 | The Fatal Marriage |  |
Sc. xix
Enter Martiall wt h ye sword before ye prince, Laura, Isabella, Iaspero, woodman, & Clowne:.Ma:
the exile of my sonne moues not like this
of Iaspero my sonne, this is a ffatall day
more ominous then the romaine Allia.
pr:
why courage Martiall art thou more afraid
to strike, then wee to dy, tut deathe's a sport
94
lau:
but for my faithfull Indian that hee must dy
I would meet death wt h alacrity and laughter
Ia:
oh royall mr s these teares are not my owne
or if they bee yor speeches drawe 'em from mee
Cl:
ist possible a man may see heauen through
a halter, the duke has vow'd to take away my
head but Ile be hang'd before Ile endure it
Ma:
wee stay but the dukes prsence who hath vowd
him selfe to see the execution done
and here hee comes, haue pitty on their youthes
as of yor age, the hopes yt you haue stor'd vp in the
prince, and the gladd issue may proceed from her
du:
all these are motiues of noe Consequence
and might wt h some prevaile but or abuse
makes vs still constant in or vowd revenge
pr:
I cannot call you ffather but sovereigne
and not as sonne but subiect I entreat
pitty this harmeles maid
Isa:
my lord hee's noe subiect but a sonne
o doe not doe yor people soe much wrong
to quench those hopes wc h they haue stor'd in him
lau:
as hee for her o let mee plead for him
this honest faith full Moore
Ias:
take mee then that prodigious Monster hence
and spare yor owne in her.
95
wee are inexorable
woo:
dread sir my inocence may suffice
to race out my daughters errour
Cl:
sheere euery one speakes for them selues but
nere a word for mee, but if these cannot prevaile
you and I may hold down or heades and say nothing
du:
shall wee straungers spare
and doome our owne to death, Martiall the houre
Ma
tis nine my souereigne
du:
then on thy life
vnles thou meane to breath thy latest breath
all sauing one see headles before tenn
Exit
Ma
all saving one thates worse then all the rest
what one amongst you will behead the rest
that one shall liue ranger wilt thou
woo:
bee a headsman I was better bredd
that office first shalbe imposd on thee
then on my selfe how ere thou censurst mee
Ma
sirra wilt thou
Cl:
whoe I, I think it were the best way to saue
my owne stake, by that meanes I shall saue
my owne life
Ma:
vpon my honor thou shalt
Cl:
giue mee the sword, their liues are indebted to the
96
presently, where shall I beginn
pr
wt h mee
Isa:
and I the offendor
lau:
strike here first
Ias:
and I surviue to see't
Clo
nay my mr s doe not quarrell about it, there's
time enogh for you all. Ile beginn wt h the best
bitt first, and as I like that conclude wt h the rest
ha whose this, my lord and Mr the young prince, kll him
dee heare Martiall if twere but a dog that belong«e»
to my Mr he shall not dy by my hand
Ma:
villeine dispatch the hower drawes on
Clo:
let it drawe, mr s Isabell hold downe yor head and
let mee see yor white neck, whose this mr s Isabell
shee whom my mr loues, I haue noe mawe to that neither
Ma:
villeine dispatch I say
Clo:
not too much hast to hang true ffolkes, now forsooth
to you—whose this mr s laura the dukes daughter
my Mr s sister, o villeine, thou hadst better kill
thy grand father, thy grand mother and all thy
generation then offer't, sirra for you I'se see
whether yor blood be as black as yor fface, yet
hee's one whom my mr s laura loues, troth I will
not kill him for I thinke I know,
Ma:
well if noe man elce will to the block Ile to't
97
Enter duke
du:
the ffatall hower hath strooke his minnutes out
and they extinct their glasses [run] are quite runne
I am noe more a ffather that name's lost
then wherefore should I longer breath a prince
Ma:
my gracious lord
du:
I am noe lord vnles a tyrant
that feedes vpon the entralles of his owne
nay worse, a turke an infidell
Clo:
hee thinkes wee are all dead
du:
what said my sonne did hee not raile and raue
and call mee tyrant, what said laura too
when the relentles stroake first touch'd her skinn
did shee not call mee tyrant and vnnaturall
a monster amongst men
Ma
there's noe such thing my lord they all still liue
Clo:
yes wee are all aliue
Ma:
my lord yee sentenc'd all but one
but who that one was you would haue prseru'd
you left it still in doubt
du:
then let vs take or state,
98
and wt h our owne eies see or will performd
sirra hand that sword
Clo:
I haue giuen ouer the office sir
du.
