BEL. Euen so, my lord? And you are witnesse
That this is true which he entreateth of?
You, gentle brother, forged this for my sake?
And you, my lord, were made his instrument?
A worke of worth! worthy the noting too!
But whats the cause that you concealde me since?
LOR. Your melancholly, sister, since the newes
Of your first fauorite Don Andreas death
My fathers olde wrath hath exasperate.
BAL. And better wast for you, being in disgrace,
To absent your-selfe and giue his fury place.
BEL. But why I had no notice of his ire?
LOR. That were to adde more fewell to your fire,
Who burnt like Aetne for Andreas losse.
BEL. Hath not my father then enquird for me?
LOR. Sister, he hath; and this excusde I thee.
He whispereth in her eare.
But, Bel-imperia, see the gentle prince;
Looke on thy loue; beholde yong Balthazar,
Whose passions by the presence are increast,
And in whose melachollie thou maiest see
Thy hate, his loue, thy flight, his following thee.
BEL. Brother, you are become an oratour--
I know not, I, by what experience--
Too politick for me, past all compare,
Since I last saw you. But content your-selfe;
The prince is meditating higher things.
BAL. Tis of thy beauty, then, that conquers kings,
Of those thy tresses, Ariadnes twines,
Wherewith my libertie thou hast surprisde,
Of that thine iuorie front, my sorrowes map,
Wherein I see no hauen to rest my hope.
BEL. To loue and feare, and both at once, my lord,
In my conceipt, are things of more import
Then womens wit are to be busied with.
BAL. Tis that I loue thee.
BEL. Whome?
BAL. Bel-imperia.
BEL. But that I feare?
BAL. Whome?
BEL. Bel-imperia.
LOR. Feare your-selfe?
BEL. I, brother.
LOR. How?
BEL. As those
That, [when] they loue, are loath and feare to loose.
BAL. Then, faire, let Balthazar your keeper be.
BEL. No, Balthazar doth feare as well as we;
Et tremulo metui pauidum iunxere timorem,
Et vanum stolidae proditionis opus.
Exit.
LOR. Nay, and you argue things so cunningly,
Weele goe continue this discourse at court.
BAL. Led by the loadstar of heauenly lookes,
Wends poore oppressed Balthazar,
As ore the mountains walkes the wanderer
Incertain to effect his pilgrimage.
Exeunt.
[ACT III. SCENE 11.]
[A street.]
Enter two PORTINGALES, and HIERONIMO
meets them.
I PORT. By your leaue, sir.
[The following is inserted in the 1618, 1623, and 1633 editions.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account