 | Dick of Devonshire |  |
Act: 3.
Sce: 1.
Ent: [Pike shackled Playsters on his face, Iaylor.] Captaine, Hill, Secretary, Iewell.Cap:
Our Generall yet shewd him selfe right noble
in offering ransome for poore Captive Pike.
39
So largely too as he did Captaine.
Cap:
If any reasonable price would have bene accepted
it had bene given, Mr Secretary, I assure you.
Iew:
I can testifye that at or returne; In or Generalls name,
& my owne, I made ye large offer to ye Teniente,
who will by no meanes render him; sure they hold him
for some great noble purchace:
Sec:
A Barronet at least, one of ye lusty blood, Captaine?
Cap:
Or perhaps, Mr. Secretary some remarkable Com̄onwealths man
a pollitician in Government.
Sec:
Twere a weake state-body yt could not spare such members:
alas, poore Pike, I thinke thy pate holds no more pollicy
then a Pollax.
Hill:
who is more expert in any quality then he yt hath it at his fingers ends?
& if he have more pollicy in his braines then dirt vnder his nayles
Ile nere give .2. groates for a Calves head. But wt hout all question
he hath done some excellent piece of villany among ye Diego's, or e[OMITTED]
40
Cap:
Well gentlemen, we all can but Condole ye losse of him:
& though all yt we all come hither for be not worth him,
yet we must be content to leave him. The fleete is ready, ye wind fai«r»
& we must expect him no longer.
Hill:
He was a true Devonshire blade.
Secr:
My Countryman sir; therefore would I have given ye price
of a hundred of ye best Toledoes rather then heare ye misse of him
at home complayned by his Wife & Children.
Iew:
your tendernes becomes you sir, but not ye time,
wc h waftes vs hence to shun a greater danger.
Exeunt.
Sce: 2.
Ent: Pike in shackles, nightcap, playsters on his face, A Iaylor.P:
The fleete is gone, & I have now no hope of liberty,
yet I am well refreshd in ye care hath bene taken for my cure;
but was ever English horse thus Spanish bitted & bossd?
Iay:
Sir, ye care of yor keeper by whom this ease hath bene procured
requires remuneration.
P:
here's for you my frend.
Iay:
I assure you ye best Surgeons this part of Spaine affoords,
through my care taken of you, & you may thanke me.
P:
What an arrogant rascall's this? sir I thought my thankes herein
had chiefly appertaind to ye humanity of ye Governour;
& yt yor especiall care had bene in providing these necessary shackles,
to keepe me from running into further danger: these I tooke to be
the strong bonds of yor frendship.
Iay:
Sir, I hope they fitt you as well as if they had bene made for you;
& I am so much yor servant yt I doe wish 'em stronger for yor sake.
P:
Tis overwell as it is sir.
Iay:
you are most curteous.
Exit.
P:
A precious rogue; if ye Iaylors be so pregnant, what is ye hangman
troe? by yt time my misery hath brought me to climbe to his
acquaintance I shall find a frend to ye last gaspe.
Ent: Catelyna & Iaylor.
what's here? a Lady? are ye weomen so cruell here
to insult ore Captive wretches?
Cat:
Is this ye English prisoner?
41
Yes madam.
Cat:
trust me a goodly person.
Pi:
She eyes me wistly; sure she comes not to in struct her selfe
in ye Art of painting by these patternes of my face?
Cat:
Sir, shall I speake wt h you?
P:
Yes Lady, so you will not mocke me.
Cat:
Indeed I cannot, but must needs acknowledge my selfe beholding to you.
P:
This I must beare, I will doe soe, & call't my sweet affliction.
Cat:
Will you heare me sir? I am ye Lady—
P:
Yes, I doe heare you say you are ye Lady; but let me tell you madam
yt Ladyes, though they should have tenderest sence of honor, & all
vertuous goodnesse, & so resemble Goddesses, as well in soule as feature;
doe often prove dissemblers, & in their seemely breasts beare cruelty
& mischiefe: If you be one of those, oh be converted;
returne from whence you came & know tis irreligious,
nay divelish, to tread & triumph over misery.
Cat:
How well he speakes! yet in ye sence bewraying
a sence distracted; sure his Captivity
his wounds & hard entreaty make him franticke?
42
enough to win beleeife; I am ye Lady
of ye knight vanquished by you, Don Iohn;
P:
y'have said enough indeed; pitty of heaven,
what new invented cruelty is this?
was't not enough yt by his ruthlesse basenes
I had these wounds inflicted, but I must
be torturd wt h his Wifes vniust reioycings?
