The Spanish Tragedy,
[C]ontaining the lamentable Murders of Horatio and Bellimperia:
With the pittifull Death of old Hieronimo.
To the tune of Queene Dido.
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[YOu tha]t have lost your former joyes,
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[And n]ow in woe your lives doe leade:
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[Feeding on] nought but dire annoyes,
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[Thinking] your griefes all griefes exceede.
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[Assure yo]ur selves it is not so:
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[Loe here] a sight of greater woe.
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[Haplesse Hi]eromino was my name,
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[On whom f]ond fortune smiled long:[But now her fl]attering smiles [I] blame,
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[Her flatteri]ng smiles hath done me wrong.
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[Would I] had dyed in tender yeares:
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[Then had] not beene this cause of teares.
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[I Marshall] was in prime of yeares,
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[And wonne gr]eat honour in the fielde:
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[Untill that] age with silvered haires,
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[My aged hea]d had overspred
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[Then left] I warre and stayde at home:
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[And gave] my honour to my sonne.
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[Horatio my] sweet onely childe,
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[Prickt foorth by fam]es aspiring wings:
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[Did so behav]e him in the fielde,
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[That he Pri]nce Baltazer Captive brings.
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[And with] great honour did present: [Him to th]e King Incontinent.
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[The Duke of] Castyles Daughter then
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[Desird Horat]io to relate:
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[The death of] her beloved friend,
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[Her love And]reas woofull fate.
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[But when] she knew who had him slaine: [Shee vow]d she would revenge the same.
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[Then more to] vexe Prince Baltazer,
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[Because he sle]we her chiefest friend:[She chose my] sonne for her chiefe flower,
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[Thereby mea]ning to work[e] revenge.
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[But mark] what then did st[rai]ght befall:
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[To turne my sweete to bitter gall.]
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Lorenzo then to finde the cause,
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Why that his sister was unkinde:At last he found within a pause,
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How he might sounde her secret minde.
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Which for to bring well to effect:
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To fetch her man he doth direct.
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Who being come into his sight,
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He threatneth for to rid his life:Except straight wayes he should recite,
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His sisters love, the cause of strife.
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Compelld therefore to unfold his mind:
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Sayd with Horatio shees combinde.
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The Villaine then for hope of gaine,
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Did straight co[nvaye] them to the place:
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[Where] these too lovers did remaine,
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[Joy]ing in sight of others face.
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[And] to their foes they did impart:
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[The] place where they shou[ld jo]y their heart.
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Prince Baltazer with his compeeres,
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Enters my bower all in the night,
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And there my sonne slayne they upreare,
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The more to worke my greater spight.
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But as I laye and toke repose:
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A voyce I hard, whereat I rose.
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And finding then his senslesse forme
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The murtherers I sought to finde,
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But missing them [I] stood forlorne,
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As one amased in his minde.
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And rent and puld my silvered haire,
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And cursd and bannd each thing was there.
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And that I would revenge the same,
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I dipt a napkin in his blood:
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Swearing to worke their woefull baine,
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That so had spoyl[]d my cheifest good.
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And that I would not it forget:
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[It allwayes at my hart I kept.]
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The second part To the same tune.
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THen Isabella my deare wy[f]e,
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Finding her sonne bereavd of breath,
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And loving him dearer then life
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Her owne hand straight doth worke her death.
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And now their deaths doth meet in one:
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My griefes are come, my Joyes are gone.
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Then frantickly I ran about,
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Filling the ayre with mournefull groanes,
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Because I had not yet found out
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The murtherers to ease my mones,
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I rent and tore each thing I got,
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And sayd, and did, I knew not what.
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Thus as I past the streets, hard by
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The Duke of Castiles house as then
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A Letter there I did espy,
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Which showd Horatios wofull end.
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Which Belli[mp]eria foorth had flung,
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From prison w[h]ere they kept her strong.
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The[n] to the Court forthwith I went,
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And of the King did Justice crave,
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But by Lorenzos bad intent,
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I hindred was, which made me rave.
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Then vexed more I stampd and frownd,
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And with my ponyard [ri]pt the ground.
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But false Lorenzo put mee out,
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And tolde the King then by and by,
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That frantickly I ran about,
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And of my sonne did alwayes cry,
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And sayd twere g[oo]d I should resigne:
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My Marshall-ship which grievd my m[ind.]
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The Duke of Castyle hearing then,
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How I did grudge still at his sonne,
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Did send for me to make us friends:To stay the rumour then begune.
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Whereto I straight way gave consent:
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Although in heart I never meant.
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Sweete Bellimperia comes to me,
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Thinking my sonne I had forgot,
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To see me with his foes agree,
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The which I never meant God wot:
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But when wee knew each others mind,
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To worke revenge a meane I find.
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Then Bloody Baltazar enters in
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Entreating me to show some sport,
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Unto his Father and the King:That to his nuptiall did resort.
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Which gladly I prepard to show.
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Because I knew twould worke their woe.
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And from the Chronicles of Spaine,
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I did record Erastus life,
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And [how the Turke had him so slayne]
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And straight revenge wrought by his wife.
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Then for to act this Tragedy:
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I gave their parts Immediatly.
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Sweete Bellimperia Baltazar killes,
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Because he slew her dearest friend,
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And I Lorenzos blood did spill,
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And eke his soule to hell did send.
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Then dyed my foes by dint of knife,
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But Bellimperia ends her life.
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Then for to specifie my wronges,
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With weeping eyes and mournefull hart,
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I shewd my sonne with bloody wounds,
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And eke the murtherers did impart.
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And sayd my sonne was as deare to me:
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as thine, or thine, though Kinges you be.
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But when they did behold this thing.
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How I had slayne their onely sonnes:The Duke, the Viceroy, and the King,
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Uppon me all they straight did run.
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To torture me they doe prepare,
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Unlesse I should it straight declare.
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But that I would not tell it then,
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Even with my teeth I bit my tongue,
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And in despite did give it them,
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That me with torments sought to wrong: Thus when in age I sought to rest,
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Nothing but sorrowes me opprest.
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They knowing well that I could write,
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Unto my hand a pen did reach,
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Meaning thereby I should recite,
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The authors of this bloody fetch.
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Then fained I my pen was naught
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And by strange signes a knife I sought.
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But when to me they gave the knife.
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I killd the Duke then standing by,
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And eke my selfe bereavd of life,
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For I to see my sonne did hye.
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The Kinges that scornd my griefes before,
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With nought can they theire Joyes restore.
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Here have you heard my Tragicke tale.
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Which on Horatios death depends,
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Whose death I could anew bewayle:But that in it the murtherers ends,
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For murther god will bring to light:
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Though long it be hid from mans sight.
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