Vindici’s house
Enter [Vindici] and Hippolito, with Piero and other Lords.
VINDICI
My lords, be all of music; strike old griefs into other countries
That flow in too much milk and have faint livers,
Not daring to stab home their discontents:
Let our hid flames break out as fire, as lightning,
To blast this villainous dukedom vex’d with sin;
Wind up your souls to their full height again.
PIERO
How?
FIRST LORD
Which way?
THIRD LORD
Any way: our wrongs are such,
We cannot justly be reveng’d too much.
VINDICI
You shall have all enough. Revels are toward,
And those few nobles that have long suppress’d you
Are busied to the furnishing of a masque,
And do affect to make a pleasant tale on’t.
The masquing suits are fashioning; now comes in
That which must glad us all: we to take pattern
Of all those suits, the colour, trimming, fashion,
E’en to an undistinguish’d hair almost,
Then ent’ring first, observing the true form,
Within a strain or two we shall find leisure
To steal our swords out handsomely,
And when they think their pleasure sweet and good,
In midst of all their joys, they shall sigh blood.
PIERO
Weightily, effectually.
THIRD LORD
Before the t’other masquers come.
VINDICI
We’re gone, all done and past.
PIERO
But how for the duke’s guard?
VINDICI
Let that alone;
By one and one their strengths shall be drunk down.
HIPPOLITO
There are five hundred gentlemen in the action
That will apply themselves and not stand idle.
PIERO
Oh, let us hug your bosoms!
VINDICI
Come, my lords,
Prepare for deeds; let other times have words.
Exeunt.