hand it slaue laura kneele since yor contempt is greatest
yor punishmt shall to the rest be most remarkeable
sirra strike of her head
lau:
doe, Life's not worth the begging
at that rate I set it
Clo:
why then haue at it
Ias:
oh
Ma
the Indian's sounded
du:
helpe to recouer him to perish by the law
for such his sentence was
Ma:
a counterfeit my lord
his handes are white, his neck and breast lik ours
the tawny that soild ouer his fface comes of
youle find him an impostor
y'are deceiu'd
Ias:
I loue too truely to deserue that name
Iaspero was neuer such
om:
ha how haspero
Clo:
yes yor sonn here cutt of his head
Ma:
my lord it wonders mee and for my part I know
not what to say to't
du
since neither watches guardes, nor prissons strong
can keepe you two devided, ffeare of our wrath
doome of or rage nor aw of or com̄aund
since nothing can separate yor heartes
attend yor doome since nothing can devide you
long liue, still loue, and may the blest heauens guide you
99
yor highnes is still royall
Ma:
saies yor grace soe then here my Comission
endes, and since the duke soe wills
sitt feareles, loue, embrace, and kisse yor ffills
du:
now lodwick to you I come, I doe intreat you
by ffilliall duty and paternall loue
care of yor honor and the dukedomes weale
nay further then intreat, I beg of thee
to chaunge thy affection
pr.
I'm fixt and constant
du
doe you resolue the like
Isa:
not to be chaung'd
du:
hold forth yor handes, since you dare conspire
against or honour, yee shall tast or ire
nay constantly.
both
strike
du
good luck I will
but not where loue soe constant is to kill
inioy her, and raunger, this is noe small grace to you
being soe meane a subiect to be stil'd
brother to yor prince
woo
yor Clemency
and grace beyond dimension makes me now
publish what I haue labord to conceale
then know I am noe subiect but of parma
& that fferdinando wc h once ow'd pl«azen»za
100
made parma iealous of my loyalty
faine was I then to fly and liue conceald
because in many of or ffrontiere townes
soe many stones and pillers yet remaine
of my knowne vallour
du:
thrice noble fferdinand
noe subiect but a ffrend and brother now
now are yee not dishonor'd but preferr'd
in Isabella being nobly borne
Enter, bearing galeas, & lucrece, leonara & Iouanny following
what meanes this
pr:
ha noble galeas the sinew of the state
good madam leonara but relate
the manner of his death
Mo
griefe makes mee tonguetide I cannot relate
the manner of his death, that paper shewes my thoug«ht»
[that paper]
lau:
to you belong'd this bewtious bride
Iou:
I was her haples ffather
but by this liueles image of a man
disasterousely made childles
du:
wretched parentes
in this most equally vnfortunate
for galeas wee could weepe and mourne for her
but nowe's a time of nuptiall Iubile
wc h to this time wee meane to consecrate
thou hast lost a daughter
Iou
royall sir I haue
du
and thou a sonn
101
to this sadd spectacle my teares are wittnes
du
thou laist noe blame on him
Mo
las noe my liege
du:
nor thou on her
Iou.
las I cannot my liege
du
will yee by vs be sentenc'd
both:
tis that wee craue
du.
thou hast lost a man for him this man receiue
nay be not coy, a woman thou hast lost
for her this woman take 'yare man and wife
Ma:
an oracle could not haue iudg'd it better
Mo:
since it must bee I'm plea'sd
Iou:
and I content
du
these matches weele see perform'd incontinent
yor s bewtious Isabella wt h the prince
and Iaspero yor s wt h laura, but first theis ffuneralls
weele see performd wt h all solemnity, that done
weele proclaime a truce and thinke it good
to end in mirth what was begunn in blood.
ffinis
| The Fatal Marriage | |