Chapter 15

A banquet set out, cornets sounding; enter at one door, Lopez, Valasco, Alanzo, No. After them King, Cardinal, with Don Cockadillio, Bridegroom, Queen and Malateste after. At the other door, Alba, Carlo, Roderigo, Medina and Daenia leading Onaelia as bride, Cornego, and Juanna after, Balthazar alone. The Bride and Bridegroom kiss, and by the Cardinal are joined hand in hand. The King is very merry, hugging Medina very lovingly.

KING For half Spain's weigh in ingots I'd not lose This little man today.

MEDINA Not for so much Twice told Sir, would I miss your Kingly presence. Mine eyes have lost the acquaintance of your face So long, and I so little late read o'er That index of the royal book your mind, That scarce, without your comment, can I tell When in those leaves you turn o'er smiles or frowns.

KING 'Tis dimness of your sight, no fault i'the letter. Medina, you shall find that free from erratas, And for a proof, if I could breathe my heart In welcome forth, this hall should ring naught else. Welcome Medina, Good Marquis Daenia, Dons of Spain all welcome. My dearest love and Queen, be it your place To entertain the bride, and do her grace.

QUEEN With all the love I can, whose fire is such, To give her heat, I cannot burn too much.

KING Contracted bride, and bridegroom sit, Sweet flowers not plucked in season lose their scent, So will our pleasures. Father Cardinal, Methinks this morning new begins our reign.

CARDINAL Peace had her Sabbath ne'r till now in Spain.

KING Where is our noble soldier Balthazar? So close in conference with that Signor?

NO No.

KING What think'st thou of this great day Balthazar?

BALTHAZAR Of this day? Why as of a new play, if it ends well, all's well. All but men are but actors, now if you being the King should be out of your part, or the Queen out of hers, or your Dons out if theirs, here's No will never be out of his.

NO No.

BALTHAZAR 'Twere a lamentable piece of stuff to see great statesmen have vile exits, but I hope there are nothing but plaudities in all your eyes.

KING Mine I protest are free.

QUEEN And mine by heaven.

MALATESTE [Aside] Free from one good look till the blow be given.

KING Wine. A full cup crowned to Medina's health.

MEDINA Your highness this day so much honours me, That I to pay you what I truly owe, My life shall venture for it.

DAENIA So shall mine.

KING Onaelia, you are sad. Why frowns your brow?

ONAELIA A foolish memory of my past ills Folds up my look in furrows of old care, But my heart's merry, Sir.

KING Which mirth to heighten, Your bridegroom and yourself first pledge this health Which we begin to our High Constable.

Three cups filled, one to the King, the second to the Bridegroom and the third to Onaelia, with whom the King compliments.

QUEEN Is't speeding?

MALATESTE As all our Spanish figs are.

KING Here's to Medina's heart with all my heart.

MEDINA My heart shall pledge your heart i'th deepest draught That ever Spaniard drank.

KING Medina mocks me, Because I wrong her with the largest bowl. I'll change with thee Onaelia.

Malateste rages.

QUEEN Sir, you shall not!

KING Fear you I cannot fetch it off?

QUEEN Malateste!

KING This is your scorn to her, because I am doing This poorest honour to her. Music sound, It goes were it ten fathoms to the ground.

Cornets play. King drinks, Queen and Malateste storm.

MALATESTE Fate strikes with the wrong weapon.

QUEEN Sweet Royal Sir no more, it is too deep.

MALATESTE Twill hurt your health sir.

KING Interrupt me in my drink? 'Tis off.

MALATESTE Alas Sir. You have drunk your last, that poisoned bowl I filled Not to be put in your hand, but hers.

KING Poisoned?

ALL Descend black speckled soul to hell!

[The faction turn on Malateste and wound him.]

MALATESTE The Queen has sent me thither.

Malateste dies.

CARDINAL What new fury shakes now with her snake's locks?

QUEN I, I, 'tis I Whose soul is torn in pieces, till I send This harlot home.

CARDINAL More murders! Save the Lady.

BALTHAZAR Rampant? Let the Constable make a mittimus <60>.

MEDINA Keep them asunder.

CARDINAL How is it royal son?

KING I feel no poison yet, only mine eyes Are putting out their lights. Me thinks I feel Death's icy fingers stroking down my face. And now I'm in a mortal cold sweat.

