ACT III.
Reading edition
SCENE I.
The sea-shore.
Enter Andrugio in armour, Lucio with a shepherd’s gown in his hand, and a Page.
And. Is not yon gleam the shuddering morn that flakes With silver tincture the east verge of heaven?
Lu. I think it is, so please your excellence.
And. Away! I have no excellence to please. Prithee observe the custom of the world, That only flatters greatness, states exalts. And please my excellence! O Lucio, Thou hast been ever held respected dear, Even precious to Andrugio’s inmost love. Good, flatter not. Nay, if thou giv’st not faith 10 That I am wretched, O read that, read that.
Piero Sforza to the Italian Princes, fortune.
Lu. [reads] EXCELLENT, the just overthrow Andrugio took in the Venetian gulf, hath so assured the Genoways of the [in]justice of his cause, and the hatefulness of his person, that they have banish’d him and all his family: and, for confirmation of their peace with us, have vowed, that if he or his son can be attached, to send us both their heads. We therefore, by force of our united league, forbid you to harbour him, or his blood: but if you apprehend his person, we entreat you to send him, or his head, to us. For we vow, by the honour of our blood, to recompense any man that bringeth his head, with twenty thousand double pistolets, and the endearing of our choicest love.
From Venice: Piero Sforza. 24
And. My thoughts are fix’d in contemplation Why this huge earth, this monstrous animal, That eats her children, should not have eyes and ears. Philosophy maintains that Nature’s wise, And forms no useless or unperfect thing. Did Nature make the earth, or the earth Nature? 30 For earthly dirt makes all things, makes the man, Moulds me up honour; and, like a cunning Dutchman, Paints me a puppet even with seeming breath, And gives a sot appearance of a soul. Go to, go to; thou liest, Philosophy. Nature forms things unperfect, useless, vain. Why made she not the earth with eyes and ears That she might see desert, and hear men’s plaints? That when a soul is splitted, sunk with grief, He might fall thus, upon the breast of earth, 40
[He throws himself on the ground.
Exclaiming thus: O thou all-bearing earth, Which men do gape for, till thou cramm’st their mouths, And chokest their throats with dust; O chaune[101] thy breast, And let me sink into thee! Look who knocks; Andrugio calls.—But O, she’s deaf and blind: A wretch but lean relief on earth can find.
Lu. Sweet lord, abandon passion, and disarm. Since by the fortune of the tumbling sea, We are roll’d up upon the Venice marsh, Let’s clip all fortune, lest more low’ring fate— 50
And. More low’ring fate! O Lucio, choke that breath. Now I defy chance: Fortune’s brow hath frown’d, Even to the utmost wrinkle it can bend: Her venom’s spit. Alas, what country rests, What son, what comfort that she can deprive? Triumphs not Venice in my overthrow? Gapes not my native country for my blood? Lies not my son tomb’d in the swelling main? And yet more low’ring fate! There’s nothing left Unto Andrugio, but Andrugio: 60 And that nor mischief, force, distress, nor hell can take. Fortune my fortunes, not my mind, shall shake.
Lu. Spoke[102] like yourself; but give me leave, my Lord, To wish your safety. If you are but seen, Your arms display you; therefore put them off, And take——.
And. Would’st thou have me go unarm’d among my foes? Being besieg’d by passion, ent’ring lists, To combat with despair and mighty grief; My soul beleaguer’d with the crushing strength 70 Of sharp impatience? ha, Lucio, go unarm’d? Come soul, resume the valour of thy birth; Myself, myself will dare all opposites:[103] I’ll muster forces, an unvanquish’d power: Cornets of horse shall press th’ ungrateful earth; This hollow wombèd mass shall inly groan, And murmur to sustain the weight of arms: Ghastly amazement, with upstarted hair, Shall hurry on before, and usher us, Whilst trumpets clamour with a sound of death. 80
Lu. Peace, good my Lord, your speech is all too light. Alas, survey your fortunes, look what’s left Of all your forces, and your utmost hopes: A weak old man, a page, and your poor self.
