KING But who has played the tyrant with me thus, And with such dangerous spite abused my picture?
ONAELIA The guilt of that lays claim sir, to yourself For being, by you, ransacked of all my fame, Robbed of mine honour and dear chastity, Made, by your act, the shame of all my house, The hate of good men and the scorn of bad, The song of broom-men and the murdering vulgar, And left alone to bear up all these ills By you begun, my breast was filled with fire And wrapped in just disdain, and like a woman On that dumb picture wreaked I my passions.
ONAELIA Pardon me Sir, My wrongs were great, and my revenge swelled high.
KING I will descend and cease to be a King, To leave my judging part, freely confessing Thou canst not give thy wrongs too ill a name. And here to make thy apprehension full, And seat thy reason in a sound belief I vow tomorrow, ere the rising sun Begins his journey, with all ceremonies Due to the Church, to seal our nuptials, To prive <8> thy son with full consent of state, Spain's heir apparent, born in wedlock's vows.
ONAELIA Oh, you have sworn false oaths upon that book!
ONAELIA Take heed you print it deeply: How for your concubine, bride I cannot say, She stains your bed with black adultery, And though her fame masks in a fairer shape Than <9> mine to the world's eye, yet King, you know Mine honour is less strumpeted than hers, However butchered in opinion.
KING This way for her, the contract which thou hast, By best advice of all our Cardinals, Today shall be enlarged till it be made Past all dissolving. Then to our council table Shall she be called, that read aloud, she told The church commands her quick return for Florence With such a dower as Spain received with her, And that they will not hazard heaven's dire curse To yield to a match unlawful, which shall taint The issue of the King with bastardy. This done, in state majestic come you forth, Our new crowned Queen in sight of all our peers. Are you resolved?
OMAELIA To doubt of this were treason Because the King has sworn it.
KING And will keep it. Deliver up the contract then, that I May make this day end with thy misery.
ONAELIA Here as the dearest Jewel of my fame Locked I this parchment from all viewing eyes. This your indenture, held alone the life Of my supposed dead honour; yet behold, Into your hands I redeliver it. Oh keep it Sir, as you should keep that vow, To which, being signed by heaven, even angels bow.