English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Man_. Hum, you say well, sir.
Now you are up to th'eares in Baudery,
Pray tell me one thing, Brother; (I am sorry
To putt forth such a question) but speake truly;
Have you not in my fathers absence done
A piece of worke (not your best masterpiece)
But such an one as on the house of _Guzman_
Will plucke a vengeance, & on the good old man
(Our noble father) heape such hills of sorrow
To beate him into his grave?
_Hen_. What's this your foolery?
_Man_. Pray heaven it prove soe: have not you defac'd
That sweet & matchles goodnes, _Eleonora_,
_Fernando's_ daughter?
_Hen_. How defacd her?
_Man_. Hearke, sir: playd _Tarquin's_ part and ravisht her.
_Hen_. 'Tis a lye.
_Man_. I hope so too.
_Hen_. What villaine speakes it?
_Man_. One with so wide a throat, that uttering it
'Twas heard in _France_; a letter, sir, informed
My father so.
_Hen_. Letter? from whom?
_Man_. A woman.
_Hen_. She's a whore.
_Man_. Twas _Eleonora_.
_Hen_. She's, then, a villanous strumpet so to write,
And you an asse, a coxcomb to beleeve it.
_Man_. Nettled? then let me tell you that I feare
I shall for ever blush when in my hearing
Any names _Henrico Guzman_ for my brother.
In right of vertue & a womans honour
(This deare wrongd Ladies) I dare call thee Villaine.
_Hen_. Villaine!
_They fight: Enter Ferdinand and attendants_.
_Fer_. Part them, part them!
_Hen_. Let me see his heart
Panting upon my weapons point; then part us.
Oh, pray, forbeare the roome.
_Fer_. Fy, Fy! two Brothers.
Two Eaglets of one noble Aery,
Pecke out each others eyes!--Welcome from _France_!
How does your honourd father?
_Man_. Well, my Lord:
I left him late in Paris.
_Hen_. So, so; in _Paris_!
Hath he 3 bodyes? _Lorraine, Burgundy, & Paris_!
My Lord, his Highnes putts into your hand
A sword of Justice: draw it forth, I charge you
By the oath made to your king, to smite this Traytour,
The murtherer of my father!
_Man_. I?
_Hen_. Yes, thou:
Thou, slave, hast bene his Executioner.
_Man_. Where? when?
_Hen_. There, there; in _France_.
_Man_. Oh heavenly powers!
_Hen_. Oh, intollerable villaine! parricide!
Monster of mankind! _Spaniards_ shame!
_Fer_. Pray, heare me:
Are you in earnest?
_Hen_. Earnest?
_Fer_. Be advisd.
_Hen_. Lay hold on him, the murtherer of my father:
I have armd proofes against him.
_Man_. An armd devill,
And that's thy selfe! Produce thy proofes.
_Hen_. I will, sir;
But I will doe't by law.
_Fer_. You are up allready
Too deepe, I feare, in Law.
_Hen_. If you can, sett then
Your foote upon my head & drowne me, your worst:
Let me have Justice here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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