Twas well his politicke feare wc h durst not come
to glory in his handy worke him selfe
could send yor priviledg'd Ladyship.
Cat:
Indeed you much mistake me; as I live,
as I hope mercy, & for after life,
I come for nothing but to offer thankes
vnto yor goodnes, by whose manly temper
my lord & husband reassum'd his life;
and aske yor Christian pardon for ye wrong
wc h by yor suffering now pleads him guilty.
Good sir, let no mistrust of my iust purpose
crosse yor affection; did you know my love
to honor & to honest Actions,
you would not then reiect my gratulations;
And since that Deeds doe best declare or meaning,
I pray accept of this; this money, & these clothes; & my request
vnto yor keeper for best meates & wines,
that are agreable to yor health & taste:
And honest frend, thou knowst & darest, I hope,
beleive me, I will see thee payd for all.
Iay:
yes my good Lady.—loe you sir, you see
still how my care provides yor good; you may
suppose ye Governours humanity
takes care for you in this too.
Pi:
Excellent Lady, I doe now beleive
Ent: Don Iohn.
vertue & weomen are growne frends againe;
Io:
What magicall Illusion's this? tis she,
43
are you a prison Visiter for this,
to cherish my dishonor for yor merit?
Cat:
My lord I hope my Charity workes for yor honor,
releiving him whose mercy spard yor life.
Io:
But that I'me subiect to ye law, & know
my blowes are mortall, I would strike thee dead.
Ignoble & degenerate from Spanish bloud,
darst thou maintaine this to be charity?
Thy strumpett itch, & treason to my bed
thou seek'st to act in cherishing this Villaine.
Cat:
Saints be my witnesses you doe me wrong.
Io:
thou robb'st my honor.
P:
you wound her honor & you robb yor selfe,
& me, & all good Christians by this outrage.
Io:
Doe you prate sir?
Pi:
sir I may speake, my toungue's vnshackled yet,
& were my hands & feete so, on free ground,
44
against an Hoast of such ignoble Husbands.
Io:
You are condemnd allready by ye Law
I make no doubt, & therefore speake yor pleasure,
& here come those fore whom my rage is silent.
Ent: ferdinando, Teniente, Guard.
fer:
Deliver vp ye prisoner to ye Teniente;
I need not sir instruct you in yor place,
to beare him wt h a guard, as is appointed,
vnto ye publicke tryall held at Sherrys.
Ten:
It shalbe done.
fer:
how long hath he bene yor prisoner?
Iay:
.18. dayes.
Fer:
you, & ye Surgeons out of ye kings pay
Ile see dischargd; you have, according to the Order,
conveyd already Bustamente thither
to yeild account for yeilding vp ye Castle?
Ten:
Tis done my Lord.
fer:
Don Iohn, you likewise, in his Maiesties name
stand chargd to make yor personall appearance
to give in Evidence against this prisoner.
Io:
I shall be ready there my Lord.
Pi:
To Sherrys? they say ye best sacke's there,
I meane to take one draught of dying comfort.
Cat:
I hope you'le not deny my Company to waite on you to Sherris?
Io:
no; you shall goe to see yor frend there totter.
P:
I have a suite my Lord, to see an Englishman,
a merchant, prisoner here, before I goe.
fer:
call him; that done, you know yor charge.
Exit Iaylor.
Ten:
And shall performe it.
Ex: Fern: Iohn: Catelina.
P:
Oh, Mr. Woodrow, I must now take leave
Ent: Iaylor & Woodrow.
of prison fellowship wt h you; yor fortunes
may call you into England, after payment
of some few money debts; but I am calld
vnto a further tryall; my debt is life,
wc h if they take not by extortion,
I meane by Tortures, I shall gladly pay it.
Wo:
I have heard, & thought you, by what I had heard,
45
depending on heavens mercy.
P:
you doe instruct me well; but, worthy Countryman,
once more let me give you this to remember,
& tis my last request; that when yor better stars
shall guide you into England, youle be pleasd
to take my Country, Devonshire, in yor way;
where you may find in Tavestoke (whom I left)
my wife & Children wretched in my misfortunes;
Com̄end me to them, tell them, & my frends,
that if I be, as I suspect I shalbe,
at Sherris putt to death, I dyed a Christian soldier,
no way I hope, offending my iust king,
nor my religion; but ye Spanish lawes.
Exeunt.
Sce: 3.a
Ent: Don Pedro, reading a Letter, & Manuell.Man:
Deare sir, let me have power to recall
yor graver thoughts out of this violent storme
46
remember what you are, & wt h what strength,
what more then manly strength, you have outworne
dangers of Battaile, when your warlike lookes
have outfac'd horror.
