University of Virginia Library

SCÆ. 1.

Enter Cæsar after a florish of trumpets with Drums, ensignes, soldiers, Barbarossa, Cardinall Caraffa Bentiuogli. Baglioni.
Cæsa.
Now that by cunning force and pollicie,
All the free states and citties of Romania
Subiected are vnto the Church of Rome.
And that our pikes and swordes in blood and slaughter,
Are staind and sheath'd quiet in our scaberds,
Our blood and wounds stanch'd and bound vp in scarfs,
Let vs for this could season of the yeare,
Rest vs and cheere our selues till the next spring.
And then march forward with alacrity.
Braue Barbarossa take these souldiers,
Vnto some quarter where by sound of drum,
According to their muster giue them pay,
Let them be satisfied and so dischargd.
Fellowes in armes faithfull and valiant,
I thanke you for your paines and honesties,
In token of our good heart to your seruice,
Wee giue each common soldier more then pay,
Two ducates: and all other officers.
According to their place redoubled,
With many thankes for your exceeding valor,
Assuring you that in these warres with vs,
Cæsar shall make you Captaines of your spoyles,
And so doth he commend you to your ease.

Sold.
A Cæsar a Cæsar God saue Cæsar.

Exit Barba.
Sound trumpets and a florish with drums marching with soldiers.
Cæsa.
Sirra come hether you must wayte on me.
My good Lord Cardinall and Bentiuoli,
Much thankes and deere acceptance of your loues,
I louingly returne for your great paines.

Caraff.
His Holinesse gaue vs in serious charge,
To giue you greeting and withall prepares
A sumpteous feast for that solemnity,
To which he doth inuite the Cardinalls
With other Lords your fauourers in Rome.

Cæs.
Humbly commend my duty to my father
Tell him this night I purpose to be with him,
Pointing at letters in his hand.
Tell him I liue in health and touching these,
I pray you certifie his Holinesse,
I will haue speciall care: and so my Lords
For a small season I will take my leaue.

Ben.
We do congratulate your safe returne.

Exit Caraffa & Bent. Casar looketh on his letters.
Cæs.
Come hither Baglioni speake sincerely,
Knowst thou Brandino Rotsi th'apothecary.

Bag.
What I my gratious Lord? know I my selfe?

Cæs.
How should I know that sir?

Ba.
May it please your highnes he serues his Holines.

Cæ.
He did indeed somtime and for his villanies,
Is worthily cast of; but tell me sirra:
Thou do'st remember how for breach of armes
When thou didst stab a certaine lance-prizado:
I pardon'd thee thy life.

Bag.
True my good Lord I very well remember,
He was a lowsie villaine, marry was he,
And if he liued yet such is my stomacke,
That were he chopt in mammockes I could eate him:
But for that honour in a souldiers word
Ile spend my life to do your highnesse seruice.

Cæs.
Hast thou thy peece then ready.

Bag.
Oh my good Lord lies fix, sound as a bell,
With all my warlike furniture beside
Good flask and touch-box, a Valentia blade
A slauish dagger, powder of Rhemes and bulletes
Here they beene.

Cæs.
Somtime this after-noone within the parke,
Next, to the Vattcan, Ratsie wilbe:
And as I know thee stout and resolute,
Bestow a bullet on him as he passeth;
Few words; if any man attach thee for it,
By my protection thou shalt be enlarged.

Bag.
And if I do not my good Lord damme me for it
I haue an old grudge at him cole black curre,
He shall haue two steele bullets strongly charg'd
Nay but heere me my Lord?
Ile tell you what,
By this true fox of steele
I had as good a spaniell for the water,
As euer hunted ducke: and this true villaine
Because my dog did eate vp a pannado
Within his house; what did that Spanish roague?
What did he thinke you my Lord?
Marry very faire and instantly
Poysond my Spaniell with Rosa-solis,
A pox on him micher, faith ile pay him his olde fippence for't now.

Cæs.
Take this to buy thee clothes my trusty seruant,
Nay tis gold be not affeard of it.

Bag.
Affeard my Lord
Were it a tempest in a showre of gold
I would indure it and adore you for't.

Cæs.
Then Baglion fit thee, to thy furniture,
Watch in a corner close beyond some tree:
And when the deed is done repaire to me:
Say that thy peece went off against thy will,
Keepe a light match in cock, weare flaske and touch-box:
And take a murren with thee so fare-well;
Thus must I diue deepe in a villaines nature,
And thus must saue a villaine from the gallows
To play my partes in others purposes.
The man whome I to benefit would choose,
I must in matters of more moment vse:
Or els I will not benefit a man,
And cut him of in sequell if I can.

Bag.
Here me, but my good Lord marke my words well,
If old Henrilico shrink in this seruice
Casseir him, call him whip-stock, let him perish,
For want of Spanish wines, and maluasie.

Cæs.
Then faile not my true seruant finely, closely.
Exit Cæs.

Bag.
No more, but by this crosse,
Why now this Noble Cæsars like himself,
Hath fitted me with seruice: if the world,
Had sought out som-what to content a man,
Nothing could better please old Ballion
Then to kill a raskall, coward, curre,
A Spanish squirt-vp, a black poysning toade.
I like this trading better then the warres
For there I serue for two ducates a month,
And not a duck egge richer when I march
And in continuall hazard of my life
For which percase my peece kills twenty persons:
Now shall I march in purse with many ducates,
For one houres seruice but to kill one man,
Free from all danger of mine enemy,
I will about it and take vp my stand.