QUEEN Dear my Lord.

KING Hence, call in my physicians.

MEDINA Thy physician tyrant, Dwells yonder, call on him or none.

KING Bloody Medina, stab'st thou Brutus too?

DAENIA As he is, so are we all.

KING I burn, My brains boil in a cauldron, oh one drop Of water now to cool me.

ONAELIA Oh, let him have physicians.

MEDINA Keep her back.

KING Physicians for my soul, I need none else. You'll not deny me those. Oh holy father, Is there no mercy hovering in a cloud For me a miserable King so drenched In perjury and murder?

CARDINAL Oh Sir, great store.

KING Come down, come quickly down.

CARDINAL I'll forthwith send For a grave Friar to be your confessor.

KING Do, do.

CARDINAL And he shall cure your wounded soul. Fetch him good soldier.

BALTHAZAR So good a work, I'll hasten.

[Exit Balthazar.]

KING Onaelia! Oh she's drowned in tears! Onaelia, Let me not die unpardoned at thy hands.

Enter Balthazar, Sebastian as a Friar with others.

CARDINAL Here comes a better surgeon.

SEBASTIAN Hail my good son I come to be thy ghostly father.

KING Ha? My child! 'Tis my Sebastian, or some spirit Sent in his shape to fright me.

BALTHAZAR 'Tis no goblin, Sir, feel. Your own flesh and blood, and much younger than you though he be bald, and calls you son. Had I been as ready to have cut his sheep's throat, as you were to send him to the shambles <61>, he had bleated no more. There's less chalk upon your score of sins by these round O'es <62>.

KING Oh my dull soul look up, thou art somewhat lighter. Noble Medina, see Sebastian lives. Onaelia cease to weep, Sebastian lives. Fetch me my crown. My sweetest pretty Friar Can my hands do't, I'll raise thee one step higher. Thou'st been in heaven's house all this while sweet boy?

SEBASTIAN I had but coarse cheer.

KING Thou could'st n'er fare better. Religious houses are those hives where bees Make honey for men's souls. I tell thee boy, A Friary is a cube, which strongly stands, Fashioned by men, supported by heaven's hands. Orders of holy priesthood are as high I'th eyes of Angels, as a King's dignity. Both these unto a Crown give the full weight, And both are thine. You that our contract know, See how I seal it with this marriage. My blessing and Spain's kingdom both be thine.

ALL Long live Sebastian.

ONAELIA Doff that Friar's coarse grey. And since he's crowned a King, clothe him like one.

KING Oh no. Those are right sovereign ornaments. Had I been clothed so, I had never filled Spain's chronicle with my black calumny. My work is almost finished. Where's my Queen?

QUEEN Here piecemeal, torn by Furies.

KING Onaelia! Your hand Paulina too, Onaelia yours. This hand, the pledge of my twice broken faith, By you usurped is her inheritance. My love is turned, see as my fate is turned, Thus they today laugh, yesterday which mourned. I pardon thee my death. Let her be sent Back into Florence with a trebled dowry. Death comes, oh now I see what late I feared! A contract broke, though pieced up ne'r so well, Heaven sees, earth suffers, but it ends in hell.

King Dies.

ONAELIA Oh, I could die with him.

QUEEN Since the bright sphere I moved in falls, alas what make I here?

Exit Queen.

MEDINA The hammers of black mischief now cease beating, Yet some irons still are heating. You Sir Bridegroom, Set all this while up as a mark to shoot at, We here discharge you of your bedfellow, She loves no barber's washing <63>.

COCKADILLIO My balls are saved then.

MEDINA Be it your charge, so please you reverend Sir, To see the late Queen safely to Florence. My niece Onaelia, and that trusty soldier, We do appoint to guard the infant King. Other distractions, time must reconcile. The State is poisoned like a crocodile.

