University of Virginia Library

Sce: 5.

Ent: Don Ferdinando, ye Teniente, wt h Attend.t s; Bustamente brought in wt h a Guard.
Fer:
Francisco Bustamente, late Captaine of ye Castle
stand forth, accusd of Treason gainst his Maiesty.

Bust:
It is a language I not vnderstand,
& but that by ye rule of loyalty
vnto my king & Country I am made
Attendant to ye Law, & in this honourd
prsence ye Governour & Teniente
vnder whose Iurisdiction I hold place,
I would not beare nor heare it.

Fer:
I'de be glad
you could as easily acquitt yor selfe
of guilt, as stand vp in yor owne defence;
but Bustamente, when it doth appeare
to law & reason, on wc h Law is grounded,
yor great offence in daring to betray
the Spanish honor vnto Infamy,
In yeilding vp ye fort on such sleight cause;
you can no lesse then yeild yor selfe most guilty.

Bust:
farre be it from yor thought, my honourd Lord,
to wrest ye hazardous fortune of ye warre
into ye bloudyer Censure of ye Law:
Was it my fault yt in ye first assault
or Canoniers were slayne? whereby or strength
or mayne offensive strength was quite defeated,
& or defensive part so much enfeebled
that possibility to subsist was lost,
or by resistance to prserve one life,?
while there was sparke of hope I did maintayne
the fight wt h fiery resolution
& (give me leave to speake it) like a Soldier.

Ten:
To my seeming yor resolution was forwarder
to yeild then to repell; you had else stood longer out.

Bust:
We stood ye losse of most of or best men
& of or muskettiers no lesse then fifty
fell by ye adverse shott, whose bodyes wt h their armes
were cast by my directions downe a Well
because their armes should neyther arme or foes
nor of or losse ye sight give them encouragement.

Fer:
That pollicy pleades no excuse, you yet
had men enough, had they bene soldiers,
fitt for a Leaders Iustification:
And doe not we know yt .6. score at least
of those base Picaro's wt h wc h you stuff'd
ye fort to feed, not fight, vnworthy of
ye name of Spanyards, much lesse of soldiers,
at once ran all away like sheepe together,
having but ore ye walls descryde th'approach
of th'Enemy? some of ye feare-spurrd Villaines
were overtane by slaughter in ye i r flight,
others were taken, & are sure to find
or lawes as sharpe as eyther sword or Bullet:
for yor part Bustamente, for yt you have
done, heretofore, more for yor Countryes love,
you shall not doubt of honorable tryall
wc h in ye Court of warre shalbe determind,
at Sherris, whitherward you instantly
shall wt h a guard be sent; see't done, away.

Bus:
The best of my desire is to obey.

Exit, wt h a guard
Ent: Don Iohn, Pike, (wt h his face wounded,) a Guard of musketts.
fer:
whence is yt soldier?

.1.
of England.

Io:
Or of Hell.

.1.
It was or chance to come vnto ye rescue
of this renowned knight Don Iohn,
who was his prisoner as he now is ours,
some few more of his mates we shott & slew
that were (out of their English liquorishnes)
bold to robb orchards of forbidden fruite.

.2.
It was a fine Ambition, they would have thought
themselves as famous as their Countryman
that putt a girdle round about ye world,
could they have said at their returne to England
vnto ye i r Sons, looke Boyes, this fruite your father
wt h his Adventurous hands in Spayne did gather.

Fer:
Tis a goodly fellow.

.1.
Had you not better have gone home wt hout Lymons
to eate Capons wt h yor frends, then to stay here
wt hout Capons to taste Lymons wt h vs yt you call Enemyes.

Pi:
I could better fast wt h a noble Enemy then feast wt h unworthy
frends.

Fer:
How came he by these woundes?

P:
Not by noble Enemyes; this on my face
by this proud man, yet not more proud then base;
for when my hands were in a manner bound,
I having given him life, he gave this wound.

Fer:
Twas vnadvisd.

Ten:
The more vnmanly done;
& though, Don Iohn, by law y'are not accusd,
he being a Com̄on Enemy, yet being a man
you in humanity are not excusd.

Io:
It was my fury & thirst of revenge.

Fer:
Reason & manhood had become you better;
your honour's wounded deeper then his flesh,
yet we must quitt yor person, & com̄itt
the Englishman to prison.

Ten:
To prison wt h him, but let best care be taken
for ye best surgeons, that his wounds be look'd to.

P:
Your care is noble, & I yeild best thankes,
& tis but need, I tell yor Seignioryes,
for I have one hurt more then you have seene,
as basely given, & by a baser person.
A Flemming seeing me led a prisoner
cryde, whither doe you lead yt English Dog?
kill, kill him, cryde hee; he's no Christian;
& ran me in ye bodie wt h his Halbert
at least foure inches deepe.

fer:
Poore man, I pitty thee, but to ye prison wt h him.

Ten:
And let him be carefully lookt to.

Exeunt omnes.