University of Virginia Library

Scæna prima.

Enter Lamorall and Lucio.
Lam.
Can it be possible, that in fix short houres
The subject still the same, so many habits
Should be remov'd? or this new Lucio, be
That yesternight was baffeld and disgrac'd,
And thankt the man that did it, that then kneeld
And blubberd like a woman, should now dare
One terme of honour seeke reparation
For what he then appear'd not capable of?

Luc.
Such miracles, men that dare doe injuries
Live to their shames to see, and for punishment
And scourge to their proud follies.

Lam.
Prethee leave me:
Had I my Page, or foot-man here to flesh thee,
I durst the better heare thee.

Luc.
This scorn needs not:
And offer such no more.

Lam.
Why say I should,
You'l not be angry?

Luc.
Indeed I think I shal,
Would you vouchsafe to shew your selfe a Captaine,
And lead a little further, to some place
That's lesse frequented.

Lam.
He looks pale.

Luc.
If not,
Make use of this.

Lam.
There's anger in his eyes too:
His gesture, voyce, and behaviour, all new fashion'd;
Wel, if it does endure in act the triall
Of what in show it promises to make good,
Ulysses Cyclops, Io's transformation,
Eurydice fetcht from Hell, with all the rest
Of Ovids Fables, ile put in your Creed;
And for proofe, all incredible things may be
Writ down that Lucio, the coward Lucio,
The womanish Lucio fought.

Luc.
and Lamorall,
The stil imployd great duellist Lamorall
Took his life from him.

Lam.
Twill not come to that sure:
Methinks the onely drawing of my Sword
Should fright that confidence.

Luc.
It confirmes it rather.
To make which good, know you stand now oppos'd
By one that is your Rivall, one that wishes
Your name and title greater, to raise his;
The wrong you did, lesse pardonable then it is,
But your strength to defend it, more then ever
It was when justice friended it. The Lady
For whom we now contend, Genevora
Of more desert, (if such incomparable beauty
Could suffer an addition) your love
To Don Vitelli multipli'd, and your hate
A against my father and his house increas'd;
And lastly, that the Glove which you there wear,
To my dishonour, (which I must force from you)
Were deerer to you then your life.

Lam.
You'l finde
It is, and so ile guard it:

Luc.
All these meet then
With the black infamy, to be foyld by one
That's not allowd a man: to help your valour,
That falling by your hand, I may, or die,
Or win in this one single opposition
My Mistris, and such honour as I may
Inrich my fathers Armes with.

Lam.
Tis said Nobly;
My life with them are at the stake.

Luc.
At all then.

Fight.
Lam.
She's yours: this, and my life, to follow your fortune;
And give not onely back that part the looser
Scorns to accept of—

Luc.
What's that?

Lam.
My poor life,
Which do not leave me as a further torment,
Having dispoild me of my Sword, mine honour,
Hope of my Ladies grace, fame, and all else
That made it worth the keeping.

Luc.
I take back
No more from you, then what you forc'd from me;
And with a worser title: yet think not
That Ile dispute this, as made insolent
By my successe, but as one equall with you,
If so you wil accept me; that new courage,
Or call it fortune if you please, that is
Confer'd upon me by the only sight
Of fair Genevora, was not bestow'd on me
To bloody purposes: nor did her command
Deprive me of the happinesse to see her
But till I did redeem her favour from you;
Which onely I rejoyce in, and share with you
In all you suffer else.

Lam.
This curtesie
Wounds deeper then your Sword can, or mine owne;
Pray you make use of either, and dispatch me.

Luc.
The barbarous Turke is satisfied with spoile;
And shall I, being possest of what I came for,
Prove the more Infidell?

Lam.
You were better be so,
Then publish my disgrace, as tis the custome,
And which I must expect.

Luc.
Judge better on me:
I have no tongue to trumpet mine owne praise
To your dishonour: tis a bastard courage
That seekes a name out that way, no true born one;
Pray you be comforted, for by all goodnesse
But to her vertuous selfe, the best part of it,
I never wil discover on what termes
I came by these: which yet I take not from you,
But leave you in exchange of them, mine own,
With the desire of being a friend; which if
You will not grant me but on further triall
Of manhood in me, seeke me when you please,
(And though I might refuse it with mine honour)
Win them again, and weare them: so good morrow.

Exit.
Lam.
I nere knew what true valour was till now;
And have gain'd more by this disgrace, then all
The honours I have won: they made me proud,
Presumptuous of my fortune; a meere beast,
Fashion'd by them, onely to dare and doe:
Yeelding no reasons for my wilfull actions
But what I stuck on my Swords point, presuming
It was the best Revenew. How unequall
Wrongs wel maintain'd makes us to others, which
Ending with shame teach us to know our selves,
I wil think more on't.

Enter Uitelli.
Vit.
Lamorall.

Lam.
My Lord?

Vit.
I came to seeke you.

Lam.
And unwillingly;
You nere found me till now: your pleasure sir?

Vit.
That which wil please thee friend: thy vowd love to me
Shall now be put in action: means is offer'd
To use thy good Sword for me; that which still
Thou wearst, as if it were a part of thee.
Where is it?

Lam.
Tis changd for one more fortunate:
Pray you enquire not how.

Vit.
Why, I nere thought
That there was musick int, but ascribe
The fortune of it to the arme.

Lam.
Which is grown weaker too. I am not (in a word)
Worthy your friendship: I am one new vanquish'd,
Yet shame to tell by whom.

Vit.
But Ile tell thee
'Gainst whom thou art to fight, and there redeeme
Thy honour lost, if there be any such:
The King, by my long suit, at length is pleas'd
That Alvarez and my self, with eithers Second,
Shall end the difference between our houses,
Which he accepts of I make choice of thee;
And where you speak of a disgrace, the means
To blot it out, by such a publique triall
Of thy approved valour, wil revive
Thy ancient courage. If you imbrace it, doe;
If not, Ile seeke some other.

Lam.
As I am
You may command me.

Vit.
Spoke like that true friend
That loves not onely for his private end.

Exeunt.