English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
(SCENE 4.)
_Enter Fernando & Eleonora_.
_Fer_. Cease, Eleonora, cease these needles plaints,
Less usefull than thy helpe of hands was at
The deed of darkness,--oh, the blackest deed
That ever overclouded[29] my felicity!
To speake, or weepe thy sorrow, but allayes
And quenches anger, which we must now cherish
To further iust revenge. How I could wish
But to call backe the strength of Twenty yeares!
_Ele_. That I might be in that unborne againe, sir.
_Fer_. No, _Eleonora_, that I were so ennabled
With my owne hands to worke out thy wronge
Upon that wretch, that villaine, oh, that Ravisher!
But, though my hands are palsyed with rage,
The Law yet weares a sword in our defence.
_Enter Henrico_.
_Ele_. Away, my Lord & Father! see the monster
Approaching towards you! who knowes but now
He purposeth an assassinate on your life,
As he did lately on my Virgin honour?
_Fer_. Fury, keepe off me!
_Hen_. What life, what honour meane you? _Eleonora_,
What is the matter? Who hath lost anything?
_Ele_. Thou impudent as impious, I have lost--
_Hen_. Doe you call me names?
_Ele_. The solace of my life, for which--
_Hen_. A fine new name for a maydenhead!
_Ele_. May all the curses of all iniured weomen
Fall on thy head!
_Hen_. Would not the curses of all good ones serve?
So many might perhaps be borne: but, pray,
Tell me what moves you thus? Why stand you soe
Aloofe, my Lord? I doe not love to bee
Usd like a stranger: welcome's all I looke for.
_Fer_. What boldnesse beyond madnesse gives him languadge!
Nothing but well-bred stuffe! canst see my daughter
And not be strooke with horrour of thy shame
To th' very heart? Is't not enough, thou Traytour,
To my poore Girles dishonour to abuse her,
But thou canst yett putt on a divells visour
To face thy fact & glory in her woe?
_Hen_. I would I were acquainted with your honours meaning all
this while.
_Fer_. The forreine Enemy which came to the Citty
And twice dancd on the Sea before it, waving
Flaggs of defyance & of fury to it,
Were nor before nor now this second time
So cruell as thou. For when they first were here
Now well nigh 40 yeares since, & marched through
The very heart of this place, trampled on
The bosomes of our stoutest soldiers,
The weomen yet were safe, Ladyes were free
And that by the especial command
Of the then noble Generall: & now being safe
From common danger of our enemyes,
Thou lyon-like hast broake in on a Lambe
And preyd upon her.
_Hen_. How have I preyd?
_Fer_. Dost thou delight
To heare it named, villaine, th'hast ravisht her.
_Hen_. I am enough abusd, & now 'tis time
To speake a litle for my selfe, my Lord.
By all the vowes, the oathes & imprecations
That ere were made, studied, or practised,
As I have a soule, as she & you have soules,
I doe not know, nor can, nor will confesse
Any such thing, for all your Circumventions:
Ile answer all by Law.
_Ele_. Oh, my Lord, heare me!
By all that's good--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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