And I must likewise talk with that young lady, An hour in private.

Lam. What you must, is doubtful;

But I am certain, sir, I must beat you.
Lucio. Help, help!

Ale. Not strike again?

Lam. How! Alvarez?

Ana. This for my lord Vitelli's love!
Peck. Break out;

[side,

And, like true thieves, make prey on either

But seem to help the stronger 31.

Bab. Oh, my lord!

They've beat him on his knees.

Lucio. Tho' I want courage,

I yet have a son's duty in me, and

Compassion of a father's danger; that,

That wholly now possesses me.
Ale. Lucio,

This is beyond my hope.

Met. So! Lazarillo,

Take up all, boy! Well done!

Pach. And now steal off

Closely and cunningly.

Ana. How! have I found you?

Why, gentlemen, are you mad, to make

A prey to rogues?

Lam. 'Would we were off!
Bob. Thieves, thieves!

[yourselves

[with them.

Lam. Defer our own contention, and down Lucio. I'll make you sure!

Bob. Now he plays the devil.

Gen. This place is not for me. Lucio. I'll follow her:

[Exit.

Half of my penance is past o'er.

[Exit.

Enter Alguazier, Assistant, & other Watches.

Pach. I'm glad he's come yet.
Alv. Oh, you keep good guard

Upon the city, when men of our rank
Are set upon in the streets.

Lam. The Assistant

Shall hear on't, be assur’d.

Ana. And if he be

That careful governor he is reported,

You will smart for it.

Alg. Patience, good signors!

31 But seem to help the stranger.]

Pach. But suppose

The governor should know it?

Alg. He? Good gentleman,

Let him perplex himself with prying into
The measures in the market, and th' abuses
The day stands guilty of: the pillage of
The night is only mine, mine own fee-simple,
Which you shall hold from me, tenants at will,
And pay no rent for't.

Pach. Admirable landlord! [commit such
Alg. Now we'll go search the taverns,
As we find drinking, and be drunk ourselves
With what we take from them. These silly
wretches,
[hither,
Whom I for form-sake only have brought
Shall watch without, and guard us.

Assist. And we will

What would more strict embraces do? I know not:

And yet, methinks, to die so were to ascend To Heav'n, thro' Paradise.

Gen. I'm wounded too;

Tho' modesty forbids that I should speak What ignorance makes him bold in.-Why Your eyes so strongly on me? [d'you fix [on:

Lucio. Pray you stand still! There's nothing else that's worth the looking I could adore you, lady.

Gen. Can you love me?

[but touch Lucio. To wait on you in your chamber, and What you, by wearing it, have made divine, Were such a happiness-I am resolv'd, I'll sell my liberty to you for this glove, And write myself your slave.

Enter Lamoral.

Gen. On easier terms

Receive it, as a friend.

Iam. How giving favour?—

I'll have it, with his heart.

Gen. What will you do?

[rather!

32?

Lucio. As you are merciful, take my life Gen. Will you depart with it so Lucio. Does that grieve you? [valiant. Gen. I know not; but ev'n now you appear'd Lucio. 'Twas to preserve my father; in I could be so again. [his cause

Gen. Not in your own? Kneel to thy rival, and thine enemy? Away, unworthy creature! I begin To hate myself, for giving entrance to A good opinion of thee. For thy torment, If my poor beauty be of any power, Mayst thou dote on it desp'rately! but never Presume to hope for grace, till thou reco And wear the favour that was ravish'd from thee.

recover

Lam. He wears my head too then. [Exit. Gen. Poor fool, farewell! [Exit. Lucio. My womanish soul, which hitherto -hath govern'd

This coward flesh, I feel departing from me; And in me by her beauty is inspir'd

thunder

A new and masc'line one, instructing me What's fit to do or suffer. Powerful Love! That hast with loud, and yet a pleasing [creature, Rous'd sleeping manhood in me, thy new Perfect thy work; so that I may make known Nature (tho' long kept back) will have her own!

[Exit.

ACT

The subject still the same, so many habits
Should be remov'd? or this new Lucio (he
That yesternight was baffled and disgrac'd,
And thank'd the man that did it; that then
.kneel'd

And blubber'd like a woman) should now dare
On terms of honour to seek reparation,
For what he then appear'd not capable of?
Lucio. Such miracles, men that dare do
injuries

Live to their shames to see, for punishment
And scourge to their proud follies.

