His weapon would have fallen, and cut the earth, ISABELLA his wife, enters. Isa. Dear Hieronimo, come in a doors, Not I indeed, we are very merry, very merry. And when our hot Spain could not let it grow, Till at length it grew a gallows, and did bear our son. See who knocks there. Ped. It is a painter, sir. Hier. Bid him come in, and paint some comfort, The Painter enters. Pain. God bless you, sir, Hier. Wherefore? why, thou scornful villain? Hier. O ambitious beggar, wouldst thou have that Why, Why, all the undelved mines cannot buy An ounce of Justice, 'tis a jewel so inestimable. I tell thee, God hath engross'd all justice in his hands, Pain. O then I see that God must right me for my mur der'd son. Hier. How, was thy son murder'd? Pain. Ay, sir, no man did hold a son so dear. Hier. What, not as thine? that's a lie, As massy as the earth: I had a son, A thousand of thy sons, and he was murder'd. Hier. Nor I, nor I; but this same one of mine Pedro, Jaques, go in a doors, Isabella, go, Will range this hideous orchard up and down, Go in a doors I say. Come let's talk wisely now. Was thy son murder'd ? Hier. So was mine. young. How dost thou take it? art thou not sometime mad? Pain. O lord, yes, sir. Hier. Art a painter? canst paint me a tear, a wound? A groan or a sigh? canst paint me such a tree as this? Pain. Sir, I am sure you have heard of my painting: My name's Bazardo. Hier. Bazardo! 'fore God an excellent fellow. Look you, sir. Do you see? I'd have you paint me in my gallery, in your oil colours matted, and draw me five years younger than I am: do you see, sir? let five years go, let them go,—my wife Isabella standing by me, with a speaking look to my son Horatio, which should intend to this, or some such like purpose; God bless thee, my sweet son; and my hand leaning upon upon his head thus, sir, do you see? may it be done? Pain. Very well, sir. Hier. Nay, I pray mark me sir: Then, sir, would I have you paint me this tree, this very tree: Canst paint a doleful cry? Pain. Seemingly, sir.. Hier. Nay, it should cry; but all is one. Well, sir, paint me a youth run thro' and thro' with villains' swords hanging upon this tree. Canst thou draw a murd'rer? Pain. I'll warrant you, sir; I have the pattern of the most notorious villains, that ever lived in all Spain. Hier. O, let them be worse, worse: stretch thine art, And let their beards be of Judas's own colour, And let their eye-brows jut over: in any case observe that; Then, sir, after some violent noise, Bring me forth in my shirt and my gown under my arm, with my torch in my hand, and my sword rear'd up thus, And with these words; What noise is this? who calls Hieronimo? May it be done? Pain. Yea, sir. Hier. Well, sir, then bring me forth, bring me thro' alley and alley, still with a distracted countenance going along, and let my hair heave up my night-cap. Let the clouds scowl, make the moon dark, the stars extinct, the winds blowing, the bells tolling, the owls shrieking, the toads croaking, the minutes jarring, and the clock striking twelve. And then at last, sir, starting, behold a man hanging, and tott'ring, and tott'ring, as you know the wind will wave a man, and I with a trice to cut him down. And looking upon him by the advantage of my torch, find it to be my son Horatio. There you may passion. shew a passion, there you may shew a Draw me like old Priam of Troy, crying, the house is a fire, the house is a fire; and the torch over my head; make me curse, make me rave, make me cry, make me mad, make me well again, make me curse hell, invocate, and in the end leave me in a trance, and so forth. Pain. And is this the end? Hier. O no, there is no end: the end is death and mad ness; And I am never better than when I am mad; Then methinks I am a brave fellow; Then I do wonders; but reason abuseth me; At last, sir, bring me to one of the murderers; Thus would I tear and drag him up and down. (He beats the painter in.") 7 These scenes, which are the very salt of the old play (which without them is but a caput mortuum, such another piece of flatness as Locrine) Hawkins, in his republication of this tragedy, has thrust out of the text into the notes; as omitted in the Second Edition "printed for Ed. Allde, amended of such gross blunders as passed in the first:" and thinks them to have been foisted in by the players.-A late discovery at Dulwich College has ascertained that two sundry payments were made to Ben Jonson by the Theatre for furnishing additions to Hieronimo. See Last Edition of Shakspeare by Reed. There is nothing in the undoubted plays of Jonson which would authorize us to suppose that he could have supplied the scenes in question. I should suspect the agency of some more potent spirit." Webster might have furnished them. They are full of that wild solemn preternatural cast of grief which bewilders us in the Duchess of Malfy. 66 THE LOVE OF KING DAVID AND FAIR BETHSABE, WITH THE TRAGEDY OF ABSALOM: BY GEORGE PEELE. Bethsabe, with her maid, bathing: She sings: and David sits above, viewing her. The song Hot sun, cool fire, temper'd with sweet air, Enflame unstaid desire, Nor pierce any bright eye Bethsabe. Come gentle Zephyr trick'd with those perfumes That erst in Eden sweetned Adam's love, This shade (sun-proof) is yet no proof for thee, David. What tunes, what words, what looks, what wonders pierce 6 The sun's rays. My |