Govianus’ house
Enter Govianus with his Lady and a Servant.
GOVIANUS
What is he?
SERVANT
An old lord come from court.
GOVIANUS
He should be wise by’s years; he will not dare
To come about such business: ’tis not man’s work.
Art sure he desired conference with thy lady?
SERVANT
Sure, sir.
GOVIANUS
Faith, thou’rt mistook; ’tis with me, certain.
Let’s do the man no wrong; go, know it truly, sir.
SERVANT
[Aside] This a strange humour, we must know things twice.
Exit.
GOVIANUS
There’s no man is so dull but he will weigh
The work he undertakes, and set about it
E’en in the best sobriety of judgment,
With all his senses watchful. Then his guilt
Does equal his for whom ’tis undertaken.
Enter Servant.
What says he now?
SERVANT
E’en as he said at first, sir.
H’as business to my lady from the king.
GOVIANUS
Still from the king! He will not come near, will he?
SERVANT
Yes, when he knows he shall, sir.
GOVIANUS
I cannot think it.
Let him be tried.
SERVANT
Small trial will serve him, I warrant you, sir.
[Exit.]
GOVIANUS
Sure honesty has left man. Has fear forsook him?
Yes, faith, there is no fear where there’s no grace.
LADY
What way shall I devise to give him his answer?
Denial is not strong enough to serve, sir.
GOVIANUS
No, ‘t must have other helps.
Enter Sophonirus.
I see he dares.
Oh, patience, I shall lose a friend of thee!
SOPHONIRUS
I bring thee, precious lady, this dear stone
And commendations from the king my master.
GOVIANUS
[Drawing his sword] I set before thee, panderous lord, this steel,
And much good do’t thy heart! Fall to, and spare not!
[Stabs Sophonirus.]
LADY
‘Las, what have you done, my lord?
GOVIANUS
Why, sent a bawd
Home to his lodging; nothing else, sweetheart.
SOPHONIRUS
Well, you have killed me, sir, and there’s an end;
But you’ll get nothing by the hand, my lord,
When all your cards are counted. There be gamesters,
Not far off, will set upon the winner
And make a poor lord on you ere th’ave left you.
I’m fetched in like a fool to pay the reck’ning,
Yet you’ll save nothing by’t.
GOVIANUS
What riddle’s this?
SOPHONIRUS
There she stands by thee now, who yet ere midnight
Must lie by the king’s side.
GOVIANUS
Who speaks that lie?
SOPHONIRUS
One hour will make it true: she cannot scape
No more than I from death; y’ave a great gain on’t
And you look well about you, that’s my comfort:
The house is round beset with armed men
That know their time, when to break in and seize on her.
LADY
My lord!
GOVIANUS
’Tis boldly done to trouble me
When I’ve such business to dispatch. Within there!
Enter Servant.
[SERVANT]
My lord?
GOVIANUS
Look out, and tell me what thou seest.
[Exit Servant.]
SOPHONIRUS
How quickly now my death will be revenged,
Before the king’s first sleep! I depart laughing
To think upon the deed.
[Dies.]
GOVIANUS
’Tis thy banquet.
Down, villain, to thy everlasting weeping,
That canst rejoice so in the rape of virtue,
And sing light tunes in tempests, when near shipwrecked,
And have no plank to save us!
Enter Servant.
Now, sir, quickly.
SERVANT
Which way soe’er I cast mine eye, my lord,
Out of all parts a’ th’ house, I may see fellows
Gathered in companies and all whispering
Like men for treachery busy —
LADY
’Tis confirmed.
SERVANT
Their eyes still fixed upon the doors and windows.
GOVIANUS
I think thou’st never done; thou lov’st to talk on’t.
’Tis fine discourse. Prithee find other business.
SERVANT
Nay, I am gone. I’m a man quickly sneaped.
Exit.
GOVIANUS
H’as flattered me with safety for this hour.
LADY
Have you leisure to stand idle? Why, my lord,
It is for me they come.
GOVIANUS
For thee, my glory,
The riches of my youth, it is for thee.
LADY
Then is your care so cold? Will you be robbed
And have such warning of the thieves? Come on, sir!
Fall to your business; lay your hands about you.
Do not think scorn to work. A resolute captain
Will rather fling the treasure of his bark
Into whales’ throats than pirates should be gorged with’t.
Be not less man than he. Thou art master yet,
And all’s at thy disposing. Take thy time;
Prevent mine enemy. Away with me;
Let me no more be seen. I’m like that treasure
Dangerous to him that keeps it. Rid thy hands on’t.
GOVIANUS
I cannot loose thee so.
