University of Virginia Library

ACT II.

Scene I.

A Room in Urrea's House.—Enter Urrea and Blanca on one side, and Lope and Vicente on the other.
Lope.
Thrice blessed be the day, that brings me back
In all humility and love, my father,
To kiss your feet once more.

Urr.
Rise up, my son,
As welcome to your parents as long lookt for.
Rise and embrace me.

Lope.
Till I have your hand
I scarcely dare.

Urr.
Then take it, Lope—there—
And may God make thee virtuous as thy father
Can pray for thee. Thy mother too—

Lope.
O madam,
I scarcely dare with anguish and repentance
Lift up my eyes to those I have made weep
So many bitter tears—

Blan.
You see, my son,
You keep them weeping still—not bitter tears,
But tears of joy—Oh, welcome home again!

Vic.
Where, is there any room for a poor devil
Who has done penance upon rock and water
This many a day, and much repents him of
His former sins?

Urr.
What you alive too?

Vic.
Yes, sir,
This saddle's pad, (showing Lope,)
or, if you like, the beast
That bears the saddle—or, by another rule,—
That where the cat jumps also goes her tail.

Lope
(to his father).
You see, sir, in such godly company
I must repent.

Vic.
Why, devil take't—

Urr.
What, swearing?

Vic.
But some poor relic of our former life
That yet will stick. Madam, permit me,
If not to kiss your hand, nor ev'n your feet,
At least the happy ground on which they walk.

Blan.
Rise, rise. How can I less than welcome one
Who has so loyally stood by my son,
Through evil and through good.

Vic.
A monument
As one might say, madam, ad perpetuam
Fidelis Amicitiæ Memoriam.

Enter Beatrice.
Beat.
What! is my master home? Then, by the saints,
Saving your presence, and before your faces,
I must embrace him.

Lope.
Thanks, good Beatrice.

Urr.
You see how all rejoice to see you, Lope,
But none so more than I; believe't. But now
'Tis time you wait on Mendo, and acknowledge
The kindness he has done us. See, Beatrice,
If he be in his room, or busy there.
[Exit Beatrice.
Meanwhile, my son, I crave one patient hearing
To what I have to say.

Vic.
Now for a lecture.

Lope.
Silence, sir! Coming here, we must expect
And bear such things. Pray speak, sir.

Urr.
You see, Lope,
(And doubtless must have heard of it before,)
In what a plight we are: my property,
What yet remains of it, embroil'd and hamper'd,
And all so little, that this last expense,
Of getting (as I have) your Estifania,
Who has already cost us all so much,
Into a convent; to do this, I say,
I have been forc'd to let my house for hire
To my old friend; yea, almost, I assure you,
To beg from door to door. Enough of that.
'Tis done; and you are now at last restor'd
To home, and station—wealth I cannot say—
But all is well that ends well. All I ask,
(And 'tis with tears and with a broken voice
I ask it: I would ask it on my knees
If these white hairs forbade not such descent,)
That from this day, in pity to us all—
Perhaps in gratitude—you would repent
Your past excess; yea, surfeited with that,
Would henceforth tame your headlong passions down
Into a quiet current. Help me, son,
Restore the shaken credit of our house,
And show—let us both show—that misery
Has taught us not in vain. Let us be friends
Henceforth; no rivalry of love or hate
Between us; each doing what in him lies
To make what may remain of life to each
Happy and honourable. On my part
I stake a father's love and tenderness;
And will not you as freely on your side
Wager your filial obedience?
Your father asks, implores you. Oh, consider
You may not always have a friend in need
To rescue you as now: nay, disappoint
His mercy and again provoke the laws
He now remits, that friend may turn to foe
And sacrifice the life he vainly spar'd.

Vic.
There only wants, “in sæcula sæculorum,”
To finish off with.

Lope.
Sir, I promise you
Amendment, that shall make the past a foil
To set the future off.

Enter Mendo.
Men.
I come in time
To vouch fulfilment of so fair a vow.

Lope.
Oh, sir—

Men.
I knew you on your road to me;
Your errand too; and thus much have forestall'd
Of needless courtesy.

Lope.
Pray God, reward you
With such advancement in your prince's love
As envy, the court Hydra, shall not hiss,
But general love and acclamation
Write in gold letters in our history,
For ages and for ages. Sir, your hand!

Men.
My heart, my heart, you shame me by your thanks,
For service that the veriest churl had paid
For what you did me, Lope.
Why, I'm your debtor still. But now, enough!
I cannot steal more time from business;
The king expects me.

