Chapter X: Act III: , Scene 1

_Enter_ QUEEN-MOTHER _with a torch_.

QUEEN-M. Fair eldest child of love, thou spotless night, Empress of silence, and the queen of sleep, Who with thy black cheeks' pure complexion, Mak'st lovers' eyes enamour'd of thy beauty, Thou art like my Moor; therefore will I adore thee For lending me this opportunity, O, with the soft-skinn'd negro. Heavens, keep back The saucy staring day from the world's eye, Until my Eleazar make return: Then in his castle shall he find his wife Transform'd into a strumpet by my son: Then shall he hate her, whom he would not kill; Then shall I kill her, whom I cannot love. The king is sporting with his concubine. Blush not, my boy; be bold like me thy mother. But their delights torture my soul like devils, Except her shame be seen: wherefore awake! Christophero! Roderigo! raise the court; Arise, you peers of Spain; Alvero, rise; Preserve your country from base infamies.

_Enter at several doors, with lights and rapiers drawn_,
ALVERO, RODERIGO, _and_ CHRISTOPHERO, _with others_.

ALL. Who rais'd these exclamations through the court?

QUEEN-M. Sheathe up your swords; you need not swords, but eyes To intercept this treason.

ALV. What's the treason? Who are traitors? ring the larum-bell; Cry _Arm_ through all the city: once before The horrid cry of treason did affright Our sleeping spirits.

QUEEN-M. Stay; You need not cry _Arm, arm!_ for this black deed Works treason to your king, to me, to you, To Spain, and all that shall in Spain ensue. This night Maria (Eleazar's wife) Hath drawn the king by her lascivious looks Privately to a banquet; I (unseen) Stood and beheld him in her lustful arms; O God! shall bastards wear Spain's diadem? If you can kneel to baseness, vex them not; If you disdain to kneel, wash off this blot.

ROD. Let's break into the chamber, and surprise her.

ALV. O miserable me! do, do, break in; My country shall not blush at my child's sin.

QUEEN-M. Delay is nurse to danger, follow me; Come you and witness to her villany.

ALV. Hapless Alvero, how art thou undone In a light daughter and a stubborn son!

[_Exeunt_ OMNES.

SCENE II.

_Enter_ KING, _with his rapier drawn in one hand, leading_
MARIA, _seeming affrighted, in the other_.

MARIA. O, kill me, ere you stain my chastity.

KING. My hand holds death; but love sits in mine eye. Exclaim not, dear Maria; do but hear me. Though thus in dead of night, as I do now, The lustful Tarquin stole to the chaste bed Of Collatine's fair wife, yet shall thou be No Lucrece, nor thy king a Roman slave, To make rude villany thine honour's grave.

MARIA. Why from my bed have you thus frighted me?

KING. To let thee view a bloody horrid tragedy.

MARIA. Begin it, then; I'll gladly lose my life, Rather than be an emperor's concubine.

KING. By my high birth, I swear thou shalt be none; The tragedy I'll write with my own hand; A king shall act it, and a king shall die, Except sweet mercy's beam shine from thine eye. If this affright thee, it shall sleep for ever. If still thou hate me, thus this noble blade This royal purple temple shall invade.

MARIA. My husband is from hence: for his sake spare me.

KING. Thy husband is no Spaniard: thou art one: So is Fernando; then for country's sake, Let me not spare thee: on thy husband's face Eternal night in gloomy shades doth dwell; But I'll look on thee like the gilded sun, When to the west his fiery horses run.

MARIA. True, here you look on me with sunset eyes, For by beholding you my glory dies.

KING. Call me thy morning then; for, like the morn, In pride Maria shall through Spain be borne.

[_Music plays within._

This music was prepar'd to please thine ears:[60] Love me, and thou shalt hear no other sounds.

[_A banquet brought in._

Lo, here's a banquet set with mine own hands; Love me, and thus I'll feast thee like a queen. I might command thee, being thy sovereign; But love me, and I'll kneel and sue to thee, And circle this white forehead with the crown Of Castile, Portugal, and Arragon, And all those petty kingdoms which do bow Their tributary knees to Philip's heir.

MARIA. I cannot love you whilst my husband lives.

KING. I'll send him to the wars, and in the front Of some main army shall he nobly die.

MARIA. I cannot love you if you murder him.

