Well doon, Balthazar; hang vp the t.i.tle: Our scene is Rhodes. What, is your beard on?
BAL. Halfe on, the other is in my hand.
HIERO. Dispatch, for shame! are you so long?
Exit BALTHAZAR.
Bethink thy-selfe, Hieronimo, Recall thy wits, recompt thy former wrongs Thou hast receiued by murder of thy sonne, And lastly, [but] not least, how Isabell, Once his mother and [my] deerest wife, All woe-begone for him, hath slaine her-selfe.
Behoues thee then, Hieronimo, to be Reueng"d! The plot is laide of dire reuenge: On then, Hieronimo; persue reuenge, For nothing wants but acting of reuenge!
Exit HIERONIMO.
Enter SPANISH KING, VICE-ROY, the DUKE OF CASTILE, and their traine, [to the gallery].
KING. Now, viceroy, shall we see the tragedie Of Soliman, the Turkish emperour, Performde by pleasure by yor sonne the prince, My nephew Don Lorenzo, and my neece.
VICE. Who? Bel-imperia?
KING. I; and Hieronimo our marshall, At whose request they deine to doo"t themselues.
These be our pastimes in the court of Spaine.
Heere, brother, you shall be the booke-keeper: This is the argument of that they shew.
He giueth him a booke.
[Gentlemen, this play of Hieronimo in sundrie languages was thought good to be set downe in English more largely, for the easier vnderstanding to euery publique reader.]
Enter BALTHAZAR, BEL-IMPERIA, and HIERONIMO.
BALTHAZAR. [acting] Bashaw, that Rhodes is ours yeeld Heauens the honor And holy Mahhomet, our sacred prophet!
And be thou grac"t with euery excelence That Soliman can giue or thou desire!
But thy desert in conquering Rhodes is lesse Then in reseruing this faire Christian nimph, Perseda, blisfull lamp of excellence, Whose eies compell, like powerfull adamant, The warlike heart of Soliman to wait.
KING. See, vice-roy, that is Balthazar your sonne, That represents the Emperour Solyman: How well he acts his amorous pa.s.sion!
VICE. I; Bel-imperia hath taught him that.
CASTILE: That"s because his mind runnes al on Bel-imperia.
HIERO. [acting] What-euer ioy earth yeelds betide your Maiestie!
BALT. [acting] Earth yeelds no ioy without Persedaes loue.
HIERO. [acting] Let then Peerseda on your Grace attend.
BALT. [acting] She shall not wait on me, but I on her!
Drawne by the influence of her lights, I yeeld.
But let my friend, the Rhodian knight, come foorth,-- Erasto, dearer then my life to me,-- That he may see Perseda, my beloued.
Enter ERASTO [LORENZO].
KING. Heere comes Lorenzo: looke vpon the plot And tell me, brother, what part plaies he.
BEL. [acting] Ah, my Erasto! Welcome to Perseda!
LO. [acting] Thrice happie is Erasto that thou liuest!
Rhodes losse is nothing to Erastoes ioy; Sith his Perseda liues, his life suruiues.
BALT. [acting] Ah, bashaw, heere is loue betweene Erasto And faire Perseda, soueraigne of my soule!
HIERO. [acting] Remooue Erasto, mighty Solyman, And then Perseda will be quickly wonne.
BALT. [acting] Erasto is my friend; and, while he liues, Perseda neuer will remooue her loue.
HIERO. [acting] Let not Erasto liue to greeue great Soliman!
BALT. [acting] Deare is Erasto in our princely eye.
HIERO. [acting] But, if he be your riuall, let him die!
BALT. [acting] Why, let him die! so loue commaundeth me.
Yet I greeve I that Erasto should so die.
HIERO. [acting] Erasto, Soliman saluteth thee, And lets thee wit by me his Highnes will, Which is, thou shouldst be thus imploid.
Stab him.
BEL. [acting] Ay, me, Erasto! See, Solyman, Erastoes slaine!
BALT. [acting] Yet liueth Solyman to comfort thee.
Faire queene of beautie, let not fauour die, Both with gratious eye behlde his griefe, That with Persedaes beautie is encreast, If by Perseda griefe be not releast.
BEL. [acting] Tyrant, desist soliciting vaine sutes; Relentles are mine eares to thy laments As thy butcher is pittilesse and base Which seazd on my Erasto, harmelesse knight.
Yet by thy power thou thinkest to commaund, And to thy power Perseda doth obey; But, were she able, thus she would reuenge Thy treacheries on thee, ign.o.ble prince;
Stab him.
And on herselfe she would be thus reuengd.
Stab herselfe.
KING. Well said, old marshall! this was brauely done!
HIERO. But Bel-imperia plauies Perseda well.
VICE. Were this in earnest, Bel-imperia, You would be better to my sonne then so.
KING. But now what followes for Hieronimo?
HIERO. Marrie, this followes for Hieronimo!