SCENE I.

_Palace of the Duke._

Enter MAQUERELLE.

_Maq._ [_Knocking at the ladies' door._] Medam, medam, are you stirring, medam? if you be stirring, medam,--if I thought I should disturb ye--

_Enter_ Page.

_Page._ My lady is up, forsooth.

_Maq._ A pretty boy, faith: how old art thou?

_Page._ I think fourteen.

_Maq._ Nay, an ye be in the teens--are ye a gentleman born? do you know me? my name is Medam Maquerelle; I lie in the old Cunny-court.

[_Page._] See, here the ladies. 10

_Enter_ BIANCA _and_ EMILIA.

_Bian._ A fair day to ye, Maquerelle.

_Emil._ Is the duchess up yet, sentinel?

_Maq._ O ladies, the most abominable mischance! O dear ladies, the most piteous disaster! Ferneze was taken last night in the duchess' chamber: alas, the duke catched him and killed him!

_Bian._ Was he found in bed? 17

_Maq._ O, no; but the villainous certainty is, the door was not bolted, the tongue-tied hatch held his peace: so the naked troth is, he was found in his shirt, whilst I, like an arrant beast, lay in the outward chamber, heard nothing; and yet they came by me in the dark, and yet I felt them not, like a senseless creature as I was. O beauties, look to your busk-points;[484] if not chastely, yet charily: be sure the door be bolted.--Is your lord gone to Florence?

_Bian._ Yes, Maquerelle. 27

_Maq._ I hope you'll find the discretion to purchase a fresh gown 'fore his return.--Now, by my troth, beauties, I would ha' ye once wise: he loves ye; pish! he is witty; bubble! fair-proportioned; mew! nobly-born; wind! Let this be still your fixed position; esteem me every man according to his good gifts, and so ye shall ever remain most worthy to be, most dear ladies.

_Emil._ Is the duke returned from hunting yet?

_Maq._ They say not yet.

_Bian._ 'Tis now in midst of day. 37

_Emil._ How bears the duchess with this blemish now?

_Maq._ Faith, boldly; strongly defies defame, as one that has a duke to her father. And there's a note to you: be sure of a stout friend in a corner, that may always awe your husband. Mark the behaviour of the duchess now: she dares defame; cries, "Duke, do what thou canst, I'll quit mine honour:" nay, as one confirmed in her own virtue against ten thousand mouths that mutter her disgrace, she's presently for dances.

_Bian._ For dances!

_Maq._ Most true.

_Emil._ Most strange.

_Enter_ FERRARDO.

See, here's my servant, young Ferrardo: how many servants thinkest thou I have, Maquerelle? 51

_Maq._ The more, the merrier: 'twas well said, use your servants as you do your smocks; have many, use one, and change often; for that's most sweet and court-like.

_Fer._ Save ye, fair ladies! Is the duke return'd?

_Bian._ Sweet sir, no voice of him as yet in court.

_Fer._ 'Tis very strange.

_Bian._ And how like you my servant, Maquerelle? 59

_Maq._ I think he could hardly draw Ulysses' bow; but, by my fidelity, were his nose narrower, his eyes broader, his hands thinner, his lips thicker, his legs bigger, his feet lesser, his hair blacker, and his teeth whiter, he were a tolerable sweet youth, i'faith. And he will come to my chamber, I will read him the fortune of his beard.

[_Cornets sound within._

_Fer._ Not yet returned! I fear--but the duchess approacheth.

_Enter_ MENDOZA _supporting_ AURELIA _and_ GUERRINO: _the ladies that are on the stage rise_: FERRARDO _ushers in_ AURELIA, _and then takes a lady to tread a measure_.[485]

_Aur._ We will dance:--music!--we will dance.

_Guer. Les quanto_[486] lady, _Pensez bien, Passa regis_, or _Bianca's brawl_? 70

_Aur._ We have forgot the brawl.

_Fer._ So soon? 'tis wonder.

_Guer._ Why, 'tis but two singles on the left, two on the right, three doubles[487] forward, a traverse of six round: do this twice, three singles side, galliard trick-of-twenty,[488] coranto-pace; a figure of eight, three singles broken down, come up, meet, two doubles, fall back, and then honour.

_Aur._ O Dædalus, thy maze! I have quite forgot it.

_Maq._ Trust me, so have I, saving the falling-back, and then honour. 81

_Aur._ Music, music!

_Enter_ PREPASSO.

_Prep._ Who saw the duke? the duke?

_Aur._ Music!

_Enter_ EQUATO.

_Equato._ The duke? is the duke returned?

_Aur._ Music!

_Enter_ CELSO.

_Celso._ The duke is either quite invisible, or else is not.

_Aur._ We are not pleased with your intrusion upon our private retirement; we are not pleased: you have forgot yourselves. 90

_Enter a_ Page.

