(SCENE 5.)

Enter Don Ferdinando, the Teniente, with attendants; Bustamente brought in with a Guard.

Fer. Francisco Bustamente, late Captaine of the Castle, Stand forth accusd of Treason gainst his Maiesty.

Bust. It is a language I not understand And but that by the rule of loyalty Unto my king and country I am made Attendant to the Law, & in this honourd Presence, the Governour & Teniente, Under whose jurisdiction I hold place, I would not beare nor heare it.

Fer. I'de be glad You could as easily acquitt your selfe Of guilt as stand up in your owne defence; But, Bustamente, when it doth appeare To law & reason, on which law is grounded, Your great offence in daring to betray The Spanish honour unto Infamy, In yeilding up the fort on such slight cause, You can no lesse then yeild yourselfe most guilty.

Bust. Farre be it from your thought, my honourd Lord, To wrest the hazardous fortune of the warre Into the bloudyer censure of the Law. Was it my fault that in the first assault The Canoniers were slayne, whereby our strength, Our mayne offensive strength, was quite defeated And our defensive part so much enfeebled That possibility to subsist was lost, Or by resistance to preserve one life? While there was sparke of hope I did maintayne The fight with fiery resolution And (give me leave to speake it) like a Sodier.

Ten. To my seeming your resolution Was forwardest to yeild then to repell; You had else stood longer out.

Bust. We stood the losse of most of our best men, And of our musketiers no lesse then fifty Fell by the adverse shott; whose bodyes with their armes Were cast by my directions downe a well Because their armes should neyther arme our foes Nor of our losse the sight give them encouragement.

Fer. That pollicy pleades no excuse; you yet Had men enough, had they bene soldiers, Fit for a Leaders Justification. And doe not we know that 6 score at least Of those base Picaros with which you stuff'd The fort, to feed, not fight,—unworthy of The name of Spanyards, much lesse of soldiers— At once ran all away like sheep together, Having but ore the walls descryde th'approach Of th'Enemy? Some of the feare-spurrd villaines Were overturnd by slaughter in their flight, Others were taken & are sure to find Our lawes as sharpe as either Sword or Bullet. For your part, Bustamente, for that you have Done heretofore more for your Countryes love, You shall not doubt of honourable tryall, Which in the Court of warre shalbe determind, At Sherris, whitherward you instantly Shall with a guard be sent.—See't done: away.

Bust. The best of my desire is to obey.

[Exit with a Guard.

Enter Don John, Pike (with his face wounded}, a Guard of musketts.

Fer. Whence is that soldier?

1. Of England.

Jo. Or of hell.

1. It was our chance to come unto the rescue Of this renowned knight, Don John, Who was his prisoner as he now is ours. Some few more of his mates we shott & slew That were (out of their English liquorishness) Bold to robb orchards of forbidden fruite.

2. It was a fine ambition; they would have thought Themselves as famous as their Countryman That putt a girdle[25] round about the world, Could they have said, at their returne to England, Unto their Sons, "Looke Boyes; this fruite your father With his adventurous hands in Spayne did gather."

Fer. 'Tis a goodly fellow.

1. Had you not better have gone home without Lymons to eate Capons with your frends then to stay here without Capons to taste Lymons with us that you call Enemyes?

Pike. I could better fast with a noble Enemy then feast with unworthy frends.

Fer. How came he by these woundes?

Pike. Not by noble Enemyes: this on my face By this proud man, yet not more proud then base; For, when my hands were in a manner bound, I having given him life, he gave this wound.

Fer. 'Twas unadvisd.

Ten. The more unmanly done: And though, Don John, by law y'are not accusd, He being a common Enemy, yet being a man You in humanity are not excusd.

Jo. It was my fury & thirst of revenge.

Fer. Reason & manhood had become you better; Your honour's wounded deeper then his flesh. Yet we must quitt your person & committ The Englishman to prison.

Ten. To prison with him; but let best care be taken For the best surgeons, that his wounds be look'd to.

Pike. Your care is noble, and I yeild best thankes; And 'tis but need, I tell your Seignioryes, For I have one hurt more then you have seene, As basely given & by a baser person: A Flemming seeing me led a prisoner Cryde, "Whither doe you lead that English dog, Kill, kill him!" cryde hee, "he's no Christian;" And ran me in the bodie with his halbert At least four inches deepe.

Fer. Poore man, I pitty thee.—But to the prison with him.

Ten. And let him be carefully lookt to.

[Exeunt omnes.

Actus Tertius.