The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster (books to read for teens .txt) 📕

Are you out of your princely wits?

Ferdinand

What’s he?

Pescara

Your doctor.

Ferdinand Let me have his beard saw’d off, and his eyebrows fil’d more civil. Doctor I must do mad tricks with him, for that’s the only way on’t.⁠—I have brought your grace a salamander’s skin to keep you from sunburning. Ferdinand I have cruel sore eyes. Doctor The white of a cockatrix’s111 egg is present remedy. Ferdinand Let it be a new-laid one, you were best. Hide me from him: physicians are like kings⁠—They 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 I’ll go pelt one another with them.⁠—Now he begins to fear me.⁠—Can you fetch a frisk,112 sir?⁠—Let him go, let him go, upon my peril: I find by his eye he stands in awe of me; I’ll make him as tame as a dormouse. Ferdinand Can you fetch your frisks, sir!⁠—I will stamp him into a cullis,113 flay off his skin to cover one of the anatomies114 this rogue hath set i’ th’ cold yonder in Barber-Chirurgeon’s-hall. —Hence, hence! you are all of you like beasts for sacrifice. Throws the Doctor down and beats him. There’s nothing left of you but tongue and belly, flattery and lechery. Exit. Pescara

Doctor, he did not fear you thoroughly.

Doctor

True; I was somewhat too forward.

Bosola

Mercy upon me, what a fatal judgment
Hath fall’n upon this Ferdinand!

Pescara

Knows your grace
What accident hath brought unto the prince
This strange distraction?

Cardinal

Aside. I must feign somewhat.⁠—Thus they say it grew.
You have heard it rumour’d, 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 murder’d
By her nephews for her riches. Such a figure
One night, as the prince sat up late at’s book,
Appear’d to him; when crying out for help,
The gentleman of’s chamber found his grace
All on a cold sweat, alter’d much in face
And language: since which apparition,
He hath grown worse and worse, and I much fear
He cannot live.

Bosola

Sir, I would speak with you.

Pescara

We’ll leave your grace,
Wishing to the sick prince, our noble lord,
All health of mind and body.

Cardinal

You are most welcome.

Exeunt Pescara, Malatesti, and Doctor.

Are you come? so.⁠—Aside. This fellow must not know
By any means I had intelligence
In our duchess’ death; for, though I counsell’d it,
The full of all th’ engagement seem’d to grow
From Ferdinand.⁠—Now, sir, how fares our sister?
I do not think but sorrow makes her look
Like to an oft-dy’d 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 you’ll do one thing for me I’ll entreat,
Though he had a cold tombstone o’er his bones,
I’d make you what you would be.

Bosola

Anything;
Give it me in a breath, and let me fly to’t.
They that think long small expedition win,
For musing much o’ th’ end cannot begin.

Enter Julia. Julia

Sir, will you come into supper?

Cardinal

I am busy; leave me.

Julia

Aside. What an excellent shape hath that fellow!

Exit. Cardinal

’Tis 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.

Bosola

But by what means shall I find him out?

Cardinal

There is a gentleman call’d Delio
Here in the camp, that hath been long approv’d
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
Delio’s 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 he’s in want;
Or else to go to the picture-makers, and learn
Who bought115 her picture lately: some of these
Happily may take.

Bosola

Well, I’ll not freeze i’ th’ business:
I would see that wretched thing, Antonio,
Above all sights i’ th’ world.

Cardinal

Do, and be happy.

Exit. Bosola

This fellow doth breed basilisks in’s eyes,
He’s nothing else but murder; yet he seems
Not to have notice of the duchess’ death.
’Tis his cunning: I must follow his example;
There cannot be a surer way to trace
Than that of an old fox.

Re-enter Julia, with a pistol. Julia

So, sir, you are well met.

Bosola

How Now!

Julia

Nay, the doors are fast enough:
Now, sir, I will make you confess your treachery.

Bosola

Treachery!

Julia

Yes, confess to me
Which of my women ’twas you hir’d to put
Love-powder into my drink?

Bosola

Love-powder!

Julia

Yes, when I was at Malfi.
Why should I fall in love with such a face else?
I have already suffer’d for thee so much pain,
The only remedy to do me good
Is to kill my longing.

Bosola

Sure, your pistol holds
Nothing but perfumes or kissing-comfits.116
Excellent lady!
You have