The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy/Act III, scene iii
SCENA III.
Cardinall, Ferdinand, Mallateste, Pescara, Silvio,
Delio, Bosola.
Card.
Must we turne Souldier then?
Mal.
The Emperour,
Hearing your worth that way, (ere you attain'd
This reverend garment,) joynes you in commission
With the right fortunate souldier, the Marquess of Pescara,
And the famous Lanoy.
Card.
He that had the honour
Of taking the French King Prisoner?
Mal.
The same,
Here's a plot drawne, for a new Fortification,
At Naples.
Ferd.
This great count Malastete, I perceive,
Hath got employment?
Del.
No employment (my Lord)
A marginall note in the muster-booke, that he is
A voluntary Lord.
Fer.
He's no Souldier.
Del.
He ha's worne gun-powder, in's hollow tooth, for the tooth-ache.
Sil.
He comes to the leaguer, with a full intent
To eate fresh beefe and garlicke, meanes to stay
Till the sent begon, and straight returne to Court.
Del.
He hath read all the late service,
As the City Chronicle relates it,
And keepe two Pewterers going, onely to expresse
Battailes in modell.
Sil.
Then hel; fight by the booke.
Del.
By the Almanacke, I thinke
To choose good dayes, and shun the Criticall,
That's his mistris skarfe.
Sil.
Yes, he protests
He would do much for that taffita.
Del.
I thinke he would run away from a battaile
To save it from taking prisoner.
Sil.
He is horribly afraid,
Gun-powder will spoile the perfume on't.
Del.
I saw a Duch-man breake his pate once
For calling him pot-gun, he made his head
Have a boare in't, like a musket.
Sil.
I would he had made a touch-hole to't.
He is indeede a guarded sumpter-cloath
Onely for the remoove of the Court.
Pes.
Bosola arriv'd? what should be the businesse?
Some falling out amongst the Cardinalls.
These factions amongst great men, they are like
Foxes, when their heads are divided
They carry fire in their tails, and all the Country
About them, goes to wracke for't.
Sil.
What's that Bosola?
Del.
I knew him in Padua, a fantasticall scholler,
Like such, who studdy how many knots was in
Hercules club, of what colour Achilles beard was,
Or whether Hector were not troubled with the tooth-ach,
He hath studdied himselfe halfe blear-ei'd, to know the
True semmitry of Cæsars nose by a shooing-horne, and this
He did to gaine the name of a speculative man.
Pes.
Mark Prince Ferdinand,
A very Salamander lives in's eye,
To mocke the eager violence of fire.
Sil.
That Cardinall hath made more bad faces with his oppression
Then ever Michael Angelo made good ones,
He lifts up 's nose, like a fowle Por-pisse before a storme,
Pes.
The Lord Ferdinand laughs.
Del.
Like a deadly Cannon,
That lightens ere it smoakes.
Pes.
These are your true pangues of death,
The pangues of life, that strugle with great states-men,
Del.
In such a deformed silence, witches whisper their charmes.
Card.
Doth she make religion her riding hood
To keepe her from the sun, and tempest?
Ferd.
That: that damnes her: Me thinkes her fault, and
Beauty blended together, shew like leaprosie
The whiter, the fowler: I make it a question
Whether her beggarly brats were ever christned.
Card.
I will instantly sollicite the state of Ancona
To have them banish'd.
Ferd. You are for Loretto?
I shall not be at your Ceremony: fare you well,
Write to the Duke of Malfy, my yong Nephew,
She had by her first husband, and acquaint him,
With's mothers honesty.
Bos.
I will.
Ferd.
Antonio?
A slave, that onely smell'd of yncke, and coumpters,
And nev'r in's like, look'd like a Gentleman,
But in the audit time, go, go presently,
Draw me out an hundreth and fifty of our horse,
And meete me at the fort-bridge.Exeunt.