_Celso._ Boy, thy master? where's the duke?

_Page._ Alas, I left him burying the earth with his spread joyless limbs: he told me he was heavy, would sleep; bade[489] me walk off, for that the strength of fantasy oft made him talk[490] in his dreams. I straight obeyed, nor ever[491] saw him since: but wheresoe'er he is, he's sad.

_Aur._ Music, sound high, as is our heart! sound high!

_Enter_ MALEVOLE, _and_ PIETRO _disguised like an hermit_.

_Mal._ The duke,--peace!--the duke is dead.

_Aur._ Music!

_Mal._ Is't music? 100

_Men._ Give proof.

_Fer._ How?

_Celso._ Where?

_Prep._ When?

_Mal._ Rest in peace, as the duke does; quietly sit: for my own part, I beheld him but dead; that's all: marry, here's one can give you a more particular account of him.

_Men._ Speak, holy father, nor let any brow Within this presence fright thee from the truth: Speak confidently and freely.

_Aur._ We attend. 110

_Pietro._ Now had the mounting sun's all-ripening wings Swept the cold sweat of night from earth's dank breast, When I, whom men call Hermit of the Rock, Forsook my cell, and clambered up a cliff, Against whose base the heady Neptune dash'd His high-curl'd brows; there 'twas I eas'd my limbs: When, lo! my entrails melted with the moan Some one, who far 'bove me was climb'd, did make-- I shall offend.

_Men._ Not. 120

_Aur._ On.

_Pietro._ Methinks I hear him yet:--"O female faith! Go sow the ingrateful sand, and love a woman: And do I live to be the scoff of men? To be the[492] wittol-cuckold, even to hug My poison? Thou knowest, O truth! Sooner hard steel will melt with southern wind, A seaman's whistle calm the ocean, A town on fire be extinct with tears, Than women, vow'd to blushless impudence, 130 With sweet behaviour and soft minioning[493] Will turn from that where appetite is fix'd. O powerful blood! how thou dost slave their soul! I wash'd an Ethiop, who, for recompense, Sullied my name: and must I, then, be forc'd To walk, to live thus black? must! must! fie! He that can bear with must, he cannot die." With that, he sigh'd so[494] passionately deep, That the dull air even groan'd: at last he cries, "Sink shame in seas, sink deep enough!" so dies; 140 For then I viewed his body fall, and souse[495] Into the foamy main. O, then I saw, That which methinks I see, it was the duke; Whom straight the nicer-stomach'd sea belch'd up: But then----

_Mal._ Then came I in; but, 'las, all was too late! For even straight he sunk.

_Pietro._ Such was the duke's sad fate.

_Celso._ A better fortune to our Duke Mendoza!

_Omnes._ Mendoza! 150

[_Cornets flourish._

_Men._ A guard, a guard!

_Enter a Guard._

We, full of hearty tears, For our good father's loss, (For so we well may call him Who did beseech your loves for our succession), Cannot so lightly over-jump his death As leave his woes revengeless.--Woman of shame, [_To_ AURELIA. We banish thee for ever to the place From whence this good man comes; nor permit, On death, unto thy[496] body any ornament; But, base as was thy life, depart away. 160

_Aur._ Ungrateful!

_Men._ Away!

_Aur._ Villain, hear me!

_Men._ Begone!

[PREPASSO _and_ GUERRINO _lead away_ AURELIA _guarded_.

My lords, Address to public council; 'tis most fit: The train of fortune is borne up by wit. Away! our presence shall be sudden; haste.

[_All depart, except_ MENDOZA, MALEVOLE, _and_ PIETRO.

_Mal._ Now, you egregious devil! ha, ye murdering politician! how dost, duke? how dost look now? brave duke, i'faith. 170

_Men._ How did you kill him?

_Mal._ Slatted[497] his brains out, then soused him in the briny sea.

_Men._ Brained him, and drowned him too?

_Mal._ O 'twas best, sure work; for he that strikes a great man, let him strike home, or else 'ware, he'll prove no man: shoulder not a huge fellow, unless you may be sure to lay him in the kennel.

_Men._ A most sound brain-pan! I'll make you both emperors. 180

_Mal._ Make us Christians, make us Christians.

_Men._ I'll hoist ye, ye shall mount.

_Mal._ To the gallows, say ye? come:[498] _præmium incertum petit certum scelus_.[499] How stands the progress?

_Men._ Here, take my ring unto the citadel; [_Giving ring._ Have entrance to Maria, the grave duchess Of banish'd Altofront. Tell her we love her; Omit no circumstance to grace our person: do't.

_Mal._ I'll[500] make an excellent pander: duke, farewell; 'dieu, adieu, duke. 190

_Men._ Take Maquerelle with thee; for 'tis found None cuts a diamond but a diamond.

[_Exit_ MALEVOLE.