KING. For thy sake then I'll call a parliament, And banish by a law all Moors from Spain.

MARIA. I'll wander with him into banishment.

KING. It shall be death for any negro's hand To touch the beauty of a Spanish dame. Come, come, what needs such cavils with a king? Night blinds all jealous eyes, and we may play. Carouse that bowl to me: I'll pledge all this; Being down, we'll make it more sweet with a kiss. Begin, I'll lock all doors: begin, Spain's queen:

[_Locks the doors._

Love's banquet is most sweet when 'tis least seen.

MARIA. O thou conserver of my honour's life: Instead of poisoning him, drown him in sleep. Because I'll quench the flames of wild desire, I'll drink this off--let fire conquer love's fire.

[_Aside._

KING. Were love himself in real substance here, Thus would I drink him down; let your sweet strings Speak louder: pleasure is but a slave to kings, In which love swims. Maria, kiss thy king: Circle me in this ring of ivory; O, I grow dull, and the cold hand of sleep Hath thrust his icy fingers in my breast,[61] And made a frost within me. Sweet, one kiss To thaw this deadness that congeals my soul.

MAR. Your majesty hath overwatch'd yourself. He sleeps already--not the sleep of death, But a sweet slumber, which the powerful drug Instill'd through all his spirits. O bright day, Bring home my dear lord ere his king awake, Else of his unstain'd bed he'll shipwreck make.

[_Offers to go._

_Enter_ OBERON, _and_ FAIRIES _dancing before him; and Music
with them_.

MARIA. O me! what shapes are these?

OBER. Stay, stay, Maria.

MARIA. My sovereign lord awake, save poor Maria.

OBER. He cannot save thee: save that pain; Before he wake, thou shalt be slain: His mother's hand shall stop thy breath, Thinking her own son is done to death: And she that takes away thy life, Does it to be thy husband's wife: Adieu, Maria, we must hence: Embrace thine end with patience. Elves and fairies make no stand, Till you come in fairyland.

[_Exeunt dancing and singing._

MARIA. Fairies or devils, whatsoe'er you be, Thus will I hide me from your company.

[_Offers to go._

SCENE III.

_To her enter_ QUEEN-MOTHER _suddenly, with_ ALVERO _and_
RODERIGO _with rapiers_.

QUEEN-M. Lay hold upon the strumpet! where's the king? Fernando! son! Ah me! your king is dead! Lay hands upon the murd'ress.

MARIA. Imperious queen, I am as free from murder as thyself; Which I will prove, if you will hear me speak. The king is living.

ROD. If he liv'd, his breath would beat within his breast.

QUEEN-M. The life he leads, Maria, thou shalt soon participate.

MARIA. O father, save me!

ALV. Thou'rt no child of mine. Hadst thou been owner of Alvero's spirit, Thy heart would not have entertain'd a thought That had convers'd with murder: yet mine eyes, Howe'er my tongue wants words, brimful with tears Entreat her further trial.

QUEEN-M. To what end? Here lies her trial; from this royal breast Hath she stolen all comfort--all the life Of every bosom in the realm of Spain.

ROD. She's both a traitor and [a] murd'ress.

QUEEN-M. I'll have her forthwith strangled.

ALV. Hear her speak.

QUEEN-M. To heaven let her complain, if she have wrong; I murder but the murd'ress of my son.

ALL. We murder [but] the murd'ress of our king.[62]

ALV. Ah me! my child! O, O, cease your torturing!

MARIA. Heaven ope your windows, that my spotless soul, Riding upon the wings of innocence, May enter Paradise. Fairies, farewell; Fernando's death in mine you did foretell.

[_She dies._ KING _wakes_.

KING. Who calls Fernando? Love--Maria, speak; O, whither art thou fled? Whence flow these waters, That fall like winter-storms from the drown'd eyes?

ALV. From my Maria's death.

KING. My Maria dead! Damn'd be the soul to hell that stopp'd her breath. Maria! O me! who durst murder thee?

QUEEN-M. I thought my dear Fernando had been dead, And in my indignation murder'd her.

KING. I was not dead, until you murder'd me By killing fair Maria.

QUEEN-M. Gentle son----

KING. Ungentle mother, you a deed have done Of so much ruth, that no succeeding age Can ever clear you of. O my dear love! Yet heavens can witness thou wert never mine. Spain's wonder was Maria.

