Act 3 — SCENE IV.

An apartment in the castle.

Enter Vermandero, Beatrice, Alsemero, and Jasperino.

Ver. Valencia speaks so nobly of you, sir,

I wish I had a daughter now for you.

Als. The fellow of this creature were a partner

For a king’s love.

Ver. I had her fellow once, sir,

But heaven has married her to joys eternal;

'Twere sin to wish her in this vale again.

Come, sir, your friend and you shall see the pleasures

Which my health chiefly joys in.

Als. I hear

The beauty of this seat largely [commended].

Ver. It falls much short of that.

[Exit with Alsemero and Jasperino.

Beat. So, here’s one step

Into my father’s favour; time will fix him;

I've got him now the liberty of the house;

So wisdom, by degrees, works out her freedom:

255And if that eye be darken’d that offends me,—

I wait but that eclipse,—this gentleman

Shall soon shine glorious in my father’s liking,

Through the refulgent virtue of my love.

Enter De Flores.

De F. My thoughts are at a banquet; for the deed,

I feel no weight in’t; ’tis but light and cheap

For the sweet recompense that I set down for’t.

[Aside.

Beat. De Flores!

De F. Lady?

Beat. Thy looks promise cheerfully.

De F. All things are answerable, time, circumstance,

Your wishes, and my service.

Beat. Is it done, then?

De F. Piracquo is no more.

Beat. My joys start at mine eyes; our sweet’st delights

Are evermore born weeping.

De F. I've a token for you.

Beat. For me?

De F. But it was sent somewhat unwillingly;

I could not get the ring without the finger.

[Producing the ring.^[454]

Beat. Bless me, what hast thou done?

De F. Why, is that more

Than killing the whole man? I cut his heart-strings:

A greedy hand thrust in a dish at court,

In a mistake hath had as much as this.

Beat. ’Tis the first token my father made me send him.

De F. And I [have] made him send it back again

For his last token; I was loath to leave it,

256And I'm sure dead men have no use of jewels;

He was as loath to part with’t, for it stuck

As if the flesh and it were both one substance.

Beat. At the stag’s fall, the keeper has his fees;

’Tis soon applied, all dead men’s fees are yours, sir:

I pray, bury the finger, but the stone

You may make use on shortly; the true value,

Take’t of my truth, is near three hundred ducats.

De F. ’Twill hardly buy a capcase for one’s conscience though,

To keep it from the worm, as fine as ’tis:

Well, being my fees, I'll take it;

Great men have taught me that, or else my merit

Would scorn the way on’t.

Beat. It might justly, sir;

Why, thou mistak’st, De Flores, ’tis not given

In state of recompense.

De F. No, I hope so, lady;

You should soon witness my contempt to’t then.

Beat. Prithee—thou look’st as if thou wert offended.

De F. That were strange, lady; ’tis not possible

My service should draw such a cause from you:

Offended! could you think so? that were much

For one of my performance, and so warm

Yet in my service.

Beat. ’Twere misery in me to give you cause, sir.

De F. I know so much, it were so; misery

In her most sharp condition.

Beat. ’Tis resolv’d then;

Look you, sir, here’s three thousand golden florens;^[455]

I have not meanly thought upon thy merit.

De F. What! salary? now you move me.

257Beat. How, De Flores?

De F. Do you place me in the rank of verminous fellows,

To destroy things for wages? offer gold

[For] the life-blood of man? is any thing

Valued too precious for my recompense?

Beat. I understand thee not.

De F. I could ha' hir’d

A journeyman in murder at this rate,

And mine own conscience might have [slept at ease],^[456]

And have had the work brought home.

Beat. I'm in a labyrinth;

What will content him? I'd fain be rid of him. [Aside.

I'll double the sum, sir.

De F. You take a course

To double my vexation, that’s the good you do.

Beat. Bless me, I'm now in worse plight than I was;

I know not what will please him. [Aside.]—For my fear’s sake,

I prithee, make away with all speed possible;

And if thou be’st so modest not to name

The sum that will content thee, paper blushes not,

Send thy demand in writing, it shall follow thee;

But, prithee, take thy flight.

De F. You must fly too then.

Beat. I?

De F. I'll not stir a foot else.

Beat. What’s your meaning?

