Act 3 — [Scene II.][785]

Hier. O eyes! no eyes, but fountains fraught with tears; O life! no life, but lively form of death; O world! no world, but mass of public wrongs, Confus’d and fill’d with murder and misdeeds! O sacred heav’ns! if this unhallowed deed,5 If this inhuman and barbarous attempt, If this incomparable murder thus Of mine, but now no more my son, Shall unreveal’d and unrevenged pass, How should we term your dealings to be just,10 If you unjustly deal with those that in your justice trust? The night, sad secretary to my moans, With direful visions wake my vexed soul, And with the wounds of my distressful son Solicit me for notice of his death.15 The ugly fiends do sally forth of hell, And frame my steps to unfrequented paths, And fear my heart with fierce inflamed thoughts. The cloudy day my discontents records, Early begins to register my dreams,20 And drive me forth to seek the murderer. Eyes, life, world, heav’ns, hell, night, and day, See, search, shew, send some man, some mean, that may— A letter falleth. What’s here? a letter? Tush! it is not so!— A letter written to Hieronimo! 25 Red ink. “For want of ink, receive this bloody writ. Me hath my hapless brother hid from thee; Revenge thyself on Balthazar and him: For these were they that murdered thy son. Hieronimo, revenge Horatio’s death,30 And better fare than Bel-imperia doth.” What means this unexpected miracle? My son slain by Lorenzo and the prince! What cause had they Horatio to malign? Or what might move thee, Bel-imperia,35 To accuse thy brother, had he been the mean? Hieronimo, beware!—thou art betray’d, And to entrap thy life this train is laid. Advise thee therefore, be not credulous: This is devised to endanger thee,40 That thou, by this, Lorenzo shouldst accuse; And he, for thy dishonour done, should draw Thy life in question and thy name in hate. Dear was the life of my beloved son, And of his death behoves me be reveng’d;45 Then hazard not thine own, Hieronimo, But live t’ effect thy resolution. I therefore will by circumstances[786] try, What I can gather to confirm this writ; And, heark’ning near the Duke of Castile’s house,50 Close, if I can, with Bel-imperia, To listen more, but nothing to bewray. Enter Pedringano. Now, Pedringano! Ped. Now, Hieronimo! Hier. Where ’s thy lady? Ped. I know not; here ’s my lord.

Lor. How now, who’s this? Hieronimo? Hier. My lord. Ped. He asketh for my lady Bel-imperia.56 Lor. What to do, Hieronimo? The duke, my father, hath Upon some disgrace awhile remov’d her hence; But, if it be ought I may inform her of, Tell me, Hieronimo, and I’ll let her know it.60 Hier. Nay, nay, my lord, I thank you; it shall not need. I had a suit unto her, but too late, And her disgrace makes me unfortunate. Lor. Why so, Hieronimo? Use me. Hier. O no, lord, I dare not; it must not be.65 I humbly thank your lordship. [787][Hier. Who? You, my lord? I reserve your favour for a greater honour; This is a very toy, my lord, a toy. Lor. All’s one, Hieronimo, acquaint me with it. Hier. I’ faith, my lord, it is an idle thing;70 I must confess I ha’ been too slack, too tardy, Too remiss unto your honour. Lor. How now, Hieronimo? Hier. In troth, my lord, it is a thing of nothing: The murder of a son, or so—— A thing of nothing, my lord!] Lor. Why then, farewell.75 Hier. My grief no heart, my thoughts no tongue can tell. Exit. Lor. Come hither, Pedringano, see’st thou this? Ped. My lord, I see it, and suspect it too. Lor. This is that damned villain Serberine That hath, I fear, reveal’d Horatio’s death.80 Ped. My lord, he could not, ’t was so lately done; And since he hath not left my company. Lor. Admit he have not, his condition’s such, As fear or flattering words may make him false. I know his humour, and therewith repent85 That e’er I us’d him in this enterprise. But, Pedringano, to prevent the worst, And ’cause I know thee secret as my soul, Here, for thy further satisfaction, take thou this, Gives him more gold. And hearken to me—thus it is devis’d:90 This night thou must (and, prithee, so resolve), Meet Serberine at Saint Luigi’s Park— Thou know’st ’t is here hard by behind the house; There take thy stand, and see thou strike him sure, For die he must, if we do mean to live.95 Ped. But how shall Serberine be there, my lord? Lor. Let me alone; I ’ll send to him to meet The prince and me, where thou must do this deed. Ped. It shall be done, my lord, it shall be done; And I ’ll go arm myself to meet him there.100 Lor. When things shall alter, as I hope they will, Then shalt thou mount for this; thou know’st my mind. Exit Pedringano. Che le Ieron![788]

Page. My lord? Lor. Go, sirrah, To Serberine, and bid him forthwith meet The prince and me at Saint Luigi’s Park,105 Behind the house; this evening, boy! Page. I go, my lord. Lor. But, sirrah, let the hour be eight o’clock: Bid him not fail. Page. I fly, my lord. Exit. Lor. Now to confirm the complot thou hast cast Of all these practices, I ’ll spread the watch,110 Upon precise commandment from the king, Strongly to guard the place where Pedringano This night shall murder hapless Serberine. Thus must we work that will avoid distrust; Thus must we practise to prevent mishap,115 And thus one ill another must expulse. This sly enquiry of Hieronimo For Bel-imperia breeds suspicion, And this suspicion bodes a further ill. As for myself, I know my secret fault,120 And so do they; but I have dealt for them: They that for coin their souls endangered, To save my life, for coin shall venture theirs; And better it ’s that base companions[789] die Than by their life to hazard our good haps.125 Nor shall they live, for me to fear their faith: I ’ll trust myself, myself shall be my friend; For die they shall,— Slaves are ordained to no other end. Exit.