John Webster

“ DUCHESS. So, now the ground 's broke, You may discover what a wealthy mine I make your lord of. ANTONIO. O my unworthiness! DUCHESS. You were ill to sell yourself: This dark'ning of your worth is not like that Which tradesmen use i' the city; their false lights Are to rid bad wares off: and I must tell you, If you will know where breathes a complete man (I speak it without flattery) , turn your eyes, And progress through yourself. ANTONIO. Were there nor heaven nor hell, I should be honest: I have long serv'd virtue, And ne'er ta'en wages of her. DUCHESS. Now she pays it. ”

“ BOSOLA. In sooth, I 'll tell you: Now all the court 's asleep, I thought the devil Had least to do here; I came to say my prayers; And if it do offend you I do so, You are a fine courtier. ANTONIO. [Aside.] This fellow will undo me.— You gave the duchess apricocks to-day: Pray heaven they were not poison'd! BOSOLA. Poison'd! a Spanish fig For the imputation! ANTONIO. Traitors are ever confident Till they are discover'd. There were jewels stol'n too: In my conceit, none are to be suspected More than yourself. BOSOLA. You are a false steward. ”

“ We are only like dead walls or vaulted graves, That, ruin'd, yield no echo. Fare you well. It may be pain, but no harm, to me to die In so good a quarrel. O, this gloomy world! In what a shadow, or deep pit of darkness, Doth womanish and fearful mankind live! Let worthy minds ne'er stagger in distrust To suffer death or shame for what is just: Mine is another voyage. [Dies.] PESCARA. The noble Delio, as I came to th' palace, Told me of Antonio's being here, and show'd me A pretty gentleman, his son and heir. [Enter DELIO, and ANTONIO'S Son] MALATESTI. O sir, you come too late! ”

“ Enjoy thy lust still, and a wretched life, On that condition.—And for thee, vile woman, If thou do wish thy lecher may grow old In thy embracements, I would have thee build Such a room for him as our anchorites To holier use inhabit. Let not the sun Shine on him till he 's dead; let dogs and monkeys Only converse with him, and such dumb things To whom nature denies use to sound his name; Do not keep a paraquito, lest she learn it; If thou do love him, cut out thine own tongue, Lest it bewray him. DUCHESS. Why might not I marry? ”

“ BOSOLA. It seems she was born first: You have bloodily approv'd the ancient truth, That kindred commonly do worse agree Than remote strangers. FERDINAND. Let me see her face Again. Why didst thou not pity her? What An excellent honest man mightst thou have been, If thou hadst borne her to some sanctuary! Or, bold in a good cause, oppos'd thyself, With thy advanced sword above thy head, Between her innocence and my revenge! I bade thee, when I was distracted of my wits, Go kill my dearest friend, and thou hast done 't. ”

“ FERDINAND. The devil! My brother fight upon the adverse party! He wounds the CARDINAL, and, in the scuffle, gives BOSOLA his death-wound. There flies your ransom. CARDINAL. O justice! I suffer now for what hath former bin: Sorrow is held the eldest child of sin. FERDINAND. Now you 're brave fellows. Caesar's fortune was harder than Pompey's; Caesar died in the arms of prosperity, Pompey at the feet of disgrace. You both died in the field. The pain 's nothing; pain many times is taken away with the apprehension of greater, as the tooth-ache with the sight of a barber that comes to pull it out. ”

“ Say, then, my corruption Grew out of horse-dung: I am your creature. FERDINAND. Away! [Exit.] BOSOLA. Let good men, for good deeds, covet good fame, Since place and riches oft are bribes of shame. Sometimes the devil doth preach. [Exit.] [Scene III] [17] [Enter FERDINAND, DUCHESS, CARDINAL, and CARIOLA] CARDINAL. We are to part from you; and your own discretion Must now be your director. FERDINAND. You are a widow: You know already what man is; and therefore Let not youth, high promotion, eloquence—— CARDINAL. No, Nor anything without the addition, honour, Sway your high blood. ”

“ DUCHESS. But he was basely descended. BOSOLA. Will you make yourself a mercenary herald, Rather to examine men's pedigrees than virtues? You shall want [89] him: For know an honest statesman to a prince Is like a cedar planted by a spring; The spring bathes the tree's root, the grateful tree Rewards it with his shadow: you have not done so. I would sooner swim to the Bermoothes on Two politicians' rotten bladders, tied Together with an intelligencer's heart-string, Than depend on so changeable a prince's favour. Fare thee well, Antonio! ”

