RODERIGO

ANy man but my father Should quickly find I have. Of what, or whom? Pray Sir his Name, let him be what he will. For heavens sake what? The? MY Lord a word. Resolve me of a doubt, do you know Done Diego well? And that he was The spirit and the glory of his time, Do you know this? And that this ardor which mine eyes do bear, Do you know it is his blood it represents? Some distance from this place I'll make you know it. Be not so hight, I know I'm young, but yet In noble souls, valour prevents their years. Yes: and I know a stouter man than I Would tremble at the hearing of thy name. Thy head is covered over with laurels, where Victory perches, and from thence reads to me The fate of my destruction: I do challenge Like a rash youth, a man inured to conquest, Yet having heart enough, I shan't want strength, Or if I should, wearing my father's cause Upon my sword and arm, they cannot fail me. the hast seconded the affront thou gavest my father, With a pity worse than that, darest thou deprive me Of my honour, and yet fearest to take my life? Let's go, and talk no more on't. Art thou So afraid to die? I would pursue the course of my sad for tune. His life was my disgrace, Mine honour at my hands required dis death. Did never any murderer present Himself unto his Judge? never wonder at me, I come to seek for that I gave another, That's death; my love Cimena is my Judge. When I deserved her hate, I deserved death, And for that cause I stand here to receive My sentence from her mouth, death from her hand. No, that deer object which I durst displease, To punish me cannot have too much passion; I should be happy if I could augment it, And hasten so my death from her fair hand. TO save the trouble of Pursuing me, behold I'm here before you, Glut your self with the pleasure of my death. Spare not my blood, but taste the sweetness of My death, and your revenge, without resistance. Hear me Cimena. A word And afterwards Make me no answer but with this my sword. My Cimena Look on it rather to increase thy hate T'excite thine anger, and to speed my death. Plunge it in mine, And make it loose the colour so of thine. I do obey, yet with the same desire To die by thee. For from my affection Never expect a cowardly repentance Of a good Actium, the box o'th ear Thy father gave, dishonoured mine, thou knowest How home that touches any man of spirit, I shared in the affront and went to seek The Author, having found him I revenged Mine and my father's honour: were't to do Again I'de do't, yet think not but thy love Held out against my father, and my self, A combat long enough, and made me doubt Whither I should displease thee or fit down By the injury received. I held my hand And blamed my self for too much violence: And without doubt thy beauty had over swayed, Had I not cast in balance, that a man Dishonoured never could be worthy thee, That she who loved me when my fame stood clear, Would hate me, stained with infamy. It's true, I did thee and affront, and it's as true I ought to do it both to save my honour And merit thee. But having thus acquitted My father and my self, it's only you That I now come to satisfy, and make A present of my blood. I know the thought Of a slain father, arms thy hate against me, Nor will I rob thee of thy sacrifice Here, offer to the blood already shed The blood of him, that glories to have shed it, Never defer then longer what your honour Requires of you. It demands my head, To stay till justice give't you, will delay As well your glory, as my punishment. I shall die happy, dying by your hand. Though love speak to thee in my favour, yet The bravery of thy mind ought to answer mine, Which trust me (my Cimena) cannot be, If to revenge thou borrowest other hands. For my revenge I used none but my own, And thou for thine, must use thy hand alone. Hard point of honour! can I by no way Obtain this grace? punish me in the name Of thy dead father, or our dearest love, Either do't in revenge, or else in pity. It'll to thy lover prove a gentler fate, To die thus by thy hand, than to live with thy hate. Thou oughtest to hate me. But fearest thou not the blame and scandal Which men will raise, when they shall know my crime, And the continuance of thy love; no, rather Force they to silence, and without more words, By my death give thy reputation life. It's death to hear this. But what, are you resolved to do. Oh miracle of love! How many tears will these our father's cost us? Cimena would have said it? And that so near the Port a sudden storm Should shipwreck all our Hope's. I go then to draw out a dying life, Till thy pursuit shall bring it to and end. Ay me! The honor's endue to you, heaven be my witness That coming from you, I could do no less, I hold my self most happy, that the first Trial of my poor valour should please him To whom I owe my life, but in these pleasures Have not a jealousy of me, because After you, I dare satisfy my self Give me leave to despair; it's all I ask. Let not your praise flatter me out of that. What say you, Sir? Would you then shame me with inconstancy, A coward Soldier, and a perjured Lover, Run the same course of infamy alike. Cannot I be thought generous unless I be perfidious. Alas my bonds Are too fast tied, to be so soon undone And since I can nor have, nor leave my love, The death I mean to seek is my best comfort. Let not your Majesty confound your servant With too much shame, to set so high a prize Upon so poor a service. I must blush To see such honour done so slender merit. My debt to you, Sir, and my Country is The blood I live by, and the air I breath; And when I loose they for so fair and object, I do, Sir, but the duty of a Subject. Sir, you have herd how in this urgent danger, Which put the City in so great a tumult, A company of my friends met at my father's, Moved me to go upon this enterprise, But I crave pardon of your Majesty: For daring to employ they without leave, The danger was at hand, So were my friends; The hazard of my head, made me I durst not Appear at Court, and I had rather loose My life in the defence of the whole State, Than give it up unto Cimena's plaints. Under me This troop advanced with such a confidence, And so good order, that where ere they passed They diffused courage through the lookers on, Which so much moved um that although at first We numbered but five hundred, ere we reached The Port, we were increased into three thousand, Two thirds of these when I arrived, I hid Ith' bottom of our ships, which there I found, The rest, whose