FINIS

ENDNOTES TO THE TEXT

1. This Posthumous Ð the now dead author of the play. 2. Fury's Ð in classical mythology, the Furies were three daughters of mother earth that personified conscience and punished crimes against kindred blood. Furriers in the Quarto. 3. Lacrymae's - the personification of tearfulness, believed to be a reference to a tune by the luteist, John Dowland, known as 'Lachrimae , or seven tears'. 4. Pinnace Ð a boat for communicating between ship and shore, also a procurer. Possible pun on penis. 5. Galleasses Ð large fast sailing vessel, indicative of wealth, also sexual innuendo. 6. Aesculapius - in Greek mythology, Aesculapius, son of Apollo, was a Greek healer who became a Greek demigod, and was a famous physician. 7. Eyes Ð joys in the Quarto. 8. Prive Ð prove, establish. 9. Than Ð Q reads 'then'. 10. Caitiff - a contemptible or cowardly person. 11. Leman Ð lover, sweetheart. 12. Mercer's Ð merchant's. 13. Muschatoes - A pair of moustaches. 14. Fly-boat Ð small vessel supporting large ship 15. Jennets Ð riders of small horses. Balthazar is making a contrast between his martial exploits and the courtly life of the Dons. 16. Whorson muscod Ð scented fop. 17. Buskined Ð wearing thick-soled boots as worn by tragical actors. 18. Van É vaw Ð the van was the rear of an army's battle formation, the vaw, although not a recognised usage, is taken to mean the front. 19. Insconce Ð make secure base. 20. Sconce Ð lights. 21. Petronel Ð a hand-cannon. 22. Culverin Ð a long cannon. 23. Aqua Coelestis Ð a sweet cordial. 24. Spurn-point Ð an old game, believed to be similar to hop-scotch. 25. Trencher Ð a wooden board or plate on which food is served. 26. Bastard Ð sweet Spanish Wine. 27. Goll Ð hand. 28. Suspiration Ð Breath. 29. Ghesse Ð ghost. 30. Mine Ð thine in the Quarto. 31. Gage Ð a pledge. 32. Choke-pear - A kind of pear that has a rough, astringent taste, and is swallowed with difficulty, or which contracts the mucous membrane of the mouth. 33. Coiner - counterfeiter. 34. Gyre Ð revolution. Cyre in the Quarto 35. Rosin Ð oil or resin, used for lubricating violin stings. 36. Solus Rex me facit miseram Ð the sun king makes me miserable. 37. Assa foetida Ð dried resin, used as a nervous tonic. 38. Glister-pipe Ð also known as a clyster-pipe. A tube used to inject liquid through the anus to stimulate evacuation. 39. Hypocronicall Ð a nonce word whose meaning is unclear. Possibly should read Hypocondricall, meaning 'of a melancholy humour'. 40. Carp pies Ð suggests secrecy, based on the belief that the carp has no tongue. 41. Dial of good days Ð a reference to lists of good and bad days compiled by producers of almanacs. 42. Bounce Buckram Ð from the proverb 'Bounce buckram, velvet's dear, Christmas comes but once a year, and when it comes it brings good cheer, but when it's gone it's never the near.' 43. Mulligrubs Ð depression. 44. Coranta Ð a court dance. 45. Sealed with butter Ð a reference to the musical publications printed by the newsmonger Nathaniel Butter. 46. Aesculapian Ð relating to medicine. 47. Escurial Ð the chief palace of Spain, some 30 miles from Madrid. 48. Linstock Ð pole for firing a cannon. 49. Salsa-perilla Ð a drug used in the treatment of syphilis 50. Toot Ð to pry. 51. Hull Ð for a cannon-ball to break the hull of a ship. 52. Croaking Ð creaking in the Quarto. Compare with W. Shakespeare, Hamlet, 3.2.233, 'the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge', itself a misquotation from the anonymous 'The True Tragedy of Richard III'. 53. Rosemary Ð herb worn at both weddings and funerals. In NSS, it signifies opposition to the King in a manner reminiscent of the Wars of the Roses. 54. Rosemary Lane Ð a road in the City of London, known since 1850 as Royal Mint Street. 55. Bantam Ð in fact, a trade centre in Indonesia, unconnected with the West Indies. 56. Callenture Ð guilty knowledge. 57. Trul Ð whore. 58. Collinquintida Ð a bitter apple of the gourd family whose soft fruit made a purgative drug 59. Magical weed / Which hags at midnight watch to catch the seed Ð the Peony, which needed to be gathered in the dark as the birdlife were believed to be protective of it. 60. Mittimus Ð notice to quit. 61. Shambles Ð a slaughterhouse. 62. O'es Ð An allusion to the manner of posting scores in an ale- house. 63. Barber's washing Ð Barbers were users of scent, like Cockadillio.