Chapter 4

A table set out covered with black. Two waxen tapers. The King's [defaced] picture at one end and a crucifix at the other. Onaelia [dressed in black] walking discontentedly weeping to the crucifix.

A Song.

QUESTION Oh sorrow, sorrow, say where do'st thou dwell?

ANSWER In the lowest room of hell.

QUESTION Art thou born of human race?

ANSWER No, no. I have a fury's <2> face.

QUESTION Art thou in city, town or court?

ANSWER I to every place resort.

QUESTION O why into the world is sorrow sent?

ANSWER Men afflicted best repent.

QUESTION What dost thou feed on?

ANSWER Broken sleep.

QUESTION What takest thou take pleasure in?

ANSWER To weep, To sigh, to sob, to pine, to groan, To wring my hands, to sit alone.

QUESTION Oh when, oh when, shall sorrow quiet have?

ANSWER Never, never, never, never, Never till she finds a grave.

Enter Cornego.

CORNEGO No lesson Madam but Lacrymae's? <3> If you had buried nine husbands, so much water as you might squeeze out of an onion had been tears enough to cast away upon fellows that cannot thank you. Come, be jovial.

ONAELIA Sorrow becomes me best.

CORNEGO A suit of laugh and lie down would wear better.

ONAELIA What should I do to be merry, Cornego?

CORNGO Be not sad.

ONELIA But what's the best mirth in the world?

CORNEGO Marry this, to see much, say little, do little, get little, spend little and want nothing.

ONELIA Oh, but there is a mirth beyond all these; This picture has so vexed me, I'm half mad, To spite it therefore, I'll sing any song Thyself shall tune. Say then, what mirth is best?

CORNEGO Why then Madam, what I knock out now is the very marrowbone of mirth and this it is.

ONELIA Say on.

CORNEGO The best mirth for a lawyer is to have fools to his clients; for citizens to have noblemen pay for their debts; for tailors to have store of satin brought in, for then how little soever their houses are, they will be sure to have large yards. The best mirth for bawds is to have fresh handsome whores, and for whores to have rich gulls come aboard their pinnaces <4>, for then they are sure to build galleasses <5>.

ONELIA These to such souls are mirth, but to mine, none. Away.

Exit Cornego, Enter Cardinal.

CARDINAL Peace to you, Lady.

ONELIA I will not sin so much as to hope for peace And 'tis a mock ill suits your gravity.

CARDINAL I come to knit the nerves of your lost strength, To build your ruins up, to set you free From this your voluntary banishment, And give new being to your murdered fame.

ONELIA What Aesculapius <6> can do this?

CARDINAL 'Tis from the King I come.

ONELIA A name I hate. Oh, I am deaf now to your embassy.

CARDINAL Hear what I speak.

ONELIA Your language breathed from him Is death's sad doom upon a wretch condemned.

CARDINAL Is it such poison?

ONELIA Yes, and were you crystal, What the King fills you with would make you break. You should my Lord, be like these robes you wear, Pure as the dye, and like that reverend shape Nurse thoughts as full of honour, zeal and purity. You should be the court-dial, and direct The King with constant motion, be ever beating, Like to clock-hammers, on his iron heart To make it sound clear and to feel remorse. You should unlock his soul, wake his dead conscience Which, like a drowsy sentinel, gives leave For sin's vast armies to beleaguer him. His ruins will be asked for at your hands.

CARDINAL I have raised up a scaffolding to save Both him and you from falling. Do but hear me.

ONAELIA Be dumb for ever.

CARDINAL Let your fears thus die: By all the sacred relics of the church And by my holy orders, what I minister Is even the spirit of health.

ONAELIA I'll drink it down into my soul at once.

CARDINAL You shall.

ONAELIA But swear.

CARDINAL What conjurations can more bind my oath?

ONAELIA But did you swear in earnest?

CARDINAL Come, you trifle.

ONAELIA No marvel, for my hopes have been so drowned I still despair, say on.

CARDINAL The King repents.

ONAELIA Pray, that again my Lord.

CARDINAL The King repents.

ONAELIA His wrongs to me?

CARDINAL His wrongs to you. The sense of sin Has pierced his soul.

ONAELIA Blessed penitence!

CARDINAL Has turned his eyes <7> into his leprous bosom And like a king vows execution On all his traitorous passions.

ONAELIA God-like justice!

CARDINAL Intends in person presently to beg Forgiveness for his acts from heaven and you.

ONAELIA Heaven pardon him. I shall.

CARDINAL Will marry you.

ONAELIA Umh! Marry me? Will he turn bigamist? When? When?

CARDINAL Before the morrow sun hath rode Half his day's journey, will send home his Queen As one that stains his bed, and can produce Nothing but bastard issue to his crown. Why, how now? Lost in wonder and amazement?

ONAELIA I am so stored with joy that I can now Strongly wear out more years of misery Than I have lived.

Enter King.

CARDINAL You need not: here is the King.

KING Leave us.

Exit Cardinal.

ONAELIA With pardon sir, I will prevent you And charge upon you first.

KING 'Tis granted, do. But stay, what mean these emblems of distress? My picture so defaced, opposed against A holy cross! Room hung in black, and you Dressed like chief mourner at a funeral?

