Act Five Scene Four
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