QUEEN-M. Sweet, have done.

KING. Have done! for what? For shedding zealous tears Over the tomb of virtuous chastity? You cry _Have done_, now I am doing good; But cried _Do on_, when you were shedding blood. Have you done, mother? Yes, yes, you have done That which will undo your unhappy son.

ROD. These words become you not, my gracious lord.

KING. These words become not me! no more it did Become you, lords, to be mute standers-by, When lustful fury ravish'd chastity: It ill becomes me to lament her death; But it became you well to stop her breath! Had she been fair, and not so virtuous, This deed had not been half so impious.

ALV. But she was fair in virtue, virtuous fair. O me!

KING. O me! she was true honour's heir. Hence, beldam, from my presence! all, fly hence; You are all murderers. Come, poor innocent, Clasp thy cold hand in mine; for here I'll lie, And since I liv'd for her, for her I'll die.

SCENE IV.

_Enter_ ELEAZAR _with a torch, his rapier drawn_.

ELE. Bar up my castle gates! fire and confusion Shall girt these Spanish curs. Was I for this Sent to raise power against a fugitive? To have my wife deflower'd? Zounds! where's my wife? My slaves cry out she's dallying with the king: Stand by; where is your king? Eleazar's bed Shall scorn to be an Emperor's brothelry.

QUEEN-M. Be patient, Eleazar; here's the king.

ELE. Patience and I am foes. Where's my Maria?

ALV. Here is her hapless corse, that was Maria.

KING. Here lies Maria's body, here her grave, Her dead heart in my breast a tomb shall have.

ELE. Now, by the proud complexion of my cheeks, Ta'en from the kisses of the amorous sun, Were he ten thousand kings that slew my love, Thus should my hand, plum'd with revenge's wings, Requite mine own dishonour and her death.

[_Stabs the_ KING.

QUEEN-M. Ah me! my son!

ALL. The king is murder'd! Lay hold on the damn'd traitor.

ELE. In his breast, That dares but dart a finger at the Moor, I'll bury this sharp steel, yet reeking warm With the unchas'd[63] blood of that lecher-king, That threw my wife in an untimely grave.

ALV. She was my daughter, and her timeless grave Did swallow down my joys as deep as yours. But thus----

ELE. But what? Bear injuries that can: I'll wear no forked crest.

ROD. Damn this black fiend! cry treason through the court: The king is murder'd.

ELE. He that first opes his lips, I'll drive his words Down his wide throat upon my rapier's point. The king is murder'd, and I'll answer it. I am dishonour'd, and I will revenge it. Bend not your dangerous weapons at my breast; Think where you are: this castle is the Moor's; You are environ'd with a wall of flint, The gates are lock'd, portcullises let down; If Eleazar spend one drop of blood,

[ZARACK _and_ BALTHAZAR _above with calivers_.[64]]

On those high turret-tops my slaves stand arm'd, And shall confound your souls with murd'ring shot: Or if you murder me, yet underground A villain, that for me will dig to hell, Stands with a burning linstock in his fist, Who, firing gunpowder, up in the air Shall fling your torn and mangled carcases.

QUEEN-M. O, sheathe your weapons: though my son be slain, Yet save yourselves; choose a new sovereign.

ALL. Prince Philip is our sovereign, choose him king!

ELE. Prince Philip shall not be my sovereign. Philip's a bastard, and Fernando's dead. Mendoza sweats to wear Spain's diadem: Philip has sworn confusion to this realm. They both are up in arms; war's flames do shine Like lightning in the air. Wherefore, my lords, Look well on Eleazar; value me, Not by my sunburnt cheeks, nor by my birth, But by my loss of blood, Which I have sacrific'd in Spain's defence. Then look on Philip and the cardinal; Look on those gaping curs, whose wide throats Stand stretch'd wide open like the gates of death, To swallow you, your country, children, wives. Philip cries fire and blood: the cardinal Cries likewise fire and blood. I'll quench those flames. The Moor cries blood and fire, and that shall burn, Till Castile, like proud Troy, to cinders turn.

ROD. Lay by these ambages; what seeks the Moor?

ELE. A kingdom, Castile's crown.

ALV. Peace, devil; for shame!

