Medam, Medam, are you stirring Medame, if you be stirring Medam, if I thought I should disturbe yee.

My Lady is vp forsooth.

A, pretty boy, faith how old art thou?

I thinke foureteene.

Nay, and yee be in the teens, are yee a gentleman borne, do you know me, my name is Medam Maquerelle, I lye in the old Cunny Court.

See heere the Ladyes.

A faire day to yee Maquerelle.

Is the Dutches vp yet Centinell?

O Ladies, the most abhominable mischance, O deare Ladies the most piteous disaster, Farneze was taken last night in the Dutches Chamber: Alas the Duke catcht him and kild him.

Was he found in bed?

O no, but the villanous certenty is, the dore was not bolted, the tongue-tyed hatch held his peace, so the naked troth is, he was found in his shirt, whilest I like an arrand beast lay in the outward Chamber, heard nothing, and yet they came by me in the dark, and yet I felt thē not, like a sencelesse creature as I was. O beauties, looke to your buske-poynts, if not chastely, yet charily: be sure the doore be boulted: is your Lorde gone to Florence?

Yes Maquarelle.

I hope youle finde the discretion to purchase a fresh gowne fore his returne: Now by my troth beauties, I would ha ye once wise: he loues ye, pish: he is witty, bubble: faire proportioned, mew: nobly borne, winde; let this be still your fixt position, esteeme me euery man according to his good gifts, and so yee shall euer remaine most deare, and most woorthie to be most deare Ladies.

Is the Duke returnd from hunting yet?

They say, not yet.

Tis now in mid'st of day.

How beares the Dutches with this blemish now?

Faith boldly, strongly defyes defame, as one that haz a Duke to her father. And theres a note to you, be sure of a stout friend in a corner, that may alwayes awe your husband. Marke the hauiour of the Dutches now, she dares defame, cryes, Duke do what thou canst, ile quite mine honor: nay, as one confirmed in her owne vertue against ten thousand mouthes that mutter her disgrace, shees presently for daunces.

For daunces?

Most true.

Most strange, see, heeres my seruant yong Ferrard: How many seruants thinkst thou I haue, Maquarelle?

The more the merier: twas well sayd, vse your seruants as you doe your smocks, haue many, vse one, and change often, for that's most sweete and courtlike.

Saue y •… e fayre Ladies, is the Duke returned?

Sweet Sir, no voyce of him as yet in Court.

Tis very strange.

And how like you my seruant, Maquarelle?

I thinke hee could hardly drawe Ulisses bowe, but by my fidelity, were his nose narrower, his eyes broader, his hands thinner, his lippes thicker, his legges bigger, his feete lesser, his haire blacker, and his teeth whiter, hee were a tollerable sweete youth ifaith. And hee will come to my Chamber, I will reade him the fortune of his beard.

We will daunce, musique, we will daunce.

Lesquanto (Ladie) penses bien, passa regis, or Beanchas brawle.

We haue forgot the brawle.

So soone? tis wonder.

Why tis but two singles on the left, two on the right, three double forward, a trauerse of six round: do this twice, three singles side, galliard tricke of twenty, curranto pace; a figure of eight, three singles broken downe, come vp, meete two doubles, fall backe, and then honor.

O Dedalus! thy maze, I haue quite forgot it.

Trust me so haue I, sauing the falling back, and then honor.

Musicke, musicke.

Who saw the duke? the duke.

Musicke.

The duke, is the duke returned?

Musicke:

The duke is either quite inuisible, or else is not.

We are not pleased with your intrusion vppon our priuate retirement: we are not pleasde: you haue forgot your selues.

Boy, thy Maister, where's the Duke?

Alas, I left him burying the earth with his spread ioylesse limbs: he tolde me he was heauy, would sleep, bade me walke off, for that the strength of fantasie oft made him talking in his dreames: I strait obeide, nor neuer saw him since: but, where so ere he is, hee's sad.

Musicke sound high, as is our heart, sound high.

The Duke, peace, the Duke is dead.

Musicke.

Ist Musicke?

Giue proofe.

How?

Where.

When?

Rest in peace, as the Duke duz, quietly sit: for my owne part, I beheld him but dead, thats all: marry heers one can giue you a more particular account of him.

Speake holy father, nor let any browe within this presence fright thee from the truth: speake confidently and freely.

We attend.

Not.

On.

Such was the Dukes sad fate.

A better fortune to our Duke Mendozo.

Cry all, Mendozo: Cornets florish.

Away.

Villaine heare me.

Now you egregious deuill, ha ye murthering polititian, how dost duke? how dost looke now? braue duke yfaith.

