MENDOZA

Thou rise? Now good Elizium, what a delicious heaven is it for a man to be in a Princes favour: Oh sweet God! Oh pleasure! Oh fortune! Oh all thou best of life! what should I think: what say? what do? to be a favourite? a minion? to have a general timorous respect, observe a man, a stateful silence in his presence, solitam rinesse in his absence, a confused hum, and busy murmur of ob sequious suitors training him; the cloth held up, and way pro claimed before him: Petitionary vassals licking the pavement with their slavish knees, while some odd palace Lampreel S that engender with snakes, and are full of eyes on both sides, with a kind of insinuated humbleness, fix all their delights upon his brow: Oh blessed state, what a ravishing prospect does the Olympus of favour yield Death, I cornute the Duke: sweet women, most sweet Ladies, nay Angels; by heaven he is more accursed then a devil that hates you, or is hated by you, and happier then a God that loves you, or is beloved by you; you preservers of mankind, life blood of society, who would live, nay who can live without you? Oh Paradise, how majestical is your austerer presence? how imperiously chaste is your more modest face? but Oh! how full of ravishing attraction is your pret tie, petulant, languishing, laciuiously-composed countenance: these amorous smiles, those soul-warming sparkling glances, ar dent as those flames that singed the world by heedless Phaeton; in body how delicate, in soul how witty, in discourse how preg nant, in life how wary, in favours how judicious, in day how soci able, and in night how? Oh pleasure unutterable, indeed it is most certain, one man cannot deserve only to enjoy a beauteous woe man: but a Duchess? in despite of Phœbus I'll write a sonnet instantly in praise of her. Nature's triumph, best on earth. Thou only wonder that the world hath seen. The fitter to make a cuckold: would your brows were most plain too. At women, true, why what cold flame could choose, Knowing a Lord so honest, virtuous, So boundless loving, bounteous, fair-shaped, sweet, To be contemned, abused, defamed, made cuckolo: Heart, I hate all women for't, sweet sheets, wax lights, antique bed posts, cambricke smocks, villainous curtai es, arras pictures, oy de hinges, and all the tongue-tide lascivious witnesses of great creatures wantonness: what salvation can you expect? Why you may find it your self, observe, observe. Tak't, why Ferneze is the man, Ferneze, I'll proou't, this night you shall take him in your sheets, wilt serve? What? God! how weak a Lord are you, Why do you think there is no more but so? Nay then will I presume to counsel you, It should be thus; you with some guard upon the sudden Break into the Princes chamber, I stay behind Without the door, through which he needs must pass, Ferneze flies, let him, to me he comes, he's killed By me, observe by me, you follow, I rail, And seem to save the body: Duchess comes On whom (respecting her advanced birth, And your fair nature,) I know, nay I do know No violence must be used. She comes, I storm, I praise, excuse Ferneze, and still maintain The Duchess honour, she for this loves me, I honour you, shall know her soul, you mine, Then nought shall she contrive in vengeance, (As women are most thoughtful in revenge) Of her Ferneze, but you shall sooner know't Then she can think't. —Thus shall his death come sure, Your Duchess brain-caught; so your life secure. " Who cannot feign friendship, can never produce the ef fects of hatred: Honest fool Duke, subtle lascivious Duchess, Silly novice Ferneze; I do laugh at ye, my brain is in labour till it produce mischief, and I feel sudden throws, proofs sensible, the issue is at hand. "As Bears shape young, so I'll form my devise, "Which grown proves horrid: vengeance makes men wise. He's caught, the woodcocks head is ith noose, Now treads Ferneze in dangerous path of lust, Swearing his sense is merely deified. The fool grasps clouds, and shall beget Centaur's; And now in strength of panting faint delight, The Goat bids heaven envy him; good Goose, I can afford thee nothing but the poor comfort of calamity, Pity "Lust's Like the plummets hanging on clock lines, "Will never would done till all is quite undone. Such is the course salt sallow lust doth run, Which thou shalt try; I'll be revenged. Duke thy suspect, Durchesse thy disgrace, Ferneze thy rival ship Shall have swift vengeance; nothing so holy, No band of nature so strong, No law of friendship so sacred, But I'll profane burst, violate, Before I'll endure disgrace, contempt and