The queen, and me; and being undermin'd,
To 'scape the blowing up, they fled. Oh, good!
There, there, thou there cry treason; each one take
A several door; your cries my music make.

BALT. Where's the king? treason pursues him.

Enter ALVERO in his shirt, his sword drawn.
ELEAZ. Where's the sleepy queen?

Rise, rise, and arm against the hand of treason!
ALV. Whence comes this sound of treason?
Enter the KING in his shirt, his sword drawn.
KING. Who frights our quiet slumbers
With this heavy noise?

Enter QUEEN in her night attire.

Q. Mo. Was it a dream, or did the sound Of monster treason call me from my rest?

KING. Who rais'd this rumour? Eleazar, you?
ELEAZ. I did, my liege, and still continue it,
Both for your safety and mine own discharge.
KING. Whence comes the ground then?
ELEAZ. From the cardinal,

And the young prince; who bearing in his mind
The true idea of his late disgrace,

In putting him from the protectorship,
And envying the advancement of the Moor,
Determined this night to murder you;

And for your highness lodg'd within my castle,
They would have laid the murder on my head.
KING. The cardinal, and my brother! bring them

forth,

Their lives shall answer this ambitious practice.

ELEAZ. Alas! my lord, it is impossible;

For when they saw I had discover'd them,
They train'd two harmless friars to their lodgings,
Disrob'd them, gagg'd them, bound them to two posts,
And in their habits did escape the castle.

KING. The cardinal is all ambition,

And from him doth our brother gather heart.

Q. Mo. Th' ambition of the one infects the other, And in a word they both are dangerous : But might your mother's council stand in force, I would advise you, send the trusty Moor To fetch them back before they have seduc'd The squint-ey'd multitude from true allegiance, And drawn them to their dangerous faction.

KING. It shall be so. Therefore, my state's best

prop,

Within whose bosom I durst trust my life,

Both for my safety and thine own discharge,
Fetch back those traitors; and till your return
Our self will keep your castle.

ELEAZ. My liege, the tongue of true obedience
Must not gainsay his sovereign's impose.

By heaven! I will not kiss the cheek of sleep
Till I have fetch'd those traitors to the court!
KING. [Aside.] Why this sorts right; he gone, his
beauteous wife

Shall sail into the naked arms of love.

Q. Mo. [Aside.] Why this is as it should be; he

once gone,

His wife, that keeps me from his marriage bed,
Shall by this hand of mine be murdered.

KING. This storm is well nigh past; the swelling

clouds

That hang so full of treason, by the wind

Of awful majesty are scattered.

Then each man to his rest.

friend!

Good night, sweet

[Aside.] Whilst thou pursu'st the traitors that are

fled,

Fernando means to warm thy marriage bed. [Exeunt. ELEAZ. Many good nights consume and damn your

souls!

I know he means to cuckold me this night,
Yet do I know no means to hinder it:
Besides, who knows whether the lustful king,
Having my wife and castle at command,
Will ever make surrender back again?
But if he do not, with my falchion's point
I'll lance those swelling veins, in which hot lust
Does keep his revels; and with that warm blood,
Where Venus' bastard cool'd his swelt'ring spleen,
Wash the disgrace from Eleazar's brow.
Enter MARIA.

MARIA. Dear Eleazar!

ELEAZ. If they lock the gates,

I'll toss a ball of wild-fire o'er the walls.
MARIA. Husband! sweet husband!
ELEAZ. Or else swim o'er the moat,

4

And make a breach through the flinty sides
Of the rebellious walls.

MARIA. Hear me, dear heart!

ELEAZ. Or undermine the chamber where they lie, And by the violent strength of gunpowder, Blow up the castle and th' incestuous couch, In which lust wallows; but my labouring thoughts, Wading too deep in bottomless extremes,

Do drown themselves in their own stratagems. MARIA. Sweet husband! dwell not upon circumstance,

When weeping sorrow, like an advocate,
Importunes you for aid; look in mine eye,
There you shall see dim grief swimming in tears
Oh, succour!

Invocating succour.

ELEAZ. Succour! zounds! for what?

MARIA. To shield me from Fernando's unchaste

love,

Who with uncessant prayers importun'd me

ELEAZ. To lie with you! I know't.

MARIA. Then seek some means how to prevent it.

ELEAZ. 'Tis possible!

For to the end that his unbridled lust

Might have more free access unto thy bed,

This night he hath enjoined me

To fetch back Philip and the cardinal.

MARIA. Then this ensuing night shall give an end

To all my sorrows; for before foul lust

Shall soil the fair complexion of mine honour,

This hand shall rob Maria of her life.

ELEAZ. Not so, dear soul! for in extremities
Choose out the least: and ere the hand of death
Should suck this ivory palace of thy life,

Embrace my counsel, and receive this poison;
Which, in the instant he attempts thy love,
Then give it him: do, do,

Do poison him; [aside.] he gone, thou'rt next.
Be sound in resolution, and farewell!

[Aside.] By one, and one, I'll ship you all to hell.
Spain, I will drown thee with thine own proud blood,
Then make an ark of carcases: farewell!
Revenge and I will sail in blood to hell.

[Exit.

MARIA. Poison the king! alas, my trembling hand Would let the poison fall; and through my cheeks Fear, suited in a bloodless livery,

Would make the world acquainted with my guilt.
But thanks prevention, I have found a means,
Both to preserve my royal sovereign's life,
And keep myself a true and loyal wife.

[Exit.

ACT THE THIRD.

SCENE I.

Enter QUEEN MOTHER with a torch.

Q. Mo. Fair eldest child of love, thou spotless

night,

Empress of silence, and the queen of sleep,

Who with thy black cheeks pure complexion,