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Full speech
You make me wonder (Nay it is no council, You may partake it Gentlemen) who would have thought, That he that scorned our proffered amity, When he was sued to; should, ere he be summoned, (Whither persuaded to it by base fear, Or flattered by false hope, which, it's uncertain) First kneel for mercy? Who, but the Duke of Milan, The right Hand of the French: Of all that stand In our displeasure, whom necessity Compels to seek our favour, I would have sworn Sforza had been the last. I am not so weak, To be wrought on as you fear; Nor ignorant, That Money is the sinew of the War; And what terms soever he seek peace, It's in our power to grant it, or deny it. Yet for our glory, and to show him that We have brought him on his knees; It is resolved To hear him as a Suppliant. Bring him in; But let him see the effects of our joust anger, In the Guard that you make for him. Thou hast so far Outgone my expectation, noble Sforza (For such I hold thee) And true constancy, Raised on a brave foundation, bears such palm, And privilege with it; That where we behold it, Though in and enemy, it does command us To love and honour it. By my future Hope's, I am glad, for thy sake, that in seeking favour, Thou didst not borrow of vice her indirect, Crooked, and abject means: And for mine own, (That since my purposes must now be changed Touching thy life and Fortune's) the world cannot Tax me of levity, in my settled counsels; I being neither wrought by tempting bribes, Nor servile flattery; but forced unto it, By a fair war of virtue. All former passages of hate be buried; For thus with open arms I meet thy love, And as a friend embrace it: And so far I am from robbing thee of the least honour, That with my hands, to make it fit the faster, I set thy Crown once more upon thy head: And do not only style thee, Duke of Milan, But vow to keep thee so: Yet not to take From others to give only to my self, I will not hinder your magnificence To my Commanders, neither will I urge it, But in that, as in all things else I leave you To be your own disposer
Plot summary
Plot — The Duke of Milan
Sforza, Duke of Milan, dotes on his haughty Duchess Marcelia, and fears the prospect of losing her. Her birthday banquet is interrupted by bad news: Sforza rebuffed Charles the Emperor’s overtures and chose to ally Milan with France instead; but now the Empire has routed France at the Battle of Pavia. Sforza expects imperial reprisals, and goes to submit himself to Charles. Before he leaves, he appoints Francisco his deputy, with instructions that, should he not return, Marcelia is to be murdered so that nobody else shall enjoy her. He submits himself to Charles, offers an explanation but no excuse for his supporting France, and expresses his willingness to pay with his life in order to prevent the imperial army from sacking Milan, thus sparing his subjects further bloodshed. His dignity impresses Charles, who confirms his ducal title. In Sforza’s absence, the tensions between Marcelia and his sister Mariana break out into open violence. Though Mariana is his own wife, Francisco takes Marcelia’s side in the quarrel and imprisons Mariana. Believing that Sforza will not return, he propositions Marcelia, shows her the warrant for her execution, and suggests that they should seize power together. She refuses him, so he explains the excessive love which led Sforza to order her death. This annoys her. When Sforza returns to Milan, she greets him coldly, which gives offence. Mariana learns of Francisco’s efforts to seduce Marcelia, and informs Sforza, who will not believe her. Francisco finds out her plans in advance and sets up the situation to favour his revenge: three years before, his sister Eugenia was seduced by Sforza with a promise of marriage on which he then reneged. First he presents himself to Marcelia as a potential victim of Sforza’s jealousy, inducing her to promise to protect him. Then he tells Sforza that Marcelia has tried to seduce him. As a test of her fidelity, Sforza pretends to have murdered ===== PAGE 365 ===== 1621 Francisco; Marcelia’s outrage seems to confirm her guilt, and Sforza wounds her fatally. News arrives that Francisco has fled Milan; Marcelia tells her husband the truth, and dies. Sforza is distracted with grief. His physicians persuade him that she is merely in a coma and may one day be revived, but realize that putrefaction will soon put an end to the ruse. Francisco returns to court posing as a Jewish doctor, and offers to treat the body to prolong the appearance of life. In fact, he puts poison in her mouth, claiming it…