And how does your custom hold out here? Lyg. Are you in private still, or how? Lyg. Do you take money? Are you come to sell sin yet? Perhaps I can help you to liberal clients. Or has not the king cast you off yet? Oh, thou vile creature, whose best commendation is, that thou art a young whore! I would thy mother had lived to see this; or, rather, that I had died ere I had seen it! Tigr. Lygones, I have read it, and I like it; You shall deliver it. Has she a gift in plucking off your stockings? Tigr. Let 'em think much; but 'tis more firm than earth, Thou seest thy queen there. Lyg. Then have I made a fair hand. If I shall speak now as her father, I cannot choose but greatly rejoice that she shall be a queen. Tigr. Get you about your business to Arbaces; Now you talk idly. Lyg. Yes, sir, I will go. And shall she be a queen? She had more wit Than her old father, when she ran away. Shall she be a queen? Now, by my troth, 'tis fine! I'll dance out of all measure at her wedding: Tigr. Yes, marry, shalt thon. Lyg. I'll make these wither'd kexes bear my body Two hours together above ground. My business requires haste. Lyg. Good Heav'n preserve you! You are an excellent king. Spa. Farewell, good father. Lyg. Farewell, sweet virtuous daughter. I never was so joyful in my life, Tigr. Come, my dear love. Tigr. Urge it no more: [Exit LYGONES. I have made up a new strong constancy, ACT V-SCENE III. The House of BACURIUS. Enter BACURIUS and a Servant. [Exeunt. Bac. Three gentlemen without, to speak with me? Serv. Yes, sir. Bac. Let them come in. Enter BESSUS, with the two Swordmen. Serv. They are enter'd, sir, already. Bac. Now, fellows, your business? Are these the gentlemen? Bes. My lord, I have made bold to bring these gentlemen, My friends o' th' sword, along with me. Afraid you'll fight, then. Bes. My good lord, 1 will not; Your lordship is mistaken; fear not, lord. Bes. I ask no more in honour.-Gentlemen, You hear my lord is sorry. Bac. Not that I have beaten you, But beaten one that will be beaten; 1 keres-dry stalks, generally of hemlock; of course Lygoues means his legs. One whose dull body will require a lamming,' What come they for, good Captain Stockfish? name. Bac. No, nor your nature neither; though they are Things fitter, I must confess, for anything Bes. Your lordship holds your mirth still; But, for these gentlemen, they come Bac. To swear you are a coward? Spare your I do believe it. Bes. Your lordship still draws wide; They come to vouch, under their valiant hands, Bac. That would be a show, indeed, worth Be wise and take money for this motion,2 travel And where the name of Bessus has been known, If you be thrifty, than your captainship, And more natural. Men of most valiant hands, 2 Sw. It is so, most renowned. Bac. 'Tis somewhat strange. 1 Sw. Lord, it is strange, yet true. We have examined, from your lordship's foot To this man's head, the nature of the beatings; Bac. You are much bound to your bilbo-men;3 I am glad you're straight again, captain. "Twere good You would think on some way to gratify them; no men Of the law, that take pay for our opinions; In conscience, will discharge.-Captain, I'll pay Bes. Spare yourself, my good lord; My brave friends aim at nothing but the virtue. Bac. That's but a cold discharge, sir, for their pains. 2 Sw. Oh, lord! my good lord! Bac. Be not so modest; I will give you something. Bes. They shall dine with your lordship; sufficient. that's Bac. Something in hand the while. You Do you come hither, with your bottled valour, 1 Sw. I do beseech your lordship. 1 lamming-beating. 2 motion-puppet-show. a bilbo-men-swordmen. apple-squires-pimps. [Kicks them. 287 Bac. 'Sfoot, what a bevy of beaten slaves are here! Get me a cudgel, sirrah, and a tough one. [Exit Servant. 2 Sw. More of your foot, I do beseech your lordship. Bac. You shall, you shall, dog, and your fellow 1 Sw. O' this side, good my lord. 1 Sw. Mine's off, my lord. [They take off their swords. 2 Sw. I beseech your lordship, stay a little; my strap's Tied to my cod-piece point. Now, when you You long for a little too? Bes. I am very well, I humbly thank your Bac. What's that in your pocket hurts my toe, you mongrel? Thy buttocks cannot be so hard; out with't quickly. 