Urr.
I too must abroad.

Lope.
Would I could wait on both—but, as it is,
I think my father's self would waive his right,
In favour of our common benefactor.

Urr.
Indeed, indeed, I do rejoice you should.

[Exit with Blanca.
Men.
And I, not knowing if your choice be right,
Know that I would not lose you for a moment,
So glad your presence makes me.

[Exit with Lope.
Vic.
Beatrice! Beatrice!

Beat.
Well?

Vic.

Think you not, now that our principals are fairly
out of the way, you owe me a kiss on my arrival?

Beat.

Ay, hot from the oven.

Vic.

Ah Beatrice! if you only knew what heart-aches
you've cost me.

Beat.

You indeed, robbing and murdering, and I don't
know what beside, up in the mountains! and then my new
madam that's come with you, Donna Violante; with her
fine Elvira,—I know, sir, when your master was courting his
mistress, you—

Vic.

Now, my own Beatrice, if you could only know
what you are talking of as well as I, how little jealousy
could such a creature as that give you!

Beat.

Well—but why?

Vic.

Not a woman at all, neither maid nor mermaid—
Why, didn't I catch her with all those fine locks of hers
clean off her head?

Beat.

Clean off her head!

Vic.

The woman's bald.

Beat.

Bald!

Vic.

As my hand! besides, all that fine white chevaux-defrise
that ornaments her gums.

Beat.

Well?

Vic.

All sham.

Beat.

What, my fine madam there false teeth!

Vic.

Oh, and half a dozen villainous things I could tell
you, did it become a gentleman to tell tales of ladies. But
see, here is master coming back.

Beat.

Good bye then, for the present, Vicente. False teeth
and a wig!

[Exit.
Enter Don Lope.
Lope.

Vicente, have you by any chance seen Violante?

Vic.

Not that I know of, sir; she may however have
passed without my knowing her.

Lope.

Vicente still! As if it were possible one who
had once seen such beauty could ever forget it.

Vic.

Why, sir, if her maid Elvira happened to be by her
side—

Lope.

Fool!

Vic.

Pray is it impossible in the system of things that
the maid should be handsomer than the mistress?

Lope.

Oh could I but see her!

Vic.

Take care, take care, sir. Beware of raising the old
devil—and now we are but just out of the frying-pan—

Lope.

Beware you, sir! I tell you I ill liked my father's
lecture; do not you read me another. It were best that no
one crossed me, or by heaven!—But who comes here?

Vic.
Don Guillen de Azagra.

Enter Don Guillen.
Lope.
What?
Ask what reward you will of me, Vicente.
Don Guillen de Azagra back again!

Guil.
And could not wait a moment, hearing you
Were also back, Don Lope, till I found you,
As well to give you welcome as receive it.

Lope.
Our old affection asks for nothing less
On both sides. Oh, you are welcome!

Guil.
Well can he come, who comes half dead between
Dead hope and quickening passion!

Lope.
How is that?

Guil.
Why, you remember how three years ago
I went to Naples—to the wars there?

Lope.
Yes,
We parted, I remember, sadly enough
On both sides, in the Plaza del Aseo.
Unconsciously divining the sad days
That were about to dawn on one of us.

Guil.
Nay, upon both. I am no stranger, Lope,
To your misfortunes; and Heav'n knows I felt them!
But they are over, Heav'n be thankt! mine yet
Are sadly acting. You can help me now,
If not to conquer, to relieve them.

Lope.
Ay,
And will strain every nerve for you. But first
Must hear your story.

Guil.
Well—I went to Naples,
Where, as you know, our King by force of arms
Was eager to revenge the shameful death
Of Norandino, whom the king of Naples
Had on the scaffold treacherously murder'd.
Of which, and Naples too, I say no more
Than this; that, entering the city,
I saw a lady in whom the universe
Of beauty seem'd to centre; as it might be
The sun's whole light into a single beam,
The heavenly dawn into one drop of dew,
Or the whole breathing spring into one rose.
You will believe I lov'd not without cause,
When you have heard the lady that I speak of
Is—

Vic.
Donna Violante!

Lope.
Knave and fool!

Vic.

Why so, sir! only for telling you I saw the lady
coming this way; but, I suppose seeing people here, she
has turned back.

Lope.

Will you retire awhile, Don Guillen? this lady is
my father's guest.

Guil.
(aside).

Beside, she might be angry finding me
here.

[Exit.
Lope.

'Fore Heaven, my mind misgave me it was she he
spoke of!

Vic.

