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EM.

Know, soueraigne l[ord], that Balthazar doth liue.

VICE.

What saiest thou? liueth Balthazar, our sonne?

EM.

Your Highnes sonne, L[ord] Balthazar doth liue,

And, well intreated in the court of Spaine,

Humbly commends him to your Maiestie.

These eies beheld; and these my followers,

With these, the letters of the kings commend,

Giues him letters

Are happie witnesses of his Highnes health.

The KING lookes on the letters, and proceeds.

VICE.

[reads] "Thy sonne doth liue; your tribute is receiu'd;

Thy peace is made, and we are satisfied.

The rest resolue vpon as things proposde

For both our honors and they benefite."

EM.

These are his Highnes farther articles.

He giues him more letters.

VICE.

Accursed wrech to intimate these ills

Against the life and reputation

Of noble Alexandro! come, my lord, vnbinde him!

[To ALEXANDRO] Let him vnbinde thee that is bounde to death,

To make a quitall for thy discontent.

They vnbinde him.

ALEX.

Dread lord, in kindnes you could do no lesse,

Vpon report of such a damned fact;

But thus we see our innocence hath sau'd

The hopeles like which thou, Villuppo, sought

By thy suggestions to haue massacred.

VICE.

Say, false Villuppo, wherefore didst thou thus

Falsely betray Lord Alexandros life?

Him whom thou knowest that no vnkindenes els

But euen the slaughter of our deerest sonne

Could once haue moued vs to haue misconceaued.

ALEX.

Say, trecherous Villuppo; tell the King!

Or wherein hath Alexandro vsed thee ill?

VIL.

Rent with remembrance of so foule a deed,

My guiltie soule submits me to thy doome,

For, not for Alexandros iniuries,

But for reward and hope to be preferd,

Thus haue I shamelesly hazarded his life.

VICE.

Which, villaine, shalbe ransomed with thy death,

And not so meane a torment as we heere

Deuised for him who thou saidst slew our sonne,

But with the bitterest torments and extreames

That may be yet inuented for thine end.

ALEX[ANDRO] seemes to intreat.

Intreat me not! Goe, take the traitor hence!

Exit VILLUPPO.

And, Alexandro, let vs honor thee

With publique notice of thy loyaltie.

To end those things articulated heere

By our great l[ord], the mightie king of Spaine,

We with our councell will deliberate.

Come, Alexandro, keepe vs company.

Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE 2.

[Spain: near the DUKE's castle.]

Enter HIERONIMO.

HIERO.

Oh eies! no eies but fountains fraught with teares;

Oh life! no life, but liuely fourme of death;

Oh world! no world, but masse of publique wrongs,

Confusde and filde with murder and misdeeds;

Oh sacred heauens, if this vnhallowed deed,

If this inhumane and barberous attempt,

If this incomparable murder thus

Of mine, but now no more my sonne

Shall pass vnreueald and vnreuenged passe,

How should we tearme your dealings to be iust,

If you vniustly deale with those that in your iustice trust?

The night, sad secretary to my mones,

With direfull visions wake my vexed soule,

And with the wounds of my distresfull sonne

Solicite me for notice of his death;

The ougly feends do sally forth of hell,

And frame my hart with fierce inflamed thoughts;

The cloudie day my discontents records,

Early begins to regester my dreames

And driue me forth to seeke the murtherer.

Eies, life, world, heauens, hel, night and day,

See, search, show, send, some man, some meane, that may!

A letter falleth.

Whats heere? a letter? Tush, it is not so!

A letter for Hieronimo.

[Reads] "For want of incke receiue this bloudie writ.

Me hath my haples brother hid from thee.

Reuenge thy-selfe on Balthazar and him,

For these were they that murdered thy sonne.

Hieronimo, reuenge Horatios death,

And better fare then Bel-imperia doth!"—

What meanes this vnexpected miracle?

My sonne slaine by Lorenzo and the prince?

What cause had they Horatio to maligne?

Or what might mooue thee, Bel-imperia,

To accuse they brother, had he beene the meane?

Hieronimo, beware! thou art betraide,

And to intrap they life this traine is laide.