“ Signior Delio! 'tis one of my old suitors. DELIO. I was bold to come and see you. JULIA. Sir, you are welcome. DELIO. Do you lie here? JULIA. Sure, your own experience Will satisfy you no: our Roman prelates Do not keep lodging for ladies. DELIO. Very well: I have brought you no commendations from your husband, For I know none by him. JULIA. I hear he 's come to Rome. DELIO. I never knew man and beast, of a horse and a knight, So weary of each other. If he had had a good back, He would have undertook to have borne his horse, His breech was so pitifully sore. JULIA. Your laughter Is my pity. ”

“ ANTONIO. You must pardon me: I have seen, in colder countries than in France, Nobles stand bare to th' prince; and the distinction Methought show'd reverently. BOSOLA. I have a present for your grace. DUCHESS. For me, sir? BOSOLA. Apricocks, madam. DUCHESS. O, sir, where are they? I have heard of none to-year [42] BOSOLA. [Aside.] Good; her colour rises. DUCHESS. Indeed, I thank you: they are wondrous fair ones. What an unskilful fellow is our gardener! We shall have none this month. BOSOLA. Will not your grace pare them? DUCHESS. No: they taste of musk, methinks; indeed they do. ”

“ DUCHESS. O, but you must Remember, my curse hath a great way to go.— Plagues, that make lanes through largest families, Consume them!— BOSOLA. Fie, lady! DUCHESS. Let them, like tyrants, Never be remembered but for the ill they have done; Let all the zealous prayers of mortified Churchmen forget them!— BOSOLA. O, uncharitable! DUCHESS. Let heaven a little while cease crowning martyrs, To punish them!— Go, howl them this, and say, I long to bleed: It is some mercy when men kill with speed. Exit. [Re-enter FERDINAND] FERDINAND. Excellent, as I would wish; she 's plagu'd in art. ”

“ Examine thine own frailty; 'tis more easy To tie knots than unloose them. 'Tis a secret That, like a ling'ring poison, may chance lie Spread in thy veins, and kill thee seven year hence. JULIA. Now you dally with me. CARDINAL. No more; thou shalt know it. By my appointment the great Duchess of Malfi And two of her young children, four nights since, Were strangl'd. JULIA. O heaven! sir, what have you done! CARDINAL. How now? How settles this? Think you your bosom Will be a grave dark and obscure enough For such a secret? JULIA. You have undone yourself, sir. CARDINAL. Why? ”

“ BOSOLA. Give me leave to be honest in any phrase, in any compliment whatsoever. Shall I confess myself to you? I look no higher than I can reach: they are the gods that must ride on winged horses. A lawyer's mule of a slow pace will both suit my disposition and business; for, mark me, when a man's mind rides faster than his horse can gallop, they quickly both tire. ANTONIO. You would look up to heaven, but I think The devil, that rules i' th' air, stands in your light. BOSOLA. O, sir, you are lord of the ascendant, [40] chief man with the duchess: a duke was your cousin-german remov'd. ”

“ From decay'd fortunes every flatterer shrinks; Men cease to build where the foundation sinks. DUCHESS. I had a very strange dream to-night. ANTONIO. What was 't? DUCHESS. Methought I wore my coronet of state, And on a sudden all the diamonds Were chang'd to pearls. ANTONIO. My interpretation Is, you 'll weep shortly; for to me the pearls Do signify your tears. DUCHESS. The birds that live i' th' field On the wild benefit of nature live Happier than we; for they may choose their mates, And carol their sweet pleasures to the spring. ”

“ Enter BOSOLA Now, Bosola, How thrives our intelligence? [76] BOSOLA. Sir, uncertainly: 'Tis rumour'd she hath had three bastards, but By whom we may go read i' the stars. FERDINAND. Why, some Hold opinion all things are written there. BOSOLA. Yes, if we could find spectacles to read them. I do suspect there hath been some sorcery Us'd on the duchess. FERDINAND. Sorcery! to what purpose? BOSOLA. To make her dote on some desertless fellow She shames to acknowledge. FERDINAND. Can your faith give way To think there 's power in potions or in charms, To make us love whether we will or no? ”

“ PESCARA. Mark Prince Ferdinand: A very salamander lives in 's eye, To mock the eager violence of fire. SILVIO. That cardinal hath made more bad faces with his oppression than ever Michael Angelo made good ones. He lifts up 's nose, like a foul porpoise before a storm. PESCARA. The Lord Ferdinand laughs. DELIO. Like a deadly cannon That lightens ere it smokes. PESCARA. These are your true pangs of death, The pangs of life, that struggle with great statesmen. DELIO. In such a deformed silence witches whisper their charms. ”

