John Webster

“ The Birds, that live i'th' field
On the wilde benefit of Nature, live
Happier than we; for they may choose their Mates,
And carroll their sweet pleasures to the Spring:
Bos.
You are happily ore-ta'ne. ”

“ Let heaven, a little while, cease crowning Martirs
To punish them: Goe, howle them this: and say I long to bleed
"It is some mercy, when men kill with speed. Exit.
Ferd.
Excellent; as I would wish: she's plagu'd in Art. ”

“ When he shall see it fraight with love, and dutie,
May draw the poyson out of him, and worke
A friendly reconcilement; if it faile;
Yet, is shall rid me of this infamous calling,
For better fall once, than be ever falling. ”

“ Some men have wish'd to die.
At the hearing of sad tydings; I am glad
That I shall do't in sadnes: I would not now
Wish my wounds balm'de, nor heal'd: for I have no use
To put my life to: In all our Quest of Greatnes;
(Like wanton Boyes, whose pastime is their care)
We follow after bubbles, blowne in th'ayre.
Pleasure of life, what is't? ”

“ Yet stay, heaven gates are not so highly arch'd
As Princes pallaces, they that enter there
Must go upon their knees: Come violent death,
Serve for Mandragora, to make me sleepe; ”

“ Faults where they apparant in you: Goe be safe
In your owne innocency.
Duch.
Oh bless'd comfort,
This deadly aire is purg'd. Exeunt.
Ferd.
Her guilt treads on
Hot burning cultures: Now Bosola,
How thrives our intelligence? ”

“ I have ever thought
Nature doth nothing so great, for great men,
As when she's pleas'd, to make them Lords of truth:
"Integrity of life, is fames best friend,
Which noblely (beyond Death) shall crowne the end.Exeunt. ”

“ You are a foole:
How is't possible I should catch my shadow
Unlesse I fall upon't? When I goe to Hell,
I meane to carry a bribe: for looke you
Good guifts ever-more make way, for the worst persons. ”

“ Tantalus? nor ever did any man more fearefully, then he that hop'd
For a pleadon: There are rewards for hawkes, and dogges, and
When they have done us service; but for a Souldier, that hazards his
Limbes in a battaile, nothing but a kind of Geometry, is his last
Supportation. ”

“ She throwes upon a man, so sweet a looke,
That it were able raise one to a Galliard
That lay in a dead palsey; and to doate
On that sweete countenance: but in that looke,
There speaketh so divine a continence,
As cuts off all lascivious, and vaine hope.
Her dayes are practis'd in such noble vertue,
That, sure her nights (nay more her very Sleepes)
Are more in Heaven, then other Ladies Shrifts. ”

“ Phantasticall puffe-paste: our bodies are weaker then those
Paper prisons boyes use to keepe flies in: more contemptible:
Since ours is to preserve earth-wormes: didst thou ever see
A Larke in a cage? such is the soule in the body: this world
Is like her little turfe of grasse, and the Heaven ore our heades,
Like her looking glasse, onely gives us a miserable knowledge
Of the small compasse of our prison. ”

“ In one center: Goe goe; give your foster-daughters good councell:
Tell them, that the Divell takes delight to hang at a womans girdle;
Like a false rusty watch that she cannot discerne how
The time passes. ”

“ Black-birds fatten best in hard weather: why not I,
In these dogde dayes? ”

“ Fix your eye here:
Ferd.
Constantly.
Bos.
Doe you not weepe?
Other sinnes, onely speake; Murther shreikes out:
The Element of water, moistens the Earth,
But blood flies upwards, and bedewes the Heavens. ”

“ That's the greatest torture soules feele in hell,
In hell: that they must live, and cannot die:
Portia, I'll new kindle thy Coales againe,
And revive the rare, and almost dead example
Of a loving wife.
Bos.
O sye: despaire? remember
You are a Christian.
Dutch.
The Church enjoynes fasting:
I'll starve my selfe to death.
Bos.
Leave this vaine 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-lyd. ”

“ Enter Bosola with a Guard.
Duch.
O, they are very welcome:
When Fortunes wheele, is over-charg'd with Princes,
The waight makes it move swift. I wonld have my ruine
Be sudden: I am your adventure, am I not. ”

“ One the divells arrand, he rides poast, and comes in by scuttles:
Let me shew you, what a most unvalu'd jewell,
You have (in a wanton humour) throwne away,
To blesse the man shall find him: He was an excellent
Courtier, and most faithfull, a souldier, that thought it
As beastly to know his owne value too little,
As devillish to acknowledge it too much,
Both his vertue, and forme, deserv'd a farre better fortune:
His discourse rather delighted to judge it selfe, then shew it selfe. ”