And. Andrugio lives, and a fair cause of arms,— Why that’s an army all invincible! He who hath that, hath a battalion royal, Armour of proof, huge troops of barbèd steeds, Main squares of pikes, millions of harquebush. O, a fair cause stands firm, and will abide; 90 Legions of angels fight upon her side.[104]
Lu. Then, noble spirit, slide, in strange disguise, Unto some gracious Prince, and sojourn there, Till time and fortune give revenge firm means.
And. No, I’ll not trust the honour of a man. Gold is grown great, and makes perfidiousness A common waiter in most princes’ courts: He’s in the check-roll;[105] I’ll not trust my blood; I know none breathing but will cog a die[106] For twenty thousand double pistolets. 100 How goes the time?
Lu. I saw no sun to-day.[107]
And. No sun will shine, where poor Andrugio breathes. My soul grows heavy: boy, let’s have a song: We’ll sing yet, faith, even in[108] despite of fate.
[A song.
And. ’Tis a good boy, and by my troth, well sung. O, and thou felt’st my grief, I warrant thee, Thou would’st have strook division[109] to the height, And made the life of music breathe: hold, boy; why so. For God’s sake call me not Andrugio, That I may soon forget what I have been. 110 For heaven’s name, name not Antonio, That I may not remember he was mine. Well, ere yon sun set, I’ll show myself, Worthy my blood. I was a Duke; that’s all. No[110] matter whither, but from whence we fall.[111]
[Exeunt.
SCENE II.
Palace of the Duke of Venice.
Enter Feliche walking, unbraced.
Feli. Castilio, Alberto, Balurdo! none up? Forobosco! Flattery, nor thou up yet? Then there’s no courtier stirring: that’s firm truth? I cannot sleep: Feliche seldom rests In these court lodgings. I have walk’d all night, To see if the nocturnal court delights Could force me envy their felicity: And by plain troth, I will confess plain troth, I envy nothing but the travense[112] light. O, had it eyes, and ears, and tongues, it might 10 See sport, hear speech of most strange surquedries.[113] O, if that candle-light were made a poet, He would prove a rare firking satirist, And draw the core forth of imposthum’d sin. Well, I thank heaven yet, that my content Can envy nothing, but poor candle-light. As for the other glistering copper spangs, That glisten in the tire of the court, Praise God, I either hate, or pity them. Well, here I’ll sleep till that the scene of up 20 Is pass’d at court. O calm hush’d rich Content, Is there a being blessedness without thee? How soft thou down’st the couch where thou dost rest, Nectar to life, thou sweet Ambrosian feast!
Enter Castilio and his Page Catzo: Castilio with a casting-bottle[114] of sweet water in his hand, sprinkling himself.
Cast. Am not I a most sweet youth now?
Cat. Yes, when your throat’s perfum’d; your very words Do smell of ambergris. O stay, sir, stay; Sprinkle some sweet water to your shoe’s heels, That your mistress may swear you have a sweet foot.
30 Cast. Good, very good, very passing[115] passing good.
Feli. Fut, what treble minikin[116] squeaks there, ha? “good, very good, very very good!”
Cast. I will warble to the delicious conclave of my mistress’ ear: and strike her thoughts with the pleasing touch of my voice.
[A song.
Cast. Feliche, health, fortune, mirth, and wine.
Feli. To thee, my love divine.
Cast. I drink to thee, sweeting.
Feli. [Aside.] Plague on thee for an ass!
Cast. Now thou hast seen the court, by the perfection of it, dost not envy it? 41
Feli. I wonder it doth not envy me. Why, man, I have been borne upon the spirit’s wings, The soul’s swift Pegasus, the fantasy: And from the height of contemplation, Have view’d the feeble joints men totter on. I envy none; but hate, or pity all. For when I view, with an intentive thought, That creature fair but proud; him rich, but sot; Th’ other witty, but unmeasured arrogant; 50 Him great, yet boundless in ambition; Him high-born, but of base life; t’ other fear’d, Yet fearèd fears, and fears most to be loved;[117] Him wise, but made a fool for public use; The other learned, but self-opinionate: When I discourse all these, and see myself Nor fair, nor rich, nor witty, great, nor fear’d, Yet amply suited with all full content, Lord, how I clap my hands, and smooth my brow, Rubbing my quiet bosom, tossing up 60 A grateful spirit to Omnipotence!
