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Enter JERONIMO solus.

Jer. Foregod! I have just mist them.—Ha!
Soft, Jeronimo! thou hast more friends
To take thy leave of; look well about thee,
Embrace them, and take friendly leave.
My arms are of the shortest;

Let your loves piece them out.
You're welcome all, as I am a gentleman :
For my son's sake, grant me a man at least,
At least I am. So good-night, kind gentles, 22
For I hope there's never a Jew among you all;
And so I leave you.

[Erit.

22

-kind gentles,

For I hope there's never a Jew among you all.—A play upon words was the failing of almost every writer of the times. The quibble here upon gentles and Jew, is also in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, A. 2. S. 7. See the notes on that passage, by Dr Johnson, Mr Steevens, and Dr Farmer, Vol. III. edit. 1778, p. 173. To the instances there quoted, may be added the following from Euphues, 1581, p. 65. :— "Consider with thyselfe that thou art a gentleman, yea, and a Gentile; and, if thou neglect thy calling, thou art worse than a Jews."

EDITION.

The First Part of Jeronimo. With the Warres of Portugall, and the Life and Death of Don Andræa. Printed at London, for Thomas Pavyer, and are to be solde at his Shop, at the entrance into the Exchange. 1605. 4to.

7

THE

SPANISH TRAGEDY:

OR,

HIERONIMO IS MAD AGAIN.

This Play was the object of ridicule to almost every writer of the times. Philips and Winstanly ascribe it, but erroneously, to Thomas Smith. We learn from Heywood, that it was the production of Thomas Kyd; to whom, therefore, all the absurdities contained in it are to be charged. The former edition was printed from a very incorrect copy. It is here given from that published by Mr Hawkins, who appears to have accurately collated all the several editions; and the variations in each are put at the bottom of the page. We find, from Dekkar's Satiromastrix, that Ben Jonson originally performed the part of Jeronimo.

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Ghost. When this eternal substance of my soul Though not ignoble, yet inferior far Did live imprisoned in my ' wanton flesh,

To gracious fortunes of my tender youth

Wonted, 1618. 23. 33.

For there, in prime and pride of all my years,
By duteous service, and deserving love,
In secret I possest a worthy dame,
Which hight sweet Belimperia by name.
But, in the harvest of my 3 summer joys,
Death's winter nipt the blossoms of my bliss,
Forcing divorce betwixt my love and me:
For in the late conflict with Portingale,
My valour drew me into danger's mouth,
Till life to death made passage through my wounds.
When I was slain, my soul descended strait
To pass the flowing stream of Acheron ;
But churlish Charon, only boatman there,
Said, that, my rites of burial not performed,
I might not sit among his passengers.
Ere Sol had slept three nights in Thetis' lap,
And slak'd his smoking chariot in her flood,
By Don Horatio, our knight marshal's son,
My funerals and obsequies were done.
Then was the ferryman of hell content
To pass me over to the slimy strand,
That leads to fell Avernus' ugly waves;
There, pleasing Cerberus with honied speech,
I passed the perils of the foremost porch.
Not far from hence, amidst ten thousand souls,
Sat Minos, Æacus, and Rhadamant;
To whom no sooner 'gan I make approach,
To crave a passport for my wandering ghost,
But Minos, in graven leaves of lottery,
Drew forth the manner of my life and death.
This knight, quoth he, both lived and died in love;
And, for his love, tried fortune of the wars,
And by war's fortune lost both love and life.
Why then, said Eacus, convey him hence,
To walk with lovers in our fields of love,
And spend the course of everlasting time
Under green myrtle-trees, and cypress-shades.
No, no, said Rhadamant, it were not well,,
With loving souls to place a martialist:
He died in war, and must to martial fields,
Where wounded Hector lives in lasting pain,
And Achilles' myrmidons do scour the plain.
Then Minos, mildest censor of the three,
Made this device, to end the difference :
Send him, quoth he, to our infernal king,
To doom him as best seems his majesty.

To this effect my passport strait was drawn.
In keeping on my way to Pluto's court,
Through dreadful shades of ever glooming night,
I saw more sights than thousand tongues can tell,
Or pens can write, or mortal hearts can think.
Three ways there were: that on the right hand

side

8

Was ready way unto the 'foresaid fields,
Where lovers live, and bloody martialists;
But either sort contained within his bounds.
The left hand path, declining fearfully,
Was a ready downfal to the deepest hell;
Where bloody furies shake their whips of steel,
And poor Ixion turns an endless wheel;
Where usurers are choaked with melting gold,
And wantons are embraced with ugly snakes;
And murderers' groan with ever-killing wounds;
And perjured wights, scalded in boiling lead,
And all foul sins with torments overwhelmed.
'Twixt these two ways I trod the middle path,
Which brought me to the fair Elysian green;
In midst whereof there stands a stately tower,
The walls of brass, the gates of adamant :
Here finding Pluto with his Proserpine,
I shewed my passport, humbled on my knee;
Whereat fair Proserpine began to 10 smile,
"And begged that only she might give my doom.
Pluto was pleased, and sealed it with a kiss.
Forthwith, Revenge, she 12 rounded thee in th' ear,
And bade thee lead me through the 13 gates of
horn,

13

Where dreams have passage in the silent night. No sooner had she spoke, but we were here, 14I wot not how, in twinkling of an eye.

