LORENZO

To me my Liege. This hand first took his courser by the reins. eaz'd his weapon and enioyde it first. I crave no better then your grace awards. Sister, what means this melancholy walk? But here the Prince is come to visit you, Tush, tush my Lord, let go these ambages, And in plain terms acquaint her with your love. My Lord, be not dismayed for what is passed. You know that women oft are humorous: These clouds will overblow with little wind. Let me alone, I'll scatt r them my self: Mean while let us devise to spend the time, In some delightful sports and revelling. My Lord, for my sake leave these ecstasies, And doubt not but weel find some remedy, Some cause there is that lets you not be loved: First that must needs be known and then removed. What if my Sister love some other Knight? I have already found a stratage me, To found the bottom of this doubtful theme My Lord, for once you shall be ruled by me, Hinder me not what ere you hear or see. By force of fire means will I cast about, To find the truth of all this question out. Ho Pedringano. Vien que presto. I Pedringano service of import: And not to spend the time in trifling words, Thus stands the case; it is not long thou knowest, Since I did shield thee from my father's wrath, For thy conveyance in Andreas love: For which thou Wertenberg adjudged to punishment I stood betwixt thee and thy punishment: And since, thou knowest how I have favoured thee Now to these favours will I addereward, Not with fair words, but store of golden coin, And lands and living joined with dignities, If thou but satisfy my joust demand. I'ell truth and have me for thy lasting friend. Nay if thou dally then I am thy foe, And fear shall force what friendship cannot win. Thy death shall bury what thy life conceals. Thou diest for more esteeming her then me. Yet speak the truth and I will guerdon thee, And shield thee from what ever can ensue. And will conceal what ere proceeds from thee, But if thou dally once again, thou diest. What villain ifs and ands? What Done Horati our Knight Marshals son? Now say, but how knowest thou he is her love? And thou shalt find me kind and liberal: Stand up I say, and fearless tell the truth. Swear on this cross, that what thou sayest is true, And that thou wilt conseale what thou hast told. In hope thine oath is true, heeres thy reward, But if I prove thee periurde and unjust, This very sword whereon thou tookest thine oath, Shall be the worker of thy tragedy. Let this be all that thou shalt do for me, Be watchful when, and where these lovers meet, And give me notice in some secret sort. Then shalt thou find that I am liberal, Thou knowest that I can more advance thy state Then she, be therefore wise and fail me not. Go and attend her as thy custom is, Least absence make her think thou dost amiss. Why so: TO am armis quam ingenio: Where words prevail not, violence prevails. But gold does more then either of them both. How likes Prince Balthazar this stratagem? Lets go my Lord, your staying stays revenge, Do you hut follow me and gain your love, Her favour must be won by his remove. Watch still mine eyes, to see this love disjoined, Hear still mine ears, to hear them both lament, Live heart to joy at found Horatios fallen. Dangers of death, but pleasures none at all. I, danger mixed with jealous despite, Shall send thy soul into eternal night. My Lord away with her, take her aside, Oh sir forbear, your valour is already tried. Quickly dispatch my masters, I thus, and thus, these are the fruits of love. Although his life were still ambituous proud, Yet is heat the highest now he is dead. Come stop her mouth away with her. How now, whose this, Hieronimo? What to do Hieronimo? The Duke my father hath Upon some disgrace a while removed her hence, But if it be ought I may inform her of, Tell me Hieronimo, and isle let her know it. Why so Hieronimo? use me. Why then farewell. Come hither Pedringano, seest thou this? This is that damned villain Serberine, That hath I fear reuealde Horatios death. Admit he have not, his conditions such, As fear of flattering words may make him false. I know his humour, and there with repent, That ere I used him in this enterprise. But Pedringano, to prevent the worst, And c use I know thee secret as my soul, Here for thy further satisfaction take thou this. Gives him more gold. And harken to me, thus it is devised: This night thou must, and prithee so resolve, Meet Serberine at S. Liugis Park, Thou knowest 'tis here hard by behind the house, There take thy stand, and see thou strike him sure, For die he must, if we do mean to live. Let me alone, isle send to him to meet The Prince and me, where thou must do this deed. When things shall altar, as I hope they will, Then shalt thou mount for this, tbou knowest my mind. Go sirrah to Serberine, and bid him forthwith, Meet the Prince and me at S. Liugis Park, Behind the house, this evening boy. Now to confirm the