2 Sold. Agreed.

Phil. We'll beat 'em to hell gate; shall we? hah!

2 Sold. Hell gate's somewhat too hot, somewhat too hot; the porter's a knave: I'd be loath to be damn'd for my conscience; I'll knock any body's costard, so I knock not there, my lord ; hell gates!

Phil. A pox upon such slaves!

1 Sold. Hang him, a peasant: my lord, you see I am but a scrag; my lord, my legs are not of the biggest, nor the least, nor the best that e'er were stood upon, nor the worst; but they are of God's making; and for your sake, if ever we put our enemies to flight again, by Gad's-lid, if I run not after them like a tiger, hoffe me.

Phil. But wilt thou stand to't ere they fly? ha! wilt thou?

1 Sold, Will I, quoth-a! by this hand and the honour of a scldier.

Phil. And by a soldier's honour I will load thee
With Spanish pistolets: to have this head,
Thy face, and all thy body stuck with scars,
Why 'tis a sight more glorious than to see
A lady hung with diamonds. If thou lose
A hand, I'll send this after; if an arm,

I'll lend thee one of mine; come then, let's fight.
A mangled, lame, true soldier is a gem
Worth Cæsar's empire, though fools spurn at them.

1 Sold. Yet, my lord, I have seen lame soldiers not worth the crutches they leant upon; hands and arms quoth-he! zounds, not I: I'll double my files, or stand centry, or so; but I'll

be hanged and quartered before I'll have my members cut off.

2 Sold. And I too, hold thee there.

[Beats them both in.

Phil. Hold you both there; away, you rogues,

you dirt;

Thus do I tread upon you; out, begone!

One valiant is an host, fight then alone.

Enter CARDINAL, ALVERO, CHRISTOFERO, and SOLDIERS.

Card. Prince Philip.

Phil. For the crown of Spain, come all.
Card. We come in love and peace.

Phil. But come in war;

Bring naked swords, not laurel boughs; in peace! Plague on your rank peace! will you fight and

cry,

Down with the Moor? and then I'm yours; I'll die. I have a heart, two arms, a soul, a head;

I'll lay that down; I'll venture all; s'foot, all! Come tread upon me, so that Moor may fall.' Card. By heaven, that Moor shall fall.

Phil. Thy hand and thine.

[Flings down his weapons.

Give me but half your hearts, you have all mine;

By heaven, shall he fall?

Card. Yes, upon thee,

Like to the ruins of a tower, to grind

Thy body into dust. Traitor and bastard,

I do arrest thee of high treason.

Phil. Hah!

Traitor and bastard! and by thee! my weapons.

Card. Lay hands upon him!

Phil. Ah! you're best do so.

Card. Alvero, there's the warrant; to your

Phil. Heart! heart! heart! heart!

[Tears the warrant.

The devil and his dam, the Moor and my mother, Their warrant! I will not obey: old grey beard, Thou shalt not be my jailer; there's no prison, No dungeon deep enough, no grates so strong, That can keep in a man so mad with wrong. What, dost thou weep?

Alv. I would fain shed a tear,

But from mine eyes so many show'rs are gone; Grief drinks my tears so fast, that here's not one. You must to prison.

Phil. Dost thou speak to me?

Alv. You must to prison.

Phil. And from thence to death.

I thought I should have had a tomb hung round With tatter'd colours, broken spears; I thought My body should have fallen down full of wounds; But one can kill an emperor, fool, then why Would'st thou have many? Curse, be mad, and [Exeunt.

die.

1

ACT V. SCENE I.

Enter RODERIGO and CHRISTOFERO; two bareheaded before them; CARDINAL alone; ZARACK and BALTAZAR bearing the Crown on a Cushion; ELEAZAR next; QUEEN MOTHER after him; other LORDS after her; ALVERO, sad, meets them.

Card. Alvero, 'tis the pleasure of the king, Of the Queen Mother, and these honoured states, To ease you of Philip; there's a warrant Sent to remove him to a stronger guard.

Alv. I thank you, you shall rid me of much care. Eleaz. Sit down, and take your place.

Alv. If I might have the place I like best, It should be my grave.

[Sits down. [The Moors stand aside with the crown: Eleazar, rising, takes it.

Eleaz. Stand in voice reach, away!

Both Moors. We are gone.

[Exeunt.

Eleaz. Princes of Spain, if in this royal court

There sit a man, that having laid his hold
So fast on such a jewel, and dare wear it
In the contempt of envy, as I dare,

Yet uncompell❜d (as freely as poor pilgrims
Bestow their prayers) would give such wealth

away;

Let such a man step forth;-what, do none rise? No, no, for kings indeed are deities;

And who'd not (as the sun) in brightness shine?

To be the greatest is to be divine.

Who among millions, would not be the mightiest?
To sit in godlike state; to have all eyes
Dazzled with admiration, and all tongues
Shouting loud prayers; to rob every heart
Of love; to have the strength of every arm:
A sovereign's name, why 'tis a sovereign charm.
This glory round about me hath thrown beams:
I have stood upon the top of fortune's wheel,
And backward turn'd the iron screw of fate.
The destinies have spun a silken thread
About my life; yet, noble Spaniards, see
Hoc tantum tanti, thus I cast aside
The shape of majesty, and on my knee,
[Kneels: the Cardinal fetches the crown and
sets it on the chair.

To this imperial state lowly resign
This usurpation; wiping off your fears
Which stuck so hard upon me; let a hand,
A right and royal hand, take up this wreath
And guard it; right is of itself most strong;
No kingdom got by cunning can stand long.
Card. Proceed to new election of a king.
All. Agreed.

Eleaz. Stay, peers of Spain! if young Philippo
Be Philip's son, then is he Philip's heir ;
Then must his royal name be set in gold;
Philip is then the diamond to that ring;
But if he be a bastard, here's his seat,
For baseness has no gall till it grow great:
First, therefore, let him blood if he must bleed,
Yet in what vein you strike him best take heed;
The Portugal's his friend; you saw he came,