ACT I., SCENE 1.

_Enter_ ZARACK, BALTHAZAR, _two Moors, taking tobacco; music sounding within_. _Enter_ QUEEN-MOTHER OF SPAIN _with two_ PAGES. ELEAZAR, _sitting on a chair, suddenly draws the curtain_.[51]

ELE. On me does music spend this sound! on me, That hate all unity! ah, Zarack! [ah,] Balthazar!

QUEEN-M. My gracious lord.

ELE. Are you there with your beagles! hark, you slaves! Did not I bind you on your lives to watch That none disturb'd us?

QUEEN-M. Gentle Eleazar.

ELE. There, off: is't you that deaf me with this noise?

[_Exeunt two Moors._

QUEEN-M. Why is my love's aspA"ct so grim and horrid? Look smoothly on me; Chime out your softest strains of harmony, And on delicious music's silken wings Send ravishing delight to my love's ears, That he may be enamoured of your tunes. Come, let's kiss.

ELE. Away, away!

QUEEN-M. No, no says ay; and twice away says stay: Come, come, I'll have a kiss; but if you strive, For one denial you shall forfeit five.

ELE. Nay, prythee, good queen, leave me; I am now sick and heavy, dull[52] as lead.

QUEEN-M. I'll make thee lighter by taking something from thee.

ELE. Do: take from me this ague and these fits That, hanging on me, Shake me in pieces, and set all my blood A-boiling with the fire of rage: away, away! Thou believ'st I jest, And laugh'st to see My wrath wear antic shapes! Begone, begone!

QUEEN-M. What means my love? Burst all those wires, burn all those instruments; For they displease my Moor. Art thou now pleas'd? Or wert thou now disturb'd? I'll wage all Spain To one sweet kiss, this is some new device To make me fond and long. O, you men Have tricks to make poor women die for you.

ELE. What, die for me? away!

QUEEN-M. Away, what way? I prythee, speak more kindly; Why dost thou frown? at whom?

ELE. At thee.

QUEEN-M. At me! O, why at me? For each contracted frown A crooked wrinkle interlines my brow: Spend but one hour in frowns, and I shall look Like to a beldame of one hundred years. I prythee, speak to me, and chide me not. I prythee, chide, if I have done amiss; But let my punishment be this and this.

[_Kiss._

I prythee, smile on me, if but awhile, Then frown on me, I'll die: I prythee, smile. Smile on me, and these two wanton boys, These pretty lads that do attend on me, Shall call thee Jove, shall wait upon thy cup, And fill thee nectar: their enticing eyes Shall serve as crystal, wherein thou may'st see To dress thyself, if thou wilt smile on me. Smile on me, and with coronets of pearl And bells of gold, circling their pretty arms, In a round ivory fount these two shall swim, And dive to make thee sport: Bestow one smile, one little, little smile, And in a net of twisted silk and gold In my all-naked arms thyself shall lie.

ELE. Why, what to do? Lust's arms do stretch so wide That none can fill them. I lie there? away![53]

QUEEN-M. Where hast thou learn'd this language, that can say No more but two rude words, _away, away_? Am I grown ugly now?

ELE. Ugly as hell.

QUEEN-M. Thou lov'dst me once.

ELE. That can thy bastards tell.

QUEEN-M. What is my sin? I will amend the same.

ELE. Hence, strumpet! use of sin makes thee past shame.

QUEEN-M. Strumpet!

ELE. Ay, strumpet.

QUEEN-M. Too true 'tis, woe is me; I am a strumpet, but made so by thee.

ELE. By me! No, no, by these young bawds: fetch thee a glass, And thou shalt see the balls of both thine eyes Burning in fire of lust. By me! There's here, Within this hollow cistern of thy breast, A spring of hot blood: have not I, to cool it, Made an extraction to the quintessence Even of my soul: melted all my spirits, Ravish'd my youth, deflow'r'd my lovely cheeks, And dried this, this to an anatomy, Only to feed your lust?--these boys have ears--

[_In a whisper._]

Yet wouldst thou murder me.

QUEEN-M. I murder thee!

ELE. I cannot ride through the Castilian streets But thousand eyes, through windows and through doors, Throw killing looks at me; and every slave At Eleazar darts a finger out, And every hissing tongue cries, "There's the Moor; That's he that makes a cuckold of our king; There goes the minion of the Spanish queen; That's the black prince of devils; there goes he That on smooth boys, on masques and revellings, Spend[s] the revenues of the King of Spain." Who arms this many-headed beast but you? Murder and lust are twins, and both are thine. Being weary of me, thou wouldst worry me, Because some new love makes thee loathe thine old.

QUEEN-M. Eleazar!

ELE. Harlot, I'll not hear thee speak.

QUEEN-M. I'll kill myself unless thou hear'st me speak. My husband-king upon his deathbed lies, Yet have I stol'n from him to look on thee: A queen hath made herself thy concubine, Yet dost thou now abhor me; hear me speak, Else shall my sons plague thy adult'rous wrongs, And tread upon thy heart for murdering me: This tongue hath murder'd me. Cry murder, boys.

[_The_ QUEEN _shouts_.]

TWO BOYS. Murder! the queen's murder'd!

ELE. Love, slaves, peace!

TWO BOYS. Murder! the queen's murder'd!

ELE. Stop your throats! Hark! hush, you squaller. Dear love, look up: Our chamber-window stares into the court, And every wide-mouth'd ear, hearing this news, Will give alarum to the cuckold king: I did dissemble when I chid my love, And that dissembling was to try my love.

QUEEN-M. Thou call'dst me strumpet.

ELE. I'll tear out my tongue From this black temple for blaspheming thee.

QUEEN-M. And when I woo'd thee but to smile on me, Thou cri'dst away, away, and frown'dst upon me.

ELE. Come, now I will kiss thee; now I'll smile upon thee; Call to thy ashy cheeks their wonted red; Come, frown not, pout not; smile, smile upon me, And with my poniard will I stab my flesh, And quaff carouses to thee of my blood; Whilst in moist nectar kisses thou dost pledge me. How now, why star'st thou thus?

[_Knock._

_Enter_ ZARACK.

ZAR. The king is dead!

ELE. Ah, dead! [ah, dead!] You hear this? Is't true, is't true? The king [is] dead! Who dare knock thus?

ZAR. It is the cardinal Making inquiry if the queen were here.

Ele. See, she is here, [go] tell him; and yet [no--] Zarack, stay.

_Enter_ BALTHAZAR.

BAL. Don Roderigo's come to seek the queen.

ELE. Why should Roderigo seek her here?

BAL. The king hath swooned thrice; and, being recovered, Sends up and down the court to seek her grace.

ELE. The king was dead with you. [_To_ ZARACK.] Run, and with a voice Erected high as mine, say thus, thus threaten, To Roderigo and the cardinal: Seek no queens here, I'll broach them, if they do, Upon my falchion's point:

[_Knock again._

Again! more knocking!

ZAR. Your father is at hand, my gracious lord.

ELE. Lock all the chambers, bar him out, you apes: Hither, a vengeance! stir, Eugenia, You know your old walk underground; away! So down, hie to the king; quick, quick, you squalls, Crawl with your dam i' th' dark; dear love, farewell: One day I hope to shut you up in hell.

[ELEAZAR _shuts them in_.