Rev. Then know, Andrea, that thou art arrived Where thou shalt see the author of thy death, Don Balthezar, the prince of Portingale, Deprived of life by Belimperia.

Here sit we down to see the mystery,
And serve for Chorus in this tragedy.

Enter Spanish King, General, Castile, and HIERONIMO.

King. Now say, lord general, how fares our camp?

2 There in the pride and prime, 1618. 23. 33.

4 Slackt, 1618.

6 Shapes of ever blooming night, 1618.- -Shades of ever blooming night, 1623. 33.

7 Field, 1618. 29. 33.

9 Murderers greeve, 1618

"I begg d, 1618. 28. 33.

3 Summer's, 1623. 33.

5 Censurer, 1618. 23. 33.

8 Fall down, 1618. 22. 33.

-Murderers green, 1623. 33.

10

smile.

12 Rounded thee in th' ear,i. e., whispered. So, in Gascoigne's Fable of Ferdinando Jeronimi, p. 202.: "After his due reverence, he layd his hande on her temples, and privilie rounding her in her eare, desired "her to commaunde," &c.

Euphues, p. 21.: "

Ferando entered, whome they all dutifully welcomed home, who, rounding

"Philautus in the eare, desired him to accompanie him immediatelye.'

See also Mr Steevens's Note on King John, A. 2. S. 2.

13 Gates of horn,-of Hor. second edition of Horror, 1618. 23. 33. For the Gates of horn. See Vir gil, B. VI. Sunt geminæ somni porta.-Note on Hawkins's Edition.

14 I wol not how.-See Note to Gammer Gurton's Needle.

Gen. All well, my sovereign liege, except some | While they maintain hot skirmish to and fro,

few

That are deceased by fortune of the war.
King. But what portends thy chearful coun-

tenance,

And posting to our presence thus in haste?
Speak, man; hath fortune given us victory?
Gen. Victory, my liege, and that with little loss.
King. Our Portingals will pay us tribute, then?
Gen. Tribute, and wonted homage therewithal.
King. Then blest be heaven, and guider of the
heavens,

From whose fair influence such justice flows.
Cast. O multum dilecte Deo, tibi militat ather,
Et conjurata curvuto poplite gentes
Succumbant: recti soror est victoria juris.
King. Thanks to my loving brother of Castile.
But, general, unfold in brief discourse
Your form of battle, and your war's success;
That, adding all the pleasure of thy news
Unto the height of former happiness,
With deeper wage, and greater dignity,
We 16 may reward thy blissful chivalry.

Gen. Where Spain and Portingale do jointly

knit

Their frontiers, leaning on each other's 17 bound,
There met our armies in their proud array;
Both furnished well; both full of hope and fear;
Both menacing alike, with daring shows;
Both vaunting sundry colours of device;
Both cheerly sounding trumpets, drums, and fifes;
Both raising dreadful clamours to the 18 sky,
That vallies, hills, and rivers, made rebound,
And heaven itself was frighted with the sound.
Our battles both were pitched in squadron-form,
Each corner strongly fenced with wings of shot;
But ere we joined, and came to push of pike,
I brought a squadron of our readiest shot,
From out our rearward, to begin the fight:
They brought another wing t'encounter us:
Meanwhile our ordnance played on either side,
And captains strove to have their 19 valours tried.
Don Pedro, their chief horsemen's colonel,
Did, with his 20 cornet, bravely make attempt
To break the order of our battle ranks :
But Don Rogero, worthy man of war,
Marched forth against him with our musketeers,
And stopt the malice of his fell approach.

21 Both battles join, and fall to handy-blows:
Their violent shot resembling th' ocean's rage,
When roaring loud, and with a swelling tide,
It beats upon the rampires of huge rocks,
And gapes to swallow neighbour-bounding lands.
Now 22 while Bellona rageth here and there,
Thick storms of bullets ran like winter's hail,
And shivered launces 23 dark the troubled air.

Pede pes, et cuspide cuspis,

Arma sonant armis, vir petiturque viro. On every side 24 drop captains to the ground, 25 And soldiers some ill maimed, some slain outright:

Here falls a body, sundered from his head,
There legs and arms lie bleeding on the grass,
Mingled with weapons, and 26 unbowell'd steeds,
That scattering overspread the purple plain.
In all this turmoil three long hours and more,
The victory to neither part inclined;
Till Don Andrea, with his brave launciers,
In 27 their main battle made so great a breach,
That, half dismayed, the multitude retired:
But Balthezar, the Portingale's young prince,
Brought rescue, and encouraged them to stay.
Here hence the fight was eagerly renewed,
And in that conflict was Andrea slain;
Brave man at arms, but weak to Balthezar:
Yet while the prince, insulting over him,
Breathed out proud vaunts, sounding to our re-
proach,

Friendship and hardy valour joined in one,
28 Pricked forth Horatio, our knight-marshal's son,
To challenge forth that prince to single fight:
Not long between these twain the fight endured,
But strait the prince was beaten from his horse,
And forced to yield him prisoner to his foe.
When he was taken, all the rest they fled,
And our carbines pursued them to the death;
Till, Phœbus waving to the western deep,
Our trumpeters were charged to sound retreat:
King. Thanks, good lord general, for these good

news;

And for some argument of more to come,
Take this, and wear it for thy sovereign's sake.
[Gives him a Chain;
But tell me now, hast thou confirmed a peace?

