Complete Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker
Page 24
Queen MotherI cannot brook his sight.
AlveroYou must to prison, and be patient.
Cardinal Weep’st thou, Alvero? All struck dumb? My fears
Are that those drops will change to bloody tears.
This woman and this serpent!
Queen MotherDrag him hence.
Cardinal Who dares lay hands upon me? Lords of Spain
Let your swords bail me, this false Queen did lie.
Eleazar Spaniard or Moor, the saucy slave shall die.
Cardinal I’ll fight with thee, damned hellhound, for my life.
Eleazar Spaniard or Moor, the saucy slave shall die.
Cardinal I’ll prove upon thy head.
Eleazar The slave shall die.
Cardinal Lords, stop this villain’s throat.
Eleazar Shall die, shall die.
Cardinal Hear me, but speak.
Eleazar Away.
AlveroWords are ill spent
Where wrong sits judge; you’re armed if innocent.
Cardinal Well, then I must to prison. Moor, no more.
Heavens thou art just, Prince Philip I betrayed,
And now myself fall, guile with guile is paid.
Exit.
Queen MotherPhilip being proved a bastard, who shall sit
Upon this empty throne?
Eleazar Strumpet, not you.
Queen MotherStrumpet? And if I not sit there, who then?
Eleazar Down back! If she touches it, she’ll bewitch the chair;
This throne belongs to Isabel the fair,
Bring forth the Princess in royal robes,
The true affecter of Alvero’s son,
Virtuous Hortenzo. Lords, behold your Queen.
Scene II
ENTER ISABELLA LED in, in royal robes, and Hortenzo.
Queen MotherThou villain! What intendst thou, savage slave?
Eleazar To advance virtue thus, and thus to tread
On lust, on murder, on adultery’s head
Look, Lords, upon your sovereign Isabel,
Though all may doubt the fruits of such a womb,
Is she not like King Philip? Let her rule.
Queen MotherShe rule?
EleazarShe rule? Aye she.
Queen MotherA child to sway an empire? I am her protectress;
I’ll pour black curses on thy damned head,
If thou wrongst me. Lords, Lords!
Eleazar Princes of Spain,
Be deaf, be blind, hear not, behold her not,
She killed my virtuous wife.
Queen MotherHe killed your King.
Eleazar It was in my just wrath.
Queen MotherIt was to get his crown.
Eleazar His crown! Why here ’tis: thou slewst him, Maria,
To have access to my unstained bed.
Queen MotherOh heaven!
Eleazar It is true, how often have I stopped
Thy unchaste songs from passing through mine ears?
How often, when thy luxurious arms have twinned
About my jetty neck, have I cried out
Away, those scalding veins burn me? ’Tis true.
Queen MotherDevil, ’tis a lie!
Eleazar Thou slewst my sweet Maria;
Alvero, ’twas thy daughter, ’twas; Hortenzo,
She was thy sister. Justice, Isabella!
This serpent poisoned thy dear father’s bed,
Setting large horns on his imperial head.
Queen MotherHear me.
Eleazar Hah! Why?
AlveroMadam, you shall be heard,
Before the courts, before the courts of Spain
Eleazar A guard, a guard.
Enter two Moors and others.
Queen MotherA guard for what? For whom?
Hortenzo To wait on you,
So many great sins must not wait with few.
Queen MotherKeep me in prison! Dare you, Lords?
AlveroOh no!
Were your cause strong, we would not arm you so;
But honour fainting needs many hands,
Kingdoms stand safe, when mischief lies in bands.
You must to prison.
Exit.
Queen MotherMust I? Must I, slave!
I’ll damn thee, ere thou triumph’st over my grave.
Exit with a guard.
Scene III
Manet Eleazar.
Eleazar Do, do! My jocund spleen;
It does, it will, it shall; I have at one throw
Rifled away the diadem of Spain;
It is gone, and there’s no more to set, but this
At all; then at this last cast I’ll sweep up
My former petty losses, or lose all
Like to a desperate gamester; hah! How, fast?
