STROZA

Her Father shall be in the Camp relieved, She graced in Court, how will she brave you then? If suffer this take all? why the meanest Lady Would never brook and equal? you a Princess? And can you brook a base competitor? As ever Hellen was. The joyful day's to morrow. Pass this plunge And we are made for ever. Thee friend I should have known? Thou servest the General Sforsa. How does thy noble Lady, fair Lauretta? They have left Milan long, reside they here Near to the City Florence? I pray thee recommend me to them both, And say, It shall go hard with mine affairs But I'll find seasoned hours to visit them. Tell them, The news that they are well Is wondrous pleasing to me, and that power I have in Milan is reserved for them, To work them into grace: I can but smile, To see how close I have plotted their exile. Now business calls me hence: farewell. Who can accuse her, speak? what probabilities? What ground? the place? the means? the season how She did become corrupt? Produce the witness; and behold, I stand The Champion for her honour, and will aver Her Chaste, above degree; infinitely honest: O Prince! what, can you ground such injury Upon vain hearsay? Speak for your self, take spirit Was the slave never Christened, hath he no name? Do not stand off my Lord, If she be wronged, she's not much behindhand. What if you find her chaste? Then join their hands. All goes not well, This juggling will be found, Then where am I then? would I were safe in Milan. Here Matchivell wast hatched: Could not the same Planet inspire this pate of mine with some Rare stratagem, worthy a lasting Character: No, it'll not be; my brain is at a nonplus, For I am dull. My Lord. I am turned Fool, Ass, Iddeott; Are they married? But the hell is, That they must lie together, ther's the Devil. And then we are disgraced and shamed. Why you would make A man—midwife, wooed you? I have no skill. Peace, interrupt me not, I ha'te: so to revenge me upon her Whom most I hate. To Strumpet her 'twere brave. Yowl make me mad my Lord: And in this sweet revenge, I am not only Pleased (with joust satisfaction for all wrongs) But the great Prince most palpably deceived. If yowl eat grapes unripe, edge your own teeth, I'll stay the mellowed season, doo't your self, Unless you give me time for't. Peace, give me way my Lord, so shall the Prince Be palpably deceived, Fair Iulia's honour Most prosperously deserved, The Duke my master, Freed from all blame, Wane hindered, Peace confirmed, And I secured; O I am fortunate Beyond imagination! He was a a mere Ass That raised Troys Horse: 'twas a pretty structure. Synon, a fool, I can do more With precious Gold, then he with whining Tears. Pray my Lord, give me Five hundred crowns. See how you stand on trifles; when our lives, Your honour; all our Fortune's lie a bleeding: What shall I have the Gold? I know a desolate Lady, whom with Gold I can corrupt. But say I cannot win her, They bide the brunt of all, here let them stay, With these five hundred Crowns I'll post away. Lady be happy, and from this blessed hour Ever rejoice fair Virgin, for I bring you Gold, and Enlargement; with a recovery Of all your former lose, and dignity, But for a two hours labour: Nay, that no labour Nor toil, but a mere pleasure. Have we not here Too many ears? You have seen the Prince of Florence? Is he not for his Feature, Beauty, Goodness, The most Complete? So absolute in all things. How happy do you think that Lady then That shall Enjoy him? Nay, that shall be the first To prove him, And exchange Virginity, Were't not bright Lady a great happiness? Love him: What's she does not, if she have eyes? Were I my self a Woman: I would lay My self a prostitute unto the Prince: She is not wise that would refuse him Lady. To thee sweet Lady: I offer all these pleasures, O happy fate that hath selected me To be your raiser: Lady take this gold, But that's not all: For there are greater honours Prepared for you; the Duke of Milan does Commend him to you: Julia his daughter Hath in her honour late miscarried, Now it lies in you to salve and make all good. Yes, in her, She hath the power to make the Duke her friend, Julia her sister, and all Milan bound To offer up for her their Orrisons. This night lie with the Prince In Iulia's stead: There's way made for you, Who would not woo, for what you are wooed too? Nay Lady, hear me out; You shall preserve her honour, gain the Duke, Redeem your Fortune's: Strengthen you in friends, You shall have many Towns and Turrets standing, Which future War may ruin: Think on that. She does not council well; it's foolish rashness, Womanish Indiscretion Now see your error, What better; safer, or more sweet revenge, Then with the Husband? what more could woman ask? She yields unto her shame; which makes me blessed, Let Millions fallen, so I be crowned with rest. What's that to you, be she what ere she can, All's one to us, so she be found a Virgin; I have hired her, and she's pleased. Doubt you not that; what, jealous already? Here's in my heart, a violent Fever still; Nor shall I find my self in my true temper, Until this brunt be passed. See, here she is; The news? Away to bed my Lord: You to the Forest. I'll to my Coach, all's well. True my good Lord; But did you find me faulty? I Like not this: I smell a Rat. Brazen forehead, Wilt Thou leave now: It's true my Lord. You did Receive them both, Have you forgotten sweet Lady, This very morning, that you gave them both To me? The Princess jested, to see how You wooed but take it. Where are they? they are— They are there— I posted them To Milan, sent them safe, dare you not trust my word By one oth' Princes Train. I would I were in Turkey. From whom? whom, Parma? break the bastards neck, As I would do the Father's, were he here. I know of none. Right, I