University of Virginia Library

Actvs Secvndvs

Scena Prima.

Enter Crispiano, Sanitonella.
Crisp.
Am I well habited?

San.

Exceeding well; any man would take you for a
Merchant: but pray sir resolue me, what should bee the
reason, that you being one of the most eminent Ciuill
Lawyers in Spaine, and but newly arriued from the East
Indies, should take this habit of a Marchant vpon you?

Crisp.
Why my sonne liues here in Naples & in's riot
Doth farre exceed the exhibition I allowed him.

San.
So then, & in this disguise you meane to trace him.

Cri.
Partly for that, but there is other businesse
Of greater consequence.

San.

Faith for his expence, tis nothing to your estate,
What to Don Crispiano, the famous Corrigidor of Ciuill,
who by his meere practise of the Law, in lesse
time then halfe a Iubile, hath gotten thirtie
thousand Duckets a yeare.

Crisp.
Well, I will giue him line,
Let him run on in's course of spending.

San.
Freely?

Crisp.
Freely:
For I protest; if that I could conceaue
My sonne would take more pleasure or content,
By any course of ryot, in the expence,
Then I tooke ioy, nay soules felicitie
In the getting of it, should all the wealth I haue
Waste to as small an atomy as Flies
I'th Sunne, I doe protest on that condition,
It should not mooue mee.

San.

How's this? Cannot hee take more peasure in
spending it ryotously, then you haue done by scraping it
together: O ten thousand times more, and I make no
question, fiue hundred yong gallants wil be of my opinioō

Why all the time of your Collectionship,
Has bene a perpetuall Callender, begin first
With your melancholly studie of the Law
Before you come to finger the Ruddocks, after that
The tyring importunitie of Clyents,
To rise so early, and sit vp so late,
You made your selfe halfe ready in a dreame,
And neuer prayed but in your sleepe: Can I thinke,
That you haue halfe your lungs left with crying out
For Iudgements, and dayes of Tryall. Remember sir,
How often haue I borne you on my shoulder,
Among a shoale or swarme of reeking Night-caps,
When that your Worship has bepist your selfe,
Either with vehemency of Argument,
Or being out from the matter. I am merry.

Crisp.
Be so.

San.
You could eat like a Gentleman, at leasure;
But swallow it like Flap-dragons, as if you had liued
With chewing the Cud after.

Crisp.
No pleasure in the world was comparable too't.

San.
Possible?

Crisp.
He shall neuer taste the like, vnlesse he study law.

San.
What, not in wenching sir?
Tis a Court game, beleeue it,
As familiar as Gleeke, or any other.

Crisp.
Wenching? O fie, the Disease followes it:
Beside, can the fingring Taffaties, or Lawnes,
Or a painted hand, or a Brest, be like the pleasure
In taking Clyents fees, and piling them
In seuerall goodly rowes before my Deske?
And according to the bignesse of each heape,
Which I tooke by a leare: for Lawyers do not tell them,
I vayl'd my cap, and withall gaue great hope
The Cause should goe on their sides.

San.
What thinke you then
Of a good crie of Hounds? It has bene knowen
Dogs haue hunted Lordships to a fault.

Crisp.
Cry of Curres?
The noyse of Clyents at my Chamber doore,
Was sweeter Musicke farre, in my conceit,
Then all the Hunting in Europe.

San.
Pray stay sir,
Say he should spend it in good House-keeping.

Crisp.
I marry sir, to haue him keepe a good house,
And not sell't away, Ide find no fault with that:
But his Kitchin, Ide haue no bigger then a Saw-pit;
For the smalnesse of a Kitchin, without question,
Makes many Noblemen in France and Spaine,
Build the rest of the house the bigger.

San.
Yes, Mock-beggers.

Crisp.
Some seuenscore Chimneyes,
But halfe of them haue no Tonnels.

San.
A pox vpon them Cuckshawes that beget
Such monsters without fundaments.

