University of Virginia Library

Act III.

Scene I.

Roderigo from Cimena's Lodging.
Ro.
Hence-forth Cimena live for euer quiet,
Roderigo shall no more be so unhappy
As to disturbe your peace, since you deny him
The sight of you he is content to suffer,
Not only want of that but all things else
You being all to him, that he desir'd:
Good heaven was there ever so much rigour
Practiz'd on any as on wretched me?
Did I hope any other recompence
Of all my services, my labours, watchings,
To bring home victory? but that she should
Crown um with her acceptance; and must I
(Courted by all else) be by her despis'd
Into whose arms I look'd to have bin receiv'd?
Nor is her anger more apparant then
The cause of it conceal'd, I am not worthy
To know the reason of my banishment.
Therefore farewell for ever cruell Mistris,
Ile seek some place unhabited by women,
Where I may never see such shining eyes,
As only light us to our miseries.

Exit.

SCENE II.

King, th'Infanta, Seriffa, Don Sancho, Don Diego.
K.
But, Madam, spare Roderigos innocence,
His vertues, and your worth are both too great
To suffer such a stain.

IN.
Think of it Madam,
And call not him a traitour, but your heart
Which entertain'd a love that was not sent
You were too credulous, not he perfidious,
What you desir'd you were willing to believe,
And knowing the command of your own beauty
With the advantage of your birth and fortune,
I cannot blame you if you thought that love
Which was but civill application:
But now you have found your errour, let your courage
Finde scorn for him that has not love for you.

SER.
How easily the whole Counsail the sick,
Aside.
And yet they have not hit my true disease.

K.
My sister Madam, tels you right, desires
That are not honorable ought to be short,
Your quality which your beauty only equals,
Invites a higher match then Roderigo.

SER.
A conquerour is next unto a King,
Since hees deny'd me, how can my hopes look higher?

K.
Don Sancho wait the Princesse to her lodgings,
And see that she command my Court as freely
As I my self.

SAN.
Your Graces humble creature.

Exit.
K.
Don Diego, is the Cid contented with
The offer which I make him of my sister?

D. DIE.
You are the King sir; he your humble vassall,
He could not be my sonne if disobedient
To you that are his master, and I finde
His inclination ready only feare
And modesty keeps in his strong desires.

K.
Tis not his feare but Mistris which restrains him,

D. DIE.
He will forget her sooner then his duty
Of which the Count can give you the best proof,
For though at that time he ador'd Cimena,
Yet ventur'd he to lose her for my sake
(His honour and his duty so commanding)
He can love well tis true, but obay better.

K.
I never doubled his obedience
Of which his excellent vertue does assure me:
Ide have (you sister) to accept the Courtship
Which he shall make to you, and if you aske
A reason why, know I will have it so;
Though fortune have not blest him with a Crown,
And though his greatnesse be within himself,
Yet there propitious heaven has shew'd its power,
Heaping its richest treasures on his person,
Hi heart is valours proper spheare, his soule
The throne of vertue where she sits and governs
Directing all his actions to honour;
These rare perfections must be the objects
Sister, of your desires.

IN.
Such a command
Makes my obedience ready to love vertue,
When you that are my King requires it of me
I not to give consent to hard conditions,
Tis your part to command, mine to obay.

K.
Tis well, it only rest now that Cimena
Comply with my desires I will no longer
Burn to so little purpose, my affection
Hastes to its end, there can be no content
T'approach a fire that will consume, not cherish,
I am resolv'd to have her, as for love
Which to the Cid she promis'd, I have power
T'absolve her of it; Princes render lawfull
What ever pleases them: respects become
The people, not a King: send for her sister
And tell her I would see her in your lodgings,
To treat of somthing that concerns her neerly,
Tis wearisome to live thus in desire,
This day enjoying her, Ile quench my fire.

Exit.

SCENE III.

Seriffa, Don Sancho.
D. SAN.
Beauty is loves object, Madam and twere hard
T'approach such flames and keep a frozen heart,
Dull souls have eyes lent 'em to see their way,
But men of courage to behold what's faire.
Pardon divinest Lady if my spirit
Made me to love where I should have ador'd
And though you do estrange me from your heart
Envy me not the glory of my sufferings.

SER.
Don Sancho cannot be so young a Courtier
To think that any Lady can despise
A noble love bounded with due respects,
We have no other witnesse of our beauty
And heaven defend that we should hate our lovers.

D. SAN.
Accept my vowes then, Madam, with the temper
Of one that seem'd to love; and let my service
Be entertain'd at least with faire acceptance.

SER.
How can I do that without injury
Either to you or my own modesty?
To cherish you in what you cannot have
Were to augment your punishment: to give
A heart which is not mine, in me were falshood,
And no lesse wrong to you should you receive it
Then to its proper owner.

D. SAN.
But he seems
(As one that does not know his happinesse)
To be insensible of what your goodnesse
Has offerd him: why should you cast away
That whereof Kings would be ambitious?

SER.
Ay me!

D. SAN.
That sigh the greatest Monarch scarce deserves
Much lesse, a subject, thrust him from your thoughts
And let some nobler love take up his room.

SER.
Take heed Don Sancho, you begin to forfeit
Your first pretentions, I must not think,
You can love one whom you believe to have
The easie power to dislodge a love
Which she had once receiv'd, but hence-forth know
My flame runs up into a point so small
As cannot be divided into parts.

