 | The Cid |  |
SCENE I.
D. RODERIGO. CIMENA.CIMENA.
What Roderigo, in the open day!
Whence comes this boldnesse? doe you meane t'undoe
Mee, and mine honour? Fy, retire your selfe.
RODERIGO.
Madame, I goe to dye, and therefore come
Before my death, to take my last farewell,
My love does owe you this: and my thrall'd heart
Dares not depart your Kingdome without leave.
CIMENA.
You goe to dye?
RODERIGO.
Nay, more, I run; as soone
As I have tane my leave, the Count's reveng'd.
CIMENA.
You goe to dye! And is Don Sancho then
A man so terrible, that you need feare him?
Who has made you so weake? or him so valiant?
Roderigo goes to fight, and thinkes himselfe
Already dead. He that nor fear'd the Moores,
Don Sancho, trembles at it. Does your spirit
Fayle you at greatest need?
RODERIGO.
'Tis not to the Combat
That I goe now, but to my punishment.
For when you seeke my death, my love cannot
Defend a life against you. My heart is still
The same, but not my arme, when it should guard
That which displeases you. This night already
Had beene my last, if for my private quarrell
The fight had beene: But since 'twas for the King,
His People, and my Countrye, had I left
My selfe defencelesse, I'de betray'd them all:
I must confesse, I did not hate my life
So much as with false treachery to part from't.
Now, since no interest but mine owne is in it,
And you demaund my death, I accept your sentence,
For which y'have made choise of another hand.
(It seemes I not deserv'd to dye by yours)
I shall not goe to exchange, blow, for blow,
I owe him more respect that fights for you
And since it is your honour which hee fights for,
I'le open him my brest, in his, adoring
Your hand, from which I'le welcome my destruction.
CIMENA.
If the just violence of a fatall duty,
Which makes me to pursue thee 'gainst my will,
Prescribe unto thy love so hard a law,
That thou wilt not defend thy selfe 'gainst him
That fights for me. Take head least thou forget
That both thy life, and glory fall together,
And howsoever Roderigo has liv'd
Being slaine, he will be thought a vanquisht man.
When in my Fathers bloud you imbru'd your hands,
It made you then in spight of your affection
Renounce the hope of ere injoying me;
But now you value it so little that
You care not who it is that conquers you.
See how unseasonable your vertue is,
Why were you valiant once & are not now?
Were you so onely to doe me an outrage?
Or will you be so cruell to my father,
That having conquer'd him, you will submit
Your selfe to any hand. No Roderigo
Defend thy honor, though thou slight thy life.
RODERIGO.
Mine honor cannot need any defence
More than it has already. He that could
Defeat the Moores, and kill the Count of Gormas,
Has not an enemy besides to feare.
No, no, Roderigo know's what ere you thinke,
How in this fight to die and save his honour,
That none shall dare to thinke he wanted courage,
Onely they'le say he did adore Cimena.
He would not live, having deserv'd her hate,
How he gave way unto the cruell fate
which forc'd his Mistresse to pursue his death.
Shee ask for is head, and his great heart conceiv'd
He should commit a crime, if he deny'd it.
T'acquit his honour he renounc'd his love,
T'acquit his Mistresse he renounc'd his life.
Thus shall you see my glory in this Combat
Shine more than ere it did. My willing death
Shall have this honour, that no Man but I
Could for the wrong done to you satisfy.
Since nor thy love, nor honour can prevaile
To hold thee from thy ruine, deare Roderigo,
If ere I lov'd thee, I conjure thee now
To doe thy best, if for no other end
To free me from Don Sancho, let me not
Be given up to th'object of my loathing.
What shall I say more? goe defend thy selfe,
And if thy love be not congeal'd to ice,
Be Victor where Cimena is the price,
Adieu! this last word makes me blush for shame.
RODERIGO.
Is there an Enemy now, that I can feare?
Moores, and Castilians, or what ere you be,
Whom Aragon, or Spaine thinkes valiant,
Appeare, and make one army of your selves,
My soule encouraged thus shall throw me on you.
For so sweet hopes, what is't I dare not meet with?
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