Enter Zarack.
Zarack Except their bodies turn to airy spirits,
And fly through windows, they are fast, my Lord
If they can eat through locks and bars of iron,
They may escape, if not, then not.
Eleazar Ho! Zarack!
Wit is a thief, there’s pick lock police,
To whom all doors fly open, therefore go,
In our name charge the keeper to resign
His office, and if he has tricks of cruelty,
Let him bequeath them at his death, for kill him;
Turn all thy body into eyes, and watch them!
Let those eyes like fiery comets
Sparkle out nothing but the death of kings.
And ah! Now thus thou know’st I did invent
A torturing iron chain.
ZarackOh! For necks my lord?.
Eleazar Aye! That, that, that, away and yoke them - stay,
Enter Baltazar.
Here’s Baltazar.Go both, teach them to preach,
Through an iron pillory; I’ll spread a net
To catch Alvero. O, he is old and wise;
They are unfit to live, that have sharp eyes. Hortenzo, Roderigo, to’t, to’t all:
They have supple knees slacked brows, but hearts of gall:
Their bitterness shall be washed off with blood,
Tyrants swim safest in a crimson flood.
Baltazar I come to tell your grace that Isabella
Is with Hortenzo arm in arm at hand.
Zarack and I may kill them; now with ease
Is it done, and then ’tis done.
Zarack Murder thou the man,
And I’ll stab her.
Eleazar No, I’ll speed her myself;
Arm in arm, so, so, look upon this ring:
Who ever brings this token to your hands
Regard not for what purpose, seize on them,
And chain them to the rest; they come, away.
Murder be proud, and tragedy laugh on,
I’ll seek a stage for thee to jest upon.
Enter Isabella and Hortenzo, seeing the Moor, turn back.
Eleazar My Lord, My Lord Hortenzo?
Hortenzo Hah! Is it you?
Trust me I saw you not.
Eleazar What makes your grace so sad?
Hortenzo She grieves for the imprisoned Queen, her mother,
And for Philip. In the sandy heap,
That wait upon an hour, there are not found
So many little bodies as those sighs
And tears, which she hath every minute spent,
Since her loved brother felt Imprisonment.
Eleazar Pity, great pity; would it lay in me
To give him liberty.
Isabel It does.
Eleazar In me?
Free him, your Mother Queen, and Cardinal too.
In me? Alas! Not me, no, no, in you,
Yet, for I’ll have my conscience white and pure.
Here, madam, take this ring, and if my name
Can break down castle walls and open gates,
Take it, and do’t, fetch them all forth - and yet
It is unfit you should go.
Hortenzo That happ
y office I’ll execute myself.
Eleazar Will you? Would I
Stood gracious in their sight. Well, go,
Do what you will, Hortenzo, if this charm
Unbinds them, here it is. Lady, you and I
Aloof will follow him, and when we meet,
Speak for me, for I’ll kiss Philip’s feet.
Hortenzo I shall be proud to see all reconciled.
Exit.
Eleazar Alas! My Lord, why true, go, go.
IsabelMake haste, dear love.
Eleazar Hortenzo is a man
Composed of sweet proportion, has a foot,
A leg, a hand, a face, an eye, a wit,
The best Hortenzo in the Spanish Court.
Oh! He’s the nonpareil.
Isabel Your tongue had wont
To be more sparing in Hortenzo’s praise.
Eleazar Aye, I may curse his praises, rather ban
Mine own nativity. Why did this colour
Dart in my flesh so far? Oh, would my face
Were of Hortenzo’s fashion, else would yours
Were as black as mine is.
Isabel Mine like yours, why?
Eleazar Hark! I love you, yes faith, I said this, I love you;
I do; leave him.
Isabel Damnation, vanish from me.