Well, you have got the weather-gage. Tackle her
now.

Enter Violante and Elvira.
Lope.
Nay, lady, turn not back. What you, the sun
I see by, to abridge my little day
By enviously returning to the west
As soon as ris'n, and prematurely drawing
The veil of night over the blush of dawn!
Oh, let me not believe I fright you now,
As yesterday I did, fair Violante,
Arm'd among savage rocks with savage men,
From whose rude company your eyes alone
Have charm'd me, and subdued for the first time
A fierce, unbridled will.

Viol.
It were not strange,
Don Lope, if my bosom trembled still
With that first apparition. But in truth
I had not hesitated,
Had I not seen, or fancied, at your side
Another stranger.

Lope.
Oh, a friend; and one
Who spoke with me of you; nay, who retir'd
Only for fear of drawing new disdain
Upon old love; and left me here indeed,
To speak in his behalf.

Viol.
Alas, Elvira,
Was't not Don Guillen?

Elv.
Yes.

Viol.
Don Lope plead
Another's, and Don Guillen's love! (She is going.)


Lope.
At least
Let me attend you to my mother's door.

Viol.
Nay, stay, sir.

Lope.
Stay! and lose my life in losing
This happy opportunity!

Viol.
Are life
And opportunity the same?

Lope.
So far,
That neither lost ever returns again.

Viol.
If you have aught to tell me, tell it here
Before I go.

Lope.
Only to ask if you
Confess yourself no debtor to a heart
That long has sigh'd for you?

Viol.
You, sir, are then
Pleading another's cause?

Lope.
I might be shy
To plead in my own person—a reserve
That love oft feels—and pardons.

Viol.
'Tis in vain.
I will not own to an account of sighs
Drawn up against me without my consent;
So tell your friend; and tell him he mistakes
The way to payment making you, of all,
His agent in the cause.

Lope.
Nay, nay, but wait.

Viol.
No more—Adieu!

[Exit.
Lope.
She thought I only us'd
Another's suit as cover to my own,
And cunningly my seeming cunning turns
Against myself. But I will after her;
If Don Guillen come back, tell him, Vicente,
I'll wait upon him straight.

[Exit.
Vic.
Madam Elvira!

Elv.
Well, Monsieur Cut-throat?

Vic.
Well, you are not scared at my face now?

Elv.
I don't know that—your face remains as it was.

Vic.
Come, come, my queen, do me a little favour.

Elv.
Well, what is that?

Vic.

Just only die for love of me; I always make a
point of never asking impossibilities of any woman.

Elv.

Love is out of the question! I perhaps might like
you, did I not know the lengths you go with that monkey
Beatrice.

Vic.

With whom?

Elv.

I say with Beatrice. Bystanders see as much, sir,
as players.

Vic.

I with Beatrice! Lord! lord! if you only knew half
what I know, Elvira, you'd not be jealous of her.

Elv.

Why, what do you know of her?

Vic.

A woman who, could she breed at all, would breed
foxes and stoats—a tolerable outside, but only, only go
near her—Foh! such a breath! beside other peculiarities
I don't mention out of respect to the sex. But this I tell
you, one of those sparkling eyes of hers is glass, and her
right leg a wooden one.

Elv.

Nonsense!

Vic.

Only you look, and see if she don't limp on one side,
and squint on the other.

Don Guillen
(entering at one side).

I can wait no
longer.

Don Lope
(entering at the other).

It is no use; she is
shut up with my mother. Now for Don Guillen.

Elv.
They are back.

Vic.
We'll settle our little matter by and by.

Elv.
Glass eyes and wooden legs!

[Exit.
Lope
(To Don Guillen).
Forgive my leaving you so long; I have been
Waiting on one who is my father's guest,
The lady Violante.

Guil.
So sweet duty
Needs no excuse.

Lope.
Now to pursue your story—

Guil.
Ah—where did I leave off?

Lope.
About the truce
Making at Naples, when you saw a lady—

Guil.
Ay, but I must remember one thing, Lope,
Most memorable of all. The ambassador
Empower'd to treat on our good king's behalf
Was Mendo de Torellas, whose great wisdom
And justice, both grown grey in state affairs,
Well fitted him for such authority;
Which telling you, and telling you beside,
That when the treaty made, and he left Naples,
I left it too, still following in his wake
The track of a fair star who went with him
To Saragossa, to this very house—
Telling you this, I tell you all—tell who
My lady is—his daughter—Violante,
Before whose shrine my life and soul together
Are but poor offerings to consecrate.