Lam. Prithee leave me:

Had I my page or footinan here to flesh thee, I durst the better hear thee.

Lucio. This scorn needs not:

And offer such no more!

Lam. Why, say I should,

You'll not be angry?

Lucio. Indeed, I think I shall !

[tain,

Would you vouchsafe to shew yourself a cap

And lead a little further, to some place
That's less frequented-

Lam. He looks pale.

Lucio. If not,

Make use of this.

Lam. There's anger in his eyes too:
His gesture, voice, behaviour,all new fashion'd,
Well, if it does endure in act the trial

Of what in show it promises to make good,
Ulysses' Cyclops, Io's transformation,
Eurydice fetch'd from hell, with all the rest
Of Ovid's fables, I'll put in my creed;
And, for proof all incredible things may be,
Write down that Lucio, the coward Lucio,
The womanish Lucio, fought.

Lucio. And Lamoral,

The still employ'd great duellist Lamoral,
Took his life from him.

Lam. Twill not come to that sure!
Methinks the only drawing of my sword
Should fright that confidence.

Lucio. It confirms it rather:

To make which good, know you stand now oppos'd

By one that is your rival; one that wishes
Your name and title greater, to raise his;
The wrong you did less pardonable than it is,
But your strength to defend it more than ever
It was when justice friended it; the lady
For whom we now contend, Genevora,
Of more desert, (if such incomparable beauty
Could suffer an addition); your love
To don Vitelli multiplied, and your hate
Against my father and his house encreas'd;
VOL. III.

And lastly, that the glove which you there (you)

wear,

To my dishonour! (which I must force from Were dearer to you than your life.

Lam. You'll find

It is, and so I'll guard it.

Lucio. All these meet then,

With the black infamy to be foil'd by one
That's not allow'd a man, to help your valour;
That, falling by your hand, I may or die
Or win in this one single opposition
My mistress, and such honour as I may
Enrich my father's arms with!
Lum. 'Tis said nobly;

[Fight.

My life with them are at the stake.
Lucio. At all then!
Lam. She's your's! this, and my life too,
follow your fortune!

And give not only back that part the loser
Scorns to accept of!

No more from you than what you forc'd from
And with a worser title. Yet think not
That I'll dispute this, as made insolent
By my success, but as one equal with you,
If so you will accept me. That new courage
(Or call it fortune if you please) that is
Conferr'd upon me by the only sight
Of fair Genevora, was not bestow'd on me
To bloody purposes; nor did her command
Deprive me of the happiness to see her,
But 'till I did redeem her favour from you;
Which only I rejoice in, and share with
In all you suffer else.

you

Lam. This courtesy [own: Wounds deeper than your sword can, or nine Pray you make use of either, and dispatch me! Lucio. The barbarous Turk is satisfied with spoil; [for,

And shall I, being possess'd of what I came Prove the more infidel?

Lum. You were better be so

Than publish my disgrace, as 'tis the custom, And which I must expect.

Lucio. Judge better of me:

I have no tongue to trumpet mine own praise To your dishonour; 'tis a bastard courage That seeks a name out that way, no true-born

one.

Pray you be comforted! for, by all goodness,
But to her virtuous self (the best part of it)
I never will discover on what terms [you,
I came by these: which yet I take not from
But leave you, in exchange of them, mine own,
E
With

Vit. Lamoral!

Lam. My lord?

Vit. I came to seek you. Lam. And unwillingly

[sir?

You ne'er found me 'till now! Your pleasure, Vit. That which will please thee, friend! Thy vow'd love to me

Shall now be put in action; means are offer'd To use thy good sword for me, that which still Thou wear'st as if it were a part of thee. Where is't?

Lum. 'Tis chang'd for one more fortunate: Pray you enquire not how.

Vit. Why, I ne'er thought

That there was magick in it33, but ascrib'd The fortune of it to the arm.

Lum. Which is

Grown weaker too. I am not (in a word) Worthy your friendship: I am one new vanYet shame to tell by whom!