complot thou hast cast, Of all these practises, I'll spread the watch, Upon precise commandment from the king, Strongly to guard the place where Pedringano This night shall murder hapless Serberine. Thus must we work that will avoid distrust, Thus must we practice to prevent mishap, And thus one ill, another must expulse. This sly enquiry of Hieronimo for Bel-imperia, breeds suspi cion, And this suspicion bodes a further ill. As for my self, I know my secret fault, And so do they, but I have dealt for them. They that for coin their souls endangered To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs: And better its that base companions die, Then by their life to hazard our good haps. Nor shall they live for me, to fear their faith: I'll trust my self, my self shall be my friend, For die they shall, slaves are ordained to no other end. Now Pedringano bid thy Pistol hold, And hold on Fortune, once more favour me, Give but success to mine at tempting spirit, And let me shift for taking of mine aim: Here is the gold, this is the gold proposed, It is no dream that I adventure for, But Pedringano is possessed thereof. And he that would not strain his conscience, For him that thus his liberal purse hath stretched, Unworthy such a favour may he fail, And hing, want when such as I prevail. As for the fear of apprehension, I know, if needs should be, my noble Lord Will stand between me and ensuing harms. Beside, this place is free from all suspect: Here therefore will I stay and take my stand. Fear of preventing our mishaps too late. Our greatest ils, we least mistrust my Lord, And in expected harms do hurt us most. Nor you nor me my Lord, but both in one. For I suspect, and the presumptions great, That by those base confederates in our fault, Touching the death of Done Horatio: We are betrayed to old Hieronimo. A guilty conscience urged with the thought, Offormer evils, easily cannot err: I am persuaded, and dissuade me not, That also revealed to Hieronimo. And therefore know that I have cast it thus: But heeres the Page, how now, what news with thee? Speak Page, who murdered him? Who? Hath P dringano murdered Serberine? My Lord, let me entreat you to take the pains, To exasperate and hasten his revenge. With your complaints unto my L. the King. This their dissension breeds a greater doubt. Why so, this fits our former policy, And thus experience bids the wise to deal. I lay the plot, he prosecutes the point, I set the trap, he breaks the worthless twigs, And sees not that wherewith the bird was limde. Thus hopeful men that mean to hold their own, Must look Like fowlers to their dearest Friends. He runs to kill whom I have help to catch, And no man knows it was my reaching fatch. 'Tis hard to trust unto a multitude, Or any one in mine opinion, When men themselu S their secrets will reveal. Boy. Whats he? From whence? So, he is in prison then? What would he with us? He writes us here to stand good L. and help him in distres. Tell him I have his letters, know his mind, And what we may let him assure him of. Fellow, be gone: my boy shall follow thee. This works Like wax, yet once more try thy wits, Boy, go convey this purse to Pedring n , Thou knowest the prison, closely give it him: And be advised that one be there about. Bid him be merry still, but secret: And though the Marshal sessions be to day, Bid him not doubt of his delivery. Tell him his pardon is already signde, And thereon bid him boldly be resolved: For were he ready to be turned off, As 'tis my will the uttermost be tried: Thou with his pardon shalt attend him still, Show him this box, tell him his pardons int, But opent not, and if thou love thy life: But let him wisely keep his Hope's unknown, He shall not want while Done Lorenzo lives: away. But sirrah, see that this be cleanly done. Now stands our fortune on a tickle point, And now or never ends Lorenzos doubts. One only thing is uneffected yet, And thats to see the Executioner, But to what end? I list not trust the Air With utterance of our pretence therein. For fear the privy whispering of the wind, Convey our words amongst unfriendly ears, That lie too open to advantages. Et quel que voglio It nessun le sa, Intendo io quel mi bassara. My Master hath forbidden me to look in this box, and by my troth 'tis likely, if he had not warned me, I should not have had so much idle time: for we men's-kind in our mi noritie, are Like women in their uncertainty, that they are most forbidden, they will soonest attempt: so I now. By my bore honesty heeres nothing but the bore empty box: were it not sin against secrecy, I would say it were a piece of gen tlemanlike knavery. I must go to Pedring no, and tell him his pardon is in this box, nay, I would have sworn it, had I not seen the contrary. I cannot choose but smile to think, how the villain will flout the gallows, scorn the audience, and descant on the hangman, and all presuming of his pardon from