Mal. Neither; your whore went down with the stews, and your punk came up with your puritan.]

Men. Canst thou empoison? Canst thou empoison?

Mal. Excellently; no Jew, 'pothecary, or politician better. Look ye, here's a box: whom wouldst thou empoison? Here's a box (giving it), which, opened and the fume ta'en up in conduits thorough which the brain purges it- [80 self, doth instantly for twelve hours' space bind up all show of life in a deep senseless sleep: here's another (giving it), which, being opened under the sleeper's nose, chokes all the pores of life, kills him suddenly.

Men. I'll try experiments; 't is good not to be deceived. So, so; catso!

Seems to poison MALEVOLE [who
falls].

Who would fear that may destroy?
Death hath no teeth nor tongue;

And he that's great, to him are slaves, Shame, murder, fame, and wrong.

90

(Aside.) Now is my treachery secure, nor can we fall:

Mischief that prospers, men do virtue call.
I'll trust no man: he that by tricks gets

wreaths

120

Keeps them with steel; no man securely

breathes

Out of deserved ranks; the crowd will mutter, "fool!"

Who cannot bear with spite, he cannot rule.
The chiefest secret for a man of state

Is, to live senseless of a strengthless hate. Exit. Mal. (starts up and speaks.) Death of the [196 damned thief! I'll make one i' the masque; thou shalt ha' some brave spirits of the antique dukes.

Celso. My lord, what strange delusion?

130

Mal. Most happy, dear Celso, poisoned with an empty box: I'll give thee all, anon. My lady comes to court; there is a whirl of fate comes tumbling on; the castle's captain stands for me, the people pray for me, and the [135 great leader of the just stands for me: then courage, Celso;

For no disastrous chance can ever move him That leaveth3 nothing but a God above him. Exeunt.

[SCENE IV.]+

Enter BILIOSO and PREPASSo, two Pages before them; MAQUERELLE, Bianca, and EMILIA.

Bil. Make room there, room for the ladies! Why, gentlemen, will not ye suffer the ladies to be entered in the great chamber? Why, gallants! and you, sir, to drop your torch where the beauties must sit too?

Pre. And there's a great fellow plays the knave; why dost not strike him?

Bil. Let him play the knave, o' God's name; thinkest thou I have no more wit than to strike a great fellow?-The music! more lights! [10 revelling-scaffolds! do you hear? Let there be oaths enow ready at the door, swear out the devil himself. Let 's leave the ladies, and go see if the lords be ready for them.

Exeunt BILIOSO, PREPASSo, and Pages. Maq. And, by my troth, beanties, why do [18 you not put you into the fashion? This is a stale cut; you must come in fashion: look ye, you must be all felt, felt and feather, a felt upon your bare hair. Look ye, these tiring things 5 are justly out of request now: and, do ye [20 hear? you must wear falling-bands, you must come into the falling fashion: there is such a deal o' pinning these ruffs, when the fine clean fall is worth all and again, if ye e should chance to take a nap in the afternoon, your falling- [25 band requires no poting-stick to recover his form believe me, no fashion to the falling, I

Maq. By my maidenhead, la, honour and he agree as well together as a satin suit and woollen stockings.

Emilia. But is not Marshal Make-room, my servant in reversion, a proper gentleman?

35

Maq. Yes, in reversion, as he had his office; as, in truth, he hath all things in reversion: he has his mistress in reversion, his clothes in reversion, his wit in reversion; and, indeed, is a suitor to me for my dog in reversion: but, [40 in good verity, la, he is as proper a gentleman in reversion as and, indeed, as fine a man as may be, having a red beard and a pair of warpt legs. Bian. But, i' faith, I am most monstrously in love with Count Quidlibet-in-quodilbet: [45 is he not a pretty, dapper, unidle gallant?

Maq. He is even one of the most busy-fingered lords; he will put the beauties to the squeak most hideously.

Re-enter BILIOSO.

Bil. Room! make a lane there! the duke [50 is entering: stand handsomely for beauty's sake, take up the ladies there! So, cornets, cornets!

SCENE V.

Re-enter PREPASSO, joins to BILIOSO; then enter two Pages with lights, FERRARDO, MENDOZA ; at the other door, two Pages with lights, and the Captain leading in MARIA; MENDOZA meets MARIA and closeth with her; the rest fall back.