Crisp.
Come, come, leaue citing other vanities;
For neither Wine, nor Lust, nor riotous feasts,
Rich cloathes, nor all the pleasure that the Deuill
Has euer practis'd with, to raise a man
To a Deuils likenesse, ere brought man that pleasure
I tooke in getting my wealth: so I conclude.
If he can out-vie me, let it flie to'th Deuill.
Yon's my sonne, what company keepes he?

San.
The Gentleman he talks with,
Enter Rom. Julio, Ariosto, Baptista
Is Romelio the Merchant.

Crisp.
I neuer saw him till now,
A has a braue sprightly looke, I knew his father,
And soiourn'd in his house two yeares together,
Before this young mans birth; I haue newes to tell him
Of certaine losses happened him at Sea,
That will not please him.

San.
What that dapper fellow
In the long stocking? I doe thinke 'twas he
Came to your lodging this morning.

Crisp.
Tis the same,
There he stands, but a little piece of flesh,
But he is the very myracle of a Lawyer,
One that perswades men to peace, & compounds quarrels
Among his neighbours, without going to law.

San.
And is he a Lawyer?

Crisp.
Yes, and will giue counsell
In honest causes gratis, neuer in his life
Tooke fee, but he came and spake for't, is a man
Of extreame practise, and yet all his longing,
Is to become a Iudge.

San.

Indeed that's a rare longing with men of his profession.
I think heel proue the miracle of a lawier indeed.

Rom.

Heere's the man brought word your father dyed
i'th Indies.

Iul.
He died in perfect memory I hope,
And made me his heyre.

Cri.
Yes sir.

Iul.
He's gone the right way then without question:
Friend, in time of mourning, we must not vse any action,
That is but accessary to the making men merry,
I doe therefore giue you nothing for your good tidings.

Cris.
Nor doe I looke for it sir.

Iul.

Honest fellow, giue me thy hand, I doe not thinke
but thou hast carried New yeares gifts to'th Court in
thy dayes, and learndst there to be so free of thy paynes
taking.

Rom.

Here's an old Gentleman sayes he was chamber-fellow
to your father, when they studied the Law together
at Barcellona.

Iul.
Doe you know him?

Rom.
Not I, he's newly come to Naples.

Iul.
And what's his businesse?

Rom.
A sayes he's come to read you good counsell.

Crisp.
To him, rate him soundly.

This is spoke aside,
Iul.
And what's your counsell?

Ari.
Why, I would haue you leaue your whoring.

Iul.
He comes hotly vpon me at first: whoring?

Ari.
O yong quat, incontinence is plagued
In all the creatures of the world.

Iul.
When did you euer heare, that a Cockesparrow
Had the French poxe?

Ari.

When did you euer know any of them fat, but in
the nest? aske all your Cantaride-mongers that question;
remember your selfe sir.

Iul.

A very fine Naturallist, a Phisician, I take you by
your round slop; for tis iust of the bignes, and no more, of
the case for a Vrinall: tis concluded, you are a Phisician.
What doe you meane sir, youle take cold.

Ari.

Tis concluded, you are a foole, a precious one,
you are a meere sticke of Sugar Candy, a man may
looke quite thorow you.

Jul.
You are a very bold gamester.

Ar.
I can play at chesse, & know how to handle a rook.

Iul.
Pray preserue your veluet from the dust.

Ari.
Keepe your hat vpon the blocke sir,
'Twill continue fashion the longer.

Iul.
I was neuer so abused with the hat in the hand
In my life.

Ari.
I will put on, why looke you,
Those lands that were the Clyents, are now become
The Lawyers; and those tenements that were
The Countrey Gentlemans, are now growen
To be his Taylors.

Iul.
Taylors?

Ario.
Yes, Taylors in France, they grow to great
Abominable purchase, and become great officers.
How many Duckets thinke you he has spent
Within a tweluemonth, besides his fathers allowance?