How did you kill him?

Slatted his brains out, then sowst him in the brinie sea.

Braind him and drownd him too?

O twas best, sure worke:

For he that strikes a great man, let him strike home, or els ware, heele prooue no man: shoulder not a huge fellow, vnlesse you may be sure to lay him in the kennell.

Make vs christians, make vs christians.

Ile hoist yee, yee shall mount.

To the gallows, say ye? O ô me, Pra •… ium incertum petit certum scelus. How stands the Progresse?

Iste make an excellent pandar: Duke farewell, due adue Duke.

I am glad I was ordayned for yee.

Goe to then, thou must knowe that Malenole is a strange villaine: dangerous, very dangerous, you see howe broade a speakes, a grose-jawde rogue, I would haue thee poison him: hees like a korne vpon my great •… oe, I cannot goe for him: hee must be kored out: he must, wilt doo't, h •… ?

Anything, any thing.

Like lightning good deedes crawle, but mischiefe flies.

Your diuelships ring haze no vertue, the buffecaptaine, the sallo-westfalian gamon-faced zaza cries stand out, must haue a stiffer wareant, or no passe into the castle of Comfort.

Commaund our sodaine Letter: not enter? sha •… , what place is there in Genoa, but thou shalt into my heart, into my very heart: come, lets loue, we must loue, we two, soule and body.

How didst like the Hermite? A strange Hermite sirrah.

A dangerous fellow, very perillous: he must die.

I, he must die.

Thoust kil him: we are wise, we must be wise.

And prouident.

Yea prouident; beware an hypocrite.

Ho, tis wondrous necessary: how?

I runne.

How doe you? how doost Duke?

O doe not raue, do not turne Player, theres more of them, than can well live one by an other already. What, art an Infidell still?

I am mazde, strucke in a swowne with wonder, I am commaunded to poison thee.

I am commaunded to poyson thee, at supper.

At supper?

In the Citadell.

In the Citadell.

Crosse capers, trickes? truth a heauen would discharge vs as boyes do elder gunnes, one pellet to strike out another: of what faith art now?

Al is damnation, wickednes extreame, there is no faith in man.

In none but vsurers and brokers, they deceiue no man, men take vm for blood-suckers, and so they are: now God deliuer me from my friendes.

Yes, from my friends, for from mine ennemies Ile deliuer my selfe. O, cut-thr •… ate friendship is the ranckest villany, marke this Mendozo, marke him for a villaine: but heauen will send a plague vpon him for a rogue.

O world!

World? Tis the onely region of Death, the greatest shop of the Diuell, the cruelst prison of men, out of the which none passe without paying their dearest breath for a fee, theres nothing perfect in it, but extreame extreame calamitie, such as comes yonder.

To banishment, led on to banishment▪

Lady, the blessednesse of repentance to you.

Why, why, I can desire nothing but death, nor deserue any thing but hell.

Belike your Lord not lou'd you, was vnkinde.

It is the Dukes pleasure this night you rest in court.

Do not weep kind cuckold, take comfort man, thy betters haue beene Beccos: Agamemnon Emperour of all the merry Greekes; that tickled all the true Troyans, was a Cornuto: Prince Arthur that cut off twelue Kings beardes was a Cornuto: Hercules, whose backe, bore vp heauen, and got forty wenches with childe in one night.

Nay twas fifty.

Faith fortie's enow a conscience, yet was a Cornuto: patience, mischiefe growes prowde, be wise.

Thou pinchest too deepe, art too keene vpon me.

Tut, a pittifull surgeon makes a dangerous sore. Ile tent thee to the ground. Thinkst Ile sustaine my selfe by •… ttering thee, because thou art a Prince? I had rather follow a drunkard, and liue by licking vp his vomite, than by seruile flattery.

Yet great men ha don't.

Great slaues feare better than loue, borne naturally for a coale-basket, though the common ysher of princes presence fortune ha blindely giuen them better place, I am vow'd to be thy affliction.

Prethee be, I loue much misery, and be thou sonne to me.

Well returnd, I praise my horse.

What newes from the Florentines?

I will conceale the great Dukes pleasure, onely this was his charge, his pleasure is, that his daughter die, Duke Pietro be banished for banishing his bloudes dishonor, and that Duke Altofront be reaccepted: this is all, but I heare Duke Pietro is dead.

I, and Mendozo is Duke, what will you doe?

Is Mendozo strongest?

Yet he is.

Then yet Ile hold with him.

But if that Altofront should turne strait againe?

