Act 5 — SCENE II.
Reading edition
Another apartment in the castle.
Enter Tomaso.
Tom. I cannot taste the benefits of life
With the same relish I was wont to do:
Man I grow weary of, and hold his fellowship
A treacherous bloody friendship; and because
I'm ignorant in whom my wrath should settle,
I must think all men villains, and the next
I meet, whoe’er he be, the murderer
Of my most worthy brother. Ha! what’s he?
De Flores passes over the stage.
O, the fellow that some call honest De Flores;
But methinks honesty was hard bested
To come there for a lodging; as if a queen
Should make her palace of a pest-house:
I find a contrariety in nature
Betwixt that face and me; the least occasion
Would give me game upon him; yet he’s so foul
One would scarce touch [him] with a sword he lov’d
And made account of; so most deadly venomous,
He would go near to poison any weapon
That should draw blood on him; one must resolve
Never to use that sword again in fight
In way of honest manhood that strikes him;
Some river must devour it; ’twere not fit
That any man should find it. What, again?
Re-enter De Flores.
He walks a' purpose by, sure, to choke me up,
T' infect my blood.
289De F. My worthy noble lord!
Tom. Dost offer to come near and breathe upon me?
[Strikes him.
De F. A blow! [Draws.
Tom. Yea, are you so prepar’d?
I'll rather like a soldier die by th' sword,
Than like a politician by thy poison. [Draws.
De F. Hold, my lord, as you are honourable!
Tom. All slaves that kill by poison are still cowards.
De F. I cannot strike; I see his brother’s wounds
Fresh bleeding in his eye, as in a crystal.— [Aside.
I will not question this, I know you’re noble;
I take my injury with thanks given, sir,
Like a wise lawyer, and as a favour
Will wear it for the worthy hand that gave it.—Why
this from him that yesterday appear’d
So strangely loving to me?
O, but instinct is of a subtler strain!
Guilt must not walk so near his lodge again;
He came near me now. [Aside, and exit.
Tom. All league with mankind I renounce for ever,
Till I find this murderer; not so much
As common courtesy but I'll lock up;
For in the state of ignorance I live in,
A brother may salute his brother’s murderer,
And wish good speed to th' villain in a greeting.
Enter Vermandero, Alibius, and Isabella.
Ver. Noble Piracquo!
Tom. Pray, keep on your way, sir;
I've nothing to say to you.
Ver. Comforts bless you, sir!
Tom. I've forsworn compliment, in troth, I have, sir;
290As you are merely man, I have not left
A good wish for you, nor [for] any here.
Ver. Unless you be so far in love with grief,
You will not part from’t upon any terms,
We bring that news will make a welcome for us.
Tom. What news can that be?
Ver. Throw no scornful smile
Upon the zeal I bring you,’tis worth more, sir;
Two of the chiefest men I kept about me
I hide not from the law or your just vengeance.
Tom. Ha!
Ver. To give your peace more ample satisfaction,
Thank these discoverers.
Tom. If you bring that calm,
Name but the manner I shall ask forgiveness in
For that contemptuous smile [I threw][495] upon you,
I'll perfect it with reverence that belongs
Unto a sacred altar. [Kneels.
Ver. [raising him] Good sir, rise;
Why, now you overdo as much ’a this hand
As you fell short ’a t’other.—Speak, Alibius.
Alib. ’Twas my wife’s fortune, as she is most lucky
At a discovery, to find out lately,
Within our hospital of fools and madmen,
Two counterfeits slipp’d into these disguises,
Their names Franciscus and Antonio.
Ver. Both mine, sir, and I ask no favour for ’em.
Alib. Now that which draws suspicion to their habits,
The time of their disguisings agrees justly
With the day of the murder.
Tom. O blest revelation!
Ver. Nay, more, nay, more, sir—I'll not spare mine own
291In way of justice—they both feign’d a journey
To Briamata,[496] and so wrought out their leaves;
My love was so abus’d in’t.
Tom. Time’s too precious
To run in waste now; you have brought a peace
The riches of five kingdoms could not purchase:
Be my most happy conduct; I thirst for ’em:
Like subtle lightning will I wind about ’em,
And melt their marrow in ’em. [Exeunt.