2 Sw. [Takes out a pistol.] Here 'tis, sir; a small piece of artillery, That a gentleman, a dear friend of your lordship's, Sent me with, to get it mended, sir; for, if you mark, The nose is somewhat loose. Bac. A friend of mine, you rascal? Enter Servant. Serv. Here's a good cudgel, sir. Bac. It comes too late; I am weary; pr'ythee, I'faith, to put a fresh man upon us: Bac. That jest shall save your bones.-Captain, rally up your rotten regiment, and begone. -I had rather thrash than be bound to kick these rascals, till they cried, 'Ho!' Bessus, you may put your hand to them now, and then you are quit.-Farewell! as you like this, pray visit me again; 'twill keep me in good breath. [Exit. 2 Sw. He has a devilish hard foot; I never felt the like. 1 Sw. Nor I; and yet, I am sure, I have felt a hundred. 2 Sw. If he kick thus i' the dog-days, he will What cure now, captain, besides oil of bays? 2 Sw. Yes, Heaven be thank'd! but I feel a Sure, he's sprang my huckle-bone. 1 Sw. I ha' lost a haunch. Bes. A little butter, friend, a little butter; 2 Sw. Captain, we must request Your hand now to our honours. Bes. Yes, marry, shall ye; And then let all the world come, we are valiant To ourselves, and there's an end. 1 Sw. Nay, then, we must be valiant. Oh, my 2 Sw. Oh, my small guts! A plague upon these sharp-toed shoes; they are murderers. [Exeunt. ACT V.-SCENE IV. A Room in the Palace. Enter ARBACES with his sword drawn. My life and sins with a forbidden blow Enter MARDONIUS. Mar. What tragedy is near? That hand was never wont to draw a sword, Arb. Mardonius, Have you bid Gobrias come? Mar. How do you, sir? Arb. Well. Is he coming? Why does your hand proclaim a lawless war Arb. Thou answer'st me one question with Is Gobrias coming? Mar. Sir, he is. Arb. 'Tis well: I can forbear your questions then. Begone! Arb. Mark less! it troubles you and me. Mar. To-day no hermit could be humbler Than you were to us all. Arb. And what of this? Gob. Why, sir, do you curse me thus? Arb. Why do I curse thee? If the re be a man Subtle in curses, that exceeds the rest, His worst wish on thee! Thou hast broke my heart. Gob. How, sir? Have I preserved you, from From all the arrows malice or ambition Arb. 'Tis true, thou didst preserve me, and in Wert crueller than hardened murderers Of infants and their mothers! Thou didst save me, Arb. Thou know'st the evils thou hast done Dost thou remember all those witching letters Mar. And now you take new rage into your Thou sent'st unto me to Armenia, eyes, As you would look us all out of the land. Arb. I do confess it; will that satisfy? I pr'ythee, get thee gone. Mar. Sir, I will speak. Arb. Will ye? Mar. It is my duty. I fear you'll kill yourself; I am a subject, Arb. Thou art not train'd in sin, It seems, Mardonius. Kill myself! by Heaven, A hundred thousand sins 'twixt me and it, Mar. I am sorry 'tis so ill. Arb. Be sorry, then : True sorrow is alone; grieve by thyself. Mar. I pray you let me see your sword put up Before I go; I'll leave you then. Arb. [Puts up. Why, so. What folly is this in thee? is it not Fill'd with the praise of my beloved sister, Dost thou remember this? so that I doted Gob. This is true. As I give thee now, had prevented me Gob. Sir, you shall know your sins before you If you kill me Arb. I will not stay then. Gob. Know You kill your father. Arb. My father? Though I know it for a lie, The very reverence of the word comes 'cross me, Gob. I will tell you that Shall heighten you again: I am thy father; Arb. If it should be so, As 'tis most false, and that I should be found Of lawless lust, I should no more admire Enter ARANE. Ara. Turn thee about; I come to speak to thee, thou wicked man! Arb. I will turn to thee; Hear me, thou strumpet! I have blotted out Why dost thou keep my daughter in a prison? Arb. Cease, thou strange impudence, and [Draws. If thou contemn'st me, this will ask an answer, Ara. Help me, gentle Gobrias. 