Iul.
Besides my fathers allowance?
Why Gentleman, doe you thinke an Auditor begat me?
Would you haue me make euen at yeares end?

Rom.

A hundred duckets a month in breaking Venice
glasses.

Ario.
He learnt that of an English drunkard,
And a Knight too, as I take it.
This comes of your numerous Wardrobe.

Rom.
I, and wearing Cut-worke, a pound a Purle.

Ario.
Your daintie embroydered stockings,
With ouerblowne Roses, to hide your gowtie anckles.

Ro.

And wearing more taffaty for a garter, then would
serue the Gally dung-boat for streamers.

Ari.

Your switching vp at the horse-race, with the Illustrissimi.

Rom.

And studying a pusling Arithmatick at the cockpit.

Ari.
Shaking your elbow at the Taule-boord.

Rom.
And resorting to your whore in hir'd veluet,
With a spangled copper fringe at her netherlands.

Ari.
Whereas if you had staid at Padua, and fed vpon
Cow trotters, and fresh beefe to Supper.

Iul.
How I am bayted?

Ari.

Nay, be not you so forward with him neither, for
tis thought, youle proue a maine part of his vndoing.

Iul.

I thinke this fellow is a witch

Rom.

Who I sir?

Ari.

You haue certaine rich citie Chuffes, that when
they haue no acres of their owne, they will goe and plow
vp fooles, and turne them into excellent meadow; besides
some Inclosures for the first Cherries in the Spring,
And Apricocks to pleasure a friend at Court with.
You haue Potecaries deal in selling commodities to yong
Gallants, will put foure or fiue coxcombs into a sieue, and
so drumme with them vpon their Counter; theyle searse

them through like Ginny Pepper, they cannot endure to
finde a man like a payre of Tarriers, they would vndoe
him in a trice.

Rom.
May be there are such.

Ari.
O terrible exactors, fellowes with six hands,
And three heads.

Iul.
I those are Hell-hounds.

Ari.

Take heed of them, theyle rent thee like Tenterhookes.
Hearke in your eare, there is intelligence vpon
you; the report goes, there has been gold conuey beyond
the Sea in hollow Ancres. Farewell, you shall know mee
better, I will doe thee more good, then thou art aware of.

Iul.
Hee's a mad fellow.

Exit Ar.
San.
He would haue made an excellent Barber,
He does so curry it with his tongue.

Exit.
Crisp.
Sir, I was directed to you.

Rom.
From whence?

Crisp.
From the East Indies.

Rom.
You are very welcome.

Cri.
Please you walke apart,
I shall acquaint you with particulars
Touching your Trading i'th East Indies.

Rom.
Willingly, pray walke sir.

Ex. Cris. Rom.
Enter Ercole.
Erc.

Oh my right worthy friends, you haue staid me
long, one health, and then aboord; for all the Gallies are
come about.

Enter Contarino.
Cont.
Signior Ercole,
The wind has stood my friend sir, to preuent
Your putting to Sea.

Erc.
Pray why sir?

Cont.
Onely loue sir,
That I might take my leaue sir, and withall
Intreat from you a priuate recommends
To a friend in Malta, 'twould be deliuered
To your bosome, for I had no time to write.

Erc.
Pray leaue vs Gentlemen.
Exeunt.
Wilt please you sit?

They sit downe.
Con.
Sir, my loue to you has proclaim'd you one,
Whose word was still led by a noble thought,
And that thought followed by as faire a deed:
Deceiue not that opinion, we were Students
At Padua together, and haue long
To'th worlds eye shewen like friends,
Was it hartie on your part to me?

Erc.
Vnfained.

Con.
You are false
To the good thought I held of you, and now
Ioyne the worst part of man to you, your malice,
To vphold that falsehood, sacred innocence
Is fled your bosome. Signior, I must tell you,
To draw the picture of vnkindnesse truely,
Is to expresse two that haue dearly loued,
And falne at variance; tis a wonder to me,
Knowing my interest in the fayre Iolenta,
That you should loue her.

