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Which, though it profite the professor naught,

Yet is it passing pleasing to the world.

LOR.

And how for that?

HIERO.Marrie, my good lord, thus.—

And yet, me thinks, you are too quick with vs!—

When in Tolledo there I studied,

It was my chaunce to write a tragedie,—

See heere, my lords,—

He showes them a book.

Which, long forgot, I found this other day.

Nor would your lordships fauour me so much

As but to grace me with your acting it,

I meane each one of you to play a part.

Assure you it will proue most passing strange

And wondrous plausible to that assembly.

BAL.

What, would you haue vs play a tragedie?

HIERO.

Why, Nero thought it no disparagement,

And kings and emperours haue tane delight

To make experience of their wit in plaies!

LOR.

Nay, be not angry, good Hieronimo;

The prince but asked a question.

BAL.

In faith, Hieronimo, and you be in earnest,

Ile make one.

LOR.

And I another.

HIERO.

Now, my good lord, could you intreat,

Your sister, Bel-imperia, to make one,—

For whats a play without a woman in it?

BEL.

Little intreaty shall serue me, Hieronimo,

For I must needs be imployed in your play.

HIERO.

Why, this is well! I tell you, lordings,

It was determined to haue beene acted,

By gentlemen and schollers too,

Such as could tell what to speak.

BAL.

And now it shall be plaide by princes and courtiers,

Such as can tell how to speak,

If, as it is our country manner,

You will but let vs know the argument.

HIERO.

That shall I roundly. The cronicles of Spaine

Recorde this written of a knight of Rodes;

He was betrothed, and wedded at the length,

To one Perseda, an Italian dame,

Whose beatuie rauished all that her behelde,

Especially the soule of Soliman,

Who at the marriage was the cheefest guest.

By sundry meanes sought Soliman to winne

Persedas loue, and could not gaine the same.

Then gan he break his passions to a freend,

One of his bashawes whome he held full deere.

Her has this bashaw long solicited,

And saw she was not otherwise to be wonne

But by her husbands death, this knight of Rodes,

Whome presently by trecherie his slew.

She, stirde with an exceeding hate therefore,

As cause of this, slew [Sultan] Soliman,

And, to escape the bashawes tirannie,

Did stab her-selfe. And this [is] the tragedie.

LOR.

O, excellent!

BEL.

But say, Hieronimo:

What then became of him that was the bashaw?

HIERO.

Marrie thus: moued with remorse of his misdeeds,

Ran to a mountain top and hung himselfe.

BAL.

But which of vs is to performe that part?

HIERO.

O, that will I, my lords; make no doubt of it;

Ile play the murderer, I warrent you;

For I already haue conceited that.

BAL.

And what shall I?

HIERO.

Great Soliman, the Turkish emperour.

LOR.

And I?

HIERO.Erastus, the knight of Rhodes.

BEL.

And I?

HIERO.

Perseda, chaste and resolute.

And heere, my lords, are seueral abstracts drawne,

For eache of you to note your [seuerall] partes.

And act it as occasion's offred you.

You must prouide [you with] a Turkish cappe,

A black moustache and a fauchion.

Giues paper to BAL[THAZAR].

You with a crosse, like a knight of Rhodes.

Giues another to LOR[ENZO].

And, madame, you must [then] attire your-selfe

He giueth BEL[-IMPERIA] another.

Like Phoebe, Flora, or the huntresse [Dian],

Which to your discretion shall seeme best.

And as for me, my lords, Ile looke to one,

And with the raunsome that the vice-roy sent

So furnish and performe this tragedie

As all the world shall say Hieronimo

Was liberall in gracing of it so.

BAL.

Hieronimo, me thinks a comedie were better.

HIERO.

A comedie? fie! comedies are fit for common wits;

But to present a kingly troupe withall,

Giue me a stately-written tragedie,—

Tragedia cothurnata, fitting kings,

Containing matter, and not common things!

My lords, all this [our sport] must be perfourmed,

As fitting, for the first nights reuelling.

The Italian tragedians were so sharpe

Of wit that in one houres meditation

They would performe any-thing