QUEEN-M. Peace, doating lord, for shame! O misery, When Indian slaves thirst after empery! Princes and peers of Spain, we are beset With horror on each side; [if] you deny him, Death stands at all our backs: we cannot fly him. Crown Philip king: the crown upon his head Will prove a fiery meteor; war and vengeance And desolation will invade our land. Besides, Prince Philip is a bastard born. O, give me leave to blush at mine own shame; But I, for love to you, love to fair Spain, Choose rather to rip up a queen's disgrace Than, by concealing it, to set the crown Upon a bastard's head: wherefore, my lords, By my consent, crown that proud blackamoor. Since Spain's bright glory must so soon grow dim-- Since it must end, let it end all in him.

ALL. Eleazar shall be king!

ALV. O treachery! Have you so soon ras'd out Fernando's love? So soon forgot the duty of true peers? So soon, so soon, buried a mother's name, That you will crown him king that slew your king?

ELE. Will you hear him or me? who shall be king?

ALL. Eleazar shall be Castile's sovereign!

ALV. Do, do: make haste to crown him. Lords, adieu: Here hell must be, when the devil governs you.

[_Exit._

ELE. By heaven's great star, which Indians do adore, But that I hate to hear the giddy world Shame, that I waded to a crown through blood, I'd not digest his pills: but since, my lords, You have chosen Eleazar for your king, Invest me with a general applause.

ALL. Live, Eleazar, Castile's royal king!

ROD. A villain and a base-born fugitive.

[_Aside._]

CHRIS. A bloody tyrant and usurping slave.

[_Aside._]

ELE. Thanks to you all: 'tis not the Spanish crown That Eleazar strives for, but Spain's peace. Amongst you I'll divide her empery: Christofero shall wear Granada's crown; To Roderigo I'll give Arragon; Naples, Navarre, and fair Jerusalem I'll give to other three; and then our viceroys Shall shine about our bright Castilian crown, As stars about the sun. Cry all, arm, arm; Prince Philip and the cardinal do ride Like Jove in thunder; in a storm we'll meet them. Go, levy powers; if any man must fall, My death shall first begin the funeral.

[_Exeunt._

SCENE V.

_Enter_ ZARACK _and_ BALTHAZAR, _with calivers_.

BAL. Is thy cock ready, and thy powder dry?

ZAR. My cock stands perching like a cock o' the game, with a red coal for his crest, instead of a comb; and for my powder, 'tis but touch and take.

BAL. I have tickling gear too; anon I'll cry, here I have it, and yonder I see it. But, Zarack, is't policy for us to kill these bald-pates?

ZAR. Is't policy for us to save ourselves? If they live, we die. Is't not wisdom then to send them to heaven, rather than be sent ourselves? Come, you black slave, be resolute. This way they come; here they will stand, and yonder will I stand.

BAL. And in yonder hole I.

ZAR. Our amiable faces cannot be seen if we keep close; therefore hide your cock's head, lest his burning cock's-comb betray us. But soft; which of the two shall be thy white?[65]

BAL. That black villain friar Cole.

ZAR. I shall have a sharp piece of service; friar Crab shall be my man. Farewell, and be resolute.

BAL. Zounds! Zarack, I shall never have the heart to do it.

ZAR. You rogue, think who commands--Eleazar. Who shall rise--Balthazar. Who shall die--a lousy friar. Who shall live--our good lord and master, the negro-king of Spain.

BAL. Cole, thou art but a dead man, and shalt turn to ashes.

[_Exit._

ZAR. Crab, here's that shall make vinegar of thy carcase.

[_Exit._

_Enter_ CRAB _and_ COLE, _two friars, with a rout of
stinkards following them_.

CRAB. Ah! brother, 'tis best so. Now we have drawn them to a head, we'll begin here i' the market-place. Tut, so long as we be commanded by the mother-queen, we'll say her son is a bastard, an' he were ten Philips.

COLE. Take you one market-form, I'll take another.

CRAB. No, God's-so',[66] we must both keep one form.

COLE. Ay, in oration, but not in station. Mount, mount.

1ST STINK. Well, my masters, you know him not so well as I, on my word. Friar Crab is a sour fellow.

2D STINK. Yet he may utter sweet doctrine, by your leave. But what think you of friar Cole?

1ST STINK. He? all fire: an' he be kindled once, a hot catholic.

3D STINK. And you mark him, he has a zealous nose, and richly inflamed.

1ST STINK. Peace, you rogues! Now they begin.