[quish'd, [deem

Vit. But I'll tell thee "Gainst whom thou art to fight, and there reThy honour lost, if there be any such. The king, by my long suit, at length is pleas'd That Alvarez and myself, with either's second, Shall end the difference between our houses, Which he accepts of: I make choice of thee; And, where you speak of a disgrace, the means To blot it out, by such a publick trial Of thy approved valour, will revive Thy ancient courage. If you embrace it, do; If not, I'll seek some other.

Lam. As I am,

You may command me.

Finds no such matter; what I

am, I am;

Thought's free, and think you what you

Gen. "Tis strange—

[please.

[lady

Bob. That I should be wise, madam?
Gen. No, thou art so.

There's for thy pains; and prithee tell thy
I will not fail to meet her: I'll receive
Thy thanks and duty in thy present absence.
Farewell, farewell, I say! Now thou art wise.
[Exit. Bob.

She writes here, she hath something to im-
part
[not;
That may concern my brother's life: Iknow
But general fame does give her out so worthy,
That I dare not suspect her; yet wish Lucio

Enter Lucio.

Were master of her mind: but, fy upon't! Why do I think on him?-See, I am punish'd for't,

In his unlook'd-for presence: now I must
Endure another tedious piece of courtship,
Would make one forswear courtesy.
Lucio. Gracious madam,
[Kneels.
The sorrow paid, for your just anger tow'rds
me,

Arising from my weakness, I presume
To press into your presence, and despair not
An easy pardon.

Gen. He speaks sense: Oh, strange!

Lucio. And yet believe, that no desires of mine,

Tho' all are too strong in me, had the power, For their delight, to force me to infringe What you commanded; it being in your part To lessen your great rigor when you please,

And

And mine to suffer with an humble patience
What you'll impose upon it.
Gen. Courtly too! [Lucio, madam,
Lucio. Yet hath the poor and contemnn'd
(Made able only by his hope to serve you),
Recover'd what with violence, not justice,
Was taken from him; and here at your feet,
With these, he could have laid the conquer'd
head

Of Lamoral ('tis all I say of him)

For rudely touching that, which, as a relick, I ever would have worshipp'd, since 'twas

Herald [reading]. Forasmuch as our high and mighty master, Philip, the potent and most Catholick king of Spain, hath not only in his own royal person, been long and often solicited, and grieved, with the deadly and incurable hatred sprung up betwixt the two ancient and most honourably-descended houses of these his two dearly and equallybeloved subjects, don Ferdinando de Alvarez, and don Pedro de Vitelli (all which in vain his majesty hath often endeavoured to reconcile and qualify): but that also through the debates, quarrels, and outrages daily arising, falling, and flowing from these great heads, his publick civil government is seditiously and barbarously molested and wounded, and many of his chief gentry (no less tender to his royal majesty than the very branches of his own sacred blood), spoiled, lost, and submerg'd, in the impious inundation and torrent of their still-growing malice; it hath therefore pleased his sacred majesty, out of his infinite affection to preserve his commonwealth, and general peace, from further violation (as a sweet and heartily-loving father of his people), and on the earnest petitions of these arch-enemies, to order and ordain, that they be ready, each with his well-chosen and beloved friend, armed at all points like gentlemen, in the castle of St. Jago, on this present Monday morning, betwixt eight and nine of the clock, where (before the combatants be allowed to commence this granted duel) this to be read aloud for the publick satisfaction of his majesty's wellbeloved subjects. 'Save the king!

[Drums within. Syav. Hark, how their drums speak their insatiate thirst [peace, Of blood, and stop their ears 'gainst pious Who, gently whispering, implores their friendship!

Assist. Kings nor authority can master fate: Admit 'em then; and blood extinguish hate! Enter severally, Alvarez and Lucio, Vitelli and Lumoral.

Syav. Stay! yet be pleas'd to think, and let not daring

(Wherein men now-a-days exceed e'en beasts, And think themselves not men else) so transport you

Beyond the bounds of Christianity!
Lord Alvarez, Vitelli, gentlemen,
No town in Spain, from our metropolis
Unto the rudest hovel, but is great
With your assured valours' daily proofs:
Oh, will you then, for a superfluous fame,
A sound of honour, which, in these times, all
Like hereticks profess (with obstinacy,

Ę 2

But