poverty: Shall I, whose very humme struck all heads bore; Whose face made silence, creaking of whose shoe Forced the most private passages fly open, Scrape Like a servile dog at some latched door? Learn now to make a leg? and cry, beseech ye, Pray ye, is such a Lord within? be awed At some odd Ushers scoffed formality? First seat my brains; Unde cadis non quo refert; My heart cries, perish all: how! how! What fate "Can once a oyde revenge, thats desperate, I'll to the Duke; if all should open, if! tush; "Fortune still dotes on those who cannot blush. Pierce, pierce, thou shallow fool drop there. "He that attempts a Princes lawless love, "Must have broad hands, close heart, with Argos eyes, "And back of Hercules, or else he die. Do not; tempt not a man resolved, Would you inhumane murderers more then death? Do you but think so? Why tell me fair cheeked Lady, who even in tears, Art powerfully beauteous, what unadvised passion Struck you into such a violent heat against me? Speak, what mischief wronged us? what devil injured us? Speak. Ignoble villain, did I for this bestride Thy wounded limbs; for this? Oh God! for this? Sunk all my Hope's, and with my Hope's my life, Ripped bore my throat unto the hangmans axe. Thou most dishonoured trunk— Emillia. By life I know her not— Emillia. Did you believe him? Did you? and thereupon you graced him. Good night: to morrow morn. Thou art very merry. Maleuole, thou art and arrant knave. Thou art very poor. Then we agree. Know that this weak brained duke, who only stands on Florence stilts, hath out of witless zeal made me his heir, and secretly confirmed the wreathe to me after his life's full point. May well be banished: Oh unpeerable invention tear, Thou God of policy, it honies, me. Speak holy father, nor let any brow within this \presence fright thee from the truth: speak confidently & freely. A guard, a guard, we full of hearty tears, For our good father's lose, For so we well may call him: Who did beseech your loves for our succession, Cannot so lightly over-jump his death, As leave his woes revengeless: * woman of shame, We banish thee for ever to the plam e, From whence this good man comes, Nor permit on death unto the body any ornament But base as was thy life, depart away. Be gone, my Lords address e to public counsel T'is most , The train of Fortune is born up by wit. Away, our presence shall be sudden, haste. How did you kill him? Here, take my ring unto the Citadel, Have entrance to Maria the graven Duchess Of banished Altofront. Tell her we love her: Omit no circumstance to grace our person, (doo't.) Take Maquarelle with thee; for t'is found, None cuts a diamon, but a diamond. Hermit, thou art a man for me, my confessor: Oh thou selected spirit, born for my good, Sure thou wouldst make and excel ̄ to Elder in a deformed church. Come, we must be inward, thou and I all one Go to then, thou must know that Maleuole is a strange villain: dangerous, very dangerous: you see how broad a speaks, a gross jawde rogue, I would have thee poison him: he S Like a corn upon my great toe, I cannot go for him: he must be kored out he must: wilt doo't, would? A dangerous fellow, very perilcus: he must die. Thoust kil' him: we are wise, we must be wise. Yea p ouident; beware and hypocrite. A Church man once corrupted o avoid A fellow that makes Religion his stawking horse, He breeds a plague: thou shalt poison him. You both go jointly to the Citadel, There sup there poison him: and Maria, Because she is our opposite, shall bear The sad suspect, on which she die, or loves us. We that are great, our sole self good still moves us. They shall die both, for their deserts craves more Than we can recompense, their presence still Imbraids our Fortune's with beholdingness, Which weabhorre Like deed, not doer: then conclude, They live not to cry out ingratitude. One stick burns tother steel cuts steel alone: T'is good trust few, but Oh, t'is best trust none. In none but usurers and brokers, they deceive no man, men take um for bloodsuckers, and so they are: now God deli ver me from my friends. Is he dead? is he poisoned? Sent man? what returns Maria? what answer to our suit? Canst thou impoison? canst thou impoison? I'll try experiments, See to poyso Maleuole. 