PED. Alas, my lord, since Don Andrea's death I have no credit with her as before, And therefore know not if she love or no.

LOR. Nay, if thou dally, then I am thy foe, And fear shall force what friendship cannot win.

Thy death shall bury what thy life conceals.

Thou die'st for more esteeming her than me!

[Draws his sword.]

PED. Oh stay, my lord!

LOR. Yet speak the truth, and I will guerdon thee And shield thee from whatever can ensue, And will conceal whate'er proceeds from thee; But, if thou dally once again, thou diest!

PED. If madame Bel-imperia be in love--

LOR. What, villain! ifs and ands?

PED. Oh stay, my lord! she loves Horatio!

BALTHAZAR starts back.

LOR. What! Don Horatio, our knight-marshall's son?

PED. Even him, my lord.

LOR. Now say but how know'st thou he is her love, And thou shalt find me kind and liberal.

Stand up, I say, and fearless tell the truth.

PED. She sent him letters,--which myself perus'd,-- Full-fraught with lines and arguments of love, Preferring him before Prince Balthazar.

LOR. Swear on this cross that what thou say'st is true, And that thou wilt conceal what thou hast told.

PED. I swear to both, by him that made us all.

LOR. In hope thine oath is true, here's thy reward.

But, if I prove thee perjur'd and unjust, This very sword whereon thou took'st thine oath Shall be the worker of thy tragedy.

PED. What I have said is true, and shall, for me, Be still conceal'd from Bel-imperia.

Besides, your Honour's liberality Deserves my duteous service ev'n till death.

LOR. Let this be all that thou shall do for me: Be watchful when and where these lovers meet, And give me notice in some secret sort.

PED. I will, my lord.

LOR. Then thou shalt find that I am liberal.

Thou know'st that I can more advance thy state Than she: be therefore wise and fail me not.

Go and attend her as thy custom is, Least absence make her think thou dost amiss.

Exit PEDRINGANO.

Why, so, Tam armis quam ingenio: Where words prevail not, violence prevails.

But gold doth more than either of them both.

How likes Prince Balthazar this stratagem?

BAL. Both well and ill; it makes me glad and sad: Glad, that I know the hind'rer of my love; Sad, that I fear she hates me whom I love; Glad, that I know on whom to be reveng'd; Sad, that she'll fly me if I take revenge.

Yet must I take revenge or die myself; For love resisted grows impatient.

I think Horatio be my destin'd plague: First, in his hand he brandished a sword, And with that sword he fiercely waged war, And in that war he gave me dangerous wounds, And by those wounds he forced me to yield, And by my yielding I became his slave; Now, in his mouth he carries pleasing words, Which pleasing words do harbour sweet conceits, Which sweet conceits are lim'd with sly deceits, Which sly deceits smooth Bel-imperia's ears, And through her ears dive down into her heart, And in her heart set him, where I should stand.

Thus hath he ta'en my body by his force, And now by sleight would captivate my soul; But in his fall I'll tempt the Destinies, And either lose my life or win my love.

LOR. Let's go, my lord; our staying stays revenge.

Do but follow me, and gain your love; Her favour must be won by his remove.

Exeunt.

[ACT II. SCENE 2.]

[The Duke's Castle]

Enter HORATIO and BEL-IMPERIA.

HOR. Now, madame, since by favour of your love Our hidden smoke is turn'd to open flame, And that with looks and words we feed our thought,-- Two chief contents where more cannot be had,-- Thus in the midst of love's fair blandishments Why show you sign of inward languishments?

PEDRINGANO showeth all to the PRINCE and LORENZO, placing them in secret.

BEL. My heart, sweet friend, is like a ship at sea: She wisheth port, where, riding all at ease, She may repair what stormy times have worn, And, leaning on the sh.o.r.e, may sing with joy That pleasure follows pain, and bliss annoy.

Possession of thy love is th' only port Wherein my heart, with fears and hopes long toss'd, Each hour doth wish and long to make resort, There to repair the joys that it hath lost, And, sitting safe, to sing in Cupid's choir That sweetest bliss is crown of love's desire.

BALTHAZAR, above.

BAL. O sleep, mine eyes; see not my love profan'd!

Be deaf, my ears; hear not my discontent!

Die, heart; another joys what thou deserv'st!

LOR. Watch still, mine eyes, to see this love disjoin'd!

Hear still, mine ears, to hear them both lament!

Live, heart, to joy at fond Horatio's fall!

BEL. Why stands Horatio speechless all this while?

HOR. The less I speak, the more I meditate.

BEL. But whereon dost thou chiefly meditate?

HOR. On dangers past and pleasures to ensue.

BAL. On pleasures past and dangers to ensue!

BEL. What dangers and what pleasures dost thou mean?