John Webster - The Duchess of Malfi Act 1 Scene 1 lyrics

Enter ANTONIO and DELIO DELIO You are welcome to your country, dear Antonio; You have been long in France, and you return A very formal Frenchman in your habit: How do you like the French court? ANTONIO I admire it: In seeking to reduce both state and people To a fix'd order, their judicious king Begins at home; quits first his royal palace Of flattering sycophants, of dissolute And infamous persons,—which he sweetly terms His master's master-piece, the work of heaven; Considering duly that a prince's court Is like a common fountain, whence should flow Pure silver drops in general, but if 't chance Some curs'd example poison 't near the head, d**h and diseases through the whole land spread. And what is 't makes this blessed government But a most provident council, who dare freely Inform him the corruption of the times? Though some o' the court hold it presumption To instruct princes what they ought to do, It is a noble duty to inform them What they ought to foresee. Here comes Bosola, The only court-gall' yet I observe his railing Is not for simple love of piety: Indeed, he rails at those things which he wants; Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud, Bloody, or envious, as any man, If he had means to be so.—Here's the cardinal. Enter CARDINAL and BOSOLA BOSOLA I do haunt you still. CARDINAL So. BOSOLA I have done you better service than to be slighted thus. Miserable age, where only the reward of doing well is the doing of it! CARDINAL You enforce your merit too much. BOSOLA I fell into the galleys in your service: where, for two years together, I wore two towels instead of a shirt, with a knot on the shoulder, after the fashion of a Roman mantle. Slighted thus! I will thrive some way. Black-birds fatten best in hard weather; why not I in these dog-days? CARDINAL Would you could become honest! BOSOLA With all your divinity do but direct me the way to it. I have known many travel far for it, and yet return as arrant knaves as they went forth, because they carried themselves always along with them. Exit CARDINAL. Are you gone? Some fellows, they say, are possessed with the devil, but this great fellow were able to possess the greatest devil, and make him worse. ANTONIO He hath denied thee some suit? BOSOLA He and his brother are like plum-trees that grow crooked over standing-pools; they are rich and o'erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies, and caterpillars feed on them. Could I be one of their flattering panders, I would hang on their ears like a horseleech, till I were full, and then drop off. I pray, leave me. Who would rely upon these miserable dependencies, in expectation to be advanc'd to-morrow? What creature ever fed worse than hoping Tantalus? Nor ever died any man more fearfully than he that hoped for a pardon. There are rewards for hawks and dogs when they have done us service; but for a soldier that hazards his limbs in a battle, nothing but a kind of geometry is his last supportation. DELIO Geometry? BOSOLA Ay, to hang in a fair pair of slings, take his latter swing in the world upon an honourable pair of crutches, from hospital to hospital. Fare ye well, sir: and yet do not you scorn us; for places in the court are but like beds in the hospital, where this man's head lies at that man's foot, and so lower and lower. Exit. DELIO I knew this fellow seven years in the galleys For a notorious murder; and 'twas thought The cardinal suborn'd it: he was releas'd By the French general, Gaston de Foix, When he recover'd Naples. ANTONIO 'Tis great pity He should be thus neglected: I have heard He 's very valiant. This foul melancholy Will poison all his goodness; for, I 'll tell you, If too immoderate sleep be truly said To be an inward rust unto the soul, If then doth follow want of action Breeds all black malcontents; and their close rearing, Like moths in cloth, do hurt for want of wearing. Enter SILVIO, CASTRUCCIO, JULIA, RODERIGO and GRISOLAN DELIO The presence 'gins to fill: you promis'd me To make me the partaker of the natures Of some of your great courtiers. ANTONIO The lord cardinal's And other strangers' that are now in court? I shall.—Here comes the great Calabrian duke. Enter FERDINAND and Attendants FERDINAND Who took the ring oftenest? SILVIO Antonio Bologna, my lord. FERDINAND Our sister duchess' great-master of her household? Give him the j**el.—When shall we leave this sportive action, and fall to action indeed? CASTRUCCIO Methinks, my lord, you should not desire to go to war in person. FERDINAND Now for some gravity.