“ BOSOLA. Come, you must live. DUCHESS. That 's the greatest torture souls feel in hell, In hell, that they must live, and cannot die. Portia, [100] I 'll new kindle thy coals again, And revive the rare and almost dead example Of a loving wife. BOSOLA. O, fie! despair? Remember You are a Christian. DUCHESS. The church enjoins fasting: I 'll starve myself to death. BOSOLA. Leave this vain sorrow. Things being at the worst begin to mend: the bee When he hath shot his sting into your hand, May then play with your eye-lid. ”

“ ANTONIO. I take 't, as those that deny purgatory, It locally contains or heaven or hell; There 's no third place in 't. DUCHESS. How do you affect it? ANTONIO. My banishment, feeding my melancholy, Would often reason thus. DUCHESS. Pray, let 's hear it. ANTONIO. Say a man never marry, nor have children, What takes that from him? Only the bare name Of being a father, or the weak delight To see the little wanton ride a-cock-horse Upon a painted stick, or hear him chatter Like a taught starling. DUCHESS. Fie, fie, what 's all this? One of your eyes is blood-shot ”

“ BOSOLA. Smother thy pity, thou art dead else.—Antonio! The man I would have sav'd 'bove mine own life! We are merely the stars' tennis-balls, struck and banded Which way please them.—O good Antonio, I 'll whisper one thing in thy dying ear Shall make thy heart break quickly! Thy fair duchess And two sweet children—— ANTONIO. Their very names Kindle a little life in me. BOSOLA. Are murder'd. ANTONIO. Some men have wish'd to die At the hearing of sad tidings ”

“ BOSOLA. You are happily o'erta'en. DUCHESS. From my brother? BOSOLA. Yes, from the Lord Ferdinand your brother All love and safety. DUCHESS. Thou dost blanch mischief, Would'st make it white. See, see, like to calm weather At sea before a tempest, false hearts speak fair To those they intend most mischief. [Reads.] 'Send Antonio to me; I want his head in a business.' A politic equivocation! He doth not want your counsel, but your head; That is, he cannot sleep till you be dead. ”

“ BOSOLA. This proclaims your breeding. Every small thing draws a base mind to fear, As the adamant draws iron. Fare you well, sir; You shall shortly hear from 's. Exit. DUCHESS. I suspect some ambush; Therefore by all my love I do conjure you To take your eldest son, and fly towards Milan. Let us not venture all this poor remainder In one unlucky bottom. ANTONIO. You counsel safely. Best of my life, farewell. Since we must part, Heaven hath a hand in 't; but no otherwise Than as some curious artist takes in sunder A clock or watch, when it is out of frame, To bring 't in better order. ”

“ CARDINAL. [Aside.] I must feign somewhat.—Thus they say it grew. You have heard it rumour'd, for these many years None of our family dies but there is seen The shape of an old woman, which is given By tradition to us to have been murder'd By her nephews for her riches. Such a figure One night, as the prince sat up late at 's book, Appear'd to him; when crying out for help, The gentleman of 's chamber found his grace All on a cold sweat, alter'd much in face And language: since which apparition, He hath grown worse and worse, and I much fear He cannot live. BOSOLA. Sir, I would speak with you. ”

“ In such slippery ice-pavements men had need To be frost-nail'd well, they may break their necks else; The precedent 's here afore me. How this man Bears up in blood! seems fearless! Why, 'tis well; Security some men call the suburbs of hell, Only a dead wall between. Well, good Antonio, I 'll seek thee out; and all my care shall be To put thee into safety from the reach Of these most cruel biters that have got Some of thy blood already. It may be, I 'll join with thee in a most just revenge. The weakest arm is strong enough that strikes With the sword of justice. ”

“ I had rather have his heart than his money':— And I believe so too. BOSOLA. What do you believe? DUCHESS. That he so much distrusts my husband's love, He will by no means believe his heart is with him Until he see it: the devil is not cunning enough To circumvent us In riddles. BOSOLA. Will you reject that noble and free league Of amity and love which I present you? DUCHESS. Their league is like that of some politic kings, Only to make themselves of strength and power To be our after-ruin; tell them so. BOSOLA. And what from you? ANTONIO. Thus tell him ”