hence. Wilt not be and odd jest, for me to stand and grace every jest he makes, pointing my finger at this box: as who would say, mock on, heers thy warrant. Is't not a scur vie jest, that a man should jest himself to death. Alas poor Pedringano, I am in a sort sorry for thee, but if I should be hanged with thee, I cannot weep. Boy, talk no further, thus far things go well, Thou art assure that thou sawest him dead? Thats enough. As for his resolution in his end, Leave that to him with whom he soiourns now. Here, take my ring, and give it Christophill, And bid him let my Sister be enlarged, And bring her hither straight. This that I did was for a policy, To smooth and keep the murder secret, Which as a nine days wonder being overblown, My gentle Sister will I now enlarge. Why? and my Lord, I hope you herd me say, Sufficient reason, why she kept away. But thats all one, my Lord, you love her? Then in your love beware, deal cunningly, Salve all suspicions, only sooth me up, And if she hap to stand on terms with us, As for her sweet heart, and concealment so, lest with her gently, under feigned jest Are things concealde, that else would breed unrest. But here she comes. Now Sister. A duise you better Bel-imperia, For I have done you no disparagement: Unless by more discretion then desert ed, I sought to save your honour and mine own. His highness and my Father were resolved, To come confer with old Hieronimo, Concerning certain matters of estate, That by the Viceroy was determined. Me next in sighed as messenger they sent, To give him notice that they were so nigh: Now when I came consorted with the Prince, And unexpected in and Arbour there, Found Bel-imperia with Horatio. Why then remembering that old disgrace, Which you for Done Andrea had endure, And now were likely longer to sustain, By being found so meanly accompanied: Thought rather, for I knew no readier mean, To thrust Horatio forth my father's way. That were to add more fuel to your fire. Who burned Like A tn for Andreas lose. Sister he hath, and thus excused I thee. But Bel-imperia, see the gentle prince, Look on thy love, behold young Balthazar. Whose passion by thy presence are increased, And in whose melancholy thou mayest see, Thy hate, his love: thy flight, his following thee. Fear your self? How? Nay, and you argue things so eunningly, Weel go continue this discourse at Court, Back, seest thou not the King is busy? Hieronimo, you are not well advised. My gracious Lord, he is with extreme pride, Conceived of young Horatio his Son, And covetous of having to himself, The ransom of the young Prince Bal hazar. Distract and in a manner lunatic. But if he be thus helpless y distract, 'Tis requisite his office be resignde, And given to one of more discretion. I do my Lord, and joy to see the same. For her my Lord, whom Bal haz r does love, And to confirm their promised marriage. Who Bel-imprria, I my gracious Lord, And this is the day, that I have longed so happily to see. Heavens will not let L renzo err so much, That I my Lord? My L. it lies not in Lorenzos power To stop the vulgar liberal of their tongues: A small advantage makes a water breach, And no man lives that long contents all. Your self my L. hath seen his passion, That ill beseemde the presence of a King, And for I pitied him in his distress, I held him thence with kind and courteous words, As free from malice to Hieronimo, As to my soul my Lord. My gracious Father, believe me so he does, But whats a silly man distract in mind To think upon the murder of his son: Alas how easy is it for him to err? But for his satisfaction and the world's, It good my L. that Hieronimo and I, Were reconcilde, if he misconstrue me. Welcome Hieronimo. No, would he had. Hieronimo, I never gave you cause. And that I hope old grudges are forgotten. And how for that? Nay be not angry good Hieronimo, The Prince but asked a question. And I another. Oh excellent. And I. And well it may, for I have seen the Like In Paris, amongst the French Tragedians. Why thus my Lord we must resolve, To sooth his humours up. I warrant you. MY Lord, though Bel-imperia seem thus coy, Let reason hold you in your wonted joy: In time the savage B ll sustains the yoke, In time all haggard Hawks will stoop to lu e, In time small wedges cleave the hardest Oak, In time the flint is pierced with softest shower, And she in time will fallen from her disdain, And rue the sufferance of your friendly pain. Then Pedringano this is my demand, Whom loves my sister Bel-imperia? For she reposes all her trust in thee: Speak man and gain both friendship and reward, I mean, whom loves she in Andreas place? Thrice happy is Erasto, that thou livest, Rhodes lose is nothing to Erastoes joy: Sith his Perseda lives, his life survives. Your melancholy Sister since the news, Of your first favourite Done Andreas death, My Father's old wrath hath exasperate. But now Hieronimo or never we are to entreat your help.