Now, sir, perhaps I come and see the king;
The king sees me, and fain would hear my suit.
Why, is not this a strange and seld-seen thing,
That standers-by with toys should strike me mute?
Go to, I see their shifts, and say no more.
Hieronimo, 'tis time for thee to trudge:
Down by the dale that flows with purple gore,
Standeth a fiery tower; there sits a judge
Upon a seat of steel and molten brass,
And 'twixt his teeth he holds a firebrand,
That leads unto the lake where hell doth stand:
Away, Hieronimo! to him be gone;
He'll do thee justice for Horatio's death.
Turn down this path, and thou shalt be with him straight;
Or this, and then thou needst not take thy breath,
This way or that way: soft and fair, not so;
For if I hang or kill myself, let's know,
Who will revenge Horatio's murder then?
No, no: fie, no; pardon me, I'll none of that.
[He flings away the dagger and halter.
This way I'll take, and this way comes the king.
[He takes them up again.
And here I'll have a fling at him, that's flat;
And, Balthazar, I'll be with thee to bring,
And thee, Lorenzo, here's the king—nay, stay;
And here—ay here—there goes the hare away.[214]
Enter King, Ambassador, Castile, and Lorenzo.
King.
Now show, ambassador, what our viceroy saith:
Hath he receiv'd the articles we sent?
Hieronimo.
Justice, O, justice to Hieronimo.