Act 5 — SCENE III.
Reading edition
Alsemero’s apartment[497] in the castle.
Enter Alsemero and Jasperino.
Jas. Your confidence, I'm sure, is now of proof;
The prospect from the garden has shew’d[498]
Enough for deep suspicion.
Als. The black mask
That so continually was worn upon’t
Condemns the face for ugly ere’t be seen,
Her despite to him, and so seeming bottomless.
Jas. Touch it home then; ’tis not a shallow probe
Can search this ulcer soundly; I fear you’ll find it
Full of corruption: ’tis fit I leave you,
She meets you opportunely from that walk;
She took the back door at his parting with her.
[Exit.
292Als. Did my fate wait for this unhappy stroke
At my first sight of woman? She is here.
Enter Beatrice.
Beat. Alsemero!
Als. How do you?
Beat. How do I?
Alas, how do you, [sir]? you look not well.
Als. You read me well enough, I am not well.
Beat. Not well, sir? is’t in my power to better you?
Als. Yes.
Beat. Nay, then you’re cur’d again.
Als. Pray, resolve me one question, lady.
Beat. If I can.
Als. None can so sure: are you honest?
Beat. Ha, ha, ha! that’s a broad question, my lord.
Als. But that’s not a modest answer, my lady:
Do you laugh? my doubts are strong upon me.
Beat.’Tis innocence that smiles, and no rough brow
Can take away the dimple in her cheek:
Say I should strain a tear to fill the vault,
Which would you give the better faith to?
Als. ’Twere but hypocrisy of a sadder colour,
But the same stuff; neither your smiles nor tears
Shall move or flatter me from my belief:
You are a whore!
Beat. What a horrid sound it hath!
It blasts a beauty to deformity;
Upon what face soever that breath falls,
It strikes it ugly: O, you have ruin’d
What you can ne’er repair again!
Als. I'll all
Demolish, and seek out truth within you,
293If there be any left; let your sweet tongue
Prevent your heart’s rifling; there I'll ransack
And tear out my suspicion.
Beat. You may, sir;
It is an easy passage; yet, if you please,
Shew me the ground whereon you lost your love;
My spotless virtue may but tread on that
Before I perish.
Als. Unanswerable;
A ground you cannot stand on; you fall down
Beneath all grace and goodness when you set
Your ticklish heel on it: there was a visor
Over that cunning face, and that became you;
Now impudence in triumph rides upon’t;
How comes this tender reconcilement else
'Twixt you and your despite, your rancorous loathing,
De Flores? he that your eye was sore at sight of,
He’s now become your arm’s supporter, your
Lip’s saint!
Beat. Is there the cause?
Als. Worse, your lust’s devil,
Your adultery!
Beat. Would any but yourself say that,
'Twould turn him to a villain!
Als. It was witness’d
By the counsel of your bosom, Diaphanta.
Beat. Is your witness dead then?
Als.’Tis to be fear’d
It was the wages of her knowledge; poor soul,
She liv’d not long after the discovery.
Beat. Then hear a story of not much less horror
Than this your false suspicion is beguil’d with;
To your bed’s scandal I stand up innocence,
Which even the guilt of one black other deed
294Will stand for proof of; your love has made me
A cruel murderess.
Als. Ha!
Beat. A bloody one;
I have kiss’d poison for it, strok’d a serpent:
That thing of hate, worthy in my esteem
Of no better employment, and him most worthy
To be so employ’d, I caus’d to murder
That innocent Piracquo, having no
Better means than that worst to assure
Yourself to me.
Als. O, the place itself e’er since
Has crying been for vengeance! the temple,
Where blood and beauty first unlawfully
Fir’d their devotion and quench’d the right one;
’Twas in my fears at first, ’twill have it now:
O, thou art all deform’d!
Beat. Forget not, sir,
It for your sake was done: shall greater dangers
Make the less welcome?
Als. O, thou should’st have gone
A thousand leagues about to have avoided
This dangerous bridge of blood! here we are lost.
Beat. Remember, I am true unto your bed.
Als. The bed itself’s a charnel, the sheets shrouds
For murder’d carcasses. It must ask pause
What I must do in this; meantime you shall
Be my prisoner only: enter my closet;
[Exit Beatrice into closet.
I'll be your keeper yet. O, in what part
Of this sad story shall I first begin? Ha!
This same fellow has put me in.—
Enter De Flores.
De Flores.
De F. Noble Alsemero!
295Als. I can tell you
News, sir; my wife has her commended to you.
De F. That’s news indeed, my lord; I think she would
Commend me to the gallows if she could,
She ever loved me so well; I thank her.
Als. What’s this blood upon your band, De Flores?
De F. Blood! no, sure ’twas wash’d since.
Als. Since when, man?
De F. Since t’other day I got a knock
In a sword-and-dagger school; I think ’tis out.
Als. Yes, ’tis almost out, but ’tis perceiv’d though.
I had forgot my message; this it is,
What price goes murder?
De F. How, sir?
Als. I ask you, sir;
My wife’s behindhand with you, she tells me,
For a brave bloody blow you gave for her sake
Upon Piracquo.
De F. Upon? ’twas quite through him sure:
Has she confess’d it?
Als. As sure as death to both of you;
And much more than that.
De F. It could not be much more;
’Twas but one thing, and that—she is a whore.
Als. I[t] could not choose but follow: O cunning devils!
How should blind men know you from fair-fac’d saints?
Beat. [within] He lies! the villain does belie me!
De F. Let me go to her, sir.
