University of Virginia Library

Act II.

Scene I.

King, Infanta; and Cimena.
KING.
It seems Cimena, you have no room left
In this hard heart of yours for him that loves you,
Must a King live and die in the same fetters?
Were I a private man you'd be ingratefull
To hate me, 'cause I love you, howsoever
You were too blame to use Don Sancho so.
Comming from me, and offering my service
He might deserve a kinder entertainment
Civility would require so much; and though
He had displeas'd you, courting you for me
Duty should have made good your want of love.

CIM.
I cannot tell, sir, what has raisd your anger,
Nor how Don Sancho has describ'd me to you:
But certainly, no vanity of mine
Did make me to forget my duty to you:
And my refusall of the soveraigne title
Shew'd my respect, and not my cruelty,
Don Sancho perhaps might be displeas'd,
But his discourse mov'd me to what I said,
Since he durst call to minde my fathers murder
(A wound still bleeding in my memory.)

K.
If thou hast yet a feeling of this grief
Both for thy honour, and content Cimena
Tis fit thou banish from thy kinder thoughts
The Author of it, nor does he now beare
The same affection to thee which he did;
When he left thee hee left his first intentions
And having chang'd his climate, chang'd his love,
Seriffas beauty is the mark he aymes at,
Who once thy enemy, is now thy rivall.
I'me sure he's much engag'd to this Jnfanta,
But if he were not, yet the services
My father had from all his Family
Designe for him the Infanta of Castile.

SCENE II.

Don Arias.
AR.
Sir.

K.
What wouldst thou?

AR.
Roderigo is without.

K.
Admit him then: now you shall see Cimena
This glorious Conquerour, I know hele come
Triumphantly, leading his Mistris with him,
You'l easily perceive in this encounter
Either his love or his ingratitude.
Make your best use then of this time, compare
Your Graces with your Rivals, and by them
Guesse what your fortune's like to be.

CI.
Oh Heavens!
With what eyes can I see this his approach?

SCENE III.

to them.
Roderigo, Seriffa; Spheranti, and Celimant.
RO.
Great King, then whom the Sun sees nothing happier,
(Joy of your subjects terror of your foes)
At length the warre respiring, gives me leave
To have the honour to kneele here before you,
But as unto the Deity, of which
You are the Image, none should dare to come
Without an offering, so nor could I
Hope to deserve the happinesse to see you
Without a present: Then be pleas'd, great sir,
T'accept from my hand what Heavens bounty gives you
This Crown, and these two Princes, so far happy
That they are falne your prisoners, under whom
To be commanded is to live with freedom:
This was the King of Corduba, and this
The heire apparent of Toledos Kingdome.

K.
Ile heare thy full relation, but before it
Let me embrace thee, and behold this forehead
Where Love and Mars do sit enthron'd, and make thee
Victorious in either of their wars.

RO.
Oh sir, how can I answer this discourse
To spare my modesty, sir, spare your favours
And share the honours, as y'have done the labours
Your souldiers as much as I procur'd
This victory, tis just they should receive
Part of the honour from your Majesty
Both for their valour and fidelity.

K.
Their merit can be easily satisfied
But for thy deeds there can be no rewards:
Sure thou wert born to make all men ungratefull,
Thy tongue's no lesse a conquerour then thine arme,
But for my sake spare thy sweet eloquence,
Else I shall be thy captive as are these
But now recite the fortune of thy armes;
No entertainment can be halfe so pleasant.

RO.
Sir (what soere it be) since you command it,
Tis fit that I obey: Your rebels slain
Or taken, and those Darers that oppos'd
The current of your fortune quite defeated
To make your name more glorious, I advanc'd
My Army towards Corduba, which even then
I had made sure of, if some timely succours
Had not prevented me. This noble Prince
Seeing it beleaguerd straitly; by his forces
Thought to relieve it, but that hope being vain
He like a wise Commander chang'd his purpose,
And meant to try no valour but his owne:
Then by a Herald sent he me a challenge
Which easily my spirit gave consent to
I named the place, where when we both were met,
Many fierce blows were dealt, and sure the heavens
Look'd pale to see the storms our anger made,
Shine more in our wilde looks than in their lightning
Whilst men durst do, that which they durst not see
Twas equally between us fought, untill
At length your fortune gave me th'advantage.