“ He is all fire.
Ferd.
I am of Pliney's opinion, I thinke he was begot by the wind.
He runs as if he were ballass'd with Quick-silver.
Sil.
True (my Lord) he reels from the Tilt-often.
Rod. Gris.
Ha, ha, ha.
Ferd.
Why do you laugh? Me thinks you that are Courtiers
Should be my touch-wood, take fire, when I give fire;
That is, laugh when I laugh, were the subject never so wity.
Cast.
True (my Lord) I my selfe have heard a very good jest,
And have scorn'd to seeme to have so silly a wit, as to understand it. ”

“ Doomes-day not come yet! I'll draw it neerer by a perspective, or make a glasse, that shall set all the world on fire upon an instant: I cannot sleepe, my pillow is stuff't with a littour of Porcupines.
2.Mad.
Hell is a meere glasse-house, where the divells are continually blowing up womens soules, on hollow yrons, and the fire never goes out. ”

“ I Would not have you go toth' Cardinalls to night:
Doe not.
Eccho.
Doe not.
Del.
Wisdome doth not more moderate, wasting Sorrow
Then time: take time for't: be mindfull of thy safety.
Eccho.
Be mindfull of the safety.
Ant.
Necessitie compells me:
Make scruteny throughout the passes
Of your owne life; you'll find it impossible
To flye your fate.
O flye your fate.
Del.
Harke: the dead stones seeme to have pitty on you
And give you good counsell. ”

“ Some falling out amongst the Cardinalls.
These factions amongst great men, they are like
Foxes, when their heads are divided
They carry fire in their tails, and all the Country
About them, goes to wracke for't. ”

“ Greeke is turn'd Turke, we are onely to be sav'd by the
Helvetian translation.
1.
Come on Sir, I will lay the law to you.
2.
Oh, rather lay a corazive, the law will eate to the bone.
3.
He that drinkes but to satisfie nature is damn'd.
4.
If I had my glasse here, I would shew a sight should make
All the women here, call me mad Doctor. ”

“ A Polititian is the divells quilted anvell,
He fashions all sinnes on him, and the blowes
Are never heard, he may worke in a Ladies Chamber,
(As here for proofe) what rests, but I reveale
All to my Lord? oh, this base quality
Of Intelligencer? why, every Quality i'th'world
Preferres but gaine, or commendation:
Now for this act, I am certaine to be rais'd,
"And men that paint weedes, (to the life) are prais'd. Exit. ”

“ Bos.
There's for you first: 'cause you shall not unbarracade the doore
To let in rescew. He kills the Servant.
Card.
What cause hast thou to pursue my life?
Bos.
Looke there:
Card.
Antonio?
Bos.
Slaine by my hand unwittingly:
Pray, and be sudden: when thou kill'dst thy sister,
Thou tookst from Justice her most equall ballance,
And left her naught but her sword.
Card.
O mercy.
Bos.
Now it seemes thy Greatnes was onely outward:
For thou fall'st faster of thy selfe, then calamitie
Can drive thee: I'll not wast longer time: There.
Card.
Thou hast hurt me:
Bos. ”

“ Phisitians that apply horse-leiches to any rancke swelling,
Use to cut of their tailes, that the blood may run through them
The faster: Let me have no traine, when I goe to shed blood,
Least it make me have a greater, when I ride to the Gallowes. ”

“ Will come to light.
Card.
You may slatter your selfe,
And take your owne choice: privately be married
Under the Eves of night.
Ferd.
Think't the best voyage
That ere you made; like the irregular Crab,
Which though't goes backward, thinkes that it goes, right,
Because it goes its owne way: but observe;
Such weddings, may more properly be said
To be executed, then celibrated.
Card.
The marriage night
Is the entrance into some prison.
Ferd.
And those joyes,
Those lustfull pleasures, are like heavy sleepes
Which doe fore-run mans mischiefe
Card. ”

“ But observe his inward Character: he is a mellancholly
Church-man: The Spring in his face, is nothing but the
Ingendring of Toads; where he is jealous of any man,
He laies worse plots for them, than ever was impos'd on
Hercules, for he strewes in his way Flatters, Panders,
Intelligencers, Atheists, and a thousand such politicall
Monsters: he should have beene Pope: but in stead of
Comming to it, by the primitive decencie of the church,
He did bestow bribes, so largely, and so impudently, as if he would
Have carried it away without heavens knowledge. ”

“ The Lord of the first house, being combust in the ascendant, signifies short life: and Mars being in a human signe, joyn'd to the taile of the Dragon, in the eight house, doth threaten a violent death ”

“ For they say, your roaring-boyes eate meat seldome,
And that makes them so valiant:
But how shall I know whether the people take me
For an eminent fellow.
Bos.
I will teach a tricke to know it,
Give out you lie a dying, and if you
Heare the common people curse you,
Be sure you are taken for one of the prime night-caps,
You come from painting now? ”