Your Lordship sweats, your yong Ladie will get you a cloth for your old worships browes, Exit Biliosa. heeres a fellow to be damnd, this is his muiolable Maxim •… . (flatter the greatest, and oppresse the least:) a whorson flesh fly, that still gnawes vpon the leane gauld backs.

Why dust then salute him?

Faith as ba •… des go to Church, for fashion sake: come, be not confounded, th'art but in danger to 〈◊〉 a Dukedome, think this: this earth is the only graue a •… •… olgotha wherein all thinges that liue must rotte: tis but the draught wherein the heauenly bodies discharge their corruption, the verie muckhill on which the sublunarie orbes cast their excrements: man is the slime of this dongue-pit, and Princes are the gouernours of these men: for, for our soules, they are as free as Emperoures, all of one peece, there goes but a paire of sheeres betwixt an Emperour and the sonne of a bagpiper: only the dying, dressing, pressing, glossing makes the difference: now what art thou like to lose?

Thy vowes are heard, and we accept thy faith.

Altofront, Ferneze, Celso, Pietr •… .

Banish amazement: come, we foure must stand full shocke of Fortune, be not so w •… nder st •… .

For your pardon.

The Dutchman for a drunkard,

The Dane for golden lockes:

The Irishman for vsquebath,

The Frenchman for the ( )

O thou art a blessed creature, had I a modest woman to conceale, I would put her to thy custodie, for no reasonable creature would euer suspect her to be in thy company: ha, thou art a melodious Maquarelle, thou picture of a woman and substance of a beast, and how dost thou think a this transformation of state now?

Verie verie well, for we women alwaies note, the falling of the one, is the rising of the other: some must be fat, some must be leane, some must be fooles, and some must be Lords: some must be knaues, and some must bee officers, some must be beggars, some must be Kni •… ▪ some must be cuck olds, and some must be citizens: as for example, I haue two court dogs, most fawning curres▪ •… he one calde Watch, thother Ca •… h: now I, like Ladie Fortune, somtimes loue this dog▪ somtimes rouse that dog, somtimes fauour Watch, most commonly fancie Catch: Now that dogge which I fauour I feede▪ and h •… es so rauenous, that what I giue he neuer chawes it, gulpes it dow •… 〈◊〉 without any relish of what he haz, but with a 〈◊〉 •… pectation of what he shal haue: the other dogge▪ 〈◊〉

No more dogge, soote Maquarelle no more dog •… and what hope hast thou of the Dutches Maria, will she stoope to the Dukes luer, wil she come, thinkst?

Let me see wheres •… he signe now? ha ye e •… e a callender, wheres the signe tro •… you?

Sign? why, is there any moment in that?

O beleeue me a most secret power, looke yee a Caldean, or an Assyrian, I am sure t'was a most sweete Iew •… ould me, court any woman in the right signe, you shal not misse, but you must take he •… in the right veine then: As when the signe is in Pisces, a fishmo •… gers wife is verie sotiable: in Cancer, a pr •… cisians wife is verie flexible: in Capricorne, a Marchants wife hardly holdes out: in Libra, a Lawyers wife is very tractable, especially, if her husband be at the tearme: onely, in Scorpio •… s ve •… ie dangerous medling, haz the Duke sent any jewell, anie rich stones?

I, I thinke those are the best signes, to take a Lady in: by your fauor signeur: I must discourse with the Lady Maria, Altofronts Dutches: I must enter for the Duke.

Shee heere shall guie you enterveiw, I receaued the guardshippe of this Ci •… adell from the good Al •… front, and for his vse Ile keep't, til I am of •… o vse.

Wil •… thou, O heauen that a christian should be found in a buffeierkin, Captaine conscience? I loue thee Capt •… e. Exit Captaine. wee attend, and what hope hast thou of this Dutches 〈◊〉 ?

Twill goe hard, she was a could creature euer, she hated munkies, fooles, ieasters, and gentlemen vshers extreamely: she had the vilde tricke on't, not onely to bee truely modestly honourable in her owne conscienc •… 〈◊〉 shee would avoide the least wanton carria •… 〈◊〉 might incurre suspect, as God blesse me, she 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought bed pressing out of fashion: I could •… arce get a fine, for the lease of a Ladies fauour once in a fortnight.

Now in the name of immodesty, how many maiden-heads hast thou brought to the block?

Let me see: heauen forgiue vs our misdeedes, heeres the Dutches.

God blesse thee Lady,

out of thy company:

We haue brought thee tender of a husband,

I hope I haue one already.

Nay, by mine honour madam, as good hee nere a husband, as a banisht husband, hees in an other world now, Ile tell y •… Lady, I haue heard of a sect that maintained, when the husband was asleepe, the wife might lawfully entertaine another man: for then her husband was as dead, much more when he is banished.