De F. Why, are not you as guilty? in, I'm sure,

As deep as I; and we should stick together:

Come, your fears counsel you but ill; my absence

258Would draw suspect upon you instantly,

There were no rescue for you.

Beat. He speaks home! [Aside.

De F. Nor is it fit we two, engag’d so jointly,

Should part and live asunder.

Beat. How now, sir?

This shews not well.

De F. What makes your lip so strange?

This must not be betwixt us.

Beat. The man talks wildly!

De F. Come, kiss me with a zeal now.

Beat. Heaven, I doubt him! [Aside.

De F. I will not stand so long to beg ’em shortly.

Beat. Take heed, De Flores, of forgetfulness,

'Twill soon betray us.

De F. Take you heed first;

Faith, you’re grown much forgetful, you’re to blame in’t.

Beat. He’s bold, and I am blam’d for’t. [Aside.

De F. I have eas’d you

Of your trouble, think on it; I am in pain,

And must be eas’d of you; ’tis a charity,

Justice invites your blood to understand me.

Beat. I dare not.

De F. Quickly!

Beat. O, I never shall!

Speak it yet further off, that I may lose

What has been spoken, and no sound remain on’t;

I would not hear so much offence again

For such another deed.

De F. Soft, lady, soft!

The last is not yet paid for: O, this act

Has put me into spirit; I was as greedy on’t

As the parch’d earth of moisture, when the clouds weep:

Did you not mark, I wrought myself into ’t,

259Nay, sued and kneel’d for’t? why was all that pains took?

You see I've thrown contempt upon your gold;

Not that I want it [not], for I do piteously,

In order I'll come unto ’t, and make use on’t,

But ’twas not held so precious to begin with,

For I place wealth after the heels of pleasure;

And were I not resolv’d in my belief

That thy virginity were perfect in thee,

I should but take my recompense with grudging,

As if I had but half my hopes I agreed for.

Beat. Why, ’tis impossible thou canst be so wicked,

Or shelter such a cunning cruelty,

To make his death the murderer of my honour!

Thy language is so bold and vicious,

I cannot see which way I can forgive it

With any modesty.

De F. Push!^[457] you forget yourself;

A woman dipp’d in blood, and talk of modesty!

Beat. O misery of sin! would I'd been bound

Perpetually unto my living hate

In that Piracquo, than to hear these words!

Think but upon the distance that creation

Set ’twixt thy blood and mine, and keep thee there.

De F. Look but into your conscience, read me there,

’Tis a true book, you’ll find me there your equal:

Push!^[457] fly not to your birth, but settle you

In what the act has made you, you’re no more now;

You must forget your parentage to me;

You are the deed’s creature; by that name

You lost your first condition, and I challenge you,

As peace and innocency have^[458] turn’d you out,

And made you one with me.

260Beat. With thee, foul villain!

De F. Yes, my fair murderess; do you urge me?

Though thou writ’st maid, thou whore in thy affection!

’Twas chang’d from thy first love, and that’s a kind

Of whoredom in the^[459] heart; and he’s chang’d now

To bring thy second on, thy Alsemero,

Whom, by all sweets that ever darkness tasted,

If I enjoy thee not, thou ne’er enjoyest!

I'll blast the hopes and joys of marriage,

I'll confess all; my life I rate at nothing.

Beat. De Flores!

De F. I shall rest from all love’s^[460] plagues then;

I live in pain now; that shooting eye

Will burn my heart to cinders.

Beat. O sir, hear me!

De F. She that in life and love refuses me,

In death and shame my partner she shall be.

Beat. [kneeling] Stay, hear me once for all; I make thee master

Of all the wealth I have in gold and jewels;

Let me go poor unto my bed with honour,

And I am rich in all things!

De F. Let this silence thee;

The wealth of all Valencia shall not buy

My pleasure from me;

Can you weep Fate from its determin’d purpose?

So soon may [you] weep me.

Beat. Vengeance begins;

Murder, I see, is follow’d by more sins:

Was my creation in the womb so curst,

It must engender with a viper first?

261De F. [raising her] Come, rise and shroud your blushes in my bosom;

Silence is one of pleasure’s best receipts:

Thy peace is wrought for ever in this yielding.

'Las, how the turtle pants! thou’lt love anon

What thou so fear’st and faint’st to venture on.

[Exeunt.