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What meanes this warning of this trumpets sound?

GEN.

This tels me that your Graces men of warre,

Such as warres fortune hath reseru'd from death,

Come marching on towards your royall seate,

To show themselues before your Maiestie;

For so gaue I in charge at my depart.

Whereby by demonstration shall appeare

That all, except three hundred or few more,

Are safe returnd and by their foes inricht.

The armie enters, BALTHAZAR betweene LORENZO

and HORATIO, captiue.

KING.

A gladsome sight! I long to see them heere.

They enter and passe by.

Was that the warlike prince of Portingale

That by our nephew was in triumph led?

GEN.

It was, my liege, the prince of Portingale.

KING.

But what was he that on the other side

Held him by th' arme as partner of the prize?

HIERO.

That was my sonne, my gracious soueraigne;

Of whome though from his tender infancie

My louing thoughts did neuer hope but well,

He neuer pleasd his fathers eyes till now,

Nor fild my hart with ouercloying ioyes.

KING.

Goe, let them march once more about these walles,

That staying them we may conferre and talke

With our braue prisoner and his double guard.

[Exit a MESSENGER.]

Hieoronimo, it greatly pleaseth vs

That in our victorie thou haue a share

By vertue of thy worthy sonnes exploit.

Enter againe.

Bring hether the young prince of Portingale!

The rest martch on, but, ere they be dismist,

We will bestow on euery soldier

Two duckets, and on euery leader ten,

That they may know our largesse welcomes them.

Exeunt all [the army] but BAL[THAZAR],

LOR[ENZO], and HOR[ATIO].

[KING.] Welcome, Don Balthazar! Welcome nephew!

And thou, Horatio, thou art welcome too!

Young prince, although thy fathers hard misdeedes

In keeping backe the tribute that he owes

Deserue but euill measure at our hands,

Yet shalt thou know that Spaine is honorable.

BALT.

The trespasse that my father made in peace

Is now controlde by fortune of the warres;

And cards once dealt, it bootes not aske why so.

His men are slaine,—a weakening to his realme;

His colours ceaz'd,—a blot vnto his name;

His sonne distrest,—a corsiue to his hart;

These punishments may cleare his late offence.

KING.

I, Balthazar, if he obserue this truce,

Our peace will grow the stronger for these warres.

Meane-while liue thou, though not in libertie,

Yet free from bearing any seruile yoake;

For in our hearing thy deserts were great.

And in our sight thy-selfe art gratious.

BALT.

And I shall studie to deserue this grace.

KING.

But tell me,—for their holding makes me doubt:

To Which of these twaine art thou prisoner?

LOR.

To me, my liege.

HOR.

To me, my soueraigne.

LOR.

This hand first tooke his courser by the raines.

HOR.

But first my launce did put him from his horse.

LOR.

I ceaz'd the weapon and enioyde it first.

HOR.

But first I forc'd him lay his weapons downe.

KING.

Let goe his arm, vpon my priviledge!

Let him goe.

Say, worthy prince: to whether didst thou yeeld?

BALT.

To him in curtesie; to this perforce;

He spake me faire, this other gaue me strokes;

He promisde life, this other threatned death;

He wan my loue, this other conquerd me;

And, truth to say, I yeeld my-selfe to both.

HIERO.

But that I [know] your Grace is iust and wise,

And might seeme partiall in this difference,

Inforct by nature and by law of armes,

My tongue should plead for young Horatios right.

He hunted well that was a lyons death,

Not he that in a garment wore his skin;

So hares may pull dead lyons by the beard.

KING.

Content thee, marshall; thou shalt haue no wrong,

And for thy sake thy sonne shall want to right.

Will both abide the censure of my doome?

LOR.

I craue no better than your Grace awards.

HOR.

Nor I, although I sit beside my right.

KING.

Then by iudgement thus your strife shall end:

You both deserue and both shall haue reward.

Nephew, thou tookst his weapon[s] and his horse:

His weapons and his horse are thy reward.

Horatio, thou didst force him first to