Vnhonest creature:

Pish, honesty is but an art to seeme so: pray yee whats honesty? whats constancie? but fables fained, odde old fools chat deuisde by ielous fooles, to wrong our liberty.

Mully, he that loues thee is a Duke, Mendozo, he will maintaine thee royally, loue the ardently, defend thee powerfully, marrie thee sumptuously, and keepe thee in despight of Rosciclere, or Donzell dell Phebe •… theres •… wels, if thou wilt, so, if not, so.

Gainst him that can enforce how vaine is strife?

Now the feare of the Diuell for euer go with thee. Maquerelle, I tell thee I haue found an honest woman, faith I perceiue when all is done, there is of women as of all other things: some good, most bad, some saintes, some sinners: for as now adaies no Courtier but haz his mistris, no Captaine but haz his cockatrice, no Cuckold but haz his hornes, and no foole but haz his f •… ther: even so no woman but haz her weaknesse and feather too, no sex but haz his: I can hunt the letter no furder: O God how loathsome this toying is to me, that a Duke should be for •… d to foole it: well, Stultorūplena sunt omnia, better play the foole Lord, then be the foole Lord: now, wheres your slightes Madam Maquarelle?

Why, are yee ignorant that tis sed, a squemish affected nicenes is naturall to women, and that the excuse of their yeelding, is onely forsooth the difficult obtaining, you must put her too' •… , women are flaxe, and will fire in a moment.

Why was the flax put into thy mouth, and yet thou? thou set fire? thou enflame her.

Mary, but Ile tell yee now, you were too ho •… ▪

You were too boisterous 〈◊〉 ▪ for indeede.

Go thou the Dukes lime-twigge, Ile make the Duke turne thee out of thine office, what not get one touch of hope, and 〈◊〉 at such advantage.

Now a my con •… , now I thinke in my discre •… 〈◊〉 did not take her 〈◊〉 •… e •… ght signe, the blood was not in the true veine, sure.

On on, leaue vs, leaue vs 〈◊〉 where is the hermit▪

With Duke Pietro, with 〈◊〉 Pietro.

Is he dead? is he poysoned▪

Dead as the Duke is.

Good, excellent, he will not 〈◊〉 ▪ se •… renes liues in secrecy▪ cōme liether▪ come liether.

Thou hast a certaine strong villa •… sent about thee, my nature cannot indu •… e.

Sent man? what returnes Maria? what answer to our sute?

Colde▪ frostie, she is obstinate.

Pew, per sc •… ra semper sceleribus tutum est •… ter.

What ar •… a scholler? art a polititian? sure thou a •… te an arrand knaue.

Wh •… I? I h •… bene 〈◊〉 an vnder sherife, man.

Canst •… hou impoys •… ▪ canst thou impoyson?

Excellently▪ no Iew▪ Potecary, or 〈◊〉 better: look ye, here's a box, whom wouldst thou impoison, here's a box, which opened, and the 〈◊〉 •… ne vp in condites, thorow which the braine purge •… it selfe, doth instantly for 12. houres space, bind vp al shew of life in a deep sensles sleep: heres another, which being opened vnder the sleeper •… nose, ch •… aks all the pores of life, 〈◊〉 him sodainely.

Ile try experiments, tis good not to be decoued▪ 〈◊〉 so, Catzo:

My honored Lord.

The good Maleuole, that plain-tongued 〈◊〉 , is dead on sodaine wondrou •… strangely, he held in o •… r esteem good place,

Celso, see him buried, see him buried.

I shall obserue y •… e.

Of what shape, sweete Lorde,

Our happy fortune, some such any thing, some farre •… et tricke, good for Ladies, some stale toy or other, no matter so't be of our deuising.

All seruice.

Death of the damn'd thiefe, Ile make one i'the maske, thou shalt ha some

Br •… ue spirites of the antique Dukes.

My Lord, what strange di •… sion?

Most happy, deere 〈◊〉 , poi •… with an emptyStarts vp and speakes. box▪ Ile giue thee all anone: my Lady comes to court, there is •… •… rle of fate comes tumbling on▪ the Castles captaine stands for me, the people pray for me, and the great leader of the iust stands for me: then courage Celso.

Make roome there, roome for the ladies: why gentlemen, wil not ye suffer the ladies to be entr •… d in the great chamber? why gallants? and you sir, to droppe your Torch where the beauties must sit too.

And theres a great fellow playes the knaue, why dost not strike him?