'tis good not to be deceived: so, so, Catzo. Who would fear that may destroy, death hath no teeth, or tonge, And he thats great, to him are slaves Shame, Murder, fame and wrong. The good Maleuole, that plain-tongued man, alas, is dead on sudden wondrous strangely, he held in our esteem good place. Celso see him buried, see him buried. And Celso, prithee let it be thy care to night To have some pretty show, to solemnize Our high instalment, some music, maskery: Weel give fair entertain unto Maria The Duchess to the banished Altofront: Thou shalt conduct her from the Citadel Unto the Palace, think on some Maskery, Why shape? why any quick done fiction, As some brave spirits of the Genoan Dukes, To come out of Elizium forfooth, Led in by Mercury, to gratulate Our happy fortune, ome such any thing, some far et trick, good for Ladies, some stale toy or other, no matter so't be of our devising. Do thou prep r't, 'tis but for a fashion sake, Fear not, it shall be graced man, it shall take. All thanks, our hand shall not be to thee fare well. Now is my treachery secure, nor can we fallen: Mischief that prospers men do virtue call, I'll trust no man, he that by tricks gets wreathes, Keeps them with steel, no man securely breathes, Out of deserved ranks the crowd will mutter, fool: Who cannot bear with spite, he cannot rule, The chiefest secret for a man of state, Is, to live senseless of a strenghles hate. Madam, with gentle ear receive my suit, A kingdoms safety should over paize flight rites, Marriage is merely Nature's policy: Then, since unless our royal beds be joined, Danger and civil tumult frights the state. Be wise as you are fair, give way to fate. Weel check your too intemperate lavishness I can will. Go to, in banishment thy husband die. Youst never meet more, reason should love con trouble, Modesty, Death I'll torment thee, Who let her in? Celso, Celso, count Maria for our love; Lady, be gram tious, yet grace. Maleuole? Altofront, Duke Pietro, Ferneze. hah? Are we surprised? what strange delusions more ke Our senses, do I dream? or have I dreamed. This two days space? where am I? Oh lend me breath, till I am fit to die. For peace with heaven, for your own souls sake, Vouchsafe me life. Oh life! Leave your suits with me, I can and will: attend my Secretary, leave me. Out you base born rascal. Gistus? Out grumbling rogue. Out beggar. Beauty's life, heavens model, loves Queen. Madam, your excellency is graciously encountered; I have been writing passionate flashes in honour of.— Women? nay furies, nay worse, for they torment only the bade, but women good and bade. Damnation of mankind: breath, hast thou praised them for this? And is't you Ferneze are wriggled into smock grace? fit sure, Oh that I could rail against these monsters in nature, models of hell, curse of the earth, women that dare attempt any thing, and what they attempt, they care not how they accomplish, without all premeditation or prevention, rash in asking, desperate in wor king, impatient in suffering, extreme in desiring, slaves unto ap petite, mistresses in dissembling, only constant in unconstancy, only perfect in counterfeiting: their words are feigned, their eyes forged, their sights dissembled, their looks counterfeit, their hair false, their given Hope's deceitful, their very breath artificial Their blood is their only God: Bade clothes, and old age, are only the devils they tremble at. That I could rail now! I would forgotten um. So shalt thou; I am heart mad. Extreme mad. Why? I? come, come, fit, heeres my bore heart to thee, As steady as is this centre to the glorious world. And yet hark, thou art a Cornuto; but by me? Do not, do not with tart and spleenful breath, Lose him can lose thee; I offend my Duke. Bear record Oh you dumb and raw-ayrde nights, How vigilant my sleepelesse eyes have been, To watch the traitor; record thou spirit of truth, With what debasement I would thrown my self, To under offices, only to learn The truth, the party, time, the means, the place, By whom, and when, and where thou Wertenberg disgraced. And am I paid with slave? hath my intrusion To places private, and prohibited, Only to observe the closer passages, Heaven knows with vows of revelation, Made me suspected, made me deemed a villain? What rogue hath wronged us? Err? 