confessed it; but your grace must know, 'Twas but to please your humour, which began To grow into some violence. That I did this? He lies below his entrails, That dares to brave me with such a proud affront: And in the honour of my Prince and Country I will approve thee recreant. Save me, I will confess; Is Parma here? I falsely stuffed thy head with Jealousy's, And for some private ends of my revenge, Disgraced the General, and set odds betwixt Lauretta and the Princess: All these mischiefs Proceed from my suggestions. Is that your kindness? Give me lean to live, Be't but to taint his honour. No. Yes, and more too: I had the Gold from him, To bribe the Generals daughter. As on a base of Marble; I have seen Strange passages of love, lose interchanges Of hands and eyes betwixt her and the Prince, Madama look too't. What but this That you must undergo the name of wife, And she to intercept the sweets of love Endue to your bed. Madame a woman may guess unhappily. Yes, many should Be what they are not: but I always was, And ever will be one, (that's still my self.) Is that yet questioned? as if the chaste Court Had save her self one so degenerate, So dissolutely wanton, so profuse In prostitution too, so impudent And blushless in her proud ambitious aim, As if no man could her intemperance please, Save him whom Heaven hath destined to your bed. Would, would, as if they send for you to see't, To witness what they most strive to conceal, Be gulled? be branded: 'lasto me, all's nothing, I shall never smart for't, what is't to me? If being a Bride, you have a widowed fortune; If being married, you must throw your self Upon a desolate bed, and in your arms, Clasp nought but Air, while his arms full of pleasure Borrowed from a stolen beauty, shall this grieve Or trouble me? break my sleeps? make me start At midnight up, and fill the house with clamours? Shall this bring strange brats to be bred and brought Up at my fire, and call me Dad? No: this Concerns not me more then my love to you To your high Sovereignty. The game's on foot, and there's and easy path To my revenge; this beauteous Millanois Unto duke sole heir, still courted, craved, And by the Parma Prince solicited, Which I still study how to break, and cast Aspersions betwixt both of strange dislike; But wherein hath the other innocent Maid So injured me, that I should scandal her? Her Father is the General to the Duke: For when I studied to be raised by Arms, And purchase me high eminence in Camp, He crossed my Fortune's, and returned me home A Cashiered Captain; for which injury I scandal all his means unto the Duke, And to the Princess all his daughters virtues, I labour to invert, and bring them both Into disgraceful hatred. My Lord? Julia? I have my Lord of late no ear of hers, Nor she a tongue of mine; the, time hath been Till soothing Sycophantsand Court Parasites Supplanted me. Have you the power To keep your self in? do you smile my Lord? Sir, Ino way question it: but have I not known A Prince hath been repulsed, and meanest persons Bosomed? the Prince would once have looked upon me, When small entreaty would have gained and eye, And ear, a tongue, to speak yea, and a heart, To think I could be secret. But it's the fate of all mortality: Man cannot long be happy; but my passion Will make me turn blab, I shall out with all. A Jest my Lord, I'll tell you a good Jest. What will you say, if at your meeting next With this fair Princess? she begins to rave, To rail upon you, to exclaim on your Inconstancy, and call the innocent name Of some chaste Maid in question, whom perhaps You never eyed my Lord. What but to excuse her own: (I'll not say what) Put off the purposed Contract: and my Lord Come, come, I know you have a pregnant wit. All women are not Sincerely constant, but observe my Lord. Observed you that my Lord? I spy a storm a coming, I'll to shelter. More plot for me; My brain's in labour, and must be delivered Of some new mischief? But no such Comet here shall daze my sighed, While I a Cloud am to Eclipse that light Madam, 'tis done— Must fellow? stay your hour, and dance attendance Until the Duke's at leisure. Why then keep out sir. There's one gone then. I sir. You are a bold And saucy soldier. Sir, will you walk: as for your sauciness I'll teach you a Court-trick: you shall be taught How to attend. Is't not now peace, what should a General do? Had he returned, he would have looked for honours, This suit and that for such a follower: Now Royal sir, that debt is quite discharged. Madam, I found him ready to depart The Court with expedition: but at my urgence He promised you a parley. My Lord. My Lord, he is a Prince. My Lord, he's privately Fled from the Court Sir, are you mad? Your ear my Lord, it's done. To safety as I hope. Unless the silent Grove of Trees should blabe, There is no fear of scandal, mantled close, I left the sucking Babe where the next passenger Must find it needs, and so it happened for Some two years after, Passing that way to know where 'twas become, 'Twas gone, and by some courteous hand I hope Removed to gentle fosterage. If Florence prize the Duke of Millaines love, His endeared Amity: If he have mind To mix with him in con anguinity, To strengthen both your Realms: he make the project To your fair Treaty, that your hopeful Heir Shall with the princeise Julia his fair Daughter, Be joined in Marriage; her large Dowry shall be A spacious Dukedom after his decease. But which my Lord counts most, is a fair League betwixt your divided Dukedoms. Ten thousand Crowns By th'yeare. All's well my Lord? She? It were not Princely in you, Royal Sir, To question such a Princess Chastity; I could have instanced Lucrece. I shall return this answer. Ther's Wormwood. Who would strive, To be a villain, when the good thus thrive? Your answer Sir?