Erc.
Compare her beauty, and my youth together,
And you will find the faire effects of loue
No myracle at all.

Con.
Yes, it will proue prodigious to you.
I must stay your Voyage.

Erc.
Your Warrant must be mightie.

Con.
'Tas a Seale from heauen
To doe it, since you would rauish from me
What's there entitled mine: and yet I vow,
By the essentiall front of spotlesse Vertue,
I haue compassion of both our youths:
To approue which, I haue not tane the way,
Like an Italian, to cut your throat
By practise, that had giuen you now for dead,
And neuer frownd vpon you.

Erc.
You deale faire sir.

Con.
Quit me of one doubt, pray sir.

Erc.
Moue it.

Con.
Tis this,
Whether her Brother were a maine Instrument
In her designe for Marriage.

Erc.
If I tell truth, you will not credit me.

Con.
Why?

Erc.
I will tell you truth,
Yet shew some reason you haue not to beleeue me:
Her Brother had no hand in't, ist not hard
For you to credit this: for you may thinke,
I count it basenesse to ingage another
Into my quarrell; and for that take leaue
To dissemble the truth. Sir, if you will fight
With any but my selfe, fight with her Mother,
Shee was the motiue.

Con.
I haue no enemy in the world then, but your selfe;
You must fight with me.

Erc.
I will sir.

Con.
And instantly.

Erc.
I will haste before you, poynt whither.

Con.
Why you speake nobly, and for this faire dealing,
Were the rich Iewell which we vary for,
A thing to be diuided, by my life,
I would be well content to giue you halfe:
But since tis vaine to thinke we can be friends,
Tis needfull one of vs be tane away,
From being the others enemy.

Erc.
Yet me thinks, this looks not like a quarrell.

Con.
Not a quarrell?

Erc.
You haue not apparelled your fury well,
It goes too plaine like a Scholler.

Con.
It is an ornament makes it more terrible,
And you shall finde it
A weightie iniury, and attended on
By discreet valour; because I doe not strike you,
Or giue you the lye, such foule preparatiues
Would show like the stale iniury of Wine.
I reserue my rage to sit on my swords poynt,
Which a great quantitie of your best blood
Cannot satisfie.

Erc.
You promise well to your selfe.
Shall's haue no Seconds?

Con.
None, for feare of preuention.

Erc.
The length of our weapons.

Con.
Weele fit them by the way:
So whether our time calls vs to liue or dye,
Let vs doe both like noble Gentlemen,
And true Italians.

Erc.
For that let me embrace you:

Con.
Me thinks, being an Italian, I trust you
To come somewhat too neere me:
But your Ielousie gaue that embrace to trie
If I were armed, did it not.

Erc.
No beleeue me,
I take your heart to be sufficient proofe,
Without a priuie coat; and for my part,
A Taffaty is all the shirt of Mayle
I am armed with.

Cont.
You deale equally.

Exeunt.
Enter Iulio, and Seruant.
Iul.
Where are these Gallants, the braue Ercole,
And noble Contarino?

Ser.
They are newly gone sir,
And bade me tell you, that they will returne
Within this halfe houre.

Enter Romelio.
Iul.
Met you the Lord Ercole?

Rom.
No, but I met the deuill in villanous tydings.

Iul.
Why, what's the matter?

Rom.
Oh I am powr'd out like water, the greatest
Riuers i'th world are lost in the Sea,
And so am I: pray leaue me.
Where's Lord Ercole?

Iu.
You were scarse gone hence, but in came Contarino.

Rom.
Contarino?

Iu.
And intreated some priuate conference with Ercole,
And on the sudden they haue giu'ns the slip.

Rom.
One mischiefe neuer comes alone:
They are gone to fight.

