The Husband’s house, the room above
Enter a Maid with a child in her arms, the mother [Wife] by her asleep.
MAID
Sleep, sweet babe: sorrow makes thy mother sleep.
It bodes small good when [Heaven] falls so deep.
Hush, pretty boy, thy hopes might have been better;
’Tis lost at dice what ancient honours won,
Hard when the father plays away the son;
Nothing but misery serves in this house.
Ruin and desolation, oh!
Enter Husband with the boy bleeding.
HUSBAND
Whore, give me that boy!
Strives with her for the child.
MAID
Oh, help, help! Out, alas! Murder, murder!
HUSBAND
Are you gossiping, prating, sturdy quean?
I’ll break your clamour with your neck downstairs:
Tumble, tumble, headlong!
Throws her down.
So, the surest way to charm a woman’s tongue
Is break her neck: a politician did it.
SON
Mother, mother, I am kill’d, mother!
[The Wife] wakes.
WIFE
Ha, who’s that cried? Oh me, my children!
Both, both, both bloody, bloody!
Catches up the youngest.
HUSBAND
Strumpet, let go the boy, let go the beggar!
WIFE
Oh, my sweet husband!
HUSBAND
Filth, harlot!
WIFE
Oh, what will you do, dear husband?
HUSBAND
Give me the bastard!
WIFE
Your own sweet boy!
HUSBAND
There are too many beggars!
WIFE
Good my husband —
HUSBAND
Dost thou prevent me still?
Stabs at the child in her arms.
WIFE
Oh God!
HUSBAND
Have at his heart!
WIFE
Oh, my dear boy!
[The Husband] gets it from her.
HUSBAND
Brat, thou shalt not live to shame thy house!
WIFE
Oh Heaven!
She’s hurt and sinks down.
HUSBAND
And perish now, be gone!
There’s whores enow, and want would make thee one!
Enter a Lusty Servant.
LUSTY SERVANT
Oh, sir, what deeds are these?
HUSBAND
Base slave, my vassal,
Comest thou between my fury to question me?
LUSTY SERVANT
Were you the devil, I would hold you, sir.
HUSBAND
Hold me? Presumption, I’ll undo thee for’t!
LUSTY SERVANT
‘Sblood, you have undone us all, sir.
HUSBAND
Tug at thy master?
LUSTY SERVANT
Tug at a monster!
HUSBAND
Have I no power? Shall my slave fetter me?
[The Husband wrestles with the Servant.]
LUSTY SERVANT
Nay then, the devil wrastles! I am thrown!
HUSBAND
Oh, villain, now I’ll tug thee, now I’ll tear thee!
Overcomes him [and kicks him with his spurs].
Set quick spurs to my vassal, bruise him, trample him!
So, I think thou wilt not follow me in haste.
My horse stands ready saddled; away, away!
Now to my brat at nurse, my sucking beggar:
Fates, I’ll not leave you one to trample on!