Cast. Hah, hah! but if thou knew’st my happiness, Thou would’st even grate away thy soul to dust, In envy of my sweet beatitude. I cannot sleep for kisses; I cannot rest For ladies’ letters, that importune me With such unusèd vehemence of love, Straight to solicit them, that——.
Feli. Confusion seize me, but I think thou liest. Why should I not be sought to then as well? 70 Fut, methinks I am as like a man. Troth, I have a good head of hair, a cheek Not as yet wan’d, a leg, ’faith, in the full. I ha’ not a red beard, take not tobacco much: And ’lid, for other parts of manliness—
Cast. Pew waw, you ne’er accourted[118] them in pomp, Put your good parts in presence graciously. Ha, and you had, why, they would ha’ come off, Sprung to your arms, and sued, and prayed, and vowed, And opened all their sweetness to your love. 80
Feli. There are a number of such things as thou[119] Have often urged me to such loose belief; But, ’slid, you all do lie, you all do lie. I have put on good clothes, and smugg’d my face, Strook a fair wench with a smart, speaking eye; Courted in all sorts, blunt and passionate; Had opportunity, put them to the ah! And, by this light, I find them wondrous chaste, Impregnable; perchance a kiss, or so: But for the rest, O most inexorable! 90
Cast. Nay then, i’faith, prithee look here.
[Shows him the superscription of a seeming letter.
Feli. To her most esteemed, loved, and generous servant, Sig. Castilio Balthazar. Prithee from whom comes this? faith, I must see. From her that is devoted to thee, in most private sweets of love, Rossaline. Nay, God’s my comfort, I must see the rest; I must, sans ceremony; faith, I must.
[Feliche takes away the letter by force.
Cast. O, you spoil my ruff, unset my hair; good, away! 100
Feli. Item, for strait canvass, thirteen pence halfpenny; item, for an ell and a half of taffeta to cover your old canvass doublet, fourteen shillings and threepence.—’Slight, this is a tailor’s bill.
Cast. In sooth, it is the outside of her letter, on which I took the copy of a tailor’s bill.
Dil. But ’tis not cross’d, I am sure of that. Lord have mercy on him, his credit hath given up the last gasp. —— 110
[Exit.
Feli. Honest musk-cod, ’twill not be so stitched together; take that [striking him], and that, and belie no lady’s love: swear no more by Jesu, this madam, that lady; hence, go, forswear the presence, travel three years to bury this bastinado: avoid, puff-paste, avoid!
Cast. And tell not my lady-mother. Well, as I am a true gentleman, if she had not willed me on her blessing not to spoil my face, if I could not find in my heart to fight, would I might ne’er eat a potato-pie more.
[Exit.
Enter Balurdo, backward; Dildo following him with a looking-glass in one hand, and a candle in the other hand: Flavia following him backward, with a looking-glass in one hand, and a candle in the other; Rossaline following her; Balurdo and Rossaline stand setting of faces; and so the Scene begins.
Feli. More fool, more rare fools! O, for time and place, long enough, and large enough, to act these fools! Here might be made a rare scene of folly, if the plat[120] could bear it. 123
Bal. By the sugar-candy sky, hold up the glass higher, that I may see to swear in fashion. O, one loof[121] more would ha’ made them shine; God’s neaks,[122] they [123] world: O, that gern[124] kills, it kills. By my golden—what’s the richest thing about me? 130
Dil. Your teeth.
Bal. By my golden teeth, hold up, that I may put in: hold up, I say, that I may see to put on my gloves.
