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HIERO.

Iustice! O, iustice to Hieronimo!

LOR.

Back! seest thou not the king is busie?

HIERO.

O! is he so?

KING.

Who is he that interrupts our busines?

HIERO.

Not I! [aside] Hieronimo, beware! goe by, goe by!

EMBAS.

Renowned king, he hath receiued and read

thy kingly proffers and thy promist league,

And, as a man exreamely ouer-ioyd

To heare his sonne so princely entertainde,

Whose death he had so solemnely bewailde,

This, for thy further satisfaction

And kingly loue, he kindely lets thee know:

First, for the marriage of his princely sonne

With Bel-imperia, thy beloued neece,

The newes are more delightfull to his soule

Then myrrh or incense to the offended Heauens.

In person, therefore, will be come himselfe

To see the marriage rites solemnized

And in the presence of the court of Spaine

To knit a sure [inextricable] band

Of kingly loue and euerlasting league

Betwixt the crownes of Spaine and Portingale.

There will he giue his crowne to Balthazar,

And make a queene of Bel-imperia.

KING.

Brother, how like you this our vice-roies loue?

CAST.

No doubt, my lord, it is an argument

Of honorable care to keepe his freend

And wondrous zeale to Balthazar, his sonne.

Nor am I least indebted to his Grace,

That bends his liking to my daughter thus.

EM.

Now last, dread lord, heere hath his Highnes sent—

Although he send not that his sonne returne—

His ransome doe to Don Horatio.

HIERO.

Horatio? who cals Horatio?

KING.

And well remembred, thank his Maiestie!

Heere, see it giuen to Horatio.

HIERO.

Iustice! O iustice! iustice, gentle king!

KING.

Who is that? Hieronimo?

HIERO.

Iustice! O iustice! O my sonne! my sonne!

My sonne, whom naught can ransome or redeeme!

LOR.

Hieronimo, you are not well aduisde.

HIERO.

Away, Lorenzo! hinder me no more,

For thou hast made me bankrupt of my blisse!

Giue me my sonne! You shall not ransome him!

Away! Ile rip the bowels of the earth,

He diggeth with his dagger.

And ferrie ouer th' Elizian plaines

And bring my sonne to shew his deadly wounds.

Stand from about me! Ile make a pickaxe of my poniard,

And heere surrender vp my marshalship;

For Ile goe marshall vp the feends in hell,

To be auenged on you all for this.

KING.

What means this outrage?

Will none of you restraine his fury?

HIERO.

Nay, soft and faire; you shall not need to striue!

Needs must he goe that the diuels driue.

Exit.

KING.

What accident hath hapt [to] Hieronimo?

I haue not seene him to demeane him so.

LOR.

My gratious lord, he is with extreame pride

Conceiued of yong Horatio, his sonne,

And couetous of hauing himselfe

The ransome of the yong prince, Balthazar,

Distract, and in a manner lunatick.

KING.

Beleeue me, nephew, we are sorie for 't;

This is the loue that fathers beare their sonnes.

But, gentle brother, goe giue to him this golde,

The princes raunsome; let him haue his due;

For what he hath, Horatio shall not want.

Happily Hieronimo hath need thereof.

LOR.

But if he be thus helpelesly distract,

Tis requisite his office be resignde

And giuen to one of more discretion.

KING.

We shall encrease his melanchollie so.

Tis best that we see further in it first;

Till when, our-selfe will exempt the place.

And, brother, now bring in the embassadour,

That he may be a witnes of the match

Twixt Balthazar and Bel-imperia,

And that we may prefixe a certaine time

Wherein the marriage shalbe solemnized,

That we may haue thy lord the vice-roy heere.

EM.

Therein your Highnes highly shall content

His maiestie, that longs to heare from hence.

KING.

On then, and heare you, lord embassadour.

Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE 13.

[HIERONIMO's house.]

Enter HIERONIMO with a book in his hand.

[HIERO.] Vindicta mihi.

I, heauen will be reuenged of euery ill,

Nor will they suffer murder vnrepaide!

Then stay, Hieronimo, attend their will;

For mortall men may not appoint their time.

Per scelus semper tutum est sceleribus iter:

Strike, and strike home, where wrong is offred thee;

For euils