Eleazar Coy? Were you as hard as flint, o, you should yield
Like softened wax; were you as pure as fire,
I’ll touch you, yes, I’ll taint you, see you this,
I’ll bring you to this lure.
Isabel If I want hands
To kill myself, before thou dost it, do.
EleazarI’ll cut away your hands; well, my desire
Is raging as the sea, and mad as fire;
Will you?
Isabel Torment me not, good devil!
Eleazar Will you?
Isabel I’ll tear mine eyes out if they tempt thy lust.
Eleazar Do.
Isabel Touch me not, these knives -
EleazarAye, aye, kill yourself!
Because I jest with you, I wrong Hortenzo?
Settle your thoughts, ’twas but a trick to try
That which few women have, true constancy.
IsabelIf then, my speeches taste of gall.
Eleazar Nay, faith,
You are not bitter, no, you should have railed,
Have spit upon me, spurned me, you are not bitter;
Why, do you think that I’d nurse a thought,
To hurt your honour? If that thought had brains,
I’d beat them out, but come, by this, Hortenzo is fast.
IsabelHah! Fast?
Eleazar Aye, fast in Philip’s arms,
Wrestling together for the price of love;
By this, they’re on the way; I’ll be your guard.
Come, follow me, I’ll lead you in the van,
Where thou shalt see four chins upon one chain.
Exit.
Scene IV
ENTER HORTENZO, QUEEN Mother, Cardinal and Philip chained by the necks, Zarack, and Baltazar busy about fastening Hortenzo.
Hortenzo You damned ministers of villainy,
Sworn to damnation by the book of hell;
You maps of night, you element of devils,
Why do you yoke my neck with iron chains?
Baltazar Many do borrow chains, but you have this
Gratis, for nothing.
Cardinal Slaves, unbind us!
BothNo!
Exit two Moors.
PhillipI am impatient! Veins, why crack you not
And tilt your blood into the face of heaven
To make red clouds like ensigns in the sky,
Displaying a damned tyrant’s cruelty?
Yet can I laugh in my extremest pangs
Of blood and spirit to see the Cardinal,
Keep rank with me and my vile Mother Queen,
To see herself, where she would have me seen.
Good fellowship i’faith.
Hortenzo And I can tell,
True misery, love’s a companion well.
PhillipThou left’st me to the mercy of a Moor,
That hath damnation dyed upon his flesh;
It was well; thou, Mother, did’st unmotherly
Betray thy true son to false bastardy;
Thou left’st me then, now thou art found, and staid,
And thou who did’st betray me, art betrayed.
A plague upon you all!
Cardinal Thou cursest them;
Whom may I curse? First may I curse myself,
Too credulous of loyalty and love;
Next, may I curse the Moor, more than a devil;
And last thy mother, mother of all evil.
Queen MotherAll curses and all crosses light on thee,
What need I curse myself when all curse me?
I have been deadly impious, I confess;
Forgive me and my sin will seem the less;
This heavy chain, which now my neck assaults,
Weighs ten times lighter than my heavy faults.
PhillipHortenzo, I commend myself to thee;
Thou that art nearest, stand’st furthest off from me.
Hortenzo That mould of hell, that Moor has chained me here.
It is not myself, but Isabel I fear.
Scene V
ENTER ELEAZAR, ZARACK and Baltazar.
Eleazar It’s strange! Will not Prince Philip come with Hortenzo?
Zarack He swears he’ll live and die there.
Eleazar Marry and shall.
I pray, persuade him you to leave the place;
A prison, why it’s hell. Alas, here they be;
Hah! They are they i’faith, see, see, see, see.
AllMoor, devil, toad, serpent.
Eleazar Oh sweet airs, sweet voices.
Isabel Oh my Hortenzo!
Eleazar Do not these birds sing sweetly, Isabella?
Oh! How their spirits would leap aloft and spring,
Had they their throats at liberty to sing.
Phillip Damnation dog thee.
Cardinal Furies follow thee.
Queen MotherComets confound thee.