“ Spread in thy vaines, and kill thee seaven yeare hence.
Jul.
Now you dally with me.
Card.
No more, thou shalt know it.
By my appointment, the great Duchesse of Malfy,
And two of her young children, foure nights since
Were strangled.
Jul.
Oh heaven! (sir) what have you done?
Card.
How now? how setles this? thinke you your
Bosome will be a grave, darke and obscure enough
For such a secret?
Jul.
You have undone your selfe (sir.) ”

“ Oh poore Antonio, though nothing be so needfull
To thy estate, as pitty, Yet I finde
Nothing so dangerous: I must looke to my footing;
In such slippery yce-pavements, men had neede
To be frost-nayld well: they may breake their neckes else. ”

“ Since place, and riches oft are bribes of shame
Sometimes the Divell doth preach. Exit Bosola.
Card.
We are to part from you: and your owne discretion
Must now be your director.
Ferd.
You are a Widowe:
You know already what man is: and therefore
Let not youth: high promotion, eloquence,
Card. ”

“ Is ingenious, and hearty: I beleeve it.
Is Antonio come?
Cariola.
He attends you:
Duch.
Good deare soule,
Leave me: but place thy selfe behind the Arras,
Where thou maist over-heare us: wish me good speed
For I am going into a wildernesse,
Where I shall find nor path, nor friendly clewe
To be my guide, I sent for you, Sit downe:
Take Pen and Incke, and write: are you ready?
Ant.
Yes:
Duch. ”

“ To holier use enhabite: Let not the Sunne
Shine on him, till he's dead: Let Dogs, and Monkeys
Onely converse with him, and such dombe things
To whom Nature denies use, to sound his name.
Doe not keepe a Paraqueto, least she learne it ”

“ A very Salamander lives in's eye,
To mocke the eager violence of fire.
Sil.
That Cardinall hath made more bad faces with his oppression
Then ever Michael Angelo made good ones,
He lifts up 's nose, like a fowle Por-pisse before a storme,
Pes.
The Lord Ferdinand laughs.
Del.
Like a deadly Cannon,
That lightens ere it smoakes.
Pes.
These are your true pangues of death,
The pangues of life, that strugle with great states-men,
Del. ”

“ Though we are eaten up of lice, and wormes,
And though continually we beare about us
A rotten and dead body, we delight
To hide it in rich tissew all our feare,
(Nay all our terrour) is, least our Phisition
Should put us in the ground, to be made sweete.
Your wife's gone to Rome: you two cople, and get you
To the wels at Leuca, to recover your aches.
I have other worke on foote: I observe our Duchesse
Is sicke a dayes, she puykes, her stomacke seethes,
The fins of her eie-lids, looke most teeming blew,
She waines i'th'cheeke, and waxes fat i'th'flanke ”

“ I would have you curse your selfe now, that your bounty
(Which makes men truly noble) ere should make
Me a villaine: oh, that to avoid ingratitude
For the good deed you have done me, I must doe
All the ill man can invent: Thus the Divell
Candies all sinnes are: and what Heaven termes vild,
That names he complementall.
Fer.
Be your selfe:
Keepe your old garbe of melencholly: 'twill expresse
You envy those that stand above your reach,
Yet strive not to come neere'em: This will gaine ”

“ The ancien'st Nobility, being but a rellique of time past, and the truest Honor indeede beeing for a man to conferre Honor on himselfe, which your Learning strives to propagate, and shall make you arrive at the Dignity of a great Example. I am confident this worke is not unworthy your Honors perusal for by such Poems as this, Poets have kist the hands of Great Princes, and drawne their gentle eyes to looke downe upon their sheetes of paper, when the Poets themselves were bound up in their winding-sheetes. ”

“ The weakest Arme is strong enough, that strikes
With the sword of Justice: Still me thinkes the Dutchesse
Haunts me: there, there; 'tis nothing but my mellancholy.
O Penitence, let me truely tast thy Cup.
That throwes men downe, onely to raise them up. Exit. ”

“ Arise from merit. The virgins of your land
(That have no dowries) shall hope, your example
Will raise them to rich husbands: Should you want
Souldiers 'twould make the very Turkes and Moores
Turne Christians, and serve you for this act. ”

“ If too immoderate sleepe, be truly sayd
To be an inward rust unto the soule,
It then doth follow want of action
Breeds all blacke male-contents, and their close rearing
(Like mothes in cloath) doe hurt for want of wearing. ”

“ And here's annother Pitfall, that's strew'd ore
With Roses; marke it, 'tis a cunning one.
I stand ingaged for your husband, for severall debts at Naples: let not
That trouble him, I had rather have his heart, then his mony.
And I beleeve so too.
Bos.
What doe you beleeve?
Dutch.
That he so much distrusts my husbands love,
He will by no meanes beleeve his heart is with him
Until he see it: The Divell is not cunning enough
To circumvent us in Ridles. ”