BELI. 'Tis he indeed, who, as I do suppose, Hath slain the king, or else some other lord, For well I wot a carcase I do see

Hard at his feet lie struggling on the ground.

[Belinus and Albinius go towards Alphonsus.

Come on, Albinius, we will try the truth.

[Belinus say to Alphonsus:

Hail to the noble victor of our foes!

ALPHON. Thanks, mighty prince, but yet I seek not It is not words must recompense my pain, [this; But deeds. When first I took up arms for you, Your promise was, whate'er my sword did win In fight, as his Alphonsus should it crave.

[Shew Belinus Flaminius, who lieth all this while dead at his feet.

See then where lies thy foe Flaminius,

Whose crown my sword hath conquer'd in the field ; Therefore, Belinus, make no long delay,

*

But that discharge you promis'd for to pay. [mind
BELI. Will nothing else satisfy thy conquering
Besides the crown? Well, since thou hast it won,
Thou shalt it have, though far against my will.
[Alphonsus sit in the chair; Belinus takes the
crown off Flaminius' head, and puts it on
Alphonsus.

Here doth Belinus crown thee with his hand
The king of Arragon; what, are you pleas'd?
[Sound trumpets and drums within.
ALPHON. Not so, Belinus, 'till you promise me
All things belonging to the royal crown
Of Arragon, and make your lordings swear
For to defend me to their utmost power
Against all men that shall gainsay the same.

BELI. Mark, what belonged erst unto the crown Of Arragon, that challenge as thine own;

nothing] Qy.“nought.”

Belinus gives it frankly unto thee,

*

And swears by all the powers of glittering skies
To do my best for to maintain the same,
So that it be not prejudicial

Unto mine honour, or my country soil.

ALBI. And by the sacred seat of mighty Jove Albinius swears, that first he'll die the death Before he'll see Alphonsus suffer wrong.

FABI. What erst Albinius vow'd we jointly vow. ALPHON. Thanks, mighty lords, but yet I greatly That very few will keep the oaths they swear. [fear But what, Belinus, why stand you so long, And cease from offering homage unto me? What, know you not that I thy sovereign am, Crowned by thee and all thy other lords, And now confirmed by your solemn oaths? Feed not thyself with fond persuasions, But presently come yield thy crown to me, And do me homage, or by heavens I swear I'll force thee do it maugre all thy train.

BELI. How now, base brat? what, are thy wits thine own,

That thou dar'st thus upbraid me in my land?
"Tis best for thee these speeches to recall,
Or else by Jove, I'll make thee to repent
That e'er thou sett'st thy foot in Naples' soil.
ALPHON. Base brat, say'st thou? as good a man
But say I came but of a base descent,

[as thou: My deed shall make my glory for to shine As clear as Luna in a winter's night.

But for because thou bragg'st so of thy birth,
I'll see how it shall profit thee anon.

FABI. Alphonsus, cease from these thy threatening And lay aside this thy presumptuous mind, [words, Or else be sure thou shalt the same repent.

[too? ALPHON. How now, sir boy, will you be prattling

"Tis best for thee to hold thy tattling tongue,
Unless I send some one to scourge thy breech.
Why then I see 'tis time to look about,
When every boy Alphonsus dares controul:
But be they sure ere Phoebus' golden beams
Have compassed the circle of the sky,

I'll clog their tongues, since nothing else will serve
To keep those vild and threatening speeches in.
Farewell, Belinus, look thou to thyself;

Alphonsus means to have thy crown ere night.

[Exit.
BELI. What, is he gone? the devil break his neck,
The fiends of hell torment his traitorous corps !
Is this the quittance of Belinus' grace,

Which he did show unto that thankless wretch,
That runnagate, that rakehell, yea, that thief?
For, well I wot, he hath robb'd me of a crown.
If ever he had sprung from gentle blood,
He would not thus misuse his favourer.

ALBI. That runnagate, that rakehell, yea, that thief!
Stay there, sir king, your mouth runs over much;
It ill becomes the subject for to use

Such traitorous terms against his sovereign:
Know thou, Belinus, that Carinus' son

Is neither rakehell nor runnagate.

But be thou sure, that ere the darksome night
Do drive god Phoebus to his Thetis' lap
Both thou, and all the rest of this thy train,
Shall well repent the words that you have saine.
BELI. What, traitorous villain, dost thou threaten
Lay hold on him, and see he do not 'scape;
I'll teach the slave to know to whom he speaks.

*

[me?

ALBI. To thee I speak, and to thy fellows all; And though as now you have me in your power,

*To thee, &c.] The 4to. gives these five lines to Belinus.

Yet doubt I not but that in little space
These eyes shall see thy treason recompens'd,
And then I mean to vaunt* * our victory.

BELI. Nay, proud Albinius, never build on that; For though the gods do chance for to appoint Alphonsus victor of Belinus' land,

Yet shalt thou never live to see that day:
And therefore, Fabius, stand not lingering,
But presently slash off his traitorous head.

ALBI. Slash off his head! as though Albinius' head Were then so easy to be slashed off:

In faith, sir, no; when you are gone and dead,
I hope to flourish like the pleasant spring.

BELI. Why, how now, Fabius? what, do you stand in doubt

To do the deed? what fear you? who dares seek
For to revenge his death on thee again,

Since that Belinus did command it so?

Or are you wax'd so dainty, that you dare
Not use your sword for staining of your hands?
If it be so, then let me see thy sword,
And I will be his butcher for this time.

[Fabius give Belinus thy sword drawn; Belinus
say as followeth :

Now, sir, Albinius, are you of the mind
That erst you were? what, do you look to see,
And triumph in, Belinus' overthrow?

I hope the very sight of this my blade,
Hath chang'd your mind into another tune.

ALBI. Not so, Belinus, I am constant still.

My mind is like to the Asbeston stone,
Which, if it once be heat in flames of fire,
Denieth to becommen cold again :

Even so am I, and shall be till I die.

And though I should see Atropos appear
With knife in hand, to slit my thread in twain,

Yet ne'er Albinius should persuaded be
But that Belinus he should vanquish'd see.

BELI. Nay then, Albinius, since that words are
For to persuade you from this heresy,
This sword shall sure put you out of doubt.

[vain

Belinus offers to strike off Albinius' head; strike up alarum, enter ALPHONSUS and his Men; fly Belinus and Fabius; follow Alphonsus and Albinius; enter LŒLIUS, MILES,* and his Servants.

LELI. My noble lords of Arragon, I know
You wonder much what might the occasion be,
That Lœlius, which erst did fly the field,
Doth egg you forwards now unto the wars';
But when you hear my reason, out of doubt
You'll be content with this my rash attempt.
When first our King, Flaminius I do mean,
Did set upon the Neapolitans,

The worst of you did know and plainly see,
How far they were unable to withstand
The mighty forces of our royal camp,
Until such time as froward fates we thought,
Although the fates ordain'd it for our gain,
Did send a stranger stout, whose sturdy blows
And force alone, did cause our overthrow.
But to our purpose: this same martial knight
Did hap to hit upon Flaminius,

And lent our king then such a friendly blow,
As that his gasping ghost to Limbo went.
Which, when I saw, and seeking to revenge,
My noble lords, did hap on such a prize,
As never king nor keisar got the like.

MILES. Lælius, of force we must confess to thee,

* MILES] Here, but only here, the 4to. "MILOS."