Hortenzo And hell swallow thee.
Eleazar Sweeter and sweeter still, oh! Harmony,
Why there’s no music like to misery.
IsabelHast thou betrayed me thus?
Eleazar Not I, not I.
PhillipSirrahhedgehog.
Eleazar Hah! I’ll hear thee presently.
IsabelHear me then, hellhound; slaves, unchain my love!
Or by -
Eleazar By what? Is it not rare walking here?
Methinks this stage shows like a tennis court,
Does it not, Isabel? I’ll show thee how:
Suppose that iron chain to be the line,
The prison doors the hazard and their heads
Scarce peeping ore the line suppose the balls;
Had I a racket now of burnished steel,
How smoothly could I bandy every ball,
Over this globe of earth, win set and all.
PhillipHow brisk the villain jests in villainy!
EleazarPrating? He’s proud because he wears a chain
Take it off Baltazar, and take him hence.
They unbind him.
Phillip And whitherthen you, dog?
Isabel Pity my brother.
Eleazar Pity him? No; away, aye, come, do, come.
PhillipI pray thee, kill me! Come?
Eleazar I hope to see thy own hands do that office;
Down with him.
PhillipIs there another hell?
2 Moors Try, try, he’s gone.
Eleazar So him next, he next and next him; and then?
All Worse than damnation, fiend, monster of men.
Eleazar Why, when? Down, down.
Cardinal Slave, as thou thrusts me down,
Into this dungeon, so sink thou to hell.
Queen MotherAmen
, Amen.
Eleazar Together so and you.
Isabel O pity my Hortenzo!
Hortenzo Farewell, sweet Isabel, my life adieu!
All Mischief and horror let the Moor pursue.
EleazarA consort, that amain, plays that amain,
Amain, Amain. Not so soon fallen asleep?
Nay I’ll not lose this music; sirrah! sirrah!
Take thou a drum, a trumpet thou, and hark;
Mad them with villainous sounds.
Zarack Rare sport, let’s go.
Exit Zarack and Baltazar.
Eleazar About it, music will do well in woe;
How like you this?
Isabel Set my Hortenzo free,
And I’ll like anything.
Eleazar A fool, a fool?
Hortenzo free, why look you, he free? No!
Then must he marry you, you must be Queen,
He in a manner King; these dignities
Like poison make men swell; this rat’s bane honour
O ’tis so sweet, they’ll lick it till all burst.
He will be proud, and pride you know must fall.
Come, come, he shall not; no, no; ’tis more meet
To keep him down, safe standing on his feet.
Isabel Eleazar -
Eleazar Mark, the imperial chair of Spain,
Is now as empty as a miser’s alms;
Be wise; I yet dare sit in it; it’s for you,
If you will be for me, there’s room for two.
Do, meditate, muse on it: it’s best for thee
To love me, live with me, and lie with me.
Isabel Thou knowst I’ll first lie in the arms of death.
My meditations are how to revenge,
Thy bloody tyrannies; I fear thee not
Inhuman slave, but to thy face defy
Thy lust, thy love, thy barbarous villainy.
Eleazar Zarack.
Enter Zarack.
Zarack My Lord!
Eleazar Where’s Baltazar?
ZarackA drumming.
Eleazar I have made them rave and curse, and
So, guard her.
Your Court shall be this prison; guard her, slaves,
With open eyes. Defy me? See my veins
Strucked out, being over heated with my blood,
Boiling in wrath: I’ll tame you.
Isabel Do, do.
Eleazar Hah!
I will, and once more fill a kingdom’s throne.
Spain, I’ll new-mould thee: I will have a chair
Made all of dead men’s bones, and the ascents
Shall be the heads of Spaniards set in ranks;
I will have Philip’s head, Hortenzo’s head,
Mendoza’s head, thy mother’s head, and this,
This head that is so crossed, I’ll have it.
The scene wants actors, I’ll fetch more, and clothe it