ONAELIA Look back upon your guilt, dear Sir, and then The cause that now seems strange explains itself. This and the image of my living wrongs Is still confronted by me to beget Grief like my shame, whose length may outlive time. This cross, the object of my wounded soul To which I pray to keep me from despair; That ever as the sight of one throws up Mountains of sorrow on my accursed head. Turning to that, mercy may check despair And bind my hands from wilful violence.

KING But who has played the tyrant with me thus, And with such dangerous spite abused my picture?

ONAELIA The guilt of that lays claim sir, to yourself For being, by you, ransacked of all my fame, Robbed of mine honour and dear chastity, Made, by your act, the shame of all my house, The hate of good men and the scorn of bad, The song of broom-men and the murdering vulgar, And left alone to bear up all these ills By you begun, my breast was filled with fire And wrapped in just disdain, and like a woman On that dumb picture wreaked I my passions.

KING And wished it had been I.

ONAELIA Pardon me Sir, My wrongs were great, and my revenge swelled high.

KING I will descend and cease to be a King, To leave my judging part, freely confessing Thou canst not give thy wrongs too ill a name. And here to make thy apprehension full, And seat thy reason in a sound belief I vow tomorrow, ere the rising sun Begins his journey, with all ceremonies Due to the Church, to seal our nuptials, To prive <8> thy son with full consent of state, Spain's heir apparent, born in wedlock's vows.

ONAELIA And will you swear to this?

KING By this I swear.

[Takes up Bible.]

ONAELIA Oh, you have sworn false oaths upon that book!

KING Why then, by this.

[Takes up crucifix.]

ONAELIA Take heed you print it deeply: How for your concubine, bride I cannot say, She stains your bed with black adultery, And though her fame masks in a fairer shape Than <9> mine to the world's eye, yet King, you know Mine honour is less strumpeted than hers, However butchered in opinion.

KING This way for her, the contract which thou hast, By best advice of all our Cardinals, Today shall be enlarged till it be made Past all dissolving. Then to our council table Shall she be called, that read aloud, she told The church commands her quick return for Florence With such a dower as Spain received with her, And that they will not hazard heaven's dire curse To yield to a match unlawful, which shall taint The issue of the King with bastardy. This done, in state majestic come you forth, Our new crowned Queen in sight of all our peers. Are you resolved?

OMAELIA To doubt of this were treason Because the King has sworn it.

KING And will keep it. Deliver up the contract then, that I May make this day end with thy misery.

ONAELIA Here as the dearest Jewel of my fame Locked I this parchment from all viewing eyes. This your indenture, held alone the life Of my supposed dead honour; yet behold, Into your hands I redeliver it. Oh keep it Sir, as you should keep that vow, To which, being signed by heaven, even angels bow.

[Onaelia passes the document to the King.]

KING 'Tis in the lion's paw, and who dares snatch it? Now to your beads and crucifix again.

ONAELIA Defend me heaven!

KING Pray there may come Embassadors from France Their followers are good customers.

ONAELIA Save me from madness!

KING 'Twill raise the price, being the King's mistress.

ONAELIA You do but counterfeit to mock my joys.

KING Away bold strumpet!

ONAELIA Are there eyes in heaven to see this?

KING Call and try, here's a whore's curse To fall in that belief, which her sins nurse.

Exit King, Enter Cornego.

CORNEGO How now? What quarter of the moon has she cut out now? My Lord puts me into a wise office to be a mad-woman's keeper. Why, Madam!

ONAELIA Ha! Where is the King, thou slave?

[Clutches Cornego.]

CORNEGO Let go your hold, or I'll fall upon you as I am a man.

ONAELIA Thou treacherous caitiff <10>, where is the King?

CORNEGO He's gone, but not so far as you are.

ONAELIA Crack all in sunder, oh you battlements, And grind me into powder

CORNEGO What powder? Come, what powder? When did you ever see a woman grinded into powder? I am sure some of your sex powder men, and pepper them too.

ONAELIA Is there a vengeance yet lacking to my ruin? Let it fall, now let it fall upon me!

CORNEGO No, there has been too much fallen upon you already.

ONAELIA Thou villain, leave thy hold, I'll follow him Like a raised ghost, I'll haunt him, break his sleep, Fright him as he is embracing his new leman <11>, Til want of rest bids him run mad and die, For making oaths bawds to his perjury.

CORNEGO Pray be more seasoned, if he make any bawds, he did ill, for there is enough of that fly-blown flesh already.

ONAELIA I'm left quite naked now; all gone, all, all.

CORNEGO No Madam, not all, for you cannot be rid of me. Here comes your Uncle.

Enter Medina.

ONAELIA Attired in robes of vengeance, are you uncle?

MEDINA More horrors yet?

ONAELIA 'Twas never full till now, And in this torrent all my hopes lie drowned.

MEDINA Instruct me in the cause.

ONAELIA The King, the contract!

Exit Onaelia.

CORNEGO That's cud enough for you to chew upon.

Exit Cornego.

MEDINA What's this? A riddle. How? The King, the contract. The mischief I divine which proving true, Shall kindle fires in Spain to melt his crown Even from his head. Here's the decree of fate: A black deed must a black deed expiate.

Exit Medina.