Ped:
oh, my son, my son,
horror it selfe vpon ye wings of Death
stretcht to ye vttermost expansion,
over ye wounded body of an Army,
could never carry an Aspect like this;
this murthering spectacle, this field of paper
stucke all wt h Basiliskes eyes: Read but this word,
The ravisht Eleonora:—does't not seeme
like a full cloud of bloud ready to burst
& fall vpon or heads?
Man:
Indeed you take too deepe a sence of it.
Ped:
What? when I see this meteor hanging ore it?
this prodigy in figure of a man?
clad all in flames wt h an Inscription
blazing on's head; Henrico ye Ravisher.
Man:
Good sir, avoid this passion.
Ped:
In battailes I have lost & seene ye falls
of many a right good soldier; but they fell
like blessed grayne yt shott vp into honor:
But in this leud exploit I lose a son
& thou a brother, my Emanuell,
& or whole house ye glory of her name;
her beauteous name, yt never was distaynd,
is, by this beastly fact, made odious.
Man:
I pray sir be yor selfe, & let yor Iudgement
entertaine reason; from whom came this Letter?
Ped:
from ye sad plaintiffe Eleonora.
Man:
Good; & by ye com̄on poast; you every weeke
receiving letters from yor noble frends
yet none of their papers can tell any such Tidings.
Ped:
All this may be too sir.
47
Why is her father silent? has she no kindred,
no frend, no gentleman of note, no servant
whom she may trust to bring by word of mouth
her dismall story!
Ped:
no, perhaps she would not
text vp his name in proclamations.
Man:
Some Villaine hath filld vp a Cup of poyson
t'infect ye whole house of ye Gusman family;
& you are greedyest first to take it downe.
Ped:
That villaine is thy brother.
Man:
were you a stranger
armd in ye middle of a great Battalia
& thus should dare to taxe him, I would wave
my weapon ore my head to waft you forth
to single Combate; if you would not come,
had I as many lives as I have hayres
I'de shoot 'em all away to force my passage
through such an hoast vntill I mett ye Traytor
to my deare brother; pray doe not thinke so sir.
48
Not? when it shall be said one of or name
(oh heaven could I but say he were not my son) was so dishonorable,
so sacrilegious, to defile a Temple
of such a beauty & goodnes as she was?
Man:
As beauteous is my brother in his soule
as she can bee.
Ped:
Why dost thou take his part so?
M:
Because no dropp of honor falls from him
but I bleed wt h it; why doe I take his part?
my sight is not so precious as my brother;
If there be any goodnes in one man
he's Lord of that, his vertues are full Seas,
wc h cast vp to ye shoares of ye base world
all bodyes throwne into them; he's no Drunkard,
I thinke he nere swore oath; to him a woman
was worse then any Scorpion, till he cast
his Eye on Elionora; & therefore sir
I hope it is not so.
Ped:
was not she so?
M:
I doe not say, sir, that she was not so,
yet weomen are strang creatures; but my hope
is that my brother was not so ignoble.
Good sir be not too credulous on a Letter,
who knowes but it was forgd, sent by some foe,
as ye most vertuous ever have ye most;
I know my Brother lov'd her honor so
as wealth of Kingdomes could not him entice
to violate it or his faith to her:
Perhapps it is some queint devise of theirs
to hast yor Iourney homeward out of france,
to terminate their long-desired marriage.
Ped:
The language of her letter speakes no such comfort;
but I will hasten home; & for you are
so confident, as not to thinke his honor
any way toucht, yor good hopes be yor guide,
auspiciously to find it to yor wish.
Therefore my Counsaile is you post before
49
let such provision instantly be
betwixt you made to hide it from ye world
by giving her due nuptiall satisfaction,
that I may heare no voice of't at my com̄ing.
Oh, to prserve ye Reputation
of noble Ancestry yt nere bore stayne
who would not passe through fire, or dive the mayne?
Exeunt.
Sce: 4.
Ent: fernando & Eleonora.fer:
Cease Eleonora, cease these needles plaints,
lesse vsefull then thy helpe of hands was at
the Deed of darknesse; oh ye blackest Deed
that ever overclouded my felicity.
To speake or weepe thy sorrow but allayes
& quenches anger, wc h we must now cherish
to further iust revenge;—how I could wish
50
El:
That I might be in yt vnborne againe sir.
fer:
No Eleonora, that I were so ennabled
wt h my owne hands to worke out thy revenge
vpon yt wretch, that villaine; oh that Ravisher;
but though my hands are palsyed wt h rage
the Law yet weares a sword in or defence.