Let him play the knaue a Gods name, thinkst thou I haue no more wit then to strike a great fellow, the musike, more lights, reueling, scaffolds: do you heare? let there be othes enow ready at the doore, sweare out the diuel himself. Lets leaue the Ladies, and goe see if the Lords be ready for them.

And by my troth Beauties, why do you not put you into the fashion, this is a stale cu •… ▪ you must come in fashion: looke ye, you must be all felt, fealt and feather, a fealt vpon your head: looke ye, these •… ing things are iustly out of request now: and doe yee heare? you must weare falling bands, you must come into the falling fashion: there is such a deale a pinning these ruffes, when the sine cleane fall is woorth all: and agen▪ if you should chance to take a nap in the afternoone, your falling ba •… requires no poting sticke to recouer his forme: beheue 〈◊〉 , no fashion to the falling band I say.

By my maiden-head la, honour and hee agrees aswell together, as a satten sute and wollen stockings.

But, is not Marshall Make-roome my seruant in reversion, a proper gentleman?

Yes in 〈◊〉 as he had his office, as in truth he hath all things in reversion: hee haz his Mistris in reversion, his cloathes in reversion, his wit in reversion, & indeed •… , is a suter to me for my dogge in reversion: but in good veritie la, hee is as proper a gentleman in reversion as: and indeede, as fine a man as may be, hauing a red beard and a paire of warpt legges,

But I faith I am most monstrously in loue with count Quidlibet in Quodlibet, is he not a pretty dapper windle gallant?

He is even one of the most busy •… ingerd lords, he will put the beauties to the squeake most hiddeously.

Roome, make a lane there, the Duke is entring: stand handsomely for beauties sake, take vp the Ladies there. So, cornets, cornets.

What wouldst thou, thou affliction to our house? Thou euer diuell, twas th •… that banishedst my truely noble Lord.

I?

Weele checke your too intemperate Iauishnes, I I can, and will.

What canst?

Go to, in banishment thy husband dies.

He euer is at home thats euer wise.

Youst neuer meete more •… eason should Loue controule,

Not meete?

She that de •… re loues, her loue's still in her soule.

You are but a woman Lady, you must yeelde.

Modesty? Death Ile torment thee,

Thou obstinate, thou shalt die: captaine, that Ladies life is forfeited to Iustice, we haue examined her,

Who? let her in.

Forbeare.

Forbear •… .

Peace.

I ha done; one word, take heede, I ha done.

Are you God of ghostes, I haue a sute depending in hell betwixt me and my conscience, I would •… aine haue thee helpe me to an advocate.

Mercurie shalbe your lawier Lady,

Nay faith, Mercurie haz too good a face to be a right lawier.

Peace, forbeare: Mercurie presents the ma •… ke.

Celso, Celso, court Maria for our loue Lady, be gratious, yet grace.

With me Sir?

They die in feare who liue in villanie.

Yes, beleeue him Ladie, and be rulde by him.

Madam with me? •… etro takes 〈◊〉 wife Au •… ia to dance

Wouldst then be miserable?

I neede not wish.

Poore loued soule.

What, wouldst court miserie?

Yes.

Sheele come too soone O my gree •… 'd heart.

Art a sad man?

Yes sweete.

Then weele agree.

Beleeue it Lady, shal I sweare, let me inioy you inTo Beanch •… . priuate, and Ile marrie you by my soule.

I had rather you would sweare by your body: I think that would proue the more regarded othe with you.

Ile sweare by them both, to please you.

O▪ dam them not both, to please me, for Gods sake.

Faith swete creature let me inioy you to night, and Ile marry you to morrow fortnight, by my troth lo.

On his •… roth lo, beleeue him not, that kinde of cunnicatching is as stale as fir Oliuer Anchoues perfumde ierkin: promise of matrimony by a yoong Gallant, to bring a virgin Lady into a fooles paradise: make her a great woman, and then cast her off: tis as common as naturall to a Courtier, as jelosie to a Citizen, gluttony to a Puritan, wisdome to an Alderman, pride to a Tayler, or an empty to one of these sixepenny damnations: of his troth lo, beleeue him not, traps to catch polecats.

Keepe your face constant, let no suddaine passion speake in your eies.To Maria.

O my Altofront.

A tyrants jelosies are verie nimble, you receiue it all.To Aurelia.

My heart though not my knees doth v •… bly fall, Lo as the earth to thee.

Peace, next change, no words.

Maleuole▪

No.

Altofront, Duke Lorenzo Fer •… , hah?

Duke 〈◊〉 , Duke Altofront.

Where an arch villaine i •… .

Ignoble villaine, whome neither h •… en nor hell, goodnesse of God or man could once make good.

O life!