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KING.

And now to meet these Portaguise;

For, as we now are, so sometimes were these,

Kings and commanders of the westerne Indies.

Welcome, braue vice-roy, to the court of Spaine!

And welcome, all his honorable traine!

Tis not vnknowne to vs for why you come,

Or haue so kingly crost the seas.

Suffiseth it, in this we note the troth

And more then common loue you lend to vs.

So is it that mine honorable neece,

For it beseemes vs now that it be knowne,

Already is betroth'd to Balthazar;

And, by appointment and our condiscent,

To-morrow are they to be married.

To this intent we entertaine thy-selfe,

Thy followers, their pleasure, and our peace.

Speak, men of Portingale, shall it be so?

If I, say so; if not, say so flatly.

VICE.

Renowned king, I come not, as thou thinkst,

With doubtfull followers, vnresolued men,

But such as haue vpon thine articles

Confirmed thy motion and contented me.

Know, soueraigne, I come to solemnize

The marriage of they beloued neece,

Faire Bel-imperia, with my Balthazar,—

With thee, my sonne, whom sith I liue to see,

Heere, take my crowne, I giue it to her and thee,

And let me liue a solitarie life,

In ceaseless praiers,

To think how strangely heauen hath thee preserued.

KING.

See, brother, see, how nature striues in him!

Come, worthy vice-roy, and accompany

They freend, [to strive] with thine extremities:

A place more priuate fits this princely mood.

VICE.

Or heere or where your Highnes thinks it good.

Exeunt all but CAST[TILE] and LOR[ENZO].

CAS.

Nay, stay, Lorenzo; let me talke with you.

Seest thou this entertainement of these kings?

LOR.

I doe, my lord, and ioy to see the same.

CAS.

And knowest thou why this meeting is?

LOR.

For her, my lord, whom Balthazar doth loue,

And to confirme their promised marriage.

CAS.

She is thy sister.

LOR.

Who? Bel-imperia?

I, my gratious lord, and this is the day

That I haue longd so happily to see.

CAS.

Thou wouldst be loath that any fault of thine

Should intercept her in her happines?

LOR.

Heauens will not let Lorenzo erre so much.

CAS.

Why then, Lorenzo, listen to my words:

It is suspected, and reported too,

That thou, Lorenzo, wrongst Hieronimo,

And in his sutes toward his Maiestie

Still keepst him back and seekes to crosse his sute.

LOR.

That I, my lord?

CAS.

I tell thee, sonne, my-selfe haue heard it said,

When to my sorrow I haue been ashamed

To answere for thee, though thou art my sonne.

Lorenzo, knowest thou not the common loue

And kindenes that Hieronimo hath wone

By his deserts within the court of Spaine?

Or seest thou not the k[ing] my brothers care

In his behalfe and to procure his health?

Lorenzo, shouldst thou thwart his passions,

And he exclaime against thee to the king,

What honour wert in this assembly,

Or what a scandale were among the kings,

To heare Hieronimo exclaime on thee!

Tell me,—and loke thou tell me truely too,—

Whence growes the ground of this report in court?

LOR.

My l[ord], it lyes not in Lorenzos power

To stop the vulgar liberall of their tongues:

A small aduantage makes a water-breach;

And no man liues that long contenteth all.

CAS.

My-selfe haue seene thee busie to keep back

Him and his supplications from the king.

LOR.

Your-selfe, my l[ord], hath seene his assions,

That ill beseemde the presence of a king;

And, for I pittied him in his distresse,

I helde him thence with kinde and curteous words,

As free from malice to Hieronimo

As to my soule, my lord.

CAS.

Hieronimo, my sonne, mistakes thee then.

LOR.

My gratious father, beleeue me, so he doth;

But whats a silly man, distract in minde

To think vpon the murder of his sonne?

Alas, how easie is it for him to erre!

But, for his satisfaction and the worlds,

Twere good, my l[ord], that Hieronimo and I

Were reconcilde, if he misconster me.

CAS.

Lorenzo, that hast said; it shalbe so!

Goe, one of you, and call Hieronimo.

Etner BALTHAZAR and BEL-IMPERIA.

BAL.

Come, Bel-imperia, Balthazars content,

My sorrowes ease,