The Spanish Tragedy ACT 3. SCENE 4.
Spain: near the DUKE's castle.

Enter HIERONIMO.

HIERO.
Oh eies!  no eies but fountains fraught with teares;
Oh life! no life, but liuely fourme of death;
Oh world! no world, but masse of publique wrongs,
Confusde and filde with murder and misdeeds;
Oh sacred heauens, if this vnhallowed deed,
If this inhumane and barberous attempt,
If this incomparable murder thus
Of mine, but now no more my sonne
Shall pass vnreueald and vnreuenged passe,
How should we tearme your dealings to be iust,
If you vniustly deale with those that in your iustice trust?
The night, sad secretary to my mones,
With direfull visions wake my vexed soule,
And with the wounds of my distresfull sonne
Solicite me for notice of his death;
The ougly feends do sally forth of hell,
And frame my hart with fierce inflamed thoughts;
The cloudie day my discontents records,
Early begins to regester my dreames
And driue me forth to seeke the murtherer.
Eies, life, world, heauens, hel, night and day,
See, search, show, send, some man, some meane, that may!
A letter falleth.

Whats heere? a letter?  Tush, it is not so!
A letter for Hieronimo.
[Reads]  "For want of incke receiue this bloudie writ.
Me hath my haples brother hid from thee.
Reuenge thy-selfe on Balthazar and him,
For these were they that murdered thy sonne.
Hieronimo, reuenge Horatios death,
And better fare then Bel-imperia doth!"—
What meanes this vnexpected miracle?
My sonne slaine by Lorenzo and the prince?
What cause had they Horatio to maligne?
Or what might mooue thee, Bel-imperia,
To accuse they brother, had he beene the meane?
Hieronimo, beware!  thou art betraide,
And to intrap they life this traine is laide.
Aduise thee therefore, be not credulous:
This is deuised to endanger thee,
That thou, by this, Lorenzo shoulst accuse.
And he, for thy dishonour done, show draw
Thy life in question and thy name in hate.
Deare was the life of my beloved sonne,
And of his death behoues me to be aueng'd:
Then hazard not thine own, Hieronimo,
But liue t'effect thy resolution!
I therefore will by circumstances trie
What I can gather to confirme this writ,
And, [harken] neere the Duke of Castiles house,
Close if I can with Belimperia,
To listen more, but nothing to bewray.
Enter PEDRINGANO.

Now, Predringano!

PED.
Now, Hieronimo!

HIERO.
Wheres thy lady?

PED.
I know not; heers my lord.

Enter LORENZO.

LOR.
How now, whose this?  Hieronimo?

HIERO.
My lord.

PED.
He asketh me for my lady Bel-imperia.

LOR.
What to doo, Hieronimo?  Vse me.