D. SAN.
Not though there be division of your hearts
The Cid I shame to say't, neglects you Madam.

SER.
If he did not I were more miserable
This now seems strange to you, but when I shall
Relate that to you which in part concerns you,
As you are Favourite to the King your Master,
And one that should advise him to be just,
You will perceive, that what I utterd of
Love to the Cid was to secure my self.
But heres my brother, lets withdraw a little.

SCENE IV.

Spheranti, Celimant.
SPHE.
Is not this fight enough deare Celimant,
To choak that fire up within my brest
Which I too long have nourish'd to my ruine
For an ungratefull, and perfidious woman,
Was it too little to disdain a Prince,
And run into the hands of one she knew not
Unlesse having quitted him, for whom his worth
And valour pleaded she become the prey
Of a y that will-seize her, see Don Sancho
Has made her his already, and shall I
Love where I am so rivall'd, no my heart
If thou must be a captive, let thy fetters
Be such as need not shame the wearer.

CEL.
Friend,
Which name I rather chuse to call you by
Then brother, (since you cannot be her husband
With safety of your honour) could you think
That she can spare her modesty, whose falshood
Spar'd not her brother, and her Country too,
No sir, believe, she that is base her self
Cannot love vertue in an other person:
For how should she love that she never knew;
Heer then put out your flame, and think Spheranti
That this conformity of our lives and fortune
Which makes me share in all your passions
May link our hearts so fast we shall not need
Such an alliance to confirme the knot.

SP.
J know not friend whether J be more happy
In losing of my love, then in the finding
Th'assurance of thy friendship; now let fortune
Look well or ill upon me in thy love
Ile summe up all my blisse, nor can J think
Brave Celimant, will professe lesse to me.

CEL.
Which to confirme, no ceremonious oath
The band of doubtfull, and inconstant souls
Shall J now take; thee friendship, J invoke,
When J do leave this Prince, let me be left
Without a friend, J and without a name.

SP.
J know my father at this time endevours
My liberty, (if at least J can call
This thraldom, where J am so well receiv'd)
But I'me resolv'd to run your course of fortune,
My freedom joyn'd with yours is welcome to me
Else a worse torment then that bondage was
Your sisters rigour did impose.

CEL.
No more
Deare friend of her; come, come forget her name.

SP.
Since she could be so thanklesse to disdain,
The man that quit his liberty for her,
Which when the Cid did offer, I refus'd
To follow her, who follow all men else
And that her crime has merited my hate
I have shook off that chain; but finde my self
Caught in another which thou dost not know
Tis such as makes me feare my liberty
I cannot go from hence, and think I'me free.

CEL.
You are in love it seems.

SP.
Yes Celimant.
I am in love, and as much in despaire.

CEL.
Is there a beauty can oppose your Courtship,
What quality is higher then your own?
Why should you then despaire?

SP.
I but the horrour
Of being vanquish'd makes me think my self
Unworthy to look up to such a height.

CEL.
Consider that your fortune was to yield
His to orecome, yet did you long dispute it
And bravely too; what can you feare Spheranti?

SP.
To be too rash.

CEL.
To be too rash, let hope
Remove those thoughts, and you will not displease her,
A vertuous love was never odious.
But tell me sir, what name has this your Mistris,
Honour my freedome with this trust.

SP.
Th'Infanta,
Deere Celimant has snatcht my heart, and though
My eyes were caught in their first motion to her,
Yet durst I not discover it till now;
But such force has my flame, it will not be
Contain'd within the limits of my heart
But must break out to thee and suddainly
To her, which if displeasing is my death.

CEL.
Hope better sir, I am your caution
She shall receive the offer of your vowes.

SCENE V.

Enter Don Arias.
[CEL.]
But there's Don Arias.

D. ARI.
The King sir askes for you.

CEL.
Ile wait him sir.

Exeunt.
SP.
Tis strange he should be sent for and not I.

SCENE VI.

Enter Infanta.
IN.
What, all alone?

SP.
I Madam, Celimant,
Is sent for to the King.

IN.
Oh, I know why
His liberty is now in proposition,
And yours too shortly, if you desire it.

SP.
That Madam, is the least part of my care
J am so farre from wishing it, J feare it.

IN.
This is a Courtship sir, J understand not
Were not Toledo better than Sivill to you.

SP.
Madam, th'effect will make you see it is not.

IN.
Well, we shall hope to see it then; adiew.

SP.
My duty, Madam, will not give me leave
To let you go alone, do not deny me
The honour to wait on you.

SCENE VII.

Cimena. Page.
CIM.
What said Roderigo, boy? when he departed.

PAGE.
Nothing, but in his looks one might discover,
Amazement joyn'd with grief to be excluded.

CIM.
Excluded, whence? not from my heart I'me sure
There he makes good the place he ever had,
Were it a easie to remove him thence
As from my presence, J should feare no rivall,
Take your Lute boy, and sing the song J gave you,
It sutes my present state.

[PAGE.]
The Boy sings.

CIM.
Tis true I must still love him, the remembrance
That I was once Roderigo's only object,
Is that J cherish now.

SCENE VIII.

Don. Arias.
D. ARI.
Madam, the King
Stayes for you to come to him.

CIM.
The King! where?
Why would he speake with me?

D. ARI.
J cannot tell,
But he expects you on the Infantas side.

CIM.
Tell him I come, I know what he would have
But all his power shall not shake my firmenesse,
In vain he tryes to winne me by his greatnesse.
What is a throne to me that seek a grave?
Ime sure he has no power ore my will,
He that first took my heart shall keep it still.

Exeunt.