Men. Madam, with gentle ear receive my suit; A kingdom's safety should o'er-peise2 slight rites; Marriage is merely nature's policy:

Then, since unless our royal beds be join'd,
Danger and civil tumults fright the state,
Be wise as you are fair, give way to fate.
Maria. What wouldst thou, thou affliction to
our house?

Thou ever-devil, 't was thou that banished'st
My truly noble lord!

Men. I!

10

The reverend hermit; therefore we command Severest custody.- Nay, if you 'll do 's no good, You 'st do 's no harm: a tyrant's peace is blood.

39

Maria. O, thou art merciful; O gracious devil. Rather by much let me condemned be For seeming murder than be damn'd for thee! I'll mourn no more; come, girt my brows with flowers:

Revel and dance, soul, now thy wish thou hast ; Die like a bride, poor heart, thou shalt die chaste.

Enter AURELIA in mourning habit. Aur. "Life is a frost of cold felicity, And death the thaw of all our vanity: Was 't not an honest priest that wrote so? Men. Who let her in?

Bil. Forbear!

Pre. Forbear!

Aur. Alas, calamity is everywhere: Sad misery, despite your double doors, Will enter even in court.

Bil. Peace!

Aur. I ha' done.

Bil. One word,- take heed!
Aur. I ha' done.

Enter MERCURY with loud music.
Mer. Cyllenian Mercury, the god of ghosts,
From gloomy shades that spread the lower
coasts,6

Calls four high-famed Genoan dukes to come,
And make this presence their Elysium,
To pass away this high triumphal night
With song and dances, court's more soft delight.
Aur. Are you god of ghosts? I have a suit
pending in hell betwixt me and my conscience;
I would fain have thee help me to an advocate.
Bil. Mercury shall be your lawyer, lady.
Aur. Nay, faith, Mercury has too good a face
to be a right lawyer.

Pre. Peace, forbear! Mercury presents the

Fer. (to BIANCA.) Believe it, lady; shall I swear? Let me enjoy you in private, and I'll marry you, by my soul.

95

Bian. I had rather you would swear by your body: I think that would prove the more regarded oath with you.

Fer. I'll swear by them both, to please you. Bian. O, damn them not both to please [100 me, for God's sake!

Fer. Faith, sweet creature, let me enjoy you to-night, and I'll marry you to-morrow fortnight, by my troth, la.

Mag. On his troth, la! believe him not; [105 that kind of cony-catching is as stale as Sir Oliver Anchovy's perfumed jerkin: promise of matrimony by a young gallant, to bring a virgin lady into a fool's paradise; make her a great woman, and then cast her off; 't is as com- [110 mon [and] 2 natural to a courtier, as jealousy to a citizen, gluttony to a puritan, wisdom to an alderman, pride to a tailor, or an empty handbasket to one of these six-penny damnations: of his troth, la! believe him not; traps to [115 catch pole-cats.

Mal. (to MARIA.) Keep your face constant, let no sudden passion

Speak in your eyes.

Maria. O my Altofront!

Men. O, lend me breath till I am fit to die! For peace with heaven, for your own souls' sake, Vouchsafe me life!

136

144

The sternest horror of a civil fight,
Would I achieve thee; but prostrate at my feet,
I scorn to hurt thee: 't is the heart of slaves
That deigns to triumph over peasants' graves;
For such thou art, since birth doth ne'er enroll
A man 'mong monarchs, but a glorious soul.
[40, I have seen strange accidents of state! 150
The flatterer, like the ivy, clip the oak,
And waste it to the heart; lust so confirm'd.
That the black act of sin itself not sham'd
To be term'd courtship.

155

O, they that are as great as be their sins,
Let them remember that th' inconstant people
Love many princes merely for their faces
And outward shows; and they do covet more
To have a sight of these than of their virtues.
Yet thus much let the great ones still conceive,"
When they observe not heaven's impos'd con-
ditions,

16.

They are no kings, but forfeit their commis sions.

Maq. O good my lord, I have lived in the court this twenty year: they that have been old courtiers, and come to live in the city, they [165 are spited at, and thrust to the walls like apricocks, good my lord.

Bil. My lord, I did know your lordship in this disguise; you heard me ever say, if Altofront did return, I would stand for him: [170 besides, 't was your lordship's pleasure to call me wittol and cuckold: you must not think, but that I knew you, I would have put it up so patiently.]

Qq. Pietro. Q, omits 11. 148-172. Qq. conceale.