'tis too mild a name, but err and err, Run giddy with suspect, for through me thou know That which most creatures save thy self do know: Nay since my service hath so loathed reject, Before I'll reveal, shalt find them clipped together. Stand off, forbear, ye most uncivil Lords. Alas, now all defence too late. Betray such beauty, murder such youth, contemn civility. He loves him not that rails not at him. Madam, you would done me foul disgrace. You have wronged him much, loves you too much. Go to; your soul knows you have. Took him to favour, nay even clasped with him. This night? And in your lustful twines the Duke took you Oh God! Oh God! how we dull honest souls, Heavy brainde men are swallowed in the bogs Of a deceitful ground, whilst nimble bloods, Light jointed spirits spent, cut good men's throats, And escape; alas, I am too honest for this age, Too full of flame, and heavy steddines e: Stood still while this slave cast a noose about me; Nay then to stand in honour of him and her, Who had even sliced my heart. Why we are both but dead, the Duke hates us. "And those whom Princes do once groundly hate, "Let them provide to die, as sure as fate, "Prevention is the heart of policy. Instantly. I would do much for you, will ye marry me? You do con irme me, we are resolute, To morrow look for change rest confident. 'Tis now about the immodest waste of night, The mother of moist Due with pallide light, Spreads gloomy shades about the numbed earth. Sleep, sleep, while we contrive our mischiefs birth; This man I'll get inhumde; farewell, to bed; I the pillow, dream, the Duke is dead. So, so, good night, how fortune dotes on impudence, I am in private the adopted son of yond good Prince. I must be Duke; why if I must, I must, Most eely Lord, name me? Oh heaven! I see God made honest fools, to maintain crafty knaves: The Duchess is wholly mine too; must kill her husband To quit her shame; much; then marry her: I, Oh I grow proud in prosperous treachery! As wrestlers clip, so isle embrace you all, Not to support, but to procure your fallen. The Duke hates thee. Thou hast lost his amity. Murder the Duke. My utmost project is to murder the Duke, that I might have his state, because he makes me his heir; to banish the du chess, that I might be rid of a cunning Lacedaemonian, because I know Florence will forsake her, and then to marry Maria the banished duke Altofr nts wife, that her friends might strengthen me and my faction; this is all law. Faith no great affection, but as wise men do love great women, to ignoble their blood, and augment their revenue to accomplish this now, thus now. The Duke is in the forest next the Sea, single him, kill him, hurl him in the main, and pro claim thou sawest wolves eat him. Thou shalt, thou shalt, our excellency is pleased: why Wertenberg not thou and Emperor? when we are Duke, isle make thee some great man sure. Give proof. Not. Brained him and drowned him too A most found brainpan. I'll make you both Emperors. I'll hoist you, you shall mount. Command our sudden Letter: not enter? shat, what place is there in Genoa, but thou shalt, into my heart, into my very heart: come, lets love, we must love, we two so le and body. I? Out with him. It must be so, for where great states revenge, "This requisite the parts with piety, "And lo to respect forbears, be closely dogd, "Lay one into his breast shall sleep with him, "Feed in the same dish, run in self faction, "Who may discover any shape of danger; "For once disgraced, displayed in offence, "It makes man blushless, and man is (all confess) "More prove to vengeance than to gratefulness. "Favours are writ in dust, but stripes we feel, "Depraved nature stamps in lasting steel. You shall both kill, and seem the course to save. At whose suit? Wherefore dost thou think churches were made? In thee be all my spirit, retain ten souls, unite thy virtual powers; resolve, would, remember greatness: heart, farewell "That fate of all my Hope's in thee does dwell. On on, leave us leave us: stay, where is the Hermet? Good, excellent: he will not blab, secureness lives in secrecy, come hither, come hither. Then she's but dead, 'tis resolute, she die, Black deed only through black deed, safely fles. What art a scholar? art a politician? sure thou art and errand knave. Hast been with Maria. Travail when thou art married. And why for England. Nor Courtesans. Thou obstinate, thou shalt die. Captain, that Ladies life is forteified to Justice, we have axamined her, And we do find, she hath empoisoned The reverend Hermi : therefore we command Severest custody. Nay, if yowl does no good, Youst does no harm, a Tyrants peace is blood. Yes believe him Lady, and be ruled by him. Prithee lets be acquainted, I do love thee faith. Wilt fallen upon my chamber to morrow morn? Thou church man! why? why? Strange. Would ye could be merry. The Duke is now a hunting. Merit! by heaven I horn him, only Fern a death gave me states life: tut we are politic, he must not live now. Let's grasp, I do Like thee infinitely, wilt enact one thing for me? Would thou Wertenberg of a lusty spirit, would thou Wertenberg noble. You are but a woman Lady, you must yield, Away.