The malcontent. By Iohn Marston. 1604

SCENA SEPTIMA.

Enter Pietro his sworde drawne.

Pietro.

A mischiefe fill thy throate, thou fowle iaw'd slaue•…•… Say thy prayers.

Mend.

I ha forgot vm.

Pietro.

Thou shalt dye.

Mend.

So shalt thou; I am hart mad.

Pietro.

I am horne mad.

Mend.

Extreame mad.

Pietro.

Monstrously mad.

Mend.

Why?

Pietro.

Why? thou thou hast dishonored my bed.

Mend.

I? come, come, sit, heeres my bare heart to thee as steddy as is this center to this glorious world,

And yet harke thou art a Cornuto; but by me?

Pietro.

Yes slaue by thee.

Mend.

Do not, do not with tart and spleenefull breath, Loose him can loose thee; I offend my Duke? Bare record O yee dumbe and raw aird nights, How vigilant my sleeplesse eyes haue bin,

To watch the Traitor; record thou spirit of truth, With what debasement I ha throne my selfe, To vnder offices, onely to learne The truth, the party, time, the meanes, the place, By whom, and when▪ and where thou wert disgrac'd: And am I paid with slaue? hath my intrusion To places priuate, and prohibited, Onely to obserue the closer passages: Heauen knowes with vowes of reuelation, Made me suspected, made me deemd a villaine? What roage hath wronged vs?

Pietro.

Mendozo, I may erre.

Mend.

Erre? tis too mild a name, but erre and erre, Runne giddy with suspect, fore through me thou know, That which most creatures saue thy selfe doe know, Nay since my seruice hath so loath'd reiect, Fore Ile reueale, shalt finde them clipt together.

Piet.

Mendozo thou knowst I am a most plaine brested mā.

Mend.

The fitter to make a Cornuto, would your browes were most plane to.

Piet.

Tell me, indeed I heard thee raile?

Mend.

At womē, true, why what cold fleame could chose, Knowing a Lord so honest, vertuous, So boundlesse louing, bounteous, faire shapt, sweete, To be contemn'd, abus'd, defam'd, made Cuckold,

Hart, I hate all women for't: sweete sheetes, waxe lights, Antique bed-posts, Cambrick smocks, villanous curtaines, Arras pictures, oylde hinges, and all yee tong-tide lasciuious witnesses of great creatures wantonnesse: what saluation can you expect?

Piet.

Wilt thou tell me?

Mend.

Why you may find it your selfe, obserue, obserue.

Piet.

I ha not the patience, wilt thou deserue me; tell, giue it.

Mend.

Tak't, why Farneze is the man, Ferneze, Ile proou't, this night you shall take him, in your sheets, wilt serue.

Piet.

It will, my bozomes in some peace, till night.

Mend.

What?

Piet.

Farewell.

Mend.

God how weake a Lord are you, Why doe you thinke there is no more but so?

Piet.

Why?

Mend.

Nay then will I presume to councell you, It should be thus; you with some garde vpon the suddaine Breake into the Princes chamber, I stay behinde Without the doore, through which he needs must passe, Ferneze flies, let him, to me he comes, hee's kild By me, obserue by me, you follow, I raile, And seeme to saue the body: Dutches comes On whom (respecting her aduanced birth, And your faire nature) I know, nay I doe know No violence must be vsed. She comes, I storme, I praise, excuse Ferneze, and still maintaine The Dutches honor, she for this loues me, I honor you, shall know her soule, you mine, Then naught shall she contriue in vengeance, (As women are most thoughtfull in reuenge) Of her Ferneze, but you shall sooner know't Then she can think't, thus shall his death come sure, Your Dutches braine-caught; so your life secure.

Piet.

It is too well, my bozome, and my hart, When nothing helpes, cut of the rotten part.

Exit.

Mend.

Who cannot faine friendship, can nere produce the effects of hatred: Honest foole Duke, subtile lasciuious Dutches, silly nouice ferneze; I doe laugh at yee, my braine is in labour till it produce mischiefe, & I feele sudden thro's, proofes sencible, the issue is at hand.

As Beares shape young, so Ile forme my deuice, Which growne prooues horrid: Vengeance makes men wise.