The malcontent. By Iohn Marston. 1604

SCENA TERTIA.

Enter Duke Pietro, Count Celso, Count Equato, Bilioso, Ferrard, and Mendozo.

Piet.

The night growes deepe and fowle, what houre ist?

Celso.

Vpon the stroake of twelue.

Mal.

Saue yee Duke.

Piet.

From thee, begone I do not loue thee, let me see thee no more, we are displeasd.

Mal.

Why God buy thee, heauen heare my curse, May thy wife and thee liue long together.

Piet.

Be gone sirra.

Mal.

When Arthur first in Court began,—Agamennon, Menelaus,—was euer any Duke a Cornuto,

Piet.

Begon hence.

Mal.

What religion wilt thou be of next?

Mend.

Out with him.

Mal.

With most seruile patience, time will come, When wonder of thy error will strike dumbe, Thy beseld sence, slaues I fauour, I marry shall he rise, Good God how subtile Hell doth flatter vice, Mount him aloft, and makes him seeme to flie, As foule the Tortois mockt: who to the skie, Th'ambitious shell fish rais'd, th'end of all, Is onely that from height he might dead fall.

Exit.

Piet.

It shall be so.

Mend.

It must be so, for where great States reuenge, Tis requisite, the parts with piety And soft respect forbeares, be closely dogd, Lay one into his breast shall sleepe with him, Feede in the same dish, run in selfe faction, Who may disseuer any shape of danger, For once disgrac'd, discouered in offence, It makes man blushlesse, and man is (all confesse)

More prone to vengeance then to gratefulnesse. Fauours are writ in dust, but stripes we feele, Depraued nature stamps in lasting steele.

Piet.

You shalbe leauged with the Dutches.

Equat.

The plot is very good.

Mend.

You shall both kill, and seeme the course to saue.

Ferrard.

A most fine braine trick.

Celso.

Of a most cunning knaue.

Pietro.

My Lords: The heauy action we intend Is death and shame, two of the vgliest shapes That can confound a soule, thinke, thinke of it; I strike but yet like him that gainst stone walles, Directs his shaftes, rebounds in his owne face, My Ladies shame is mine, O God, tis mine. Therefore I do coniure all secresie, Let it be as very little as may be; pray yee, as may be; Make frightlesse entrance, salute her with soft eyes, Staine naught with blood, onely Ferneze dyes, But not before her browes: O Gentlemen God knowes I loue her, nothing els, but this I am not well; if griefe that sucks veines drye, Riuels the skinne, casts ashes in mens faces, Be-duls the eye, vnstrengthens all the blood, Chance to remooue me to an other world, As sure I once must dye: let him succeed: I haue no childe, all that my youth begot, Hath bin your loues, which shall inherit me, Which as it euer shall, I doe coniure it Mendozo may succeed, hees nobly borne; With me of much desert.

Celso.

Much.

Pietro.

Your silence answeres I, I thanke you, come on now, ô that I might dye, Before her shames displaide, would I were forst To burne my fathers Tombe; vnhill his boanes, And dash them in the durt, rather then this:

This both the liuing and the dead offends, Sharpe surgery where nought but death amends.

Exit with others.