Iul.
To fight?

Rom.
And you be Gentlemen,
Doe not talke, but make haste after them.

Iul.
Let's take seuerall wayes then,
And if't be possible for womens sakes,
For they are proper men, vse our endeauours,
That the pricke doe not spoyle them.

Exeunt.
Enter Ercole, Contarino.
Con.
Youle not forgoe your interest in my Mistris?

Erc.
My sword shall answer that; come, are you ready?

Con.
Before you fight sir, thinke vpon your cause,
It is a wondrous foule one, and I wish,
That all your exercise these foure dayes past,
Had been imploy'd in a most feruent prayer,
And the foule sinne for which you are to fight
Chiefly remembred in't.

Erc.
Ide as soone take
Your counsell in Diuinitie at this present,
As I would take a kind direction from you
For the managing my weapon; and indeed,
Both would shew much alike.
Come are you ready?

Con.
Bethinke your selfe,
How faire the obiect is that we contend for.

Erc.
Oh, I cannot forget it.

They fight.
Con.
You are hurt.

Erc.
Did you come hither only to tell me so,
Or to doe it? I meane well, but 'twill not thriue.

Con.
Your cause, your cause sir:
Will you yet be a man of Conscience, and make
Restitution for your rage vpon your death-bed?

Er.
Neuer, till the graue gather one of vs.

Fight.
Con.
That was faire, and home I thinke.

Er.
You prate as if you were in a Fence-schoole.

Con.
Spare your youth, haue compassion on your selfe.

Er.
When I am all in pieces, I am now vnfit
For any Ladies bed; take the rest with you.

Contarino wounded, fals vpon Ercole.
Con.
I am lost in too much daring: yeeld your sword.

Er.
To the pangs of death I shall, but not to thee.

Con.
You are now at my repayring, or confusion:
Begge your life.

Erc.
Oh most foolishly demaunded,
To bid me beg that which thou canst not giue.

Enter Romelio, Prosp. Bapt. Ario. Iulio.
Pro.
See both of them are lost; we come too late.

Rom.
Take vp the body, and conuey it
To Saint Sebastians Monastery.

Con.
I will not part with his sword, I haue won't.

Iul.
You shall not:
Take him vp gently: so, and bow his body,
For feare of bleeding inward.
Well, these are perfect louers.

Pros.
Why, I pray?

Iul.
It has been euer my opinion,
That there are none loue perfectly indeed,
But those that hang or drowne themselues for loue:
Now these haue chose a death next to Beheading,
They haue cut one anothers throats,
Braue valiant Lads.

Pro.
Come, you doe ill, to set the name of valour
Vpon a violent and mad despaire.
Hence may all learne, that count such actions well,
The roots of fury shoot themselues to hell.

Exeunt.
Enter Romelio, Ariosto.
Ario.
Your losses I confesse, are infinite,
Yet sir, you must haue patience.

Rom.
Sir, my losses I know, but you I doe not.

Ari.
Tis most true, I am but a stranger to you, but am
Wisht by some of your best friends, to visit you,
And out of my experience in the world,
To instruct you patience.

Rom.
Of what profession are you?

Ario.
Sir, I am a Lawyer.

Rom.
Of all men liuing,
You Lawyers I account the onely men
To confirme patience in vs, your delayes
Would make three parts of this little Christian world
Run out of their wits else.
Now I remember, you read Lectures to Iulio,
Are you such a Leech for patience?

Ari.
Yes sir, I haue had some crosses.

Rom.
You are married then I am certaine.

Ari.
That I am sir.

Rom.
And haue you studied patience?

Ario.
You shall find I haue.

Rom.
Did you euer see your wife make you Cuckold?

Ario.
Make me Cuckold?

Rom.
I aske it seriously, and you haue not seene that,
Your patience has not tane the right degree
Of wearing Scarlet; I should rather take you
For a Batchelor in the Art, then for a Doctor.

