into foolhardy lies until sentence of instant
execution is passed, when a check upon his further speech is immediately
applied and his tongue silenced for ever. Meanwhile, Andrea has been
carrying a bold front in Portugal, passing swiftly from the tactful
speech of diplomacy to the fierce language of defiance. Herein he
arouses the hot spirit of Balthezar. Word leaps to word, challenge to
challenge. Each recognizes the honour and valiancy of the other, and it
is arranged that they shall seek each other out in battle, to settle
their rivalry by single combat. Andrea returns to Spain. War follows.
Twice Andrea and Balthezar meet. On the first occasion Andrea is saved
only by the intervention of a gallant youth, his devoted friend,
Horatio. On the second occasion he overthrows his opponent but, in the
moment of victory, is slain by the pikes of Portuguese soldiery. Horatio
arrives on the scene in time to witness Balthezar's exultation over the
corpse. Taking the combat upon himself he forces the prince to the
ground, but is robbed of the full glory of such a capture by the
baseness of Lorenzo, who darts in and himself receives Balthezar's
surrendered sword. Victory ultimately rests with the Spaniards. Andrea's
body is buried with full military honours, his Ghost personally
attending, with Revenge, to indicate to Horatio, by gestures, his
sensibility of his friend's kindness. The epilogue is spoken by
Horatio's father, Jeronimo, even as the opening lines of the play are
concerned with his promotion to the high office of marshal.

The weak point of the play lies in the second half of the plot; Andrea's
death, lamentable as a catastrophe, achieves nothing, except, perhaps,
the satisfaction of a hidden destiny. Those purposes which openly aim at
his death are left incomplete. Lorenzo's deep schemes, from which much
is expected, come to nothing; his revenge is certainly not glutted.
Balthezar seeks to gain honour in victory, but is robbed of it by
Horatio and his own soldiers. Then, too, the interest excited by
Lorenzo's hatred leads us into something like a blind alley; Andrea
escapes and the whole scene is transferred to the battle-field.
Nevertheless, the play offers compensations. It provides one or two
striking scenes, possibly the best being that in which we watch, in
suspense, the mutual destruction of Lorenzo's plans. The verse, again,
has many fine lines and vigorous passages. On the whole it is perhaps
less studied,