About it madam, this is all in all;
We cannot stand unless Mendoza fall.
Act IV
Scene I
ENTER EMANUEL KING of Portugal, Prince Philip, Mendoza, Alvero with drums and soldiers marching.
King of Portugal Poor Spain, how is the body of thy peace
Mangled and torn by an ambitious Moor!
How is thy Prince and Counsellors abused,
And trodden under the base foot of scorn!
Wronged Lords, Emanuel of Portugal partakes
A falling share in all your miseries;
And though the tardy-hand of slow delay
With held us from preventing your mishaps,
Yet shall revenge dart black confusion
Into the bosom of that damned fiend.
PhillipBut is it possible our Mother Queen
Should countenance his ambition?
AlveroHer advice is as a steers-man to direct his course.
Besides, as we by circumstance have learnt,
She means to marry him.
PhillipThen here upon my knees
I pluck allegiance from her; all that love
Which by in native duty I did owe her,
Shall henceforth be converted into hate.
This will confirm the world’s opinion
That I am base born, and the damned Moor
Had interest in my birth, this wrong alone
Gives new fire to the cinders of my rage:
I may be well transformed from what I am,
When a black devil is husband to my dam.
King of Portugal Prince, let thy rage give way to patience,
And set a velvet brow upon the face
Of wrinkled anger, our keen swords
Must right these wrongs, and not light airy words.
PhillipYet words may make the edge of rage more sharp,
And whet a blunted courage with revenge.
AlveroHere’s none wants whetting, for our keen resolves
Are steeled unto the back with double wrongs;
Wrongs that would make a handless man take arms;
Wrongs that would make a coward resolute.
Cardinal Why then join all our several wrongs in one?
And from these wrongs assume a firm resolve,
To send this devil to damnation.
Drums afar off.
PhillipI hear the sound of his approaching march.
Stand fair;Saint Jacques for the right of Spain.
To them, enter the Moor, Roderigo, Christofero, with drums, colours and soldiers, marching bravely.
Eleazar Bastard of Spain?
Phillip Thou true stamped son of hell,
Thy pedigree is written in thy face.
Alarum, and a battle, the Moor prevails. All exit.
Scene II
ENTER PHILIP AND Cardinal.
PhillipMove forward, with your main battalion,
Or else all is lost.
Cardinal I will not move a foot.
Phillip S’heart, will you lose the day?
CardinalYou lose your wits,
You’re mad, it is no policy.
PhillipYou lie.
Cardinal Lie?
PhillipLie; a pox upon it, Cardinal: come on,
Second the desperate vanguard which is mine,
And where I’ll die or win, follow my sword
The bloody way I lead it or, by heaven,
I’ll play the devil and mar all, we’ll turn our backs
Upon the Moors and set on thee; aye, thee,
Thee Cardinal, s’heart thee.
Cardinal Your desperate arm
Hath almost thrust quite through the heart of hope;
Our fortunes lie a bleeding by your rash and violent
Onset.
PhillipOh! Oh! s’life, s’foot, will you fight?
CardinalWe will not hazard all upon one cast.
Phillip You will not?
Cardinal No.
Philllip Coward.
Cardinal By deeds I’ll try
Whether your venomous tongue says true; farewell.
Courage shines both, in this and policy.
Exit.
Phillip To save thy skin whole, that’s thy policy;
You whoreson fat-chopped guts. I’ll melt away
That larded body by the heat of fight,
Which I’ll compel thee to or else by flying;
To work which I’ll give way to the proud foe,
Whilst I stand laughing to behold thee run.
Cardinal I’ll do it, I’ll do it, a Moor, a Moor,
Philip cries a Moor, holla! Ha! Who!
Enter King of Portugal.
King of Portugal Prince Philip, Philip!
PhillipHere; plague, where’s the Moor?
King of Portugal The Moor’s a devil; never did horrid fiend,
Compelled by some magician’s mighty charm,
Break through the prisons of the solid earth,
With more strange horror than this Prince of hell,
This damned Negro, lion-like doth rush
Through all, and spite of all knit opposition.
PhillipPuh! Puh! Where? Where? I’ll meet him, where? You mad me.
’Tis not his arm that acts such wonders,
But our cowardice.
This Cardinal, oh! This Cardinal is a slave.
Enter Captain.
Captain Sound a retreat, or else the day is lost;
PhillipI’ll beat that dog to death, that sounds retreat.
King of Portugal Philip -
PhillipI’ll tear his heart out that dares name but sound.
King of Portugal Sound a retreat.
PhillipWho’s that? You tempt my sword, Sir.
Continue this alarum, fightpell-mell!
Fight, kill, be damned! This fat-back coward Cardinal
Lies heavy on my shoulders; this, aye this
Shall fling him off: Sound a retreat! Zounds, you mad me.
Ambition plumes the Moor, whilst black despair
Offering to tear from him the diadem
Which he usurps, makes him to cry at all,
And to act deeds beyond astonishment;
But Philip is the knight that darks his glories.