Ari.
You are merry.

Rom.
No sir, with leaue of your patience, I am horrible angry.

Ari.
What should mooue you?
Put forth that harsh Interrogatory, if these eyes
Euer saw my wife doe the thing you wot of.

Rom.
Why Ile tell you,
Most radically to try your patience,
And the meere question shewes you but a Dunse in't.
It has made you angry; there's another Lawyers beard
In your forehead, you doe brissle.

Ari.
You are very conceited:
But come, this is not the right way to cure you.
I must talke to you like a Diuine.

Rom.
I haue heard some talk of it very much, and many
times to their Auditors impatience; but I pray,
What practise doe they make of't in their liues?
They are too full of choller with liuing honest,
And some of them not onely impatient
Of their owne sleightest iniuries, but starke mad,
At one anothers preferment: now to you sir,
I haue lost three goodly Carracks.

Ari.
So I heare.

Rom.
The very Spice in them,
Had they been shipwrackt heere vpon our coast,
Would haue made all our Sea a Drench.

Ario.
All the sicke horses in Italy
Would haue been glad of your losse then.

Rom.
You are conceited too.

Ario.
Come, come, come,
You gaue those ships most strange, most dreadfull,
And vnfortunate names, I neuer lookt they'd prosper.

Rom.
Is there any ill O men in giuing names to ships?

Ario.
Did you not call one, The Stormes Defiance;
Another, The Scourge of the Sea; and the third,
The great Leuiathan?

Rom.
Very right sir.

Ari.
Very deuillish names
All three of them: and surely I thinke,
They were curst in their very cradles, I doe meane,
When they were vpon their Stockes.

Rom.
Come, you are superstitious,
Ile giue you my opinion, and tis serious:
I am perswaded there came not Cuckolds enow
To the first Launching of them,
And 'twas that made them thriue the worse for't.
Oh your Cuckolds hansell is praid for i'th Citie.

Ari.
I will heare no more,
Giue me thy hand, my intent of comming hither,
Was to perswade you to patience; as I liue,
If euer I doe visit you agen,
It shall be to intreat you to be angry, sure I will,
Ile be as good as my word, beleeue it.

Exit.
Rom.
So sir: how now?
Enter Leonora.
Are the Scritch-owles abroad already?

Leon.
What a dismall noyse yon bell makes,
Sure some great person's dead.

Rom.
No such matter,
It is the common Bell-man goes about,
To publish the sale of goods.

Leon.
Why doe they ring before my gate thus?
Let them into'th Court, I cannot vnderstand
What they say.

Enter two Belmen and a Capouchin.
Cap.
For pities sake, you that haue teares to shed,
Sigh a soft Requiem, and let fall a Bead,
For two vnfortunate Nobles, whose sad fate
Leaues them both dead, and excommunicate:
No Churchmans prayer to comfort their last groanes,
No sacred seed of earth to hide their bones;
But as their fury wrought them out of breath,
The Canon speakes them guiltie of their owne death.

Leon.
What Noble men I pray sir?

Cap.
The Lord Ercole, and the noble Contarino,
Both of them slaine in single combat.

Leo.
O, I am lost for euer.

Rom.
Denide Christian buriall, I pray what does that,
Or the dead lazy march in the Funerall,
Or the flattery in the Epitaphs, which shewes
More sluttish farre then all the Spiders webs
Shall euer grow vpon it: what doe these
Adde to our well being after death?

Capu.
Not a scruple.

Rom.

Capu.
I am sorry for your losses.

Rom.
Vm sir the more spatious that the Tennis court is,
The more large is the Hazard.
I dare the spitefull Fortune doe her worst,
I can now feare nothing.

Capu.
Oh sir, yet consider,
He that is without feare, is without hope,
And sins from presumption; better thoughts attend you.