Vic.
(aside).
A pretty market we have brought our pigs to!
Who'll bet upon the winner?

Lope.
(aside).
Oh confusion!
But let us drain the cup at once. Don Guillen,
Your admiration and devotedness
Needed the addition of no name to point
Their object out. But tell me,
Ere I advise with you, how far your prayer
Is answer'd by your deity?

Guil.
Alas!
Two words will tell—

Lope.
And those?

Guil.
Love unreturn'd!
Or worse, return'd with hate.

Vic.
(aside).
Come, that looks better.

Guil.
My love for her has now no hope, Don Lope,
But in your love for me. She is your guest,
And I as such, beside my joy in you,
May catch a ray of her—may win you even
To plead for me in such another strain
As has not yet wearied her ears in vain;
Or might you not ev'n now, as she returns,
Give her a letter from me; lest if first
She see, or hear from others of my coming,
She may condemn my zeal for persecution,
And make it matter of renew'd disdain.
I'll write the letter now, and bring it you
Ere she be back.

[Exit.
Vic.
(To Lope).
Good bye, sir.

Lope.
Whither now,
Vicente?

Vic.
To the mountains—I am sure
You'll soon be after me.

Lope.
I understand—
But stay awhile.
True, I love Violante, and resent
Don Guillen's rivalry: but he's my friend—
Confides to me a passion myself own,
And cannot blame.
Wait we awhile, Vicente, and perhaps
A way will open through the labyrinth
Without our breaking through.

Vic.
How glad I am
To see you take 't so patiently! Now, sir,
Would you be rul'd—

Lope.
What then?

Vic.
Why simply, sir,
Forget the lady—but a few day's flame,
And then—

Lope.
Impossible!

Vic.
What's to be done then?

Lope.
I know not—But she comes.

Enter Violante.
Viol.
Still here, Don Lope!

Lope.
Ah, what in nature will its centre leave,
Or, forc'd away, recoils not faster still!
So rivers yearn along their murmuring beds
Until they reach the sea; the pebble thrown
Ever so high, still faster falls to earth;
Wind follows wind, and not a flame struck out
Of heavy wood or flint, but it aspires
Upward at once and to its proper sphere.

Viol.
All good philosophy, could I but see
How to apply it here.

Lope.
And yet, how easy!
Your beauty being that to which my soul
Ever flies fastest, and most slowly leaves.

Viol.
Surely this sudden rapture scarce agrees
With what I heard before.

Lope.
How, Violante?

Viol.
Have you not haply chang'd parts in the farce,
And ris'n from second character to first?

Lope.
My second did not please you—come what will,
Casting feign'd speech and character aside,
I'll e'en speak for myself in my own person.
Listen to me—Don Guillen—

Guil.
(listening at the side).
Just a moment
To hear him plead my cause.

Lope.
Following your beauty, as a flower the sun,
Has come from Italy to Arragon,
And, as my friend, by me entreats of you
To let him plead his suit.

Guil.
Would I could stay
To hear the noble Lope plead my cause,
But summon'd hence—

[Exit.
Viol.
Ill does your second part
Excuse your ill performance of the first;
One failure might be pardon'd, but two such
Are scarce to be excus'd.

Lope.
Oh, tell me then
Which chiefly needs apology!

Viol.
I will.
First for your friend Don Guillen; bid him cease
All compliment and courtship, knowing well
How all has been rejected hitherto,
And will hereafter, to the ruthless winds.

Lope.
And on the second count—my own?

Viol.
How easily
Out of his answer you may draw your own!

Lope.
Alas!

Viol.
For when the judge has to pronounce
Sentence on two defendants, like yourselves,
Whose charge is both alike, and bids the one
Report his condemnation to the other;
'Tis plain—

Lope.
That both must suffer?

Viol.
Nay, if so
The judge had made one sentence serve for both.

Lope.
Great heavens!

Guil.
(listening at the side).
The man dismiss'd, I'll hear the rest.

Viol.
Oh, let it be enough to tell you now
The heart that once indeed was adamant,
Resisting all impression—but at last
Ev'n adamant you know—

Guil.
Oh, she relents!

Lope.
Oh, let me kiss those white hands for those words!

Guil.
Excellent friend! he could not plead more warmly
Were't for himself.

Lope.
Oh for some little token
To vouch, when you have vanisht from my eyes,
That all was not a dream!

Viol.
(giving him a rose).
This rose, whose hue
Is of the same that should my cheek imbue!

