man
You are.
COMMANDER. Pascuala, I've no authority
In this. His crime * has been against
Téllez Girón, the Master; against
The Order and its sacred honour.
595
The punishment must serve as an
Example, just in case others in
The future choose to rise against him.
You know already that he aimed
The crossbow at myself, the Grand
600
Commander -- proof enough, I think,
Of his true loyalty!
ESTEBAN. I am
His father-in-law and therefore speak
On his behalf. Are you surprised
That someone so in love should act 605
As he has done? If you attempted to
Abduct his wife, it's natural
That he should want to save her.
-50-
COMMANDER. You are
An idiot, magistrate.
ESTEBAN. I appeal
To your virtuous nature, * sir.
COMMANDER. I did
610
Not try to take his wife. She wasn't his wife.
ESTEBAN. Of course you did! There's nothing more
To say. There are new rulers in
Castile who'll introduce such laws
And orders as will put an end
615
To all disorder. * When they have ceased
To be engaged in war, they would
Do well to rid their villages
And towns of men whose power comes
From wearing crosses. * The King alone
620
Should be allowed to wear the cross.
COMMANDER. Seize his rod of office!
ESTEBAN. My lord,
You are most welcome.
COMMANDER. Just the thing
To beat him with, as if he were
Some over-frisky horse!
ESTEBAN. Then beat me!
625
I bow to you as overlord. *
PASCUALA. You'd make an old man suffer?
LAURENCIA. You do
This now because he is my father.
What wrong have I done you that you
Must punish him?
COMMANDER. Take her away!
630
And let ten soldiers guard her!
[ He and his men exit
ESTEBAN. Let Heaven administer its justice!
-51-
[ He exits
PASCUALA. The wedding's become a wake.
BARRILDO. Will no
One here speak out?
MENGO. Exactly what
I did. I've got the marks to prove it. 635
Someone else can test his anger.
JUAN ROJO. We need
To talk, all of us.
MENGO. Much better bite
Your tongue. My kettle-drums * ache,
And both as red as salmon steaks.
-52-
ACT THREE
Enter ESTEBAN, * ALONSO, and BARRILDO.
ESTEBAN. Haven't they come yet?
BARRILDO. No, not yet.
ESTEBAN. Everything goes from bad to worse.
BARRILDO. Most of them know about the meeting.
ESTEBAN. Frondoso locked up in the tower,
Laurencia in such terrible danger . . .
5
We need God's help in this!
Enter JUAN ROJO and the ALDERMAN. *
JUAN ROJO. Esteban, keep
Your voice down! This meeting must be secret,
For all our sakes!
ESTEBAN. The wonder is
I do not shout much louder.
Enter MENGO.
MENGO. Alright,
I'm here. Let the meeting begin.
10
ESTEBAN. Honourable friends, I speak to you
As someone whose grey beard is bathed
In tears, and ask what final rites
We can perform in honour of
This town, so damaged and destroyed.
15
What honourable rites indeed,
If there is not a single one
Of us whose life that criminal
Has not dishonoured? Tell me now if there
Is someone here whose honour is
20
Unscathed. You are as one, I think,
-53-
In your complaints. And so I say
To you: if you have common cause,
What are you waiting for? Is not
What has befallen us the greatest of
25
Misfortunes?
JUAN ROJO. The greatest the world
Has ever seen. But now, we have
Been told, the King and Queen bring peace
To all Castile. Soon they will be
In Córdoba, * so why not send
30
Two aldermen to state our case
And beg them to put right these wrongs?
BARRILDO. But Fernando is still at war
With many enemies. He won't
Have time for our complaints. It's best
35
We think of something else.
ALDERMAN. If you
Ask me, I think we should evacuate
The town.
JUAN ROJO. There isn't time.
MENGO. And once
He gets to know our plans, it's going
To cost a good few lives.
ALDERMAN. The mast
40
Of our ship is broken, all
Of us are overcome by panic.
They violently seize the daughter of
An honourable man, the man
Who justly rules this town of ours, and on
45
His head unjustly break the very rod
Of justice. When was any slave
So vilely treated?
JUAN ROJO. So what do you think
The town should
You are.