Ent: Henrico.
El:
Away my Lord & father, see ye monster
approaching towards you; who knowes but now
he purposeth an Assasinate on yor life
as he did lately on my Virgen honor?
fer:
fury, keepe off me.
Hen:
What life? what honor meane you? Eleonora;
what is ye matter? who hath lost any thing?
El:
Thou impudent, as impious, I have lost.
Hen:
Doe you call me names?
El:
The solace of my life, for wc h—
H:
A fine new name for a mayden head.
El:
may all ye Curses of all iniurd weomen
fall on thy head.
H:
Would not ye Curses of all good ones serve?
so many might perhaps be borne; but pray
tell me what moves you thus? why stand you soe
aloofe my Lord? I doe not love to bee
vs'd like a stranger, welcome's all I looke for.
fer:
What boldnesse beyond madnesse gives him languadge?
nothing but hell bred stuffe: canst see my Daughter
& not be strooke wt h horror of thy shame
to th'[e]very heart? Is't not enough, thou Traytor,
to my poore Girles dishonor to abuse her,
but thou canst yet putt on a Divells visor
to face thy fact, & glory in her woe?
Hen:
I would I were acquainted wt h yor honours meaning all this while.
fer:
The forreine Enemy wc h came to ye Citty
& twice dancd on ye Sea before it, waving
flaggs of defyance & of fury to it,
51
so cruell as thou; for when they first were here,
now well nigh .40. yeares since, & marched through
the very heart of this place; trampled on
the bosomes of or stoutest soldiers,
the weomen yet were safe, Ladyes were free,
& yt by ye especiall com̄and
of the then noble Generall: And now being safe
from com̄on danger of or Enemyes,
thou Lyon-like hast broake in on a Lambe
& preyd vpon her.
Hen:
how have I preyed?
fer:
Dost thou delight to heare it named villaine? th'hast ravisht her.
Hen:
I am enough abusd, & now tis time
to speake a litle for my selfe, my Lord;
By all ye vowes, ye oathes & imprecations
that ere were made, studyed, or practised,
52
I doe not know, nor can, nor will confesse
any such thing, for all yor Circumventions,
Ile answer all by Law.
El:
Oh my Lord heare me; By all that's good—
Fer:
peace Eleonora, I have thought ye Course
if you dare Iustify ye Accusation;
you shall to Sherrys, & there before ye Iudges
plead yor owne cause.
Hen:
And there Ile answer it.
fer:
There if you prove ye Rape, he shalbe forcd
eyther to satisfy you by marriage
or else to loose his periurd head.
Hen:
I am content,
and instantly I will away to Sherrys,
there to appeale to ye high Court of Iustice;
Tis time, I thinke, such slanderous Accusations
assayling me; but there I shalbe righted.
Fer:
you shall not need to doubt it, come Eleonora.
Exit.
Hen:
What will become of me in this I know not,
I have a shreud guesse though of the worst.
would one have thought ye foolish Ape would putt
the finger in ye Eye, & tell it Daddy!
Tis a rare guift, mong many maides of these dayes,
if she speed well, she'le bring [you] [it] to a Custome;
make her example followd to ye spoyle
of much good sport: but I meane to looke to't.
now sir, your newes?
Ent: Buzzano.
B:
The most delicious rare absolute newes
that ere came out of france sir.
H:
what's done there? have they forsaken ye Divell
& all his fashions? banishd their Taylors & Tyrewomen?
B:
you had a father & a Brother there, & can you first
thinke vpon ye Divell & his Limetwiggs?
H:
Had Buzzano? had a father & a Brother there?
have I not so still, Buzzano?
Buz:
No sir, your Elder Brother is—
53
What? speake Buzzano, I Imagine dead.
B:
nay you shall give me something by yor leave
you shall pay ye poast, good newes for nothing?
H:
Here, here Buzzano; speake quickly, crowne me wt h
the felicity of a yonger Brother; is he dead man?
B:
No, he's come home very well sir; Doe you thinke
I goe on dead mens Errands?
H:
Pox on ye Buzzard, how he startled my bloud!
B:
But he is very weary, & very pensive sir; talkes not at all,
but calls for his Bed; pray God yor father be not dead! and desires
when you come in to have you his Bedfellow, for he hath private speech wt h ye.
H:
Well sir, you yt are so apt to take money for newes; beware how you
reflect one word, sillable, or thought concerning Eleonora: you know
what I meane?
Buz:
yes & meane what you know sir.
H:
what's that
B:
Ile keepe your Counsaile.
Hen:
thy life goes for't els.
Exeunt.
| Dick of Devonshire | |