SPHE.
Here, sir, your modesty betrayes your valour,
I suffered by your strength not my mishap,
You may vaunt freely what I cann't deny.

RO.
This was the blow made Corduba to fall,
After this Princes yielding their great thoughts
Abated of their pride, and this fair Princesse
To whom I owe for her intelligence,
Made the Town yours almost without resistance.

CEL.
Tis true great King, this woman, Natures monster,
By her base treachery betray'd my state,
You have my goods, my scepter and my person;
But look, sir, who it is that gives them you,
See from what hand you do receive these presents,
The same put her brother in these fetters,
It is my sister, or some Devill rather,
That took that name upon her to betray me.

SER.
Leave to upbraid me thus, that name of sister
Has bin the greatest stain upon my life:
But you that stand so on the point of honour
Was I us'd as a sister by you, rather
Was I not treated as a slave? the name
Away, I felt the thing: pray sir, believe not
That out of any womanish impudence
I gave th'intelligence I am accused of;
But when I captiv'd him, I freed my self
From those more cruell chains, wherein his rage
Shut up my will and free election,
Designing me the object of my hate:
Which when I saw, and that this haughty Prince
Came from his country to my ravishment,
Arm'd not with fair deserts, but souldiers
I thought I justly might to his violence
Oppose my artifice, which was to render
Unto his enemies his place of refuge,
Which my designe I kept long in suspence,
Till this more noble object took my heart,
And made me perfect my intentions.

CIM.
I without doubt, his false heart does adore her.
Aside.
Can I then see my rivall, and yet I live?

K.
When the wit's nimble, and the courage ready,
A good successe still follows the designe,
The businesse that halts forward is half lost.

SER.
Sir, to neglect the execution,
My courage, and my love were too important,
I quickly was resolv'd, when love came in
To finish up the plot my hate begun,
This valiant Cid whose fame prevented him
In my good thoughts, was of my enemy
Become the object of my best desires;
His vertue conquered me, and had I not
Been overcome I had not been so happy:
For giving up my arms to such a conquest,
'Steed of my own losse I have got a prize,
The honour of all souldiers: Roderigo.

IN.
Alas, what canst thou hope poor Lady now.
Aside.
Canst thou doubt yet whether he be engag'd.

RO
Madam, you put a double tye upon me,
That having done me a courtesie so happy,
You adde to it, so much of kinde respect,
And believe, Madam, that occasion
Will make me blest, which points out my obedience,
What may I do to serve you, pray command me.

CIM.
What has she to desire, she has thy heart?

Aside.
SER.
Ah sir, you can do all, and Ide have all.

RO.
Madam, the King is here sole soveraigne,
He only can give all.

K.
Which thou mayst promise,
Such is thy merit as does challenge all,
Freely dispose of my authority,
And think I have done lesse then thou deserv'st.

SER.
So great a favour, sir, I not desire
The good I wish (great Cid) is in thy self,
Which is the object my desires ayme at,
And that sweet hope, which only makes me live.

RO.
I know not, Madam, upon what apparence
You have conceiv'd this hope, I'me sure Roderigo
Nere spoke to you about it.

CIM.
Oh, how finely!
Aside.
He carries it.

IN.
Tis prettily dissembled.

Aside
SER.
Have you then, sir, forgot your promises,
Is this the love, and are these the indearments
You promis'd to the action! perform'd.

RO.
Who gave you that false hope.

SER.
Your self.

RO.
Who I,
I doubt it much.

SER.
Oh Heavens, do you know
This Letter?

RO.
Yes.

SER.
Pray read it sir, and there
You shall perceive the reasons of my hope.