—Why, my lord? CASTRUCCIO It is fitting a soldier arise to be a prince, but not necessary a prince descend to be a captain. FERDINAND No? CASTRUCCIO No, my lord; he were far better do it by a deputy. FERDINAND Why should he not as well sleep or eat by a deputy? This might take idle, offensive, and base office from him, whereas the other deprives him of honour. CASTRUCCIO Believe my experience, that realm is never long in quiet where the ruler is a soldier. FERDINAND Thou toldest me thy wife could not endure fighting. CASTRUCCIO True, my lord. FERDINAND And of a jest she broke of a captain she met full of wounds: I have forgot it. CASTRUCCIO She told him, my lord, he was a pitiful fellow, to lie, like the children of Ismael, all in tents. FERDINAND Why, there's a wit were able to undo all the chirurgeons o' the city; for although gallants should quarrel, and had drawn their weapons, and were ready to go to it, yet her persuasions would make them put up. CASTRUCCIO That she would, my lord.—How do you like my Spanish gennet? RODERIGO He is all fire. FERDINAND I am of Pliny's opinion, I think he was begot by the wind; he runs as if he were balla**'d with quicksilver. SILVIO True, my lord, he reels from the tilt often. RODERIGO and GRISOLAN Ha, ha, ha! FERDINAND Why do you laugh? Methinks you that are courtiers should be my touch-wood, take fire when I give fire; that is, laugh when I laugh, were the subject never so witty. CASTRUCCIO True, my lord: I myself have heard a very good jest, and have scorn'd to seem to have so silly a wit as to understand it. FERDINAND But I can laugh at your fool, my lord. CASTRUCCIO He cannot speak, you know, but he makes faces; my lady cannot abide him. FERDINAND No? CASTRUCCIO Nor endure to be in merry company; for she says too much laughing, and too much company, fills her too full of the wrinkle. FERDINAND I would, then, have a mathematical instrument made for her face, that she might not laugh out of compa**.—I shall shortly visit you at Milan, Lord Silvio. SILVIO Your grace shall arrive most welcome. FERDINAND You are a good horseman, Antonio; you have excellent riders in France: what do you think of good horsemanship? ANTONIO Nobly, my lord: as out of the Grecian horse issued many famous princes, so out of brave horsemanship arise the first sparks of growing resolution, that raise the mind to noble action. FERDINAND You have bespoke it worthily. SILVIO Your brother, the lord cardinal, and sister duchess. Enter CARDINAL, with DUCHESS, and CARIOLA CARDINAL Are the galleys come about? GRISOLAN They are, my lord. FERDINAND Here 's the Lord Silvio is come to take his leave. DELIO Now, sir, your promise: what 's that cardinal? I mean his temper? They say he 's a brave fellow, Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance, Court ladies, and one that hath fought single combats. ANTONIO Some such flashes superficially hang on him for form; but observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman. The spring in his face is nothing but the engend'ring of toads; where he is jealous of any man, he lays worse plots for them than ever was impos'd on Hercules, for he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters. He should have been Pope; but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without heaven's knowledge. Some good he hath done—— DELIO You have given too much of him. What 's his brother? ANTONIO The duke there? A most perverse and turbulent nature. What appears in him mirth is merely outside; If he laught heartily, it is to laugh All honesty out of fashion. DELIO Twins? ANTONIO In quality. He speaks with others' tongues, and hears men's suits With others' ears; will seem to sleep o' the bench Only to entrap offenders in their answers; Dooms men to d**h by information; Rewards by hearsay. DELIO Then the law to him Is like a foul, black cobweb to a spider,— He makes it his dwelling and a prison To entangle those shall feed him. ANTONIO Most true: He never pays debts unless they be shrewd turns, And those he will confess that he doth owe. Last, for this brother there, the cardinal, They that do flatter him most say oracles Hang at his lips; and verily I believe them, For the devil speaks in them. But for their sister, the right noble duchess, You never fix'd your eye on three fair medals Cast in one figure, of so different temper. For her discourse, it is so full of rapture, You only will begin then to be sorry When she doth end her speech, and wish, in wonder, She held it less vain-glory to talk much, Than your penance to hear her. Whilst she speaks, She throws upon a man so sweet a look That it were able to raise one to a galliard That lay in a dead palsy, and to dote On that sweet countenance; but