 | The Cid |  |
ACT. V.
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?
SCENE II.
INFANTA. LEONORA.INFANTA.
Is it to me you come now Leonora?
LEONORA.
Madame, I come to testifie the joy
I feele, to see your heart at rest.
INFANTA.
My heart?
Can rest come to a heart that's fill'd with griefes?
LEONORA.
If love doe live on hope, and dye with it,
Roderigo cannot trouble you any longer,
You know the Combat where he is ingag'd
By his Cimena, there he must or dye,
Or be her husband, but what ever happen,
Whether he live, or dye, your hope is dead.
INFANTA.
But how canst thou assure me it is dead,
If upon these conditions Roderigo
Doe entertaine the Combat, have not I
Inventions enough to breake it off?
Can teach the wits of lovers many slights.
LEONORA.
Hope you to breed a discontent between 'um,
Which a Fathers death cannot. Cimena shewes
By her conduct of this affaire, that hate
Causes not her pursuite, 'tis true sh' has got
The Combat graunted, but to take her part
Whom has she chosen, not an expert man,
Or one already famous for his actions.
Don Sancho serves her turne, who till this time
Did never put on armes; she loves in him
His small experience. This her suddaine choise
Must make you see, she sought for such a Combat
As might enforce her duty to be silent,
And yet assure Roderigo's conquest.
INFANTA.
I see it well enough, and yet my heart
Strives with Cimena's, who shal most adore him,
What had I best resolve on, Leonora?
LEONORA.
Madam, bethink your selfe of whom y'are borne,
A King, heav'n owes you, and you love a subject.
INFANTA.
No, no, my thoughts are off from their first object,
I love not Roderigo as a Gentleman,
Hee that I love now, is the Valiant CID,
The Maister of two Kings. And yet I meane
T'orecome my selfe, not for the feare of blame,
But that I won't disturbe so faire a flame,
And though they would now crown him, yet I should not
Resume the guift which I have giv'n another
Is certaine, let's goe give him to Cimena.
And thou that know'st how far my love has run,
Come, see me finish what I have begun.
SCENE III.
Cimena. Elvira.CIMENA.
What shall I doe Elvira? all my hopes
Are lost, and I have nothing left but feares,
I dare not give consent to my owne wishes,
I've caus'd two Rivals to take armes for me,
What ever happens. Sorrow is my lot;
For thinke the best, I can of fate obtaine,
My Father's unreveng'd or lover slaine.
ELVIRA.
From both sides you will find reason of comfort,
Either you have revenge or Roderigo
How ever destiny disposes of you
It saves your honour, and provides y'a husband.
CIMENA.
What? the object of my hate, or of my anger?
Roderigo's, or my Father's murderer,
From this or that, I must expect a husband
Dy'd in the bloud of him I held most deare,
I feare the issue worse than any death.
Thou hast not sweets I'me sure to make me amends,
And thou the powerfull mover of that fate
Which does me all this violence, determine
This Combat equally, without advantage,
That neither be the Victor, or the Vanquisht.
ELVIRA.
That were to handle you with too much cruelty,
If when the fight were done, you should be bound
A new to demand justice, and neare leave,
With rigour to pursue the man you love.
No, it were better that his unmatch'd valour
Should get him victory, and silence you,
And that the King, according to his law
Should force you to comply with your owne wishes.
CIMENA.
Doest thinke though he be Conquerour that I will
Yeeld my selfe his? my duty is too strong,
And my losse over great. He may o'recome
Don Sancho easily, but not so soone
The glory of Cimena. Though a Monarch
Have promis'd me unto his victory
Mine honour, (rather than I'le be his prize)
Shall raise him up a thousand enemies.
ELVIRA.
Take heed, lest heav'n for this strange pride of yours
Suffer you not to be reveng'd at all.
What? meane you to refuse this happinesse
That you may when you please sit down with honour?
What is't you would pretend? what can you hope?
Will your Lovers death restore your Father to you
Or is your Fathers death so small a mischiefe,
That you'd heape up losse on losse, griefe upon griefe.
Well, doe, continue in this stubborne humour.
You scarce deserve the man they 'ave destin'd for ye
And heaven being weary of its too much favour,
CIMENA.
The griefes Elvira, I sustaine already,
Need not thy fatall augury to augment 'um,
I would, if possible, avoid them both,
If not, Roderigo has my best of wishes.
Not that my love inclines me more to him,
But lest he fayling, I should be Don Sancho's.
The thought of that, makes me to wish him well.
What's this Elvira? See 'tis done already.
SCENE IV.
D. SANCHO. CIMENA. ELVIRA.D. SANCHO.
At your feet, Madame, I present this sword.
CIMENA.
What that yet reaking with Roderigo's bloud?
Traytor, how dar'st thou come into my sight,
When thou hast ravish'd from me, all I lov'd?
Shine now at full my love, thou need'st not feare,
My Father's satisfi'd. One onely blow,
Has to mine honour giv'n security,
To my soule despaire, to my love liberty.
D. SANCHO.
Heare me with better temper.
CIMENA.
Dar'st thou yet
Which I doe most adore. Goe, thou hast slaine him
Perfidiously, for otherwise that man
Could never fall by such a hand as thine.
ELVIRA.
But heare him, Madame.
CIMENA.
What wouldst thou have me heare?
Can I doubt, when my eyes are satisfied,
I have obtain'd the mischiefe which I sought for,
And my just suit has had too good successe,
Pardon deare love, its bloudy cruelty.