Ro.
Poore Iolenta, should she heare of this?
Exit. Ca.
Shee would not after the report keepe fresh,
So long as flowers in graues.
Enter Prospero.
How now Prospero.

Pro.
Contarino has sent you here his Will,
Wherein a has made your sister his sole heire.

Rom.
Is he not dead?

Pro.
Hee's yet liuing.

Rom.
Liuing? the worse lucke.

Leo.
The worse: I doe protest it is the best,
That euer came to disturbe my prayers.

Rom.
How?

Leon.
Yet I would haue him liue
To satisfie publique Iustice for the death
Of Ercole: oh goe visit him for heauens sake.
I haue within my Closet a choyce Relicke,
Preseruatiue 'gainst swounding, and some earth,
Brought from the Holy Land, right soueraigne
To staunchbloud: has he skilfull Surgeons, thinke you?

Pro.
The best in Naples?

Rom.
How oft has he been drest?

Pro.
But once.

Leo.
I haue some skill this way:
The second or third dressing will shew clearely,
Whether there be hope of life: I pray be neere him,
If there be any soule can bring me word,
That there is hope of life.

Rom.
Doe you prise his life so?

Leo.
That he may liue;
I meane, to come to his tryall, to satisfie the Law.

Rom.
Oh, ist nothing else?

Leo.
I shall be the happiest woman.

Exeunt Le. Pro.
Rom.
Here is cruelty appareled in kindnesse.
I am ful of thoughts, strāge ones, but they'r no good ones.
I must visit Contarino, vpon that
Depends an Engine shall weigh vp my losses,
Were they sunke as low as hell; yet let me thinke,
How I am impayred in a houre, and the cause of't,
Lost in securitie: oh how this wicked world bewitches,
Especially made insolent with riches:
So Sayles with fore-winds stretcht, doe soonest breake,
And Piramides ath top, are still most weake.

Exit.
Enter Capuchin, Ercole led between two.
Cap.

Looke vp sir, you are preserued beyond naturall
reason, you were brought dead out a'th field, the Surgeons
ready to haue embalmed you.

Erc.
I do looke on my action with a thought of terror,
To doe ill and dwell in't, is vnmanly.

Cap.
You are diuinely informed sir.

Erc.
I fought for one, in whom I haue no more right,
Then false executors haue in Orphans goods,
They cozen them of; yet tho my cause were naught,
I rather chose the hazard of my soule,
Then foregoe the complement of a chollerick man.
I pray continue the report of my death, and giue out,
Cause the Church denyed me Christian buriall,
The Viceadmirall of my Gallies tooke my body,
With purpose to commit it to the earth,
Either in Cicil, or Malta.

Cap.
What ay me you at by this rumour of your death?

Erc.
There is hope of life
In Contarino; and he has my prayers,
That he may liue to enioy what is his owne,
The faire Iolenta; where, should it be thought
That I were breathing, happily her friends
Would oppose it still.

Capu.
But if you be supposed dead,
The Law will strictly prosecute his life
For your murder.

Erc.
That's preuented thus,
There does belong a noble Priuiledge
To all his Family, euer since his father,
Bore from the worthy Emperour Charles the fift,
An answere to the French Kings challenge, at such time
The two noble Princes were ingag'd to fight.
Vpon a frontier arme o'th sea in a flat-bottom'd Boat,
That if any of his Family should chance
To kill a man i'th Field, in a noble cause,
He should haue his Pardon; now sir, for his cause,
The world may iudge if it were not honest.
Pray helpe me in speech, tis very painfull to me.

Capu.
Sir I shall.

Erc.
The guilt of this lyes in Romelio,
And as I heare, to second this good Contract,
He has got a Nun with child.

Cap.
These are crimes that either must make worke
For speedy repentance, or for the Deuill.

Erc.
I haue much compassion on him,
For sinne and shame are euer tyde together,
With Gordion knots, of such a strong threed spun,
They cannot without violence be vndone.

Exeunt.