. That were a breach to common lawe of armes.

       VICE. They recke no lawes that meditate reuenge.

       ALEX. His ransomes worth will stay from foule reuenge.

       VICE. No; if he liued, the newes would soone be heere.

       VILLUP. My soueraign, pardon the author of ill newes,

       And Ile bewray the fortune of thy sonne.

       VICE. Speake on; Ile guerdon thee, what-ere it be.

       Mine eare is ready to receiue ill newes,

       My hart growne hard gainst mischiefes battery;

       Stand vp, I say, and tell thy tale at large.

       VILLUP. Then heare that truth which these mine eies have seene:

       When both the armies were in battell ioyned.

       Don Balthazar amidst the thickest troupes,

       To winne renowme, did wondrous feats of armes;

       Amongst the rest I saw him hand-to-hand

       In single fight with their lord generall.

       Till Alexandro, that heere counterfeits

       Vnder the colour of a duteous freend,

       Discharged a pistol at the princes back,

       As though he would haue slaine their generall,

       But therwithall Don Balthazar fell downe;

       And when he fell, then we began to flie;

       But, had he liued, the day had sure bene ours.

       ALEX. O wiched forgerie! O traiterous miscreant!

       VICE. Hold thou thy peace! But now, Villuppo, say:

       Where then became the carkasse of my sonne?

       VILLUP. I saw them drag it to the Spanish tents.

       VICE. I, I, my nightly dreames haue tolde me this!

       Thou false, vnkinde, vnthankfull, traiterous beast!

       Wherein had Balthazar offended thee,

       That thou should betray him to our foes?

       Wast Spanish golde that bleared so thine eyes

       That thou couldst see no part of our deserts?

       Perchance, because thou art Terseraes lord,

       Thou hadst some hope to weare this diademe

       If first my sonne and then my-selfe were slaine;

       But thy ambitious thought shall breake thy neck.

       I, this was it that made thee spill his bloud!

       Take the crowne and put it on againe.

       But Ile now weare it till they bloud be spilt.

       ALEX. Vouchsafe, dread soueraigne, to heare me speak!

       VICE. Away with him! his sight is second hell!

       Keepe him till we determine his death.

       If Balthazar be dead, he shall not liue.

       [They take him out.]

       Villuppo, follow vs for thy reward.

       Exit VICE[ROY].

       VILLUP. Thus haue I with an enuious forged tale

       Deceiued the king, betraid mine enemy,

       And hope for guerdon of my villany.

[ACT I. SCENE 3.]

      [Spain: the palace]

       Enter HORATIO and BEL-IMPERIA.

       BEL. Signior Horatio, this is the place and houre

       Wherein I must intreat thee to relate

       The circumstance of Don Andreas death,

       Who liuing was my garlands sweetest flower,

       And in his death hath buried my delights.

       HOR. For loue of him and seruice to yourself,

       [Ile not] refuse this heauy dolefull charge;

       Yet teares and sighes, I feare, will hinder me.

       When both our armies were enioynd in fight,

       Your worthie chiualier admist the thikst,

       For glorious cause still aiming at the fairest,

       Was at the last by yong Don Balthazar

       Encountered hand-to-hand. Their fight was long,

       Their harts were great, their clamours menacing,

       Their strength alike, their strokes both dangerous;

       But wrathfull Nemesis, that wicked power,

       Enuying at Andreas praise and worth,

       Cut short his life to end his praise and woorth.

       She, she her-selfe, disguisde in armours maske,

       As Pallas was before proud Pergamus,

       Brought in a fresh supply of halberdiers,

       Which pauncht his horse and dingd him to the ground.

       Then yong Don Balthazar, with ruthles rage,

       Taking aduantage of his foes distresse,

       Did finish what his halberdiers begun;

       And left not till Andreas life was done.

       Then, though too late, incenst with iust remorce,

       I with my band set foorth against the prince,

       And brought him prisoner from his halba[r]diers.

       BEL. Would thou hadst slaine him that so slew my loue!

       But then was Don Andreas carkasse lost?

       HOR. No; that was it for which I cheefely stroue,

       Nor stept I back till I recouerd him.

       I tooke him vp, and wound him in mine armes,

       And, welding him vnto my priuate tent,

       There laid him downe and dewd him with my teares,

       And sighed and sorrowed as became a freend.

       But neither freendly sorrow, sighes and teares

       Could win pale Death from his vsurped right.

       Yet this I did, and lesse I could not doe:

       I saw him honoured with due funerall.

       This scarfe I pluckt from off his liueles arme,

       And wear it in remembrance of my freend.

       BEL. I know the scarfe: would he had kept it still!

       For, had he liued, he would haue kept it still,

       And worne it for his Bel-imperias sake;

       For twas my fauour at his last depart.

       But now weare thou it both for him and me;

       For, after him, thou hast deserued it best.

       But, for thy kindnes in his life and death,

       Be sure, while Bel-imperias life endures,

       She will be Don Horatios thankfull freend.

       HOR. And, madame, Don Horatio will not slacke

       Humbly to serue faire Bel-imperia.

       But now, if your good liking stand thereto,

       Ile craue your pardon to goe seeke the prince;

       For so the duke, your father, gaue me charge.

       Exit.

       BEL. I, goe, Horatio; leaue me heere alone,