 | The Tragedy of Tancred and Gismund |  |
Scæna 3,
Tancred in hast commeth out of his pallace with Iulio.Tan.
VVhere is my daughter?
Iulio.
Behold, here, wofull king.
Tan.
Aime, break hart, & thou fly foorth my soul
What, doth my daughter Gis. take it so?
What hast thou done? oh let me see thine eyes,
Oh let me dresse vp those vntrimmed locks,
Looke vp, sweet child, look vp mine only ioy,
Tis I thy father that beseecheth thee:
Reare vp thy body, straine thy dying voice
To speake to him, sweet Gismund speake to me.
Gis.
Who staies my soul? who thus disquiets me?
Tan.
Tis I thy father, ah behold my teares
Like pearled deaw that trickle down my cheekes,
To wash my siluer haires.
Gis.
Oh father king
Forbeare your teares, your plaint wil not auaile.
Tan.
Oh my sweetheart, hast thou receau'd thy life
From me, and wilt thou to requite the same,
Yeeld me my death? yea death and greater greefe
To see thee die for him that did defame
Thine honor thus, my kingdome, and thy name.
Gis.
Yea therfore father gaue ye life to me,
That I should die, and now my date is done.
As for your kingdome, and mine own renowne,
Which you affirme dishonoured to be
That fault impute it where it is, for he
His hands haue brought this shame and griefe on vs
But father, yet if anie sparke remaine
Of your deare loue, if euer yet I could
So much deserue, or at your hands desire,
Grant that I may obtaine this last request,
Tanc.
Saie louely child, saie on, what ere it be,
Thy father grants it willingly to thee.
Gis.
My life I craue not, for it is not now
In you to giue, nor in my selfe to saue,
Nor craue I mercie for mine Earle and me,
Who hath bin slaine with too much crueltie.
With patience I must awhile abide
Within this life, which now will not be long.
But this is my request, Father I praie,
That since it pleased so your maiestie,
I should inioy my loue aliue no more,
Yet neretheles let vs not parted be,
Whom cruell death could neuer separate:
But as we liude and dide together here,
So let our bodies be together tombde,
Let him with me, and I with him be laid
Within one shrine, where euer you appoint,
This if you grant me, as I trust you will,
Although I liue not to requite this grace,
Th'immortall Gods due recompence shall giue
To you for this, and so vaine world farewel,
My speech is painefull, and mine eie-sight failes.
Tanc.
My daughter dies, see how the bitter pangs
Of tyrannous death, torments her princely heart,
She lookes on me, at me she shakes her head,
For me she grones, by me my daughter dies,
I, I, the author of this Tragedie.
Now dies my daughter, hence with princely roabes
Oh faire in life, thrice fairer in thy death,
Deare to thy father in thy life thou wert,
But in thy death, dearest vnto his heart,
I kisse thy paled cheekes, and close thine eies,
This duetie once I promist to my selfe,
Thou shouldst performe to me, but ah false hope
Now ruthful wretched king what resteth thee?
Wilt thou now liue wasted with miserie?
Wilt thou now liue with these eies didst see
Thy daughter dead? wilt thou now liue to see
Her funerals, that of thy life was stay?
Wilt thou now liue that wast her liues decay?
Shal not this hand reach to this heart the stroke
Mine armes are not so weake, nor are my limmes
So feebled with mine age, nor is my heart
So daunted with the dread of cowardice,
But I can wreake due vengeance on that head
That wrought the means these louers now be dead
Iulio come neare, and lay thine own right hand
Vpon my thigh, now take thine oath of me.
Iul.
I sweare to thee, my liege Lord, to discharge
What euer thou enioynest Iulio.
Tan.
First then I charge thee that my daughter haue
Her last request, thou shalt within one tombe
Interre her Earle and her: and thereupon
Engraue some Royall Epitaph of loue.
That done, I swear thee thou shalt take my corps
Which thou shalt find by that time done to death,
And lay my bodie by my daughters side.
Sweare this, sweare this I say.
Iul.
I sweare.
Tan.
A kingly deed the king resolues to doe.
Iul.
To kil himselfe.
Tan.
To send his soule to ease.
Iul.
Doth Ioue command it?
Tan.
Our stars cōpell it.
Iul.
The wiseman ouerrules his stars.
Tan.
So we
Iul.
Vndaunted should the minds of kings indure.
Tan.
So shal it in this resolution.
Iulio forbeare, and as thou louest the king,
When thou shalt see him weltring in his gore,
Stretching his limmes, and gasping in his grones
Then Iulio set to thy helping hand,
Redouble stroke on stroke, and driue the stab
Down deeper to his heart, to rid his soule.
Now stand aside, stir not a foote, least thou
Make vp the fourth to fill this Tragedie.
These eyes that first beheld my daughters shame,
These eyes that longed for the ruthful sight
Of her Earles heart, these eyes that now haue seene
His death, her woe, and her auenging teene:
Vpon these eyes we must be first auenged.
Vnworthy lamps of this accursed lump,
Out of your dwellings: so, it fits vs thus
In bloud and blindnes to goe seeke the path
That leadeth down to euerlasting night.
Why frighst thou dastard? be thou desperate,
One mischiefe brings another on his neck,
As mighty billowes tumble in the seas.
Now daughter, seest thou not how I amerce
My wrath that thus bereft thee of thy loue,
Vpon my head? now fathers learn by me,
Be wise, be warnde to vse more tenderly
The iewels of your ioyes. Daughter, I come.
| The Tragedy of Tancred and Gismund | |