Exit.
Enter Bernardo.
Bern.
Thus doth one hideous act succeed an other,
Vntill the mouth of mischeife be made vp:
Now must I traine my fellow to his death,
A deed of ruth and I did sweare the same,
Not only for the secrecy thereof.
But to conceale a matter of more weight,
Of greater moment and high cruelty:
When any deed of murther must be done,
To serue his Holinesse, call for Bernardo.
He must be principall or accessary
To serue all purposes; for gold or pardone,
The Pope giues both; and I can take them both:
Gold can make hard the softest conscience,
And mine is harden'd by the practise of it.
Holla Signeor Bandino.

He knocketh at a dore,
Enter Rotsie.
Rot.
Who calls without there? what my good fellow Bernardo?
Very welcome: what newes with you?

Ber.
My Lord hath sent me for the things he spake of.

Rot.
Here they be very strong and sufficiently compounded
According to directions from his Holinesse,
And speciall warrant vnder his priuy signet
I tried them on three men condemn'd to death:
For rapine and vile murther: but the first
Within lesse then one quarter of an houre,
Puft vp, grew leaprous and his heart strings broake;
Then did I giue allay the second time,
Enter Baglioni with his peece.
The second prizoner died within three houres
I did the third time mittigate, a little,
And saw when it was minister'd the third man,
Who did within eight houres swell, rage and die.

Ber,
Well haue you done your part, set downe your bottels,
And read this letter from the Duke Valentinoys,

He setteth downe his bottels and walking readeth to himselfe.
Bag.
Well sayd braue Pincoginger, by mine honour
Before I do this seruice lie there peece.
For I must haue a saying to those bottels,
He drinketh.

True stingo stingo by mine honour. Oh that mine old friend
and Boccadillio Frescobaldi We are heare aliue againe to taste of
this other bottle, Well I will venter vpon it, that I may drinke
one health To Frescobaldi, I will encounter with this stout Hectorean,
Greeke.

Were Meleager here that slew the boore.
Like a Boracchio armed all in sacke,
Or stoute Achilles in a pewter coate,
Or old Assaracus armed in a wicker Iyrkin,
Or Priamus armed with a leather Iacket,
Lin'd and imbost with Alligant and Hollock
By forch of armes and Mars his valiant hand,
I would encounter them whilst I could stand.
The slaues are buisie reading their paphlagonian papers,
I must haue a saying to you sir I must; though,
You be prouided for his Holmes owne mouth; I will be,
Bould to be the Popes taster by his leaue.
Now trusty Troylus, base los manos.

Rot.
Let him alone it is the Dukes pleasure,
That if he will taste he shall be suffered,
And therefore I was commanded to set them downe,
In presence of such a fellow whome for his sawcinesse,
I haue pepered.

Bern.

Oh tis a perilous villeine if you knew him so well as I,
beleeue me he would peper you for it if he vnderstood so much,
peace man he hath broken vp the bottle let him drinke.

Rotsi.

Nay let him drinke and burst, for beleeue me I was
enform'd before of such a fellowe; for whome I was commanded
to lay bate; oh notable villeine, how he sealeth death.

Brg.
This is a Noble nipster ifaith, so so.
He drinckth.
Backe againe to kennell slaue.

Rot.

He hath his full wages dout not Bernardo, to serue him
till he die, seeme not to respect him in any case doe I pray you.

Ber.

Nay but doe not you respect him, least he doubte you
suspect him.

Rot.

Oh doubt you not, doubt you not, I wil neuer looke, let vs

turne our talke. Tell his Holinesse tis well compounded and
composed of all those drugges mentioned in your letter, giue
the Duke right humble thankes for his token, and with all reuerence
kisse his excellent hand.

Bern.

And by this signet you are to deluiuer me the bottles.

Rot.

Haue a care of them and deliuer them.

Bernardo receaueth the bottles.
Ber.

Farewell fellow Rotsi.

Rot.

Adieu Bernardo.

Ber.

Now doe not I pitty this Spanish villaine because hee
consented to the poysoning of this soldier, but for that I am
innocent.

They goe forth two seuerall wayes and Rotsi is shot by Baglioni.
Bag.

What is the wild goose fallen? haue at you Sir, might a
poore soldier speake halfe a score woords to your venemous
worship and according to your accustomed surlinesse haue no
reply all: I beleeue you sir, your wordes are not offenciue in any
sort I must confesse. Now thou infectious slaue, thou compictious
Rascal, thou confectionary villeine: where is you sublimatum
now sir? where is your Ratsbanatum now? now where are your
poysoned pullets in stued-broth? where bee they? you neuer
drempt of a poysoned bullet, did you goe too? now Signor currigantino
will I romage in the worme eaten keele of your rotten
hulke: passion of my soule what papers are these. Foh powder,
powder foh, whats here I marry sir I like this well, are you so
pursie sir, this may serue to stop a gap in my neighbours hedg,
what is this you show me with a shame to you, yea and maister
of the small ordinance to, this Basilisk hath beene often mounted
where there hath beene hot and dangerous siruice in the Ile
of Iapan, hold passion of me my guts, out vpon thee thou hast
poysoned mee with thy stinking breath or with thy villonous
powders out alasse alasse what firie commotions I feele in
my bodie gryping fretting and suming, a plague on your

bottle ale with a vengeance, I am peppered there is no remedie
in all these extreame agonies! must draw this villeine further:
and throw him into a ditch, Deh veleno dell Diabolo, farewell
farewell my old Shurcordillio Frescobldi: farewell Madam
Sempronia, for in conscience I am guilty of mine owne death oh
the pangs of hell and purgatory; come you lowsie Raskall I
will bury thee with carryon in the next ditch.

He draweth in Rotsi by the heeles groning.