289 Gob. You do not know why you curse thus. You are a pair of vipers; and behold The serpent you have got! There is no beast, As brave as mine, for they have more descents; And rail upon a guess; hear us a little. Arb. No, I will never hear, but talk away My breath, and die. Gob. Why, but you are no bastard. Ara. Nor child of mine. Arb. Still you go on In wonders to me. Gob. Pray you, be more patient; I may bring comfort to you. [Kneels. And hear with the obedience of a child. Gob. First know, our last king, your supposed Was old and feeble when he married her, Arb. Therefore she took leave To play the whore, because the king was old: Ara. What will you find out To give me satisfaction, when you find How you have injured me? Let fire consume me Gob. Forbear these starts, Or I will leave you wedded to despair, That cools and blasts not. Arb. Bring it out, good father. Arb. Guilt dare not help guilt! Though they As to an angel. If I breathe too loud, In doing ill, yet at the punishment Ara. I will; to what? Arb. To such a thing, as, if it be a truth, Be thou as hasty as my sword will be, If thou refusest. Ara. Why, you are his son. Arb. His son? Swear, swear, thou worse than woman damn'd! Ara. By all that's good, you are. Arb. Then art thou all That ever was known bad! Now the cause Of all my strange misfortunes come to light. I have by thee, which is a spacious world 1 another truth-i.e. a truth of a different nature.MASON. T [Lies down. Tell me; for I would be as still as night. Gob. Our king, I say, was old, and this our queen Desired to bring an heir, but yet her husband, She hardly could have been. But yet her cunning Gob. Now when the time was full That night this queen feign'd hastily to labour, She was delivered of you. You grew up, Gob. This is all. [all? Why, I will have 'em all that know it rack'd To get this from 'em.-All that wait without Come in, whate'er you be, come in, and be Partakers of my joy!—Oh, you are welcome! Enter BESSUS, Gentlemen, MARDONIUS, and other Attendants. Mardonius, the best news! Nay, draw no nearer; They all shall hear it: I am found No King. Mar. Is that so good news? Arb. Yes, the happiest news That e'er was heard. Mar. Indeed, 'twere well for you If you might be a little less obey'd. Mar Why, she is there! Arb. The queen, Mardonius? Panthea is the queen, And I am plain Arbaces.-Go some one. She is in Gobrias' house. [Exit a Gentleman. Since I saw you, There are a thousand things deliver'd to me, You little dream of. Mar. So it should seem.-My lord, What fury's this? Gob. Believe me, 'tis no fury; All that he says is truth. Mar. "Tis very strange. Arb. Why do you keep your hats off, gentlemen? Mar. We will. But you are not found Arb. Oh, not here! You may, but not I, for here is my father In presence. Mar. Where? Arb. Why, there. Oh, the whole story Would be a wilderness to lose thyself For ever.-Oh, pardon me, dear father, Bes. Why, if you remember, fellow-subject Arbaces, I told you once she was not your sister: Ay, and she look'd nothing like you. Arb. I think you did, good Captain Bessus. Bes. Here will arise another question now amongst the swordmen, whether I be to call him to account for beating me, now he is proved No King. Lyg. She is my daughter. Arb. She is so. I could now tell anything I never heard. Your king shall so go home As never man went. Mar. Shall he go on's head? Arb. He shall have chariots easier than air, That I will have invented; and ne'er think He shall pay any ransom! And thyself, That art the messenger, shall ride before him On a horse cut out of an entire diamond, That shall be made to go with golden wheels, I know not how yet. Lyg. Why, I shall be made For ever! They belied this king with us, Arb. And then thy daughter; She shall have some strange thing: we'll have the kingdom Sold utterly and put into a toy, Which she shall wear about her carelessly, Somewhere or other.-See the virtuous queen! Enter PANTHEA and one Gentleman. Behold the humblest subject that you have, Pan. Why kneel you to me, That am your vassal? Arb. Grant me one request. [Kneels. Pan. Alas, what can I grant you? what I can I will. Arb. That you will please to marry me, If I can prove it lawful. |