English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Mac_. Lady, what say you? which had you rather have,
His life or him?
_Ele_. I am not cruell; pay me my first Bond
Of marriage, which you seald to, & I free you
And shall with Joy run flying to your armes.
_All_. Law you?[53]
_Mac_. That's easy enough.
_Hen_. Rackes, Gibbetts, wheeles make sausages of my flesh first!
Ile be ty'd to no man's Strumpet.
_Alq_. Then you muste look to dye.
_Mac_. Lady, withdraw.
_Hen_. Well, if I doe, somebody shall packe.
_Ele_. Oh me, unfortunate Creature! [_Exit_.
_Enter Manuell to be rackt; Jaylour & Officers_.
_Med_. _Don Manuell Guzman_ ere you taste the tortures,
Which you are sure to feele, will you confesse
This murther of your father?
_Man_. Pray, give me privacy a little with my brother.
_All_. [_Alq_.?] Take it.
_Man_. O brother your owne Conscience knowes you wrong me:
Ile rather suffer on the Gallow Tree
Then thus be torne in pieces. Canst thou see mee
Thus worryed amongst hangmen? deare _Henrico_,
For heavens sake, for thine owne sake pitty mee.
_All_. [_Alq_.?] What sayes he?
_Hen_. Cunning, cunning, cunning Traytour!
In my eare he confesses all again and prayes me
To speake to you.
_Mac_. Will you openly confesse?
_Man_. No, no, I cannot. Caytiffe, I spake not soe:
I must not wound my Conscience to lay on it
A guilt it knowes not. Ile not so dishonour
My father, nor my ancestours before me,
Nor my posterity with such an earthquake
To shake our noble house.
_Mac_. Give him the Law then.
_Man_. Ile meete a thousand deaths first.
_Hen_. Plucke, & plucke home, for he's a murtherous Villaine.
_Man_. Thou worse, a divell.
_Mac_. Racke him!
_Man_. Oh stay! for heavens sake spread your mercy!
I doe confesse the murther; I killd my father.
_All_. Take him off!
_Man_. This hand stabbd him.
_Mac_. Where?
_Man_. Neere _St. Germains_
In _Paris_, in a darke night, & then I fled.
_Mac_. Thy owne tongue is thy Judge; take him away:
To-morrow looke to dye: send him a Confessour.
_Jay_. Ile have a holy care of him.
[_Exit Manuell, led by the Jaylour_.
_Hen_. Who's now, my lords, the Villaine?
_Enter Eleonora & Buzzano_.
_Ele_. Oh Justice, here's a witnesse of my Rape.
_Mac_. Did you see't, sirra?
_Buz_. See't! no, sir, would I had; but when she was in labour I heard
her cry out "helpe! helpe!" & the Gamboll being ended she came in like
a mad woman, ruffled & crumpled, her haire about her eares; & he all
unbrac'd, sweating as if he had bene thrashing; & afterwards he told me,
my lords, that he had downe diddled her.
_Hen_. I now am lost indeed, & on my knee
Beg pardon of that goodnes, that pure Temple
Which my base lust prophand, & will make good
My wrongs to her by marriage.
_Mac_. What say you, Lady?
_Ele_. He spurnd my mercy when it flew to him
And courted him to kisse it; therefore now
Ile have his life.
_Fer_. That life, so had, redeemes
Thine & thy fathers infamy. Justice! my Lords.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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