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 in action. LOR. And well it may, for I haue seene the like In Paris, mongst the French tragedians.