[Exit.
Enter Guillen.
Guil.
Oh how thrice welcome is my lady's favour,
Sent to me by the hand of such a friend!
How but in such an attitude as this
Dare I receive it? (kneels).


Lope.
Rise, Don Guillen, rise—
Flowers are but fading favours that a breath
Can change and wither.

Guil.
What mean you by this?

Lope.
Only that though the flower in my hands
Is fresh from Violante's, I must tell you
It must not pass to yours.

Guil.
Did not I hear you
Pleading my cause?

Lope.
You might—

Guil.
And afterwards,
When I came back again, herself confess
That, marble as she had been to my vows,
She now relented tow'rd me!

Lope.
If you did,
'Twould much disprove the listener's adage.

Guil.
How?

Lope.
You set your ears to such a lucky tune,
As took in all the words that made for you,
But not the rest that did complete the measure.

Guil.
But did not Violante, when you urg'd her
In my behalf, say she relented?

Lope.
Yes.

Guil.
To whom then?

Lope.
To myself.

Vic.
The cat's unbagg'd!

Guil.
To you!

Lope.
To me.

Guil.
Don Lope, you must see
That ev'n my friendship for you scarce can stomach
Such words—or credit them.

Lope.
Let him beware
Who doubts my words, stomach them as he can.

Guil.
But 'tis a jest—
Bearing my happy fortune in your hands,
You only, as old love has leave to do,
Tantalize ere you give it me. Enough,
Give me the rose.

Lope.
I cannot, being just
Given to me, and for me.

Guil.
His it is
Whose right it is, and that is mine; and I
Will have it.

Lope.
If you can.

Guil.
Then follow me,
Where (not in your own house) I may chastise
The friendship that must needs have play'd me false
One way or other.

[Exit.
Lope.
Lead the way then, sir.

Enter hurriedly Donna Blanca and Violante from opposite sides.
Viol.
Don Lope, what is this?

Lope.
Nothing, Violante.

Viol.
I heard your angry voices in my room,
And could not help—

Blan.
And I too. O my son,
Scarce home with us, and all undone already!
Where are you going?

Lope.
No where; nothing; leave me.

Viol.
Tell me the quarrel—Oh! I dread to hear.

Lope.
What quarrel, lady? let me go—your fears
Deceive you.

Blan.
Lope, not an hour of peace
When you are here!

Lope.
Nay, madam, why accuse me,
Before you know the cause?

Enter Urrea.
Urr.
How now?—disputing?
Blanca and Violante too? What is it?

Blan.
Oh, nothing! (I must keep it from his father.)
Nothing—he quarrell'd with Vicente here,
And would have beat him—and we interposed;
Indeed, no more.

Vic.
The blame is sure to fall
Upon my shoulders.

Urr.
Is't not very strange,
Your disposition, Lope? never at peace
With others or yourself.

Lope.
'Tis nothing, sir.

Vic.
He quarrell'd with me, sir, about some money
He thought he ought to have, and couldn't find
In his breeches' pocket.

Urr.
Go, go—get you gone, knave.

Vic.
Always fair words from you at any rate. (Aside.)


Urr.
And for such trifles, Lope, you disturb
My house, affright your mother and her guest
With your mad passion.

Lope.
I can only, sir,
Answer such charge by silence, and retire.
Now for Don Guillen.

[Exit.
Blan.
Oh let him not go!

Urr.
Why not? 'tis a good riddance. Violante,
You must excuse this most unseemly riot
Close to your chamber. My unruly son,
When his mad passion's rous'd, neither respects
Person or place.

Viol.
Nay, sir, I pardon him.
And should, for I'm the cause! (Aside.)


Blan.
Ah, wretched I,
Who by the very means I would prevent
His going forth, have op'd the door to him.

(Noise within of swords, and the voices of Lope and Guillen fighting.)
Urr.
What noise is that again?

Enter Elvira.
Elv.
'Tis in the street.

Enter Beatrice.
Beat.
Oh, my young master fighting—run, sir, run!

Urr.
And 'tis for this I've sacrific'd myself!

Enter fighting Lope and Guillen; Gentlemen and others trying to part them.
Urr.
(going between them).
Hold, Lope! Hold, Don Guillen!

Voices.
Part them! part them!

Guil.
Traitor!

Lope.
Traitor!—I say that he's the traitor
Whoever—

Urr.
Madman, can you not forbear
When your grey-headed father holds your sword!

Lope.
And in so doing robs me of the honour
I never got from him.

Urr.
Oh! ruffian!
But if this graceless son will not respect
His father, my white hairs appeal to you,
Don Guillen.

