Expressly said, that causes criminal

Were first to be examined, and then judged,
Not here, but by the Council of Defence;
To whom I make appeal.

Fisc. This court conceives that it has power to judge you, derived from the most high and mighty States, who in this island are supreme, and that as well in criminal as civil causes.

1 Dutch. You are not to question the authority of the court which is to judge you.

Tow. Sir, by your favour, I both must, and will: I'll not so far betray my nation's right;

We are not here your subjects, but your partners :
And that supremacy of power, you claim,
Extends but to the natives, not to us.

Dare you, who in the British seas strike sail,
Nay more, whose lives and freedom are our alms,
Presume to sit and judge your benefactors?
Your basenew upstart commonwealth should blush,
To doom the subjects of an English king,
The meanest of whose merchants would disdain
The narrow life, and the domestic baseness,
Of one of those you call your mighty States.

Fisc. You spend your breath in railing; speak to the purpose.

Har. Hold yet: Because you shall not call us cruel,

Or plead I would be judge in my own cause,
I shall accept of that appeal you make,
Concerning my son's death; provided first,
You clear yourself from what concerns the public;
For that relating to our general safety,

The judgment of it cannot be deferr❜d,
But with our common danger.

Tow. Let me first

Be bold to question you: What circumstance Can make this, your pretended plot, seem likely ?

The natives, first, you tortured; their confession,
Extorted so, can prove no crime in us.
Consider, next, the strength of this your castle;
Its garrison above two hundred men,
Besides as many of your city burghers,
All ready on the least alarm, or summons,
To reinforce the others; for ten English,
And merchants they, not soldiers, with the aid
Of ten Japanners, all of them unarm❜d,

Except five swords, and not so many muskets,-
The attempt had only been for fools or madmen.
Fisc. We cannot help your want of wit; proceed.
Tow. Grant then we had been desperate enough
To hazard this; we must at least forecast,
How to secure possession when we had it.
We had no ship nor pinnace in the harbour,
Nor could have aid from any factory:
The nearest to us forty leagues from hence,
And they but few in number: You, besides
This fort, have yet three castles in this isle,
Amply provided for, and eight tall ships
Riding at anchor near; consider this,
And think what all the world will judge of it.
Har. Nothing but falsehood is to be expected
From such a tongue, whose heart is fouled with

treason.

Give him the beverage.

Fisc. 'Tis ready, sir.

Har. Hold; I have some reluctance to proceed To that extremity: He was my friend,

And I would have him frankly to confess :
Push open that prison door, and set before him
The image of his pains in other men.

The SCENE opens, and discovers the English tor-
tured, and the Dutch tormenting them.
Fisc. Now, sir, how does the object like

you

?

Tow. Are you men or devils! D'Alva, whom you
Condemn for cruelty, did ne'er the like;
He knew original villany was in your blood.
Your fathers all were damn'd for their rebellion;
When they rebell'd, they were well used to this.
These tortures ne'er were hatch'd in human breasts;
But as your country lies confined on hell,

Just on its marches, your black neighbours taught ye;
And just such pains as you invent on earth,
Hell has reserved for you.

Har. Are you yet moved?

Tow. But not as you would have me.

I could weep tears of blood to view this usage;
But you, as if not made of the same mould,
See, with dry eyes, the miseries of men,
As they were creatures of another kind;
Not Christians, nor allies, nor partners with you,
But as if beasts, transfixed on theatres,
To make you cruel sport.

Har. These are but vulgar objects; bring his friend, Let him behold his tortures; shut that door.

[The Scene closed.

Enter BEAMONT, led with matches tied to his hands. Tow. [Embracing him.] Oh my dear friend, now I am truly wretched!

Even in that part which is most sensible,

My friendship:

How have we lived to see the English name

The scorn of these, the vilest of mankind!

Beam. Courage, my friend, and rather praise we heaven,

That it has chose two, such as you and me,
Who will not shame our country with our pains,
But stand, like marble statues, in their fires,
Scorch'd and defaced, perhaps, not melted down.

So let them burn this tenement of earth;
They can but burn me naked to my soul;
That's of a nobler frame, and will stand firm,
Upright, and unconsumed.

Fisc. Confess; if you have kindness, save your friend.

Tow. Yes, by my death I would, not my confes

sion:

He is so brave, he would not so be saved;

But would renounce a friendship built on shame. Har. Bring more candles, and burn him from the wrists up to the elbows.

Beam. Do; I'll enjoy the flames like Scævola; And, when one's roasted, give the other hand.

Tow. Let me embrace you while you are a man. Now you must lose that form; be parch'd and rivell❜d,

Like a dried mummy, or dead malefactor,
Exposed in chains, and blown about by winds.
Beam. Yet this I can endure.

Go on, and weary out two elements;
Vex fire and water with the experiments
Of pains far worse than death.

Tow. Oh, let me take my turn!

You will have double pleasure; I'm ashamed
To be the only Englishman untortured.

Van Her. You soon should have your wish, but
that we know

In him you suffer more.

Har. Fill me a brim-full glass :

Now, captain, here's to all your countrymen ;
I wish your whole East India Company

Were in this room, that we might use them thus.
Fisc. They should have fires of cloves and cin-

namon;

We would cut down whole groves to honour them, And be at cost to burn them nobly.

Beam. Barbarous villains! now you shew your

selves.

Har. Boy, take that candle thence, and bring it hither;

I am exalted, and would light my pipe
Just where the wick is fed with English fat.

Van Her. So would I; oh, the tobacco tastes divinely after it.

Tow. We have friends in England, who would weep to see

This acted on a theatre, which here

You make your pastime..

: Beam. Oh, that this flesh were turn'd a cake of

ice,

That I might in an instant melt away,

And become nothing, to escape this torment!
There is not cold enough in all the north

To quench my burning blood.

[FISCAL whispers HARMAN. Har. Do with Beamont as you please, so Towerson die.

Fisc. You'll not confess yet, captain ?
Tow. Hangman, no;

I would have don't before, if e'er I would:
To do it when my friend has suffer'd this,

Were to be less than he.

Fisc. Free him.

[They free BEAMONT. Beamont, I have not sworn you should not suffer, But that you should not die; thank Julia for it, But on your life do not delay this hour

To post from hence! so to your next plantation; I cannot suffer a loved rival near me,

Beam. I almost question if I will receive

My life from thee: "Tis like a cure from witches; "Twill leave a sin behind it.

Fisc. Nay, I'm not lavish of my courtesy ; I can on easy terms resume my gift.