This sword, yet reeking with his Negro’s blood,
Being grasped by equity and this strong arm
Shall through and through.
AllAway then.
Phillip From before me;
Stay, stand, stand fast, fight? A Moor, a Moor.
Scene III
TO THEM ENTER Eleazar, Zarack, Baltazar, Roderigo, Christofero and others. They fight, Moors are all beat in. Exit omnes, manetEleazar weary . [He] stays a Moor [who] lies slain.
Eleazar Oh for more work, more souls to post to hell;
That I might pile up Charon’s boat so full,
Until it topple over, oh it would be sport
To see them sprawl through the black slimy lake.
Ha, ha, there’s one going thither, sirrah, you,
You slave, who killed thee? How he grins! This breast,
Had it been tempered and made proof like mine,
It never would have been a mark for fools
To hit afar off with their bastard bullets.
But thou didst well, thou knew’st I was thy lord;
And out of love and duty to me here,
Where I fell weary, thou laidst down thy self
To bear me up, thus God a mercy slave.
A King for this shall give thee a rich grave
As he sits down, enter Philip with a broken sword.
PhillipI’ll wear thee to the pommel, but I’ll find
The subject of mine honour and revenge.
Moor ’tis for thee I seek; come now, now take me
At good advantage. Speak, where art thou?
Eleazar Here.
Phillip Fate and revenge, I thank you; rise.
Eleazar Leave and live.
/> Phillip Villain, it is Phillip that bids rise.
Eleazar It had been good for thee to have hid thy name.
For the discovery, like to a dangerous charm,
Hurts him that finds it, wherefore do those bloodhounds,
Thy rage and valour, chase me?
Phillip Why? To kill thee!
Eleazar With that? What a blunt axe! Think’st thou I’ll let
Thy fury take a full blow at this head
Having these arms? Be wise! Go, change thy weapon.
PhillipOh, sir!
Eleazar I’ll stay thy coming.
PhillipThou’lt be damned first.
Eleazar By all our Indian Gods.
Phillip Puh, never swear;
Thou know’st ’tis for a kingdom which we fight;
And for that who’ll not venture to hell-gates.
Come Moor, I am armed with more than complete steel,
The justice of my quarrel, when I look
Upon my father’s wrongs, my brother’s wounds,
My mother’s infamy, Spain’s misery,
And lay my finger here. Oh! ’tis too dull,
To let out blood enough to quench them all.
But when I see your face, and know what fears
Hang on thy troubled soul, like leaden weights,
To make it sink, I know this finger’s touch
Has strength to throw thee down, I know this iron
Is sharp and long enough to reach that head.
Fly not dive; if thou do -
Eleazar How fly? Oh bastard!
Phillip Come then.
Eleazar Stay Philip, whosoe’rbegat thee.
PhillipWhy, slave, a King begat me.
Eleazar May e so.
But I’ll be sworn thy mother was a Queen;
For her sake will I kill thee nobly.
Fling me thy sword; there’s mine; I scorn to strike
A man disarmed.
Phillip For this dishonouring me
I’ll give thee one stab more.
Eleazar I’ll run away,
Unless thou change that weapon or take mine.
Phillip Neither.
Eleazar Farewell.
PhillipS’heart, stay, and if you dare,
Do as I do, oppose thy naked breast
Against this poniard. See, here’s this for thine.
Eleazar I am for thee, Philip.
Phillip Come, nay take more ground,
That with a full career thou maist strike home.
Eleazar Thou wouldst run away then.
Phillip Hah!
Eleazar Thou wouldst run away then.
Phillip Faith, I will, but first on this I’ll bear
Thy panting heart, thy head upon thy spear.
Eleazar Come.
Enter on both sides Cardinal, and King of Portugal on the one side and Moors on the other side.
CardinalSide upon the Moors.
MoorSide upon the Cardinal.
Phillip Hold Cardinal, strike not any of our side.
Eleazar Hold Moors, strike not any of our side,
PhillipWe two will close this battle.
Eleazar Come, agreed.
Stand armies and give aim, whilst we two bleed.
CardinalWith poniards ’tis too desperate, dear Philip.
PhillipAway, have at the Moor, s’heart let me come.
King of Portugal Be armed with manly weapons; ’tis for slaves
To dig their own and such unworthy graves.
Eleazar I am for thee anyway, thus, or see thus;
Here, try the vigour of thy sinewy arm.
The day is ours already, brainless heads
And bleeding bodies like a crown do stand
About the temples of our victory.
Yet, Spaniards, if you dare we’ll fight it out,
Thus man to man alone, I’ll first begin,
And conquer, or in blood wade up to the chin.
Phillip Let not a weapon stir, but his and mine.
Eleazar Nor on this side, conquest in blood shall shine.
Alarum. They fight a combat, the Moor is struck down, which his side seeing, step all in and rescue him; the rest join and drive in the Moors. Alarum continuing, Spaniards and Moors with drums and colours fly over the stage, pursued by Philip, Cardinal, King of Portugal and others. Enter Zarack Christofero, and Eleazar at several doors.