15 Pretends, 1618. 23. 33.

18 Skies, 1633.

16 Will, 1633.

19 Valour, 1618. 23. 83.

17 Bounds, 1623. 33. 20 Coronet, 1618. 22. 33.

21 Both battles join, and fall to handy-blows-This play, though not mentioned in the Key to The Rehearsal, seems to have been one of those ridiculed by the Duke of Buckingham in that witty performance. See A. 5.:

22

"The army, wrangling for the gold you gave,
"First fell to words, and then to handy-blows."

23 Dark'd, 1618, 23, 38.

24 Dropt, 1618. 23. 33. 26 Unbowed, 1618. 23. 33.

When, 1618. 23. 33. 25 And soldiers lie maim'd, 1618. 23. 33. 27 His, 1618. 28 Pickt, 1618.

And on every leader ten, that they may know
Our largess welcomes them-

[Exeunt all but BaltHezar, LORENZO,
and HORATIO.

Gen. No peace, my liege, but peace conditional, | We will bestow on every soldier two ducats, That if, with homage, tribute be 29 well paid, The fury of 30 your forces will be staid; And to 31 this peace their viceroy hath subscribed, [Gives the King a Paper. And made a solemn vow, that during life 32 His tribute shall be truly paid to Spain. King. These words, these deeds, become thy person well.

But now, knight-marshal, frolick with 33 thy king,
For 'tis thy son that wins 34 this battle's prize.
Hier. Long may be live to serve my sovereign
liege,

And soon decay, unless he serve my liege.
King. Nor thou, nor he, shall die without re-
ward.
[A 35 Tucket afar off.
What means this warning of the trumpet's sound?
Gen. This tells me, that your grace's men of

war,

Such as war's fortune hath reserved from death,
Come marching on towards your royal seat,
To shew themselves before your majesty;
For so I gave 36 in charge at my depart;
Whereby, by demonstration, shall appear
That all, except three hundred, or few more,
Are safe returned, and by their foes enriched.
The Army enters. 37 BALTHEZAR between Lo-
RENZO and HORATIO, captive.

King. A gladsome sight; I long to see them
here.
[They enter, and pass by.
Was that the warlike prince of Portingale,
That by our nephew was in triumph led?

Gen. It was, my liege, the prince of Portingale.
King. But what was he, that on the other side
Held him by th' arm, as partner of the prize?

Hier. That was my son, my gracious sovereign,
Of whom, though from his tender infancy
My loving thoughts did never hope but well,
He never pleased his father's eyes till now,
Nor filled my heart with over-cloying joys.

King. Go, let them march once more about
these walls,

That, staying them, we may confer and talk
With our brave prisoner and his double guard.
Hieronimo, it greatly pleaseth us
That in our victory thou have a share,
By virtue of thy worthy son's exploit.

Enter again.

Bring hither the young prince of Portingale,-
The rest march on; but, ere they be dismissed,

Welcome, Don Balthezar, welcome nephew ;-
And thou, Horatio, thou art welcome too.—
Young prince, although thy father's hard misdeeds,
In keeping back the tribute that he owes,
Deserve but evil measure at our hands,
Yet shalt thou know that Spain is honourable.
Bal. The tresspass that my father made in
peace

Is now controuled by fortune of the wars;
And cards once dealt, it boots not ask why so:
His men are slain, a weakening to 38 his realm;
His colours seized, a blot upon his name;
His son distrest, a cor'sive to his beart:
These punishments may clear his late offence.
King. Aye, Balthezar, if he 39 observe this
truce,

Our
peace will grow the stronger for these wars:
Mean while live thou, 40 though not in liberty,
Yet 4 free from bearing any servile yoke;
For, in our hearing, thy deserts were great,
And in our sight thyself art gracious.

Bal. And I shall study to deserve this grace.
King. But tell me, for their holding makes me
doubt,

To which of these twain art thou prisoner?
Lor. To me, my 42 liege.

Hor. To me, my sovereign.

Lor. This hand first took 43 his courser by the reins,

Hor. But first my lance did put him from his
horse.

Lor. I seized his weapon, and enjoyed it first.
Hor. But first I forced him lay his weapons

down.

King. Let go his arm, upon our privilege.—
[They let him go.

44 Say, worthy prince, to whether didst thou yield?
Bal. To him in courtesy, to this perforce;
He spake me fair, this other gave me strokes;
He promised life, this other threatened death;
He won my love, this other conquered me;
And, truth to say, I yield myself to both.

Hier. But that I know your grace for just and
wise,

And might seem partial in this difference,
Inforced by nature, and by law of arms,
My tongue shall plead for young Horatio's right:

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