His wife, that keeps me from his marriage bed,
Shall by this hand of mine be murdered.

KING. This storm is well nigh past; the swelling

clouds

That hang so full of treason, by the wind

Of awful majesty are scattered. Then each man to his rest. friend!

Good night, sweet

[Aside.] Whilst thou pursu'st the traitors that are

fled,

Fernando means to warm thy marriage bed. [Exeunt.

ELEAZ. Many good nights consume and damn your

souls!

I know he means to cuckold me this night,

Yet do I know no means to hinder it:
Besides, who knows whether the lustful king,
Having my wife and castle at command,
Will ever make surrender back again?
But if he do not, with my falchion's point
I'll lance those swelling veins, in which hot lust
Does keep his revels; and with that warm blood,
Where Venus' bastard cool'd his swelt'ring spleen,
Wash the disgrace from Eleazar's brow.
Enter MARIA.

MARIA. Dear Eleazar!

ELEAZ. If they lock the gates,

I'll toss a ball of wild-fire o'er the walls.
MARIA. Husband! sweet husband!
ELEAZ. Or else swim o'er the moat,

And make a breach through the flinty sides.

Of the rebellious walls.

MARIA. Hear me, dear heart!

ELEAZ. Or undermine the chamber where they lie, And by the violent strength of gunpowder, Blow up the castle and th' incestuous couch, In which lust wallows; but my labouring thoughts, Wading too deep in bottomless extremes,

Do drown themselves in their own stratagems. MARIA. Sweet husband! dwell not upon circumstance,

When weeping sorrow, like an advocate,
Importunes you for aid; look in mine eye,
There you shall see dim grief swimming in tears
Oh, succour!

Invocating succour.

ELEAZ. Succour! zounds! for what?

MARIA. To shield me from Fernando's unchaste love,

Who with uncessant prayers importun'd me

ELEAZ. To lie with you! I know't.

MARIA. Then seek some means how to prevent it.

ELEAZ. 'Tis possible!

For to the end that his unbridled lust

Might have more free access unto thy bed,

This night he hath enjoined me

To fetch back Philip and the cardinal.

MARIA. Then this ensuing night shall give an end

To all my sorrows; for before foul lust

Shall soil the fair complexion of mine honour,

This hand shall rob Maria of her life.

ELEAZ. Not so, dear soul! for in extremities
Choose out the least: and ere the hand of death
Should suck this ivory palace of thy life,

Embrace my counsel, and receive this poison;
Which, in the instant he attempts thy love,
Then give it him: do, do,

Do poison him; [aside.] he gone, thou'rt next.
Be sound in resolution, and farewell!

[Aside.] By one, and one, I'll ship you all to hell.
Spain, I will drown thee with thine own proud blood,
Then make an ark of carcases: farewell!
Revenge and I will sail in blood to hell.

[Exit.

MARIA. Poison the king! alas, my trembling hand Would let the poison fall; and through my cheeks Fear, suited in a bloodless livery,

Would make the world acquainted with my guilt.
But thanks prevention, I have found a means,
Both to preserve my royal sovereign's life,

And keep myself a true and loyal wife.

[Exit.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

Enter QUEEN MOTHER with a torch.

Q. Mo. Fair eldest child of love, thou spotless

night,

Empress of silence, and the queen of sleep,

Who with thy black cheeks pure complexion,

Mak'st lovers eyes enamour'd of thy beauty,

Thou art like my Moor! therefore will I adore thee For lending me this opportunity,

Oh! with the soft-skin'd negro. Heavens, keep back The saucy staring day from the world's eye,

Until my Eleazar make return:

Then, in his castle shall he find his wife

Transform'd into a strumpet by my son:

Then shall he hate her whom he would not kill;
Then shall I kill her whom I cannot love.
The king is sporting with his concubine;
Blush not, my boy, be bold like me thy mother;
But their delights torture my soul like devils,
Except her shame be seen; wherefore, awake!
Christophero! Roderigo! raise the court!
Arise, you peers of Spain! Alvero rise,
Preserve your country from base infamies!

Enter at several doors, with lights and rapiers drawn, ALVERO, RODERIGO, and CHRISTOPHERO, with others.

ALL. Who rais'd these exclamations through the court?

Q. Mo. Sheath up your swords; you need not swords, but eyes

To intercept this treason.

ALV. What's the treason?

Who are traitors? ring the larum bell!

Cry arm through all the city! once before

The horrid cry of treason did affright
Our sleeping spirits.

Q. Mo. Stay;

You need not cry arm, arm; for this black deed
Works treason to your king, to me, to you,
To Spain, and all that shall in Spain ensue.
This night Maria (Eleazar's wife)

Hath drawn the king by her lascivious looks
Privately to a banquet; I unseen,

Stood and beheld him in her lustful arms;
O God! shall bastards wear Spain's diadem?
If you can kneel to baseness, vex them not;

If

you disdain to kneel, wash off this blot.

ROD. Let's break into the chamber, and surprise

her.

ALV. Oh, miserable me! do, do, break in;
My country shall not blush at my child's sin.
Q. Mo. Delay is nurse to danger, follow me;
Come you and witness to her villany.

ALV. Hapless Alvero, how art thou undone,
In a light daughter, and a stubborn son !

SCENE II.

[Exeunt omnes.

Enter the KING with his rapier drawn in one hand, leading MARIA, seeming affrighted, in the other. MARIA. Oh! kill me ere you stain my chastity. KING. My hand holds death, but love sits in mine

eye.

Exclaim not, dear Maria, do but hear me:
Though thus in dead of night, as I do now,
The lustful Tarquin stole to the chaste bed