Bethink thy-selfe, Hieronimo, Recall thy wits, recompt thy former wrongs Thou hast receiued by murder of thy sonne, And lastly, [but] not least, how Isabell, Once his mother and [my] deerest wife, All woe-begone for him, hath slaine her-selfe. Behoues thee then, Hieronimo, to be Reueng'd! The plot is laide of dire reuenge: On then, Hieronimo; persue reuenge, For nothing wants but acting of reuenge! Exit HIERONIMO. Enter SPANISH KING, VICE-ROY, the DUKE OF CASTILE, and their traine, [to the gallery]. KING. Now, viceroy, shall we see the tragedie Of Soliman, the Turkish emperour, Performde by pleasure by yor sonne the prince, My nephew Don Lorenzo, and my neece. VICE. Who? Bel-imperia? KING. I; and Hieronimo our marshall, At whose request they deine to doo't themselues. These be our pastimes in the court of Spaine. Heere, brother, you shall be the booke-keeper: This is the argument of that they shew. He giueth him a booke. [Gentlemen, this play of Hieronimo in sundrie languages was thought good to be set downe in English more largely, for the easier vnderstanding to euery publique reader.] Enter BALTHAZAR, BEL-IMPERIA, and HIERONIMO. BALTHAZAR. [acting] Bashaw, that Rhodes is ours yeeld Heauens the honor And holy Mahhomet, our sacred prophet! And be thou grac't with euery excelence That Soliman can giue or thou desire! But thy desert in conquering Rhodes is lesse Then in reseruing this faire Christian nimph, Perseda, blisfull lamp of excellence, Whose eies compell, like powerfull adamant, The warlike heart of Soliman to wait. KING. See, vice-roy, that is Balthazar your sonne, That represents the Emperour Solyman: How well he acts his amorous passion! VICE. I; Bel-imperia hath taught him that. CASTILE: That's because his mind runnes al on Bel-imperia. HIERO. [acting] What-euer ioy earth yeelds betide your Maiestie! BALT. [acting] Earth yeelds no ioy without Persedaes loue. HIERO. [acting] Let then Peerseda on your Grace attend. BALT. [acting] She shall not wait on me, but I on her! Drawne by the influence of her lights, I yeeld. But let my friend, the Rhodian knight, come foorth,-- Erasto, dearer then my life to me,-- That he may see Perseda, my beloued. Enter ERASTO [LORENZO]. KING. Heere comes Lorenzo: looke vpon the plot And tell me, brother, what part plaies he. BEL. [acting] Ah, my Erasto! Welcome to Perseda! LO. [acting] Thrice happie is Erasto that thou liuest! Rhodes losse is nothing to Erastoes ioy; Sith his Perseda liues, his life suruiues. BALT. [acting] Ah, bashaw, heere is loue betweene Erasto And faire Perseda, soueraigne of my soule!