• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

See heere a louing father to his sonne:

Beholde the sorrowes and the sad laments

That he deliuereth for his sonnes dicease.

If loues effects so striues in lesser things,

If loue enforce such moodes in meaner wits,

If loue expresse such power in poor estates,

Hieronimo, as when a raging sea,

Tost with the winde and tide, ore-turneth then

The vpper-billowes, course of waues to keep,

Whilest lesser waters labour in the deepe,

Then shamest thou not, Hieronimo, to neglect

The [swift] reuenge of thy Horatio?

Though on this earth iustice will not be found,

Ile downe to hell and in this passion

Knock at the dismall gates of Plutos court,

Getting by force, as once Alcides did,

A troupe of furies and tormenting hagges,

To torture Don Lorenzo and the rest.

Yet, least the triple-headed porter should

Denye my passage to the slimy strond,

The Thracian poet thou shalt counterfeite;

Come on, old father, be my Orpheus;

And, if thou canst no notes vpon the harpe,

Then sound the burden of thy sore harts greefe

Till we do gaine that Proserpine may graunt

Reuenge on them that murd[er]red my sonne.

Then will I rent and teare them thus and thus,

Shiuering their limmes in peeces with my teeth!

Teare the papers.

I CIT. Oh, sir, my declaration!

Exit HIERONIMO and they after.

II CIT.

Saue my bond!

Enter HIERONIMO.

II CIT.

Saue my bond!

III CIT.

Alas my lease, it cost me

Ten pound, and you, my lord, haue torne the same!

HIERO.

That can not be, I gaue it neuer a wound;

Shew me one drop of bloud fall from the same!

How is it possible I should slay it then?

Tush, no! Run after, catch me if you can!

Exeunt all but the OLDE MAN [DON

BAZULTO].

BAZULTO remaines till HIERONIMO enters

againe, who, staring him the face, speakes:

And art thou come, Horatio, from the depth,

To aske for iustice in this vpper earth?

T[o] tell thy father thou art vnreuenged?

To wring more teares from Isabellas eies,

Whose lights are dimd with ouer-long laments?

Goe back, my sonne, complaine to Eacus;

For heeres no iustice. Gentle boy, begone;

For iustice is exiled from the earth.

H[i]eronimo will beare thee company.

Thy mother cries on righteous Radamant

For iust reuenge against the murderers.

[BAZULTO]. Alas, my l[ord], whence springs this troubled speech?

HIERO.

But let me looke on my Horatio:

Sweet boy, how art thou chang'd in deaths black shade!

Had Proserpine no pittie on thy youth,

But suffered thy fair crimson-colourd spring

With withered winter to be blasted thus?

Horatio, thou are older then thy father:

Ah, ruthless father, that fauour thus transformess.

BA.

Ah, my good lord, I am not your yong sonne.

HIE.

What! not my sonne? thou then a Furie art

Sent from the emptie kingdome of blacke night

To summon me to make appearance

Before grim Mynos and iust Radamant,

To plague Hieronimo, that is remisse

And seekes not vengeance for Horatios death.

BA.

I am a greeued man, and not a ghost,

That came for iustice for my murdered sonne.

HIE.

I, now I know thee, now thou namest thy sonne;

Thou art the liuely image of my griefe:

Within thy face sorrowes I may see;

The eyes are [dim'd] with teares, they cheekes are wan,

They forehead troubled, and thy muttring lips

Murmure sad words abruptly broken off

By force of windie sighes thy spirit breathes;

And all this sorrow riseth for thy sonne,

And selfe-same sorrow feele I for my sonne.

Come in, old man; thou shalt to Izabell.

Leane on my arme; I thee, thou me shalt stay;

And thou and I and she will sing a song,

Three parts in one, but all of discords fram'd,—

Talke not of cords!—but let vs now be gone,—

For with a cord Horatio was slaine.

Exeunt.

ACT III. SCENE 14.

[The Spanish court.]

Enter KING OF SPAINE, the DUKE, VICE-ROY, and

LORENZO, BALTHAZAR, DON PEDRO, and BELIMPERIA.

KING.

Go, brother, it is the Duke of Castiles cause;

Salute the vice-roy in our name.

CASTILE.

I go.

VICE.

Go forth, Don Pedro, for they nephews sake,

And greet the Duke of Castile.

PEDRO.It