Thinke though a lover, yet I was a daughter.
If on thy bloud I have reveng'd my Father.
For thy revenge I will exhaust my owne,
My soule has nothing now, that should retaine it,
It shall goe after thine, to aske it pardon.
And thou that think'st t'obtaine me by his death,
Disloyall minister of my cruell fate,
Hope nothing at my hands. Thou hast done me
No service, onely hastned on my death.
D. SANCHO.
'Tis a strange passion will not give me hearing.
CIMENA.
What would'st thou have me heare thee, whilst with boasting
Thou painest out to me my owne fatall crime,
And his misfortunes, that thy cruell story
May kill me in thy sight. No, I can dye
Without thy help. My soule can find out death,
Instructed by no ayd but her owne mischiefes.
CIMENA.
Sir, I need not now dissemble any longer
What never art of mine could hide from you
I lov'd, you know, yet to revenge my Father
I would proscribe the head I held so deare,
By that your Majesty might easily see,
I meant my love should give place to my duty.
In fine Roderigoe's dead. His death has chang'd
Her, who was once his mortall enemy
To an afflicted lover. That revenge
I to my Father ought, and to my love
These teares which now I shed; Don Sancho has
In taking of my part quite ruin'd me,
And yet for doing so I'me made his prize.
Sir, if kind pitty ever mov'd a King,
Now of your grace revoke this cruell law,
Though he have slaine the man I lov'd so dearely,
I'le give him all I have for his reward,
So he will leave me to my selfe, and that
I may bewaile (the time I have to live)
My Father, and my Lover, in a Cloister.
D. DIEGO.
Now you perceive she loves, Sir, and not thinkes
'Tis such a crime t'avow her lawfull love.
KING.
Sweet heart mistake not, Roderigo lives.
D. SANCHO.
Sir, not by me, but by her too much heat
Shee was deceiv'd: For had she given me leave;
I should have told her, that her noble Lover,
When he disarm'd me, bade me banish feare,
For that (sai'd he) I'de rather leave the conquest
Uncertaine, than I'de spill a drop of bloud
That's ventur'd for Cimena, but since I
Am by my duty call'd to attend the King,
Goe you and entertaine her in my stead,
And at her feet offer your life and sword.
Which when I came to doe, the sword deceiv'd her,
With which seeing me returne, she thought that I
Had beene the Victor. Presently her anger
Betray'd her love, with such impatience
That I had not a minutes audience.
For my part though I am a vanquish'd man,
And though the interest of my love be great
Yet I repute my selfe in this my losse
To be a gainer, loving my distresse
Which brings so faire a flame, so good successe.
KING.
You must not be asham'd of such a love
Cimena, or seeke meanes to disavow it,
Your honour's disingag'd, your duty quitted,
Your Father satisfied; what would you more?
Must you still put Roderigo in new danger,
You see heaven otherwise disposes of him.
And since that it has done so much for him,
Doe you too something for your selfe, and take
Him for your husband that I offer you,
And whom I know you love.
INFANTA.
Come Cimena,
Drye thy eyes: And receive with a glad heart
This noble Conquerour, from thy Princesse's hand.
RODERIGO.
Great Sir, be not offended if before you,
The duty which I owe to love, doe cast me
Here at her feet. I come not to demand
The prize which I have won, but once more yet
To offer you my life. My love shall not
Or plead the combats law, or the Kings will,
If all that's done cannot appease your anger,
Tell me what meanes is left to satisfie.
Must I encounter yet a thousand Rivals,
Travaile from one end of the Earth to th'other
Or force a Camp my selfe, or rout an Army,
If at length I may expiate my crime,
I shall attempt all this: But if your honour
Be still inexorable, and nothing can
I cast it at your feet. Take it your selfe,
And arme no other hand for your revenge,
Since none but yours can do't. Yet let my death
Be all my punishment, and let me not
Be banish'd from your memory, but say
If any time you call to mind my paine
Had he not lov'd me, he had not been slaine,
CIMENA.
Rise Roderigo. Sir, I must needs say
My love has shew'd it selfe too much, for me
Now to deny it. Roderigo has
Such vertues, as I know not how to hate.
And you're my King. I cannot but obey you,
But is there here any appearance of
A Marriage, if it be, it is a sad one,
That one day should begin, and end my mourning,
That having lay'd my Father in his grave,
I should lay Roderigo in my bed:
That were to hold intelligence with's murtherer,
And soyle my honour with eternall shame.
KING.
Time often makes that lawfull, which at present
Seemes not to be so. Roderigo, has won thee,
And his thou must be. But though his valour
Have made you his, yet I should doe you wrong
So soone to give him the reward he fought for.
Take if you will a yeare, to end your mourning.
In the meane time Roderigo shall take armes,
And having under his command my Army,
Shall carry back the War unto the Moores
Which they brought hither, that they all may tremble
At this brave name of CID, which they have given thee
They've call'd thee Lord already, and they would
Make thee their King. But let not (Roderigo)
Returne, if possible, more worthy of her,
And let thy deeds set such a price upon thee,
That she may court thy Marriage as an honour.
RODERIGO.
For my Cimena, Sir, and for your service,
What can you bid me doe I won't accomplish?
And though I hardly can endure her absence,
Yet are the hopes you give sufficient happinesse.
KING.
Rely upon thy valour and my promise,
And now thou hast thy Mistresse heart already,
This point of honour (which is the last thing)
Let time o're come, thy valour, and thy King.
FINIS.
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