The malcontent. By Iohn Marston. 1604

SCENA QVINTA.

Enter Aurelia, two Holberts before, and two after, supported by Celso and Ferrard, Aurelia in base mourning attire.

Aur.

To banishment, led on to banishment▪

Pietro

Lady, the blessednesse of repentance to you.

Au.

Why, why, I can desire nothing but death, nor de∣serue any thing but hell.

If heauen should giue sufficiencie of grace To deere my soule, it would make heauen gracelesse: My sinnes would make the stocke of mercy poore, Oh they would try heauens goodnes to •…•…eclaime them: Iudgement is iust yet from that vast villaine: But sure he shall not misse sad punishment, For he shall rule on to my Cell of shame.

Pietro

My Cell tis Lady, where insteede of Maskes, Musique, Tilts, Tournies, and such Courtlike shewes, The hollow murmure of the checklesse windes Shall groane againe, whilst the vnquiet sea Shakes the whole rocke with foamy battery: There Vsherlesse the ayre comes in and out, The reumy vault will force your eyes to weepe, Whilst you behold true desolation: A rocky barrennesse shall paine your eyes,

Where all at once one reaches, where he stands, With browes the roofe, both walles with both his handes.

Aur.

It is to good, blessed spirit of my Lord: O in what or befoere thy soule is throand, Behold me worthily most miserable: O let the anguish of my contrite spirite, Intreate some reconciliation: If not, O ioy! triumph in my iust griefe, Death is the end of woes, and teares reliefe.

Pietro

Belike your Lord not lou'd you, was vnkinde.

Aur.

O heauen, As the soule lou'd the body, so lou'd hee, Twas death to him to part my presence, Heauen to see me pleased: Yet I like to a wretch given ore to hell, Brake all the sacred rites of marriage, To clippe a base vngentle faithles villaine: O God, a very Pagan reprobate! What should I say, vngratefull throwes me out, For whom I lost soule, body, fame, and honor: But tis most fit: why should a better fate Attend on any, who forsake chaste sheetes, Flie the imbrace of a deuoted hart, Ioynd by a solemne vow sore God and man, To taste the brackish bloud of beastly lust In an adulterous touch? Oh rauenous immodesty, Insatiate impudence of appetite: Looke, heere'•…•… your end, for marke what sap in dust, What sinne in good, euen so much loue in lust: Ioy to thy ghost, sweete Lord, pardon to me.

Cel.

It is the Dukes pleasure this night you rest in court.

Aur.

Soule lurke in shades, run shame from brightsome skies, In night, the blind man misseth not his eies.

exit Au:

Mal.

Do not weep kind cuckold, take comfort man, thy betters haue beene Beccos: Agamemnon Emperour of all the merry Greekes; that tickled all the true Troyans, was a

Cornuto: Prince Arthur that cut off twelue Kings beardes was a Cornuto: Hercules, whose backe, bore vp heauen, and got forty wenches with childe in one night.

Pietro

Nay twas fifty.

Mal:

Faith fortie's enow a conscience, yet was a Cor∣nuto: patience, mischiefe growes prowde, be wise.

Piet:

Thou pinchest too deepe, art too keene vpon me.

Mal:

Tut, a pittifull surgeon makes a dangerous sore. Ile tent thee to the ground. Thinkst Ile sustaine my selfe by •…•…ttering thee, because thou art a Prince? I had rather follow a drunkard, and liue by licking vp his vomite, than by seruile flattery.

Piet:

Yet great men ha don't.

Mal:

Great slaues feare better than loue, borne natu∣rally for a coale-basket, though the common ysher of prin∣ces presence fortune ha blindely giuen them better place, I am vow'd to be thy affliction.

Pietro

Prethee be, I loue much misery, and be thou sonne to me.

Enter Biliosa.

Mal:

Because you are an vsurping Duke, Your Lordship's well returnd for Florence.

Bil:

Well returnd, I praise my horse.

Mal:

What newes from the Florentines?

Bil:

I will conceale the great Dukes pleasure, onely this was his charge, his pleasure is, that his daughter die, Duke Pietro be banished for banishing his bloudes dishonor, and that Duke Altofront be reaccepted: this is all, but I heare Duke Pietro is dead.

Mal.

I, and Mendozo is Duke, what will you doe?

Bil:

Is Mendozo strongest?

Mal:

Yet he is.

Bil:

Then yet Ile hold with him.

Mal:

But if that Altofront should turne strait againe?

Biliosa.

Why then I would turne strait againe: Tis good runne still with him that haz most might:

I had rather stand with wrong, then fall with right▪

Mal.

Your Lordship sweats, your yong Ladie will get you a cloth for your old worships browes,

Exit Biliosa.

heeres a fellow to be damnd, this is his muiolable Maxim•…•…. (flatter the greatest, and oppresse the least:) a whorson flesh fly, that still gnawes vpon the leane gauld backs.

Piet.

Why dust then salute him?

Mal.

Faith as ba•…•…des go to Church, for fashion sake: come, be not confounded, th'art but in danger to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a Dukedome, think this: this earth is the only graue a•…•… •…•…ol∣gotha wherein all thinges that liue must rotte: tis but the draught wherein the heauenly bodies discharge their cor∣ruption, the verie muckhill on which the sublunarie orbes cast their excrements: man is the slime of this dongue-pit, and Princes are the gouernours of these men: for, for our soules, they are as free as Emperoures, all of one peece, there goes but a paire of sheeres betwixt an Emperour and the sonne of a bagpiper: only the dying, dressing, pressing, glos∣sing makes the difference: now what art thou like to lose?

A iaylors office to keepe men in bonds, Whilst toyle and treason, all lifes good confounds.

Pietro.

I heere renounce for euer Regencie, O Altofront, I wrong thee to supplant thy right: To trip thy heeles vp with a diuelish slight. For which I now from Throane am throwne, world tricks abiure, For vengance that comes s•…•…ow, yet it comes sure. O I am chang'd, for heerefore the dread power▪ In true contrition I doe dedicate, My breath to solitarie holines, My lips to prayer, and my brests •…•…are shall be, Restoring Altofront to regency.

Mal.

Thy vowes are heard, and we accept thy faith.

Enter Ferneze •…•…d Celso vndisg•…•…iseth himselfe.

Altofront, Ferneze, Celso, Pietr•…•….

Banish amazement: come, we foure must stand full shocke of Fortune, be not so w•…•…nder st•…•….

Pietro

Doth Ferneze liue?

〈◊〉〈◊〉.

For your pardon.

P•…•…tro

Pardon and loue, giue leaue to recollect My thoughts disperst in wilde astonishment: My vowes stand fixt in heauen, and from hence I craue all loue and pardon.

Mal.

Who doubts of prouidence, T•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 this change, a hartie faith to all: H•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…ust rise, who can no lower fall, 〈…〉〈…〉 petuous Vicissitude Looseth the world, then let no maze intrude Vpon your spirits: wonder not I rise, For who can sinke that close can temporise? The time growes ripe for action, Ile detect My priuatst plot, •…•…est ignorance feare suspect: Lets cloase to counsell, leaue the rest to fate, Mature discretion is the life of state.

Exeunt.

Notes

• 'To Biliosa.