The Spanish Tragedie

[ACT II. SCENE 2.]

[The Duke's Castle]

                Enter HORATIO and BEL-IMPERIA.

  HOR.  Now, madame, since by fauour of your love
    Our hidden smoke is turnd to open flame,
    And that with lookes and words we feed our thought,—
    Two chiefe contents where more cannot be had,—
    Thus in the midst of loues faire blandeshments
    Why shew you signe of inward languishments?

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

  BEL.  My hart, sweet freend, is like a ship at sea:
    She wisheth port, where, riding all at ease,
    She may repaire what stormie times haue worne,
    And, leaning on the shore, may sing with ioy
    That pleasure followes paine, and blisse annoy.
    Possession of thy loue is th' onely port
    Wherein my hart, with feares and hopes long tost,
    Each howre doth wish and long to make resort,
    There to repaire the ioyes that it hath lost,
    And, sitting safe, to sing in Cupids quire
    That sweetest blisse is crowne of loues desire.

                BALTHAZAR, aboue.

  BAL.  O sleepe, mine eyes; see not my loue prophande!
    Be deafe, my ears; heare not my discontent!
    Dye, hart; another ioyes what thou deseruest!

  LOR.  Watch still, mine eyes, to see this loue disioyned!
    Heare still, mine eares, to heare them both lament!
    Liue, hart, to ioy at fond Horatios fall!

  BEL.  Why stands Horatio speecheles all this while?

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

  BEL.  But whereon doost thou cheifely meditate?

  HOR.  On dangers past and pleasures to ensue.

  BAL. On pleasures past and dangers to ensue!

  BEL.  What dangers and what pleasures doost thou mean?

  HOR.  Dangers of warre and pleasures of our loue.

  LOR.  Dangers of death, but pleasures none at all!

  BEL. Let dangers goe; thy warre shall be with me,
    But such a [warre] as breakes no bond of peace.
    Speake thou faire words, Ile crosse them with faire words;
    Send thou sweet looks, Ile meet them with sweet looks;
    Write louing lines, Ile answere louing lines;
    Giue me a kisse, Ile counterchecke thy kisse:
    Be this our warring peace, or peacefull warre.

  HOR.  But, gratious madame, then appoint the field
    Where triall of this warre shall first be made.

  BAL.  Ambitious villaine, how his boldenes growes!

  BEL.  Then be thy fathers pleasant bower in the field,—
    Where first we vowd a mutuall amitie.
    The court were dangerous; that place is safe.
    Our howre shalbe when Vesper ginnes to rise,
    That summons home distresfull trauellers.
    There none shall heare vs but the harmeles birds:
    Happelie the gentle nightingale
    Shall carroll vs a-sleepe ere we be ware,
    And, singing wit the prickle at her breast,
    Tell our delight and mirthfull dalliance.
    Till then, each houre will seeme a yeere and more.

  HOR.  But, honie-sweet and honorable loue,
    Returne we now into your fathers sight;
    Dangerous suspition waits on our delight.

  LOR.  I, danger mixt with iealous despite
    Shall send thy soule into eternalle night!

                Exeunt.