Bernard Capes

“ Credulous and irrational like all tyrants, Galeazzo never thought to analyse interests and motives in any indictment whose pretext was devotion to himself and his safety. Wrapped in eternal unbelief in all men, no man was so easily arrested as he by the first hint of a plausible rogue professing to serve him, or so quick, being inoculated, to develop the very confluent scab of suspicion. ”

“ No word against your Grace; only the dumb pleas of love and pity courting comparison.'
'With what?'
'Your Grace's sharper methods.'
'Beast! Did I not waive them for his sake? Did I not leave my conscience in his keeping?'
'Alas! if thou didst, he's used it, like a false friend, in damning evidence against thee.'
'O Judas!'
'Used it to point the moral of his own large tolerance. The people rise to him—cry him in the streets: "Down with Galeazzo! Nature's our God!"'
'Ha! He's Nature?'
'As they read him—lord of the slums.'
'Lord of filthy swine. I'll ring their snouts. Well, goon. ”

“ Jacopo had forestalled him; the monk was dead.' 'What did he then?'
'Cursed thy lord's Grace, and ran; ran and hid himself away among the people, he and his Fool, and spat his poison in that sewer, to fester and bear fruit. 'Twas only presently the Duchess heard of him, and persuaded him on sweet promise of amendment back to the Court. ”

“ Advancing, with set grinning lips, he thumbed the victim's arm, as he might be a market-wife testing a fowl.
'Plump, plump,' he said, turning his head about. 'Shall we not singe the fat capon, Messer Castellan, before trussing him for the spit?'
At a sign, the two butchers at the door advanced and seized their victim. He struggled desperately in their grasp. Shriek upon shriek issued from his lips. ”