Chapter 16

GISMUND _cometh out of her chamber, to whom_ RENUCHIO _delivereth his cup, saying_:

RENUCHIO. Thy father, O queen, here in this cup hath sent The thing to joy and comfort thee withal Which thou lovedst best, even as thou wast content To comfort him with his chief joy of all.

GISMUNDA. I thank my father, and thee, gentle squire, For this thy travail; take thou, for thy pains, This bracelet, and commend me to the king. [RENUCHIO _departeth_. So, now is come the long-expected hour, The fatal hour I have so looked for; Now hath my father satisfied his thirst With guiltless blood, which he so coveted. What brings this cup? Ah me! I thought no less, It is mine Earl's, my County's pierced heart. Dear heart, too dearly hast thou bought my love; Extremely rated at too high a price! Ah, my sweet heart, sweet wast thou in thy life, But in thy death thou provest passing sweet. A fitter hearse than this of beaten gold Could not be 'lotted to so good an heart: My father therefore well provided thus To close and wrap thee up in massy gold, And therewithal to send thee unto me, To whom of duty thou dost best belong. My father hath in all his life bewray'd A princely care and tender love to me; But this surpasseth--in his later days To send me this, mine own dear heart, to me. Wert thou not mine, dear heart, whilst that my love Danced and play'd upon thy golden strings? Art thou not mine, dear heart, now that my love Is fled to heaven, and got him golden wings? Thou art mine own, and still mine own shalt be, Therefore my father sendeth thee to me. Ah, pleasant harborough[81] of my heart's thought! Ah, sweet delight, the quickener of my soul! Seven times accursed be the hand that wrought Thee this despite, to mangle thee so foul: Yet in this wound I see mine own true love, And in this wound thy magnanimity, And in this wound I see thy constancy. Go, gentle heart, go rest thee in thy tomb, Receive this token at thy last farewell. [_She kisseth it_. Thine own true heart anon will follow thee, Which panting lusteth[82] for thy company. Thus hast thou run, poor heart! thy mortal race, And rid thy life from fickle fortune's snares; Thus hast thou lost this world and worldly cares, And of thy foe, to honour thee withal, Receiv'd a golden grave to thy desert. Nothing doth want to thy just funeral, But my salt tears to wash thy bloody wound: Which to the end thou might'st receive, behold My father sends thee in this cup of gold; And thou shalt have them, though I was resolv'd To shed no tears, but with a cheerful face Once did I think to wet thy funeral Only with blood and with no weeping eye. This done, forthwith my soul shall fly to thee; For therefore did my father send thee me. Ah, my pure heart! with sweeter company Or more content, how safer may I prove To pass to places all unknown with thee! Why die I not therefore? why do I stay? Why do I not this woful life forego, And with these hands enforce this breath away? What means this gorgeous glittering head-attire? How ill beseem these billaments[83] of gold Thy mournful widowhood? away with them-- [_She undresseth her hair_. So let thy tresses, flaring in the wind, Untrimmed hang about thy bared neck. Now, hellish furies, set my heart on fire, Bolden my courage, strengthen ye my hands, Against their kind, to do a kindly deed. But shall I then unwreaken[84] down descend? Shall I not work some just revenge on him That thus hath slain my love? shall not these hands Fire his gates, and make the flame to climb Up to the pinnacles with burning brands, And on his cinders wreak my cruel teen[85]? Be still, fond girl; content thee first to die, This venom'd water shall abridge thy life: [_She taketh a vial of poison out of her pocket_. This for the same intent provided I, Which can both ease and end this raging strife. Thy father by thy death shall have more woe, Than fire or flames within his gates can bring: Content thee then in patience hence to go, Thy death his blood shall wreak upon the king. Now not alone (a grief to die alone) "The only mirror of extreme annoy;" But not alone thou diest, my love, for I Will be copartner of thy destiny. Be merry then, my soul; can'st thou refuse To die with him, that death for thee did choose?

CHORUS 1. What damned fury hath possessed our Queen? Why sit we still beholding her distress? Madam, forbear, suppress this headstrong rage.

GISMUNDA. Maidens, forbear your comfortable words.

CHORUS 2. O worthy Queen, rashness doth overthrow The author of his resolution.

GISMUNDA. Where hope of help is lost, what booteth fear?

CHORUS 3. Fear will avoid the sting of infamy.

GISMUNDA. May good or bad reports delight the dead?

CHORUS 4. If of the living yet the dead have care.

GISMUNDA. An easy grief by counsel may be cur'd.

CHORUS 1. But headstrong mischiefs princes should avoid.

GISMUNDA. In headlong griefs and cases desperate?

CHORUS 2. Call to your mind, Gismund, you are the Queen.

GISMUNDA. Unhappy widow, wife, and paramour.

CHORUS 3. Think on the king.

GISMUNDA. The king, the tyrant king?

CHORUS 4. Your father.

GISMUNDA. Yes, the murtherer of my love.

CHORUS 4. His force.

GISMUNDA. The dead fear not the force of men.

CHORUS 1. His care and grief.

GISMUNDA. That neither car'd for me, Nor grieved at the murther of my love. My mind is settled; you with these vain words Withhold me but too long from my desire. Depart ye to my chamber.

CHORUS. We will haste To tell the king hereof. [CHORUS _depart into the palace_.

GISMUNDA. I will prevent Both you and him. Lo, here this hearty draught, The last that in this world I mean to taste, Dreadless of death, mine Earl, I drink to thee. So now work on; now doth my soul begin To hate this light, wherein there is no love; No love of parents to their children; No love of princes to their subjects true; No love of ladies to their dearest loves: Now pass I to the pleasant land of love, Where heavenly love immortal flourisheth. The gods abhor the company of men; Hell is on earth; yea, hell itself is heaven Compar'd with earth. I call to witness heaven; Heaven, said I? No; hell[86] record I call, And thou, stern goddess of revenging wrongs, Witness with me, I die for his pure love. That lived mine.

[_She lieth down, and covereth her face with her hair_.