number every hour increased, Lay close to the ground, and in deep silence passed The greatest partly of that fair night away. To the guard I gave command to do the Like, Affirming stoutly that I had your order, For what I did. At length the glimmering star light Made us discover thirty sail coming up With a full tide, for the swollen Sea at once Poured both it self, and them into our Haven, We let they pass discovering none of us Ith' haven, or the walls, and this our silence Made them so confident of our surprise, That presently they landed, fiercely running To meet the ruin which awaited them. Then rose we up, having received the signal From those within our ships; Who starting up in arms, did so confound The Moors, that they were frighted ere half landed. They came to pillage, but they met with War At Sea and Land, we boar they down before us, Many we slew ith' place before they could Fallen into rank or make the least resistance, When suddenly in spite of our endeavours, Their Princes rallied their dispersed troops, And from a shame they felt, to die so tamely, They took new courage, and restored their ranks, With their swords drawn, making their fight on foot, Then fell the bravest of our Soldiers Mixed with their Captains, the land, the water, Their Fleet, our Haven, seemed a field of slaughter Where death did only triumph; blood, and darkness Covered the place; what had their valour been, Who fought thus in the dark, had they been seen. I, on all sides encouraged our own men; Some I made fallen upon the foe, and others I kept from falling from us, those that came I ranged in order, put they on the places Which they were to make good; but what was done We had no means to know, Till the first light Showed us our victory, and their lose. They seeing a new supply come to our aid, Fled now more fiercely, than before they fought. They God into their ships, and cut their cables, Disorderly retreating, and not minding Whither their Kings retired or stayed behind, Fear more prevailing, made them loose their duty. They came in with the flood, and with the ebb. They went away. In the mean time their Kings, And some few of their men engaged amongst us, Sold their lives deer enough; I bid'um yield, But while they had a Sword to fight, they would not, Till seeing their Soldiers fallen about their feet And that alone they must defend them selves, They asked who was our leader, I was named, They yield themselves to me. So was this Battle Ended for want of men to fight it out. And thus, Sir, when we are about your service Madame, I go to die, and therefore come Before my death, to take my last farewell, My love does owe you this: and my thralled heart Dares not depart your Kingdom without leave. Nay, more, I run; as soon As I have taken my leave, the Count's revenged. It's not to the Combat That I go now, but to my punishment. For when you seek my death, my love cannot Defend a life against you. My heart is still The same, but not my arm, when it should guard That which displeases you. This night already Had been my last, if for my private quarrel The fight had been: But since 'twas for the King, His People, and my Country, had I left My self defenceless, I'de betrayed them all: I must confess, I did not hate my life So much as with false treachery to partly from't. Now, since no interest but mine own is in it, And you demand my death, I accept your sentence, For which y'have made choice of another hand. (It seems I not deserved to die by yours) I shall not go to exchange blow, for blow, I owe him more respect that fights for you And since it is your honour which he fights for, I'll open him my breast, in his, adoring Your hand, from which I'll welcome my destruction. Mine honour cannot needs any defence More than it has already. He that could Defeat the Moors, and kill the Count of Gormas, Has not and enemy beside to fear. No, no, Roderigo know's what ere you think, How in this fight to die and save his honour, That none shall dare to think he wanted courage, Only they'le say he did adore Cimena. He would not live, having deserved her hate, How he gave way unto the cruel fate which forced his Mistress to pursue his death. She asked his head, and his great heart conceived He should commit a crime, if he denied it. T'acquit his honour he renounced his love, T'acquit his Mistress he renounced his life. Thus shall you see my glory in this Combat Shine more than ere it did. My willing death Shall have this honour, that no Man but I Could for the wrong done to you satisfy. Is there and Enemy now, that I can fear? Moors, and Castilians, or what ere you be, Whom Aragon, or Spain thinks valiant, Appear, and make one army of your selves, My soul encouraged thus shall throw me on you. For so sweet Hope's, what is't I dare not meet with? Great Sir, be not offended if before you, The duty which I owe to love, do cast me Here at her feet. I come not to demand The prize which I have wone, but once more yet To offer you my life. My love shall not Or plead the combats law, or the Kings will, If all that's done cannot appease your anger, Tell me what means is left to satisfy. Must I encounter yet a thousand Rivals, Travail from one end of the Earth to the other Or force a Camp my self, or rout and Army, If at length I may expiate my crime, I shall attempt all this: But if your honour Be still inexorable, and nothing can Appease it but my death; Behold my head I cast it at your feet. Take it your self, And arm no other hand for your revenge, Since none but yours can do't. Yet let my death Be all my punishment, and let me not Be banished from your memory, but say If any time you call to mind my pain Had he not loved me, he had not been slain, For my Cimena, Sir, and for your service, What can you bid me do I won't accomplish? And though I hardly can endure her absence, Yet are the Hope's you give sufficient happiness. Struck to the very heart, with a blow as fatal As unforeseen; what shall I do? I must Revenge my father, and provoke my mistress, Either betray my honour, or my love, It were a better choice for me to die Than to do either: If I revenge my father, I must loose My love; if not, I must live infamous; How can I live, having lost all I live for? But infamy pursues me after death. On then my soul, and rather choose to die Losing thy love, than live ingloriously, And start not at the name of the offender, Because he is the father of thy mistress, But rather think thine own received the offence, And thou art bound to give the recompense.