COMMANDER. Pascuala, I've no authority
In this. His crime * has been against
Téllez Girón, the Master; against
The Order and its sacred honour.
595
The punishment must serve as an
Example, just in case others in
The future choose to rise against him.
You know already that he aimed
The crossbow at myself, the Grand
600
Commander -- proof enough, I think,
Of his true loyalty!
ESTEBAN. I am
His father-in-law and therefore speak
On his behalf. Are you surprised
That someone so in love should act 605
As he has done? If you attempted to
Abduct his wife, it's natural
That he should want to save her.
-50-
COMMANDER. You are
An idiot, magistrate.
ESTEBAN. I appeal
To your virtuous nature, * sir.
COMMANDER. I did
610
Not try to take his wife. She wasn't his wife.
ESTEBAN. Of course you did! There's nothing more
To say. There are new rulers in
Castile who'll introduce such laws
And orders as will put an end
615
To all disorder. * When they have ceased
To be engaged in war, they would
Do well to rid their villages
And towns of men whose power comes
From wearing crosses. * The King alone
620
Should be allowed to wear the cross.
COMMANDER. Seize his rod of office!
ESTEBAN. My lord,
You are most welcome.
COMMANDER. Just the thing
To beat him with, as if he were
Some over-frisky horse!
ESTEBAN. Then beat me!
625
I bow to you as overlord. *
PASCUALA. You'd make an old man suffer?
LAURENCIA. You do
This now because he is my father.
What wrong have I done you that you
Must punish him?
COMMANDER. Take her away!
630
And let ten soldiers guard her!
[ He and his men exit
ESTEBAN. Let Heaven administer its justice!
-51-
[ He exits
PASCUALA. The wedding's become a wake.
BARRILDO. Will no
One here speak out?
MENGO. Exactly what
I did. I've got the marks to prove it. 635
Someone else can test his anger.
JUAN ROJO. We need
To talk, all of us.
MENGO. Much better bite
Your tongue. My kettle-drums * ache,
And both as red as salmon steaks.
-52-
ACT THREE
Enter ESTEBAN, * ALONSO, and BARRILDO.
ESTEBAN. Haven't they come yet?
BARRILDO. No, not yet.
ESTEBAN. Everything goes from bad to worse.
BARRILDO. Most of them know about the meeting.
ESTEBAN. Frondoso locked up in the tower,
Laurencia in such terrible danger . . .
5
We need God's help in this!
Enter JUAN ROJO and the ALDERMAN. *
JUAN ROJO. Esteban, keep
Your voice down! This meeting must be secret,
For all our sakes!
ESTEBAN. The wonder is
I do not shout much louder.
Enter MENGO.
MENGO. Alright,
I'm here. Let the meeting begin.
10
ESTEBAN. Honourable friends, I speak to you
As someone whose grey beard is bathed
In tears, and ask what final rites
We can perform in honour of
This town, so damaged and destroyed.
15
What honourable rites indeed,
If there is not a single one
Of us whose life that criminal
Has not dishonoured? Tell me now if there
Is someone here whose honour is
20
Unscathed. You are as one, I think,
-53-
In your complaints. And so I say
To you: if you have common cause,
What are you waiting for? Is not
What has befallen us the greatest of
25
Misfortunes?
JUAN ROJO. The greatest the world
Has ever seen. But now, we have
Been told, the King and Queen bring peace
To all Castile. Soon they will be
In Córdoba, * so why not send
30
Two aldermen to state our case
And beg them to put right these wrongs?
BARRILDO. But Fernando is still at war
With many enemies. He won't
Have time for our complaints. It's best
35
We think of something else.
ALDERMAN. If you
Ask me, I think we should evacuate
The town.
JUAN ROJO. There isn't time.
MENGO. And once
He gets to know our plans, it's going
To cost a good few lives.
ALDERMAN. The mast
40
Of our ship is broken, all
Of us are overcome by panic.
They violently seize the daughter of
An honourable man, the man
Who justly rules this town of ours, and on
45
His head unjustly break the very rod
Of justice. When was any slave
So vilely treated?
JUAN ROJO. So what do you think
The town should
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