Christofero Where is my lord?
ZarackWhere is our sovereign?
Eleazar What news brings Zarack and Christofero?
ZarackOh fly my Lord! Fly for the day is lost.
Eleazar There are three hundred and odd days in a year,
And cannot we lose one of them? Come, fight.
Christofero The lords have left us and the soldiers fainted,
You are round beset with proud fierce enemies;
Death cannot be prevented but by flight.
Eleazar He shall, Christofero. I have yet left
One stratagem that, in despite of fate,
Shall turn the wheel of war about once more:
The Mother Queen hath all this while sate sadly
Within our tent, expecting to whose bosom,
White winged peace and victory will fly.
Her have I used as a fit property
To stop this dangerous current; her have I sent,
Armed with love’s magic, to enchant the Cardinal
And bind revenge down with resistless charms.
By this time does she hang about his neck,
And by the witchcraft of a cunning kiss,
Has she disarmed him, hark, they soundretreat.
She has prevailed; a woman’s tongue and eye
Are weapons stronger than artillery.
Exit.
Scene IV
ENTER CARDINAL, QUEEN Mother, soldiers, drums and colours.
Queen MotherBy all those sighs which thou (like passionate tunes)
Hast often to my dull ears offered,
By all thy hopes to enjoy my royal bed;
By all those mourning lines which thou hast sent,
Weeping in black to tell thy languishment,
By love’s best richest treasure, which I swear,
I will bestow and which none else shall wear,
As the most prized jewel, but thyself.
By that bright fire which flaming through thine eyes;
From thy love scorched bosom does arise.
I do conjure thee, let no churlish sound,
With war’s lewd horror my desires confound;
Dear, dear Mendoza, thus I do entreat,
That still thou wouldst continue this retreat;
I’ll hang upon thee till I hear thee say,
Woman, prevail; or chiding, cry away.
CardinalIs there no trick in this forged by the Moor?
Queen MotherI would the Moor’s damnation were the ransom
Of all that innocent blood that has been shed
In this black day; I care not for the Moor;
Love to my kingdom’s peace makes me put on
This habit of a suppliant; shall I speed?
Cardinal You shall, were it to have my bosom bleed.
I have no power to spare the Negro’s head,
When I behold the wounds which his black hand
Has given mine honour, but when I look on you,
I have no power to hate him, since your breath
Dissolves my frozen heart, being spent for him;
In you my life must drown itself or swim;
You have prevailed. Drum, swiftly hence! Call back
Our fierce pursuing troops that run to catch
The laurel wreath of conquest. Let it stand
A while untouched by any soldier’s hand.
Exit drum.
Away! Stay you and guard us, where’s the Moor?
I’ll lose what I have got, a victor’s prize,
Yielding myself a prisoner to your eyes.
Queen MotherMine
eyes shall quickly grant you liberty,
The Moor stays my return, I’ll put on wings,
And fetch him to make peace belongs to Kings.
As she goes out, enter Eleazar, Zarack, Baltazar, and soldiers well armed; at sight of each other all draw.
Cardinal Soldiers, call back the drum, we are betrayed.
Eleazar Moors, stand upon your guard, avoid, look back.
Queen Moor What means this jealousy? Mendoza, Moor,
Lay by your weapons and embrace the sight
Of this and this. Begets suspicion
Eleazar? By my birth, he comes in peace;
Mendoza, by mine honour, so comes he.
CardinalDischarge these soldiers then.
Eleazar And these.
Soldiers stand aloof.
Cardinal Away.
Eleazar Go.
Queen MotherSo, rejoice to see this glorious day.
She joins them together; they embrace.
Cardinal Your virtues work this wonder. I have met
At her most dear command; what’s your desires?
Eleazar Peace and your honoured arms, how loathingly
I sounded the alarums, witness heaven
It was not to strike your breast, but to let out
The rank blood of ambition. That Philip
Makes you his ladder, and being climbed so high
As he may reach a diadem, there you lie.
He’s base begotten, that’s his mother’s sin.
Queen MotherGod pardon it.
Eleazar Aye, amen, but he’s a bastard,
And rather than I’ll kneel to him, I’ll saw
My legs off by the thighs, because I’ll stand
In spite of reverence, he’s a bastard, he is!
And to beat down his usurpation
I have thrown about this thunder; but, Mendoza,
The people hate him for his birth.
He only leans on you, you are his pillar;
You gone, he walks on crutches, or else falls;
Then shrink from under him. Are not they
Fools that bearing others up themselves, seem low,
Because they above sit high, why you do so?
Cardinal It is true.
Queen MotherBehold this error with fixed eyes.
CardinalIt is true, well.
Eleazar Oh! Have you found it? Have you smelt
The train of powder that must blow you up?
Up into air, what air! Why this? A breath,
Look you, in this time may a King meet death;
An eye to it, check it, check it.
Cardinal How?
Eleazar How thus?
Steal from the heat of that incestuous blood
Where ravished honour and Philippo lies;
Complete Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker Page 22