Dil. O, delicious, sweet-cheek’d master, if you discharge but one glance from the level of that set face, O, you will strike a wench; you’ll make any wench love you.
Bal. By Jesu, I think I am as elegant a courtier as——. How likest thou my suit?
Cat. All, beyond all, no peregal:[125] you are wondered at—[Aside.] for an ass. 141
Bal. Well, Dildo, no Christen creature shall know hereafter, what I will do for thee heretofore.
Ros. Here wants a little white, Flavia.
Dil. Ay, but, master, you have one little fault; you sleep open-mouth’d.
Bal. Pew, thou jest’st. In good sadness, I’ll have a looking-glass nail’d to the testern of the bed, that I may see when I sleep whether ’tis so or not; take heed you lie not: go to, take heed you lie not. 150
Fla. By my troth, you look as like the princess, now—Ay—but her lip is—lip is—a little——redder, a very little redder.
Ros.[126] But by the help of art or nature, ere I change my periwig, mine shall be as red.
Fla.[127] O ay, that face, that eye, that smile, that writhing of your body, that wanton dandling of your fan, becomes prethely, so sweethly, ’tis even the goodest lady that breathes, the most amiable——. Faith, the fringe of your satin petticoat is ript. Good faith, madam, they say you are the most bounteous lady to your women that ever—— most delicious beauty! Good madam, let me kith it.
Feli. Rare sport, rare sport! A female fool, and a female flatterer. 164
Ros. Body o’ me, the Duke! away[128] the glass!
Enter Piero.
Pier. Take up your paper, Rossaline.
Ros. Not mine, my Lord.
Pier. Not yours, my Lady? I’ll see what ’tis.
Bal. And how does my sweet mistress? O Lady dear, even as ’tis an old say, “’tis an old horse can neither wighy,[129] nor wag his tail:” even so do I hold my set face still: even so, ’tis a bad courtier that can neither discourse, nor blow his nose. 173
Pier.—[reads.] Meet me at Abraham’s, the Jew’s, where I bought my Amazon’s disguise. A ship lies in the port, ready bound for England; make haste, come private. Antonio.
Enter Castilio and Forobosco.
Forobosco, Alberto, Feliche, Castilio, Balurdo! run, keep the palace, post to the ports, go to my daughter’s chamber! whither now? scud to the Jew’s! stay, run to the gates, stop the gundolets,[130] let none pass the marsh! do all at once! Antonio! his head, his head! Keep you the court, the rest stand still, or run, or go, or shout, or search, or scud, or call, or hang, or do-do-do su-su-su something! I know not who-who-who what I do-do-do, nor who-who-who, where I am. 185 O trista traditrice, rea ribalda fortuna, Negando mi vindetta mi causa fera morte.
[Exeunt all but Feliche.
Feli. Ha ha ha! I could break my spleen at his impatience.
Enter Antonio and Mellida.
Ant. Alma et graziosa fortuna siate favorevole, Et fortunati siano voti del[la] mia dolce Mellida, Mellida.
Mel. Alas, Antonio, I have lost thy note! A number mount my stairs; I’ll straight return.
[Exit.
Feli. Antonio, 194 Be not affright, sweet Prince; appease thy fear, Buckle thy spirits up, put all thy wits In wimble[131] action, or thou art surprised.
Ant. I care not.
Feli. Art mad, or desperate? or——
Ant. Both, both, all, all: I prithee let me lie; 200 Spite of you all, I can, and I will die.
Feli. You are distraught; O, this is madness’ breath!
Ant. Each man take[s] hence life, but no man death: He’s a good fellow, and keeps open house: A thousand thousand ways lead to his gate, To his wide-mouthèd porch, when niggard life Hath[132] but one little, little wicket through. We wring ourselves into this wretched world, To pule, and weep, exclaim, to curse and rail, To fret, and ban the fates, to strike the earth, 210 As I do now. Antonio, curse thy birth, And die!
