Act III, Scene 5

[Before the Prison in Zalamea. A Street in the centre.]

[Enter on one side DON LOPE with Troops; at the other, before the Prison, Labourers, Constables, etc. armed: and afterward, CRESPO.]

LOPE.
Soldiers, there is the prison where your captain lies. If he be not given up instantly at my last asking, set fire to the prison; and, if further resistance be made, to the whole town.

CRES.
Friends and fellow-townsmen, there is the prison where lies a rascal capitally convicted—

LOPE.
They grow stronger and stronger. Forward, men, forward! (As the Soldiers are about to advance, trumpets and shouts of ‘God save the King,’ within.)

LOPE.
The king!

ALL.
The king!

[Enter KING PHILIP II. through centre Street, with Train, etc. Shouting, Trumpets, etc.]

KING.
What is all this?

LOPE.
’Tis well your Majesty came so suddenly, or you would have had one of your whole towns by way of bonfire on your progress.

KING.
What has happened?

LOPE.
The mayor of this place has had the impudence to seize a captain in your Majesty’s service, clap him in prison, and refuses to surrender him to me, his commander.

KING.
Where is this mayor?

CRES.
Here, so please your Majesty.

KING.
Well, Mr. Mayor, what have you to offer in defence?

CRES.
These papers, my Liege: in which this same captain is clearly proved guilty, on the evidence of his own soldiers, of carrying off and violating a maiden in a desolate place, and refusing her the satisfaction of marriage though peaceably entreated to it by her father with the endowment of all his substance.

LOPE.
This same mayor, my Liege, is the girl’s father.

CRES.
What has that to do with it? If another man had come to me under like circumstances, should I not have done him like justice? To be sure. And therefore, why not do for my own daughter what I should do for another’s? Besides, I have just done justice against my own son for striking his captain; why should I be suspected of straining it in my daughter’s favour? But here is the process; let his Majesty see for himself if the case be made out. The witnesses are at hand too; and if they or any one can prove I have suborned any evidence, or any way acted with partiality to myself, or malice to the captain, let them come forward, and let my life pay for it instead of his.

KING.
(after reading the papers) I see not but the charge is substantiated: and ’tis indeed a heavy one. Is there any one here to deny these depositions? (Silence.) But, be the crime proved, you have no authority to judge or punish it. You must let the prisoner go.

CRES.
You must send for him then, please your Majesty. In little towns like this, where public officers are few, the deliberative is forced sometimes to be the executive also.

KING.
What do you mean?

CRES.
Your Majesty will see. (The prison gates open, and the Captain is seen within, garrotted in a chair.)

KING.
And you have dared, sir!—

CRES.
Your Majesty said the sentence was just; and what is well said cannot be ill done.

KING.
Could you not have left it for my imperial Court to execute?

CRES.
All your Majesty’s justice is only one great body with many hands; if a thing be to be done, what matter by which? Or what matter erring in the inch, if one be right in the ell?

KING.
At least you might have beheaded him, as an officer and a gentleman.

CRES.
Please your Majesty, we have so few Hidalgos hereabout, that our executioner is out of practice at beheading. And this, after all, depends on the dead gentleman’s taste; if he don’t complain, I don’t think any one else need for him.

KING.
Don Lope, the thing is done; and, if unusually, not unjustly—Come, order all your soldiers away with me toward Portugal; where I must be with all despatch. For you——(to CRESPO) what is your name?

CRES.
Peter Crespo, please your Majesty.

KING.
Peter Crespo, then, I appoint you perpetual Mayor of Zalamea. And so farewell.

[Exit with Train.]

CRES.
(kneeling) God save your Highness!

LOPE.
Friend Peter, his Highness came just in time.

CRES.
For your captain, do you mean?

LOPE.
Come now—confess, wouldn’t it have been better to have given up the prisoner, who, at my instance, would have married your daughter, saved her reputation, and made her wife of an Hidalgo?

CRES.
Thank you, Don Lope, she has chosen to enter a convent and be the bride of one who is no respecter of Hidalgos.

LOPE.
Well, well, you will at least give me up the other prisoners, I suppose?

CRES.
Bring them out. (JUAN, REBOLLEDO, CHISPA, brought out.)

LOPE.
Your son too!

CRES.
Yes, ’twas he wounded his captain, and I must punish him.

LOPE.
Come, come, you have done enough—at least give him up to his commander.

CRES.
Eh? well, perhaps so; I’ll leave his punishment to you.

With which now this true story ends—
Pardon its many errors, friends.