Act 2 — ACT II. SCENE I.

An apartment in the castle.

Enter Beatrice and Jasperino severally.

Beat. O sir, I'm ready now for that fair service

Which makes the name of friend sit glorious on you!

Good angels and this conduct be your guide!

[Giving a paper.

Fitness of time and place is there set down, sir.

Jas. The joy I shall return rewards my service.

[Exit.

Beat. How wise is Alsemero in his friend!

It is a sign he makes his choice with judgment;

Then I appear in nothing more approv’d

Than making choice of him; for ’tis a principle,

He that can choose

That bosom well who of his thoughts partakes,

Proves most discreet in every choice he makes.

228Methinks I love now with the eyes of judgment,

And see the way, to merit, clearly see it.

A true deserter like a diamond sparkles;

In darkness you may see him, that’s in absence,

Which is the greatest darkness falls on love,

Yet is he best discern’d then

With intellectual eye-sight. What’s Piracquo,

My father spends his breath for? and his blessing

Is only mine as I regard his name,

Else it goes from me, and turns head against me,

Transform’d into a curse: some speedy way

Must be remember’d; he’s so forward too,

So urgent that way, scarce allows me breath

To speak to my new comforts.

Enter De Flores.

De F. Yonder’s she;

Whatever ails me, now a-late especially,

I can as well be hang’d as refrain seeing her;

Some twenty times a-day, nay, not so little,

Do I force errands, frame ways and excuses,

To come into her sight; and I've small reason for’t,

And less encouragement, for she baits me still

Every time worse than other; does profess herself

The cruellest enemy to my face in town;

At no hand can abide the sight of me,

As if danger or ill luck hung in my looks.

I must confess my face is bad enough,

But I know far worse has better fortune,

And not endur’d alone, but doted on;

And yet such pick-hair’d faces, chins like witches',

Here and there five hairs whispering in a corner,

As if they grew in fear one of another,

Wrinkles like troughs, where swine-deformity swills

The tears of perjury, that lie there like wash

Fallen from the slimy and dishonest eye;

229Yet such a one plucks^[422] sweets without restraint,

And has the grace of beauty to his sweet.

Though my hard fate has thrust me out to servitude,

I tumbled into th' world a gentleman.

She turns her blessed eye upon me now,

And I'll endure all storms before I part with’t.

[Aside.

Beat. Again?

This ominous ill-fac’d fellow more disturbs me

Than all my other passions. [Aside.

De F. Now’t begins again;

I'll stand this storm of hail, though the stones pelt me. [Aside.

Beat. Thy business? what’s thy business?

De F. Soft and fair!

I cannot part so soon now. [Aside.

Beat. The villain’s fix’d.— [Aside.

Thou standing toad-pool——

De F. The shower falls amain now. [Aside.

Beat. Who sent thee? what’s thy errand? leave my sight!

De F. My lord, your father, charg’d me to deliver

A message to you.

Beat. What, another since?

Do’t, and be hang’d then; let me be rid of thee.

De F. True service merits mercy.

Beat. What’s thy message?

De F. Let beauty settle but in patience,

You shall hear all.

Beat. A dallying, trifling torment!

De F. Signor Alonzo de Piracquo, lady,

Sole brother to Tomaso de Piracquo——

Beat. Slave, when wilt make an end?

De F. Too soon I shall.

230Beat. What all this while of him?

De F. The said Alonzo,

With the foresaid Tomaso——

Beat. Yet again?

De F. Is new alighted.

Beat. Vengeance strike the news!

Thou thing most loath’d, what cause was there in this

To bring thee to my sight?

De F. My lord, your father,

Charg’d me to seek you out.

Beat. Is there no other

To send his errand by?

De F. It seems ’tis my luck

To be i' th' way still.

Beat. Get thee from me!

De F. So:

Why, am not I an ass to devise ways

Thus to be rail’d at? I must see her still!

I shall have a mad qualm within this hour again,

I know’t; and, like a common Garden-bull,^[423]

I do but take breath to be lugg’d again.

What this may bode I know not; I'll despair the less,

Because there’s daily precedents of bad faces

Belov’d beyond all reason; these foul chops

May come into favour one day ’mongst their^[424] fellows:

Wrangling has prov’d the mistress of good pastime;

As children cry themselves asleep, I ha' seen

Women have chid themselves a-bed to men.

[Aside, and exit.

Beat. I never see this fellow but I think

231Of some harm towards me, danger’s in my mind still;

I scarce leave trembling of an hour after:

The next good mood I find my father in,

I'll get him quite discarded. O, I was

Lost in this small disturbance, and forgot

Affliction’s fiercer torrent that now comes

To bear down all my comforts!

Enter Vermandero, Alonzo, and Tomaso.

Ver. You’re both welcome,

But an especial one belongs to you, sir,

To whose most noble name our love presents

Th' addition of a son, our son Alonzo.

Alon. The treasury of honour cannot bring forth

A title I should more rejoice in, sir.

Ver. You have improv’d it well.—Daughter, prepare;

The day will steal upon thee suddenly.

Beat. Howe’er, I will be sure to keep the night,

If it should come so near me. [Aside.

[Beatrice and Vermandero talk apart.

Tom. Alonzo.

Alon. Brother?

Tom. In troth I see small welcome in her eye.

Alon. Fie, you are too severe a censurer

Of love in all points, there’s no bringing on you;

If lovers should mark every thing a fault,

Affection would be like an ill-set book,

Whose faults might prove as big as half the volume.

Beat. That’s all I do intreat.

Ver. It is but reasonable;

I'll see what my son says to’t.—Son Alonzo,

Here is a motion made but to reprieve

A maidenhead three days longer; the request

Is not far out of reason, for indeed

The former time is pinching.

232Alon. Though my joys

Be set back so much time as I could wish

They had been forward, yet since she desires it,

The time is set as pleasing as before,

I find no gladness wanting.

Ver. May I ever

Meet it in that point still! you’re nobly welcome, sirs.

[Exit with Beatrice.

Tom. So; did you mark the dulness of her parting now?

Alon. What dulness? thou art so exceptious still!

Tom. Why, let it go then; I am but a fool

To mark your harms so heedfully.

Alon. Where’s the oversight?

Tom. Come, your faith’s cozen’d in her, strongly cozen’d:

Unsettle your affection with all speed

Wisdom can bring it to; your peace is ruin’d else.

Think what a torment ’tis to marry one

Whose heart is leap’d into another’s bosom:

If ever pleasure she receive from thee,

It comes not in thy name, or of thy gift;

She lies but with another in thine arms,

He the half-father unto all thy children

In the conception, if he get ’em not,

She helps^[425] to get ’em for him; and how dangerous

And shameful her restraint may go in time to,

It is not to be thought on without sufferings.

Alon. You speak as if she lov’d some other, then.

233Tom. Do you apprehend so slowly?

Alon. Nay, and^[426] that

Be your fear only, I am safe enough:

Preserve your friendship and your counsel, brother,

For times of more distress; I should depart

An enemy, a dangerous, deadly one,

To any but thyself, that should but think

She knew the meaning of inconstancy,

Much less the use and practice: yet we’re friends;

Pray, let no more be urg’d; I can endure

Much, till I meet an injury to her,

Then I am not myself. Farewell, sweet brother;

How much we’re bound to heaven to depart lovingly!

[Exit.

Tom. Why, here is love’s tame madness; thus a man

Quickly steals into his vexation. [Exit.