Als. Nay, you shall to her.—
Peace, crying crocodile, your sounds are heard;
296Take your prey to you;—get you in to her, sir:
[Exit De Flores into closet.
I'll be your pander now; rehearse again
Your scene of lust, that you may be perfect
When you shall come to act it to the black audience,
Where howls and gnashings shall be music to you:
Clip[499] your adulteress freely, ’tis the pilot
Will guide you to the mare mortuum,
Where you shall sink to fathoms bottomless.
Enter Vermandero, Tomaso, Alibius, Isabella, Franciscus, and Antonio.
Ver. O Alsemero! I've a wonder for you.
Als. No, sir, ’tis I, I have a wonder for you.
Ver. I have suspicion near as proof itself
For Piracquo’s murder.
Als. Sir, I have proof
Beyond suspicion for Piracquo’s murder.
Ver. Beseech you, hear me; these two have been disguis’d
E'er since the deed was done.
Als. I have two other
That were more close disguis’d than your two could be
E'er since the deed was done.
Ver. You’ll hear me—these mine own servants.
Als. Hear me—those nearer than your servants
That shall acquit them, and prove them guiltless.
Fran. That may be done with easy truth, sir.
Tom. How is my cause bandied through your delays!
’Tis urgent in [my] blood, and calls for haste;
Give me a brother [or] alive or dead;
297Alive, a wife with him; if dead, for both
A recompense, for murder and adultery.
Beat. [within] O, O, O!
Als. Hark! ’tis coming to you.
De F. [within] Nay, I'll along for company.
Beat. [within] O, O!
Ver. What horrid sounds are these?
Als. Come forth, you twins
Of mischief!
Re-enter De Flores, dragging in Beatrice wounded.
De F. Here we are; if you have any more
To say to us, speak quickly, I shall not
Give you the hearing else; I am so stout yet,
And so, I think, that broken rib of mankind.
Ver. An host of enemies enter’d my citadel
Could not amaze like this: Joanna! Beatrice! Joanna!
Beat. O, come not near me, sir, I shall defile you!
I am that of your blood was taken from you
For your better health; look no more upon’t,
But cast it to the ground regardlessly,
Let the common sewer take it from distinction:
Beneath the stars, upon yon meteor
[Pointing to De Flores.
Ever hung[500] my fate, ’mongst things corruptible;
I ne’er[501] could pluck it from him; my loathing
Was prophet to the rest, but ne’er believ’d:
Mine honour fell with him, and now my life.—
298Alsemero, I'm a stranger to your bed;
Your bed was cozen’d on the nuptial night,
For which your false bride died.
Als. Diaphanta?
De F. Yes, and the while I coupled with your mate
At barley-break;[502] now we are left in hell.
Ver. We are all there, it circumscribes [us] here.
De F. I lov’d this woman in spite of her heart:
Her love I earn’d out of Piracquo’s murder.
Tom. Ha! my brother’s murderer?
De F. Yes, and her honour’s prize
Was my reward; I thank life for nothing
But that pleasure; it was so sweet to me,
That I have drunk up all, left none behind
For any man to pledge me.
Ver. Horrid villain!
Keep life in him for further tortures.
De F. No!
I can prevent you; here’s my pen-knife still;
It is but one thread more [stabbing himself] and now ’tis cut.—
Make haste, Joanna, by that token to thee,
Canst not forget, so lately put in mind;
I would not go to leave thee far behind. [Dies.
Beat. Forgive me, Alsemero, all forgive!
’Tis time to die when ’tis a shame to live. Dies.
Ver. O, my name’s enter’d now in that record
Where till this fatal hour ’twas never read!
Als. Let it be blotted out; let your heart lose it,
And it can never look you in the face,
Nor tell a tale behind the back of life
To your dishonour; justice hath so right
The guilty hit, that innocence is quit
299By proclamation, and may joy again.—
Sir, you are sensible of what truth hath done;
’Tis the best comfort that your grief can find.
Tom. Sir, I am satisfied; my injuries
Lie dead before me; I can exact no more,
Unless my soul were loose, and could o’ertake
Those black fugitives that are fled from hence,[503]
To take a second vengeance; but there are wraths
Deeper than mine, ’tis to be fear’d, about ’em.
Als. What an opacous body had that moon
That last chang’d on us! here is beauty chang’d
To ugly whoredom; here servant-obedience
To a master-sin, imperious murder;
I, a supposed husband, chang’d embraces
With wantonness,—but that was paid before.—
Your change is come too, from an ignorant wrath
To knowing friendship.—Are there any more on’s?
Ant. Yes, sir, I was changed too from a little
ass as I was to a great fool as I am; and had like
to ha' been changed to the gallows, but that you
know my innocence[504] always excuses me.
Fran. I was chang’d from a little wit to be stark mad,
Almost for the same purpose.
Isa. Your change is still behind,
But deserve best your transformation:
You are a jealous coxcomb, keep schools of folly,
And teach your scholars how to break your own head.
Alib. I see all apparent, wife, and will change now
Into a better husband, and ne’er keep
Scholars that shall be wiser than myself.
300Als. Sir, you have yet a son’s duty living,
Please you, accept it; let that your sorrow,
As it goes from your eye, go from your heart,
Man and his sorrow at the grave must part.—
All we can do[505] to comfort one another,
To stay a brother’s sorrow for a brother,
To dry a child from the kind father’s eyes,
Is to no purpose, it rather multiplies:
Your only smiles have power to cause re-live
The dead again, or in their rooms to give
Brother a new brother, father a child;
If these appear, all griefs are reconcil’d.
[Exeunt omnes.
301