 | The Cid |  |
SCENE II.
INFANTA. CIMENA. LEONORA. ELVIRA.INFANTA.
I come not here, Cimena, with faint comforts
To plead against thy griefe, but with sad sighs
To mingle with thy teares.
CIMENA.
Nay rather, Madame,
Share in the common joy, and fully taste
The happinesse, kind heaven has sent to you,
I only am design'd for grief; the dangers
From which y'are rescu'd by Roderigo's hand,
And all your safeties purchas'd by his armes.
To me alone bequeath these teares and sighs,
'Tis he has sav'd the Citty, serv'd his King,
And onely ruin'd me.
INFANTA.
'Tis true, Cimena,
He has done wonders.
Yes the unwelcome newes,
Has pierc'd my eares already, I can heare
How the voyce goes, and that hee's fam'd no lesse
A valiant Souldier, than a lucklesse lover.
INFANTA.
How comes this newes to be unwelcome to you?
Was not the man they prais'd your servant once?
And had not he your heart? in honouring him
They honour much your choise.
CIMENA.
I needs must say
His honours are but due, and yet to me
Each praise of him, is a new punishment,
For I can't chose but know how great my losse is,
Finding the value of the thing I lose
The more his merit, and my love increases,
The more my duty gets advantage of me,
And spight of my affection puts me on
To prosecute his crime.
INFANTA.
But will you, Madam,
Beleeve the counsell of a faithfull friend.
CIMENA.
Not to obey you were a sin unpardonable.
INFANTA.
Though yesterday pursuing your revenge,
You did so much that all the Court admir'd
Your height of spirit, and bewaild your love;
Yet the same way is not now to be taken.
Roderigo's now the onely hope and stay
Of all Castile. The terrour of the Mores.
His valour has restor'd us what before
It tooke away, in him your father seemes
To live againe, and in a word pursuing
His death, you goe about the publicke ruine,
To give your Country up to its Enemies?
And are we to be punish'd for his fault?
I say not this, that I would have you marry
The man y'are bound to prosecute. I'de rather
You should avoid that envy, and deprive
Him of your love, but not us of his life.
CIMENA.
Ah, Madam, give my spirit its full course,
Though my heart make a faction against me,
Though he be lov'd by the King, ador'd by th'people,
Though he be compass'd with the stoutest Souldiers,
Ile overwhelme his Laurell, with my Cipresse.
INFANTA.
I must confesse, it is a marke of spirit
To prosecute the life you lov'd so dearely,
Yet I should thinke, it were more noble far
To give up to the publick interest
The private ones of bloud. For credit me,
Cimena, 'tis enough, to leave to love him:
Banish him from your heart and he will find
A heavy punishment. Your Countries good
Requires this, besides you must not thinke
The King should grant you your request.
CIMENA.
He may.
Refuse me if he please, but I must speake.
INFANTA.
Consider well, Cimena, what it is
You goe about, and thinke of it at leasure.
| The Cid | |