Feli. Nay, heaven’s my comfort, now you are perverse: You know I always loved you; prithee live. Wilt thou strike dead thy friends, draw mourning tears?
Ant. Alas, Feliche, I ha’ ne’er a friend; No country, father, brother, kinsman left To weep my fate or sigh my funeral: I roll but up and down, and fill a seat In the dark cave of dusky misery. 220
Feli. ’Fore heaven, the Duke comes! hold you, take my key, Slink to my chamber; look you, that is it: There shall you find a suit I wore at sea; Take it, and slip away. Nay, ’precious! If you’ll be peevish, by this light, I’ll swear Thou rail’dst upon thy love before thou diedst, And call’d her strumpet.
Ant. She’ll not credit thee.
Feli. Tut, that’s all one: I will defame thy love, And make thy dead trunk held in vile regard.
Ant. Wilt needs have it so? why then, Antonio, 230 Vive esperanza in dispetto del fato.
[Exit.
Enter Piero, Galeatzo, Matzagente, Forobosco, Balurdo, and Castilio, with weapons.
Pier. O, my sweet princes, was’t not bravely found? Even there I found the note, even there it lay: I kiss the place for joy, that there it lay. This way he went, here let us make a stand: I’ll keep this gate myself. O gallant youth! I’ll drink carouse unto your country’s health Even in Antonio’s skull.
Bal. Lord bless us, his breath is more fearful than a sergeant’s voice when he cries, I arrest. 240
Enter Antonio, disguised as a sailor.
Ant. Stop Antonio! keep, keep Antonio!
Pier. Where, where, man, where?
Ant. Here, here: let me pursue him down the marsh!
Pier. Hold, there’s my signet, take a gundelet: Bring me his head, his head, and, by mine honour, I’ll make thee the wealthiest mariner that breathes.
Ant. I’ll sweat my blood out till I have him safe.
Pier. Spoke[133] heartily, i’faith, good mariner. O, we will mount in triumph; soon at night, I’ll set his head up. Let’s think where. 250
Bal. Upon his shoulders, that’s the fittest place for it. If it be not as fit as if it were made for them, say,— Balurdo, thou art a sot, an ass.
Enter Mellida in Pages attire, dancing.
Pier. Sprightly, i’faith. In troth he’s somewhat like My daughter Mellida: but, alas! poor soul, Her honour’s[134] heels, God knows, are[n’t] half so light.
Mel. [Aside.] Escaped I am, spite of my father’s spite.
[Exit.
Pier. Ho, this will warm my bosom ere I sleep.
Enter Flavia running.
Fla. O my Lord, your daughter——
Pier. Ay, ay, my daughter’s safe enough, I warrant thee.— 260 This vengeance on the boy will lengthen out My days unmeasuredly. It shall be chronicled in time to come, Piero Sforza slew Andrugio’s son.
Fla. Ay, but, my Lord, your daughter——
Pier. Ay, ay, my good wench, she is safe enough.
Fla. O, then, my Lord, you know she’s run away.
Pier. Run away, away! how run away?
Fla. She’s vanish’d in an instant, none knows whither.
Pier. Pursue, pursue, fly, run, post, scud away! 270
Feli. [Sings.] “And was not good king Salomon,” &c.
Pier. Fly, call, run, row, ride, cry, shout, hurry, haste! Haste, hurry, shout, cry, ride, row, run, call, fly, Backward and forward, every way about! Mal[e]detta fortuna che[135] dura sorte! Che farò, che dirò, pur fugir tanto mal!
Cast. ’Twas you that struck me even now: was it not?
Feli. It was I that struck you even now.
Cast. You bastinadoed me, I take it.
Feli. I bastinadoed you, and you took it. 280
Cast. ’Faith, sir, I have the richest tobacco in the court for you; I would be glad to make you satisfaction, if I have wronged you. I would not the sun should set upon your anger; give me your hand.
Feli. Content, faith; so thou’lt breed no more such lies. I hate not man, but man’s lewd qualities.
[Exeunt.