Hermit, Thou art a man for me, my confessor: O thou selected spirit, born for my good! Sure thou wouldst make An excellent elder in a deform'd church. Come, we must be inward,[501] thou and I all one.

_Pietro._ I am glad I was ordained for ye.

_Men._ Go to, then; thou must know that Malevole is a strange villain; dangerous, very dangerous: you see how broad 'a speaks; a gross-jawed rogue: I would have thee poison him: he's like a corn upon my great toe, I cannot go for him; he must be cored out, he must. Wilt do't, ha?

_Pietro._ Anything, anything. 204

_Men._ Heart of my life! thus, then. To the citadel: Thou shalt consort with this Malevole; There being at supper, poison him: it shall be laid Upon Maria, who yields love or dies: Scud quick.[502]

_Pietro._ Like lightning: good deeds crawl, but mischief flies. [_Exit._ 210

_Re-enter_ MALEVOLE.

_Mal._ Your devilship's ring has no virtue: the buff-captain, the sallow Westphalian gammon-faced zaza cries, "Stand out;" must have a stiffer warrant, or no pass into the castle of comfort.

_Men._ Command our sudden letter.--Not enter! sha't: what place is there in Genoa but thou shalt? into my heart, into my very heart: come, let's love; we must love, we two, soul and body.

_Mal._ How didst like the hermit? a strange hermit, sirrah. 220

_Men._ A dangerous fellow, very perilous: He must die.

_Mal._ Ay, he must die.

_Men._ Thou'st[503] kill him. We are wise; we must be wise.

_Mal._ And provident.

_Men._ Yea, provident: beware an hypocrite; A churchman once corrupted, O, avoid! A fellow that makes religion his stalking-horse,[504] He breeds a plague: thou shalt poison him.

_Mal._ O, 'tis wondrous necessary: how?

_Men._ You both go jointly to the citadel; There sup, there poison him: and Maria, 230 Because she is our opposite, shall bear The sad suspect; on which she dies or loves us.

_Mal._ I run. [_Exit._

_Men._ We that are great, our sole self-good still moves us. They shall die both, for their deserts crave more Than we can recompense: their presence still Imbraids[505] our fortunes with beholdingness, Which we abhor; like deed, not doer: then conclude, They live not to cry out "Ingratitude!" One stick burns t'other, steel cuts steel alone: 240 'Tis good trust few; but, O, 'tis best trust none!

[_Exit._

[484] The tagged laces by which the busk (the upright piece of whalebone in the front of the stays) was fastened.

[485] A slow solemn dance.

[486] "Qy. '_Los guantes?_' Mr. Collier (_Shakespeare Soc. Papers_, i. 28), quotes from Rawlinson's MS. No. 108, Bodl. Lib., a list of dances, among which is 'Quarto dispayne;' while Mr. Halliwell (_Dict. of Arch. and Prov. Words_) gives from the same MS., '_Quanto_-dispaine.'--In Munday's _Banquet of Daintie Conceits_, 1588, is:--

"'A Dyttie expressing a familiar controversie between Wit and Will: wherein Wit mildlie rebuketh the follies of Will, and sheweth him (as in a glasse) the fall of wilfull heads.

"'This Dittie may be sung after the note of a courtlie daunce, called _Les Guanto_.'"--_Dyce._

[487] Ed. 1. "double."

[488] We have the expression "trick-of-twenty" again in the _Dutch Courtesan_. What the particular figure was I am unable to say. (Sometimes "trick-of-twenty" is used in the sense of "excellent device." Cf. Brome's _City Wit_, iv. 2:--"Well, 'twas mine error, not malice; but as for the procurer of it, if I pay not him in his own coin, Mr. Footwell! I'll show you a _trick of twenty_.")

[489] Ed. 2. "bid."

[490] Ed. 1. "talking."

[491] Some copies of ed. 1. "neuer."

[492] Ed. 1. "their."

[493] "_i.e._, being treated as a minion or darling."--_Steevens._

[494] Ed. 2. "too."

[495] Fall with violence.--The word is used of a hawk swooping down on its prey.

[496] Old eds. "the."

[497] "i.e., _dashed_. It is a North-country word. See Ray's _Collection of English Words_, p. 54, ed. 1768."--_Reed._

[498] Some copies of ed. 1. "O ô me."

[499] "præmium incertum petis, Certum scelus."--Seneca, _Phoen._ 632.

[500] Ed. 1. "Iste."

[501] Intimate.

[502] Ed. 2. "Skud quicke like lightning. \ _Pie._ Good deedes crawl, but mischiefe flies."

[503] A contraction of "_Thou must_."

[504] "In the margin at this place, the words '_shoots under his belly_' are inserted; which is merely an explanation of the manner in which a corrupted churchman makes religion his _stalking-horse_, viz. by shooting at his object under its belly."--_Collier._

[505] Upbraids.