RO.
I know well what I owe, and what I promis'd,
You shall see Madam, I am not ungratefull.

SER.
Oh then excuse my anger, my disdain
Caus'd it, and not my will, I can be calme,
Having my fear abated by those comforts
You promis'd to my passion.

RO.
Your desires,
Madam, exceed my power, but from me
Expect all duty, and all courtesie
That you could hope for, from a Gentleman,
Or I know how to give.

SER.
How faithlesse man?
Do you fall back unto your first discourse?
Thou paper which betraydst my heart at first
Discover to his infamy thy secrets,
And shew his breach of faith.

RO.
Let it be read
Ile nere oppose it, and I sweare t'observe
What ever that enjoyns.

K.
The thing you offer
Seems reasonable, thou art just Roderigo
By it we shall perceive your interest.

RO.
Sir, if you please, I will be judg'd by it.

SER.
And so will I.

K.
Then I shall do you justice.

CIM.
Here must I stand with patience to heare
Aside.
The sentence of my punishment.

IN.
Aside.
Seriffa reads the Letter.

Madam,

If your brother have so little sence both of his own bloud and your beautie, that
he had rather please himselfe in your afflictions,
then his own duty, let mee entreat
you to make good that bravery of Spirit
which you mentioned to mee in your Letters;
which is to leave him to his crueltie,
letting him first know that you were sensible
of it, by the revenge you take. And
then enter into the Victors Campe, where
you shall make your owne conditions, and

finde an entertainment to your content
by

Your most humble servant,

RODERIGO.

RO.
What ist you can complain of Madam? who
Durst be so insolent to do you hurt?
Are you not heer in covert of that storm
Which your fierce brother mean should overtake you?
What could you hope more then this noble usage
Did you suppose your eyes could conquer me,
Alas, I am anothers; and when ere
I change that object, I must think my self
Led into blindnesse, and mistake of beauty.

SER.
Oh do not change, but end my misery,
Let my bloud quite deface this character,
As it looks black already with thy crime,
So let it blush to punish me for mine,
Why stay'st thou? satisfie thy hate in me,
Teare from my brest my love and heart together.

CEL.
How am I ravish'd with this sweet revenge,
What pleasure tis to see thee in this case
Where thy best hope is to sit down with nothing,
Now Lady you may triumph, though you weare not
These fetters, you're no lesse a slave then I.

SER.
What villain?

K.
Fie, Madam, calme your anger.
In the word of a King to both of you
I promise a fair treatment, I am one
That know to use a victory. Take you care
That in their severall lodgings they want nothing
That their state may require; how ere they be
My prisoners, I'le not bate their due respect
Go Roderigo home unto thy father,
I know he longs to see thee.

Exeunt omnes præter Cimena, Infanta, Roderigo.
RO.
I obay,
Pray, Madam, give me leave to do the duty
I owe unto Cimena.

CIM.
To me sir?
Pray spare the labour, for you owe me none.
Besides Seriffa, being vext already
Has too much reason to complain of you,
Though you commited not this last offence.

She makes a courtsie, and goes out.
RO.
What may the reason be she quits me so?
What crime have I committed? whats my fault?

IN.
I know not, but you see her cruelty,
And what a little makes her to fly off;
Perhaps y'are pleas'd well with your punishment,
Thou shouldst shew more of courage Roderigo
And let her see that he who comes home victor
Should receive better welcome; she is (me thinks)
Some what too full of vanity.

RO.
Ah, Madam,
I must not murmur though she be ungratefull,
She is Cimena, and I cannot hate her.

IN.
But this thy too much goodnesse will betray thee,
Thou mak'st thy constancie unhappy to thee.

RO.
Madam, you know where tis my duty calls me,
Pray give me leave to wait upon my father.

Exit.
IN.
Go, this was a pretext I know to leave mee,
But I shall be reveng'd of this neglect
When against all thy hopes of future joy
The rigor of Cimena I employ.

Exit.