Guil.
And shall not appeal in vain—
Out of respect, sir, for your age and name,
And for these gentlemen who interpose,
I shall refer the issue of this quarrel
To other time and place.

Lope.
A good excuse
For fear to hide in.

Guil.
Fear!

Urr.
Madman! again!
That the respect his rival shows to me
Should make my son despise him. By these heav'ns
This staff shall teach you better.

Lope.
Strike me not!
Beware—beware!

Urr.
Why, art thou not asham'd—

Lope.
Yes, of respect for you that's fear of me.

Guil.
Whoever says or thinks what I have done
Is out of fear of you, I say—

Urr.
He lies!
I'll top your sentence for you.

Lope.
Then take thou
The answer!

(Strikes Urrea, who falls; confusion.)
A voice.
What have you done?

Another.
Help, help!

Voices.
After him, after him!—the parricide!

(Lope rushes out and the people after him.)
Guil.
I know not how to leave the poor old man—
Come, let me help you, sir.

Urr.
Parricide!
May outrag'd Heaven that has seen thy crime,
Witness my curse, and blast thee! Every sword
That every pious hand against thee draws,
Caught up into the glittering elements,
Turn thunderbolt, (as every weapon shall
Drawn in God's cause,) and smite thee to the centre!
That sacrilegious hand which thou hast rais'd
Against this snow-white head—how shall it show
Before Heaven's judgment bar; yea, how can Heav'n
Ev'n now behold this deed, nor quench its sun,
Veil its pure infinite blue with awful cloud,
And with a terrified eclipse of things
Confound the air you breathe, the light you see,
The ground you walk on!

Guil.
Pray sir, compose yourself—
Your cloak—your staff—

Urr.
My staff! what use is that?
When it is steel that must avenge my wrong!
Yet give it me—fit instrument
Wherewith to chastise a rebellious child—
Ay, and he did not use his sword on me,
Mark that, nor I on him—give me my staff.
Alas, alas! and I with no strength left
To wield it, only as I halt along,
Feeling about with it to find a grave,
And knocking at deaf earth to let me in.

Guil.
Nay, calm yourself,
The population of the place is up
After the criminal.

Urr.
And to what purpose?
They cannot wipe away my shame by that.
Let the whole city turn its myriad eyes
Upon me, and behold a man disgrac'd—
Disgrac'd by him to whom he gave a being.
I say, behold me all—the wretched man
By his own flesh and blood insulted, and
On his own flesh and blood crying Revenge!
Revenge! revenge! revenge!
Not to the heavens only, nor to Him
Who sits in judgment there, do I appeal,
But to the powers of earth. Give me my hat,
I'll to the king forthwith.

Vic.
Consider, sir;
You would not enter in the palace gates
So suddenly, and in this plight?

Urr.
Why not,
Whose voice should over-leap the firmament,
And without any preparation enter
The palace-doors of God—
King Pedro! king of Arragon! Christian king!
Whom fools the Cruel call, and Just the wise,
I call on you, King Pedro —

King
(entering with Mendo and Train).
Who calls the king?

Urr.
A wretch who, falling at your feet, implores
Your royal justice.

King.
I remember you;
Don Lope de Urrea, whose son I pardon'd.
What would you of me?

Urr.
That you would, my king,
Unpardon him you pardon'd; draw on him
The disappointed sword of justice down.
That son—my son—if he indeed be mine—
(Oh, Blanca, pure as the first blush of day,
Pardon me such a word!) has, after all
My pain and sacrifice in his behalf;
Has, in defiance of the laws of man
And God, and of that great commandment, which,
Though fourth on the two tables, yet comes first
After God's jealous honour is secur'd,
Has struck me—struck his father—in a fray
Wherein that father tried to save his life.
I have no vindication; will have none,
But at your hands and by your laws; unless,
If you deny me that, I do appeal
Unto the King of kings to do me justice;
Which I will have, that heav'n and earth may know
How a bad son begets a ruthless sire!

King.
Mendo!

Men.
My liege.

King.
I must again refer
This cause to you. (To Urrea.)
Where is your son?

Urr.
Fled! fled!

King
(to Mendo).
After him then, use all the powers I own
To bring the wretch to justice. See me not
Till that be done.

Men.
I'll do my best, my liege.

King.
I have it most at heart. In all the rolls
Of history, I know of no like quarrel:
And the first judgment on it shall be done
By the Fourth Pedro, king of Arragon.

[Exeunt severally.