The Duchess of Malfi John Webster (intellectual books to read TXT) š
- Author: John Webster
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Now let me come to him.ā āAre you mad, my lord?
Are you out of your princely wits?
FerdinandWhatās he?
PescaraYour doctor.
Ferdinand Let me have his beard sawād off, and his eyebrows filād more civil. Doctor I must do mad tricks with him, for thatās the only way onāt.ā āI have brought your grace a salamanderās skin to keep you from sunburning. Ferdinand I have cruel sore eyes. Doctor The white of a cockatrixās111 egg is present remedy. Ferdinand Let it be a new-laid one, you were best. Hide me from him: physicians are like kingsā āThey brook no contradiction. Doctor Now he begins to fear me: now let me alone with him. Cardinal How now! put off your gown! Doctor Let me have some forty urinals filled with rosewater: he and Iāll go pelt one another with them.ā āNow he begins to fear me.ā āCan you fetch a frisk,112 sir?ā āLet him go, let him go, upon my peril: I find by his eye he stands in awe of me; Iāll make him as tame as a dormouse. Ferdinand Can you fetch your frisks, sir!ā āI will stamp him into a cullis,113 flay off his skin to cover one of the anatomies114 this rogue hath set iā thā cold yonder in Barber-Chirurgeonās-hall. āHence, hence! you are all of you like beasts for sacrifice. Throws the Doctor down and beats him. Thereās nothing left of you but tongue and belly, flattery and lechery. Exit. PescaraDoctor, he did not fear you thoroughly.
DoctorTrue; I was somewhat too forward.
BosolaMercy upon me, what a fatal judgment
Hath fallān upon this Ferdinand!
Knows your grace
What accident hath brought unto the prince
This strange distraction?
Aside. I must feign somewhat.ā āThus they say it grew.
You have heard it rumourād, for these many years
None of our family dies but there is seen
The shape of an old woman, which is given
By tradition to us to have been murderād
By her nephews for her riches. Such a figure
One night, as the prince sat up late atās book,
Appearād to him; when crying out for help,
The gentleman ofās chamber found his grace
All on a cold sweat, alterād much in face
And language: since which apparition,
He hath grown worse and worse, and I much fear
He cannot live.
Sir, I would speak with you.
PescaraWeāll leave your grace,
Wishing to the sick prince, our noble lord,
All health of mind and body.
You are most welcome.
Exeunt Pescara, Malatesti, and Doctor.Are you come? so.ā āAside. This fellow must not know
By any means I had intelligence
In our duchessā death; for, though I counsellād it,
The full of all thā engagement seemād to grow
From Ferdinand.ā āNow, sir, how fares our sister?
I do not think but sorrow makes her look
Like to an oft-dyād garment: she shall now
Take comfort from me. Why do you look so wildly?
O, the fortune of your master here the prince
Dejects you; but be you of happy comfort:
If youāll do one thing for me Iāll entreat,
Though he had a cold tombstone oāer his bones,
Iād make you what you would be.
Anything;
Give it me in a breath, and let me fly toāt.
They that think long small expedition win,
For musing much oā thā end cannot begin.
Sir, will you come into supper?
CardinalI am busy; leave me.
JuliaAside. What an excellent shape hath that fellow!
Exit. CardinalāTis thus. Antonio lurks here in Milan:
Inquire him out, and kill him. While he lives,
Our sister cannot marry; and I have thought
Of an excellent match for her. Do this, and style me
Thy advancement.
But by what means shall I find him out?
CardinalThere is a gentleman callād Delio
Here in the camp, that hath been long approvād
His loyal friend. Set eye upon that fellow;
Follow him to mass; may be Antonio,
Although he do account religion
But a school-name, for fashion of the world
May accompany him; or else go inquire out
Delioās confessor, and see if you can bribe
Him to reveal it. There are a thousand ways
A man might find to trace him; as to know
What fellows haunt the Jews for taking up
Great sums of money, for sure heās in want;
Or else to go to the picture-makers, and learn
Who bought115 her picture lately: some of these
Happily may take.
Well, Iāll not freeze iā thā business:
I would see that wretched thing, Antonio,
Above all sights iā thā world.
Do, and be happy.
Exit. BosolaThis fellow doth breed basilisks inās eyes,
Heās nothing else but murder; yet he seems
Not to have notice of the duchessā death.
āTis his cunning: I must follow his example;
There cannot be a surer way to trace
Than that of an old fox.
So, sir, you are well met.
BosolaHow Now!
JuliaNay, the doors are fast enough:
Now, sir, I will make you confess your treachery.
Treachery!
JuliaYes, confess to me
Which of my women ātwas you hirād to put
Love-powder into my drink?
Love-powder!
JuliaYes, when I was at Malfi.
Why should I fall in love with such a face else?
I have already sufferād for thee so much pain,
The only remedy to do me good
Is to kill my longing.
Sure, your pistol holds
Nothing but perfumes or kissing-comfits.116
Excellent lady!
You have
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