CRAB. _Incipe, Frater._

COLE. _Non ego, Domine._

CRAB. _Nec ego._

COLE. _Quare?_

CRAB. _Quia?_

COLE. _Quæso._

ALL. Here's a queasy beginning, methinks. Silence! silence!

CRAB. Brethren, citizens, and market-folks of Seville.

COLE. Well-beloved and honoured Castilians.

CRAB. It is not unknown to you.

COLE. I am sure you are not ignorant.

CRAB. How villanous and strong!

COLE. How monstrous and huge!

CRAB. The faction of Prince Philip is.

COLE. Philip, that is a bastard.

CRAB. Philip, that is a dastard.

COLE. Philip, that killed your king.

CRAB. Only to make himself king.

COLE. And, by Gad's blessed lady, you are all damned, and you suffer it.

1ST STINK. Friar Cole says true: he speaks out to the heat of his zeal: look how he glows!

2D STINK. Well, friar Crab for my money; he has set my teeth an edge against this bastard.

1ST STINK. O, his words are like vergis to whet a man's stomach.

ALL. Silence! silence!

CRAB. Now contrariwise.

COLE. Your noble king the Moor----

CRAB. Is a valiant gentleman;

COLE. A noble gentleman;

CRAB. An honourable gentleman;

COLE. A fair black gentleman.

CRAB. A friend to Castilians,

COLE. A champion for Castilians,

CRAB. A man fit to be a king.

COLE. If he were not borne down by him that would be king, who (as I said before) is a bastard, and no king.

1ST STINK. What think you, my masters? Do you mark his words well?

CRAB. Further, compare them together.

ALL. S'blood! there's no comparison between them.

COLE. Nay, but hear us, good countrymen.

ALL. Hear friar Cole! hear friar Cole!

COLE. Set[67] that bastard and Eleazar together.

1ST STINK. How? mean you by the ears?

CRAB. No, but compare them.

COLE. Do but compare them.

2D STINK. Zounds! we say again, comparisons are odious.

1ST STINK. But say on, say on.

[_Pieces go off; friars die._

ALL. Treason! treason! every man shift for himself. This is Philip's treason. Arm, arm, arm!

[_Exeunt._

SCENE VI.

_Enter_ ELEAZAR, ZARACK, _and_ BALTHAZAR.

ELE. Zarack and Balthazar, are they despatch'd?

ZAR. We saw 'em sprawl, and turn up the white of the eye.

ELE. So shall they perish that lay countermines To cross our high designments: by their habits The cardinal and Philip 'scap'd our nets, And by your hands they tasted our revenge.

_Enter_ QUEEN-MOTHER.

Here comes the queen; away! under our wings You shall stand safe, and brave the proudest kings.

[_Exeunt._

QUEEN-M. O, fly, my Eleazar; save thy life, Else 'point a guard about thee; the mad people, Tempestuous like the sea, run up and down, Some crying _kill the bastard_, some, _the Moor_; Some cry, _God save King Philip_; and some cry, _God save the Moor_, some others, _he shall die_.

ELE. Are these your fears? Thus blow them into air. I rushed amongst the thickest of their crowds, And with a countenance majestical, Like the imperious sun, dispers'd their clouds; I have perfumed the rankness of their breath, And by the magic of true eloquence Transform'd this many-headed Cerberus, This pied chamelion, this beast multitude, Whose power consists in number, pride in threats, Yet melt like snow when majesty shines forth, This heap of fools who, crowding in huge swarms, Stood at our court gates like a heap of dung, Reeking and shouting out contagious breath Of power to poison all the elements-- This wolf I held by th' ears, and made him tame, And made them tremble at the Moor's great name: No, we must combat with a grimmer foe; That damn'd Mendoza overturns our hopes. He loves you dearly.

QUEEN-M. By his secret letters He hath entreated me to leave the court, And fly into his arms.

ELE. The world cannot devise a stratagem Sooner to throw confusion on his pride. Subscribe to his desires, and in dead night Steal to his castle; swear to him his love Hath drawn you thither; undermine his soul, And learn what villanies are there laid up; Then for your pleasure walk to take the air: Near to the castle I'll in ambush lie, And seem by force to take you prisoner: This done, I have a practice (plotted here) Shall rid him of his life and us of fear. About it, madam, this is all in all; We cannot stand, unless Mendoza fall.

[_Exeunt._