Of Collatine's fair wife, yet shall thou be
No Lucrece, nor thy king a Roman slave,
To make rude villany thine honour's grave.

MARIA. Why from my bed have you thus frighted me?

KING. To let thee view a bloody horrid tragedy. MARIA. Begin it then, I'll gladly lose my life, Rather than be an emperor's concubine.

KING. By my high birth, I swear thou shalt be

none;

The tragedy I'll write with my own hand,
A king shall act it, and a king shall die,
Except sweet mercy's beam shine from thine
If this affright thee it shall sleep for ever.
If still thou hate me, thus this noble blade,
This royal purple temple shall invade.

eye.

MARIA. My husband is from hence, for his sake spare me.

KING. Thy husband is no Spaniard; thou art one; So is Fernando; then for country's sake,

Let me not spare thee: on thy husband's face,
Eternal night in gloomy shades doth dwell;
But I'll look on thee like the gilded sun,

When to the west his fiery horses run.

MARIA. True; here you look on me with sunset eyes,

For by beholding you my glory dies.

KING. Call me thy morning then, for like the morn,

In pride Maria shall through Spain be borne.

[Music plays within.

This music I prepar'd to please thine ears* :
Love me, and thou shalt hear no other sounds.
[A banquet brought in.

Lo, here's a banquet set with mine own hands;
Love me, and thus I'll feast thee like a queen.
I might command thee, being thy sovereign;
But love me, and I'll kneel and sue to thee,
And circle this white forehead with the crown
Of Castile, Portugal, and Arragon,

And all those petty kingdoms which do bow
Their tributary knees to Philip's heir.

MARIA. I cannot love you whilst my husband
lives.

KING. I'll send him to the wars, and in the front Of some main army shall he nobly die.

MARIA. I cannot love you if you murder him. KING. For thy sake then I'll call a Parliament, And banish, by a law, all Moors from Spain.

MARIA. I'll wander with him into banishment. KING. It shall be death for any Negro's hand To touch the beauty of a Spanish dame. Come, come, what needs such cavils with a king? Night blinds all jealous eyes, and we may play; Carouse that bowl to me, I'll pledge all this; Being down, we'll make it more sweet with a kiss.

* In the old editions this line reads, " This music I prepar'd thine ears." The omission has been supplied and correctly by the Editor of the Ancient Drama, but he has at the same time introduced an error into the line by substituting was for I.

Old English Plays.

Begin, I'll lock all doors, begin Spain's queen,
[Locks the doors.

Love's banquet is most sweet when 'tis least seen.
MARIA. Oh! thou conserver of my honour's life,
Instead of poisoning him, drown him in sleep;
Because I'll quench the flames of wild desire,
I'll drink this off; let fire conquer love's fire.

KING. Were love himself in real substance here,
Thus would I drink him down; let your sweet strings
Speak louder; pleasure is but a slave to kings,
In which love swims. Maria, kiss thy king:
Circle me in this ring of ivory;

Oh! I grow dull, and the cold hand of sleep
Hath thrust his icy fingers in my breast,
And made a frost within me: sweet, one kiss,
To thaw this deadness that congeals my soul.
MARIA. Your majesty hath over-watch'd yourself.
He sleeps already, not the sleep of death,
But a sweet slumber which the powerful drug
Instill'd through all his spirits. Oh! bright day,
Bring home my dear lord ere his king awake,
Else of his unstain'd bed he'll shipwreck make.

[Offers to go.

Enter OBERON, and FAIRIES dancing before him; and music with them.

MARIA. Oh me! what shapes are these!

OBER. Stay, stay, Maria.

MARIA. My sovereign lord awake, save poor Maria.
OBER. He cannot save thee, save that pain;

Before he wake thou shalt be slain :

His mother's hand shall stop thy breath,
Thinking her own son is done to death:
And she that takes away thy life,
Does it to be thy husband's wife:
Adieu, Maria! we must hence;
Embrace thine end with patience;
Elves and fairies make no stand,

Till you come in fairy land.

[Exeunt dancing and singing. MARIA. Fairies or devils, whatsoe'er you be, Thus will I hide me from your company.

· [Offers to go.

To her enter the QUEEN MOTHER suddenly with ALVERO and RODERIGO, with rapiers.

Q. Mo. Lay hold upon the strumpet! where's the king?

Fernando! son! ah, me! your king is dead!
Lay hands upon the murd❜ress!

MARIA. Imperious queen,

I am as free from murder as thyself!
Which I will prove, if you will hear me speak.

The king is living.

ROD. If he liv'd his breath would beat within his breast.

Q. Mo. The life he leads, Maria, thou shalt soon

participate.

MARIA. Oh, father! save me!

ALV. Thou'rt no child of mine.

Had'st thou been owner of Alvero's spirit,

Thy heart would not have entertain❜d a thought

That had convers'd with murder: yet mine eyes, (Howe'er my tongue wants words), brim-full with tears, Intreat her further trial.

Q. Mo. To what end?

Here lies her trial; from this royal breast
Hath she stolen all comfort; all the life
Of every bosom in the realm of Spain.

ROD. She's both a traitor and murd'ress.
Q. Mo. I'll have her forthwith strangled.
ALV. Hear her speak!

Q. Mo. To heaven let her complain if she have

wrong,

I murder but the murd'ress of my son.

ALL. We murder the murdress of our king.

[They prepare to strangle her.

ALV. Ah, me! my child! oh! oh, cease your torturing!

MARIA. Heaven ope your windows, that my spotless soul,

Riding upon the wings of innocence,

May enter Paradise! Fairies, farewell!

Fernando's death in mine you did foretell.

[She dies: the King wakes. KING. Who calls Fernando? Love! Maria, speak! O whither art thou fled? Whence flow these waters, That fall like winter storms from the drown'd eyes? ALV. From my Maria's death.

KING. My Maria dead!

Damn'd be the soul to hell that stop'd her breath.
Maria! oh, me! who durst murder her?