in that look There speaketh so divine a continence As cuts off all lascivious and vain hope. Her days are practis'd in such noble virtue, That sure her nights, nay, more, her very sleeps, Are more in heaven than other ladies' shrifts. Let all sweet ladies break their flatt'ring gla**es, And dress themselves in her. DELIO Fie, Antonio, You play the wire-drawer with her commendations. ANTONIO I 'll case the picture up: only thus much; All her particular worth grows to this sum,— She stains the time past, lights the time to come. CARIOLA You must attend my lady in the gallery, Some half an hour hence. ANTONIO I shall. Exeunt ANTONIO and DELIO. FERDINAND Sister, I have a suit to you. DUCHESS To me, sir? FERDINAND A gentleman here, Daniel de Bosola, One that was in the galleys—— DUCHESS Yes, I know him. FERDINAND A worthy fellow he is: pray, let me entreat for The provisorship of your horse. DUCHESS Your knowledge of him Commends him and prefers him. FERDINAND Call him hither. Exit Attendant. We are now upon parting. Good Lord Silvio, Do us commend to all our noble friends At the leaguer. SILVIO Sir, I shall. DUCHESS You are for Milan? SILVIO I am. DUCHESS Bring the caroches. —We 'll bring you down To the haven. Exeunt DUCHESS, SILVIO, CASTRUCCIO, RODERIGO, GRISOLAN, CARIOLA, JULIA and Attendants. CARDINAL Be sure you entertain that Bosola For your intelligence. I would not be seen in 't; And therefore many times I have slighted him When he did court our furtherance, as this morning. FERDINAND Antonio, the great-master of her household, Had been far fitter. CARDINAL You are deceiv'd in him. His nature is too honest for such business.— He comes: I 'll leave you. Exit. Re-enter BOSOLA BOSOLA I was lur'd to you. FERDINAND My brother, here, the cardinal, could never Abide you. BOSOLA Never since he was in my debt. FERDINAND May be some oblique character in your face Made him suspect you. BOSOLA Doth he study physiognomy? There 's no more credit to be given to the face Than to a sick man's urine, which some call The physician's who*e, because she cozens him. He did suspect me wrongfully. FERDINAND For that You must give great men leave to take their times. Distrust doth cause us seldom be deceiv'd. You see the oft shaking of the cedar-tree Fastens it more at root. BOSOLA Yet take heed; For to suspect a friend unworthily Instructs him the next way to suspect you, And prompts him to deceive you. FERDINAND There 's gold. BOSOLA So: What follows? Aside. Never rain'd such showers at these Without thunderbolts i' the tail of them.—Whose throat must I cut? FERDINAND Your inclination to shed blood rides post Before my occasion to use you. I give you that To live i' the court here, and observe the duchess; To note all the particulars of her behaviour, What suitors do solicit her for marriage, And whom she best affects. She 's a young widow: I would not have her marry again. BOSOLA No, sir? FERDINAND Do not you ask the reason; but be satisfied. I say I would not. BOSOLA It seems you would create me One of your familiars. FERDINAND Familiar! What 's that? BOSOLA Why, a very quaint invisible devil in flesh,— An intelligencer. FERDINAND Such a kind of thriving thing I would wish thee; and ere long thou mayst arrive At a higher place by 't. BOSOLA Take your devils, Which hell calls angels! These curs'd gifts would make You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor; And should I take these, they'd take me to hell. FERDINAND Sir, I 'll take nothing from you that I have given. There is a place that I procur'd for you This morning, the provisorship o' the horse; Have you heard on 't? BOSOLA No. FERDINAND 'Tis yours: is 't not worth thanks? BOSOLA I would have you curse yourself now, that your bounty (Which makes men truly noble) e'er should make me A villain. O, that to avoid ingratitude For the good deed you have done me, I must do All the ill man can invent! Thus the devil Candies all sins o'er; and what heaven terms vile, That names he complimental. FERDINAND Be yourself; Keep your old garb of melancholy; 'twill express You envy those that stand above your reach, Yet strive not to come near 'em. This will gain Access to private lodgings, where yourself May, like a politic dormouse—— BOSOLA As I have seen some Feed in a lord's dish, half asleep, not seeming To listen to any talk; and yet these rogues Have cut his throat in a dream. What 's my place? The provisorship o' the horse? Say, then, my corruption Grew out of horse-dung: I am your creature. FERDINAND Away! Exit. BOSOLA Let good men, for good deeds, covet good fame, Since place and riches oft are bribes of shame. Sometimes the devil doth preach. Exit.