The Spanish Tragedy ACT 3. SCENE 6.
The court of justice.

Enter HIERONIMO and the DEPUTIE.

HIERO.
Thus must we toyle in others mens extreames
That know not how to rememdie our owne,
And doe them iusties, when vniustly we
For all our wrongs can compasse no redrese.
But shall I neuer liue to see the day
That I may come by iustice to the Heauens
To know the cause that may my cares allay?
This toyles my body, this consumeth age,
That onley I to all men iust must be,
And neither gods nor men be iust to me!

DEP.
Worthy Hieronimo, your office askes
A care to punish such as doe transgresse.

HIERO.
So ist my duety to regarde his death
Who when he liued deserued my dearest blood.
But come; for that we came for, lets begin;
For heere lyes that which bids me to be gone.
Enter OFFICERS, BOY, & PEDRINGANO with a letter
in his hand, bound.

DEPU.
Bring forth the prisoner for the court is set.

PED.
Gramercy, boy!  but it was time to come,
For I had written to my lord anew
A neerer matter that concerneth him,
For feare his lordship had forgotten me;
But, sith he hath rememberd me so well,
Come, come, come on!  when shall we to this geere?

HIERO.
Stand forth, thou monster, murderer of men,
And heere, for satisfaction of the world,
Confesse thy folly and repent thy fault,
For ther's thy place of execution.

PED.
This is short worke!  Well, to your martiallship
First I confesse, nor feare I death therefore,
I am the man,—twas I slew Serberine.
But, sir, then you think this shalbe the place
Where we shall satisfie you for this geare?
DEPU.
I, Pedrigano.

PED.
No I think not so.

HEIRO.
Peace, impudent!  for thou shalt finde it so;
For blood with blood shall, while I sit as iudge,
Be satisfied, and the law dischargde.
And, though my-selfe cannot receiue the like,
Yet will I see that others haue their right.
Dispatch!  the fault approued and confest,
And by our law he is condemned to die.

HANG.
Come on, sir!  are you ready?

PED.
To do what, my fine officious knaue?

HANG.  To goe to this geere.

PED.
O, sir, you are to forward; thou woulst faine
furnish me with a halter, to disfurnish me of my habit.
So should I goe out of this geere, my raiment, into that
geere, the rope.  But, hangman, now I spy your knauery, Ile
not change without boot; thats flat.
HANG.
Come, sir.

PED. So then I must vp?

HANG.
No remedie.

PED.
Yes, but there shalbe for my comming downe.

HANG.
Indeed heers a remedie for that.

PED.
How?  be turnd off?

HANG.
I, truly.  Come, are you ready?
I pray [you], sir, dispatch, the day goes away.

PED.
What, doe you hang by the howre?  If you doo, I
may chance to break your olde custome.

HANG.
Faith, you haue [no] reason, for I am like to break
your yong neck.

PED.
Dost thou mock me, hangman?  Pray God I be not
preserued to break your knaues-pate for this!

HANG.
Alas, sir, you are a foot too low to reach it, and I
hope you will neuer grow so high while I am in office.

PED.
Sirra, dost see yonder boy with the box in his
hand?

HANG.
What, he that points to it with his finger?

PED.
I, that companion.

HANG.
I know him not; but what of him?

PED.
Doost thou think to liue till his olde doublet will
make thee a new truss?

HANG.
I, and many a faire yeere after, to trusse vp many
an honester man then either thou or he.

PED.
What hath he in his boxe, as thou thinkst?

HANG.
Faith, I cannot tell, nor I care not greatly.
Me thinks you should rather hearken to your soules health.

PED.
Why, sirra hangman, I take it that that is good for
the body is likewise good for the soule:  and it may be in
that box is balme for both.

HANG.
Wel, thou art euen the meriest peece of mans
flesh that ere gronde at my office-doore.

PED.
Is your roaguery become an office, with a knaues
name?

HANG.
I, and that shall all they witnes that see you seale
it with a theeues name.

PED.
I prithee, request this good company to pray [for]
me.

HANG.
I, mary, sir, this is a good motion!  My maisters,
you see heers a good fellow.

PED.
Nay, nay, now I remember me, let them alone till
some other time; for now I haue no great need.

HIERO.
I haue not seen a wretch so impudent.
O monstrous times where murders are so light,
And where the soule that should be shrinde in heauen
Solelie delights in interdicted things,
Still wandring in the thornie passages
That intercepts it-selfe of hapines!
Murder?  O bloudy monster!  God forbid
A fault so foule should scape vnpunished!
Dispatch and see this execution done;
This makes me to remember thee, my sonne.

Exit HIERO[NIMO].

PED.
Nay, soft!  no hast!

DEPU.
Why, wherefore stay you? haue you hope of life?

PED.
Why, I?

HANG.
As how?

PED.
Why, rascall, by my pardon from the king.

HANG.
Stand you on that?  then you shall off with this.

He turnes him off.

DEPU.
So, executioner, conuey him hence;
But let his body be vnburied.
Let not the earth be chokt or infect
What that which Heauens contemnes and men neglect.

Exeunt.