LADY
Shall I be taken
And lost the cruel’st way? Then wouldst thou curse
That love that sent forth pity to my life,
Too late thou wouldst.
GOVIANUS
Oh, this extremity!
Hast thou no way to scape ‘em but in soul?
Must I meet peace in thy destruction
Or will it ne’er come at me?
’Tis a most miserable way to get it.
I had rather be content to live without it
Than pay so dear for’t, and yet lose it too.
LADY
Sir, you do nothing; there’s no valour in you.
Y’are the worst friend to a lady in affliction
That ever love made his companion.
For honour’s sake, dispatch me! Thy own thoughts
Should stir thee to this act more than my weakness.
The sufferer should not do’t. I speak thy part,
Dull and forgetful man, and all to help thee!
Is it thy mind to have me seized upon
And borne with violence to the tyrant’s bed,
There forced unto the lust of all his days?
GOVIANUS
Oh, no, thou liv’st no longer now I think on’t.
I take thee at all hazard.
LADY
Oh, stay! Hold, sir!
GOVIANUS
Lady,
What had you made me done now? You never cease
Till you prepare me cruel ‘gainst my heart,
And then you turn ‘t upon my hand and mock me.
LADY
Cowardly flesh,
Thou show’st thy faintness still; I felt thee shake
E’en when the storm came near thee. Thou’rt the same.
But ’twas not for thy fear I put death by;
I had forgot a chief and worthy business
Whose strange neglect would have made me forgotten
Where I desire to be remembered most.
I will be ready straight, sir.
[Kneels in prayer.]
GOVIANUS
Oh, poor lady,
Why might not she expire now in that prayer,
Since she must die, and never try worse ways?
’Tis not so happy, for we often see
Condemned men sick to death, yet ’tis their fortune
To recover to their execution
And rise again in heath to set in shame!
What if I steal a death unseen of her now,
And close up all my miseries, with mine eyes?
Oh, fie!
And leave her here alone? That were unmanly.
LADY
My lord, be now as sudden as you please, sir.
I am ready to your hand.
GOVIANUS
But that’s not ready.
’Tis the hard’st work that ever man was put to;
I know not which way to begin to come to’t.
Believe me, I shall never kill thee well;
I shall but shame myself. It were but folly,
Dear soul, to boast of more than I can perform.
I shall not have the power to do thee right in’t.
Thou deserv’st death with speed, a quick dispatch,
The pain but of a twinkling, and so sleep.
If I do’t, I shall make thee live too long
And so spoil all that way. I prithee excuse me.
LADY
I should not be disturbed and you did well, sir.
I have prepared myself for rest and silence
And took my leave of words. I am like one
Removing from her house, that locks up all,
And rather than she would displace her goods,
Makes shift with anything for the time she stays.
Then look not for more speech; th’ extremity speaks
Enough to serve us both had we no tongues!
Knock.
Hark!
WITHIN
Lord Sophonirus!
GOVIANUS
Which hand shall I take?
LADY
Art thou yet ignorant? There is no way
But through my bosom.
GOVIANUS
Must I lose thee then?
LADY
Th’are but thine enemies that tell thee so.
His lust may part me from thee, but death, never;
Thou canst not lose me there, for, dying thine,
Thou dost enjoy me still. Kings cannot rob thee.
Knock.
WITHIN
Do you hear, my lord?
LADY
Is it yet time, or no?
Honour remember thee!
GOVIANUS
I must; come. Prepare thyself.
LADY
Never more dearly welcome.
[Govianus] runs at her [with his sword] and falls by the way in a sound.
Alas, sir!
My lord, my love! Oh, thou poor-spirited man!
He’s gone before me. Did I trust to thee,
And hast thou served me so? Left all the work
Upon my hand, and stole away so smoothly?
There was not equal suffering shown in this;
And yet I cannot blame thee. Every man
Would seek his rest. Eternal peace sleep with thee!
[Taking his sword] Thou art my servant now; come, thou hast lost
A fearful master, but art now preferred
Unto the service of a resolute lady,
One that knows how to employ thee, and scorns death
As much as great men fear it. Where’s hell’s ministers,
The tyrant’s watch and guard? ’Tis of much worth,
When with this key the prisoner can slip forth!
Kills herself. Knock.
GOVIANUS
How now! What noise is this? I heard doors beaten.
A great knocking again.
Where are my servants? Let men knock so loud
Their master cannot sleep!
Knock.
WITHIN
The time’s expired,
And we’ll break in, my lord!
GOVIANUS
Ha! Where’s my sword?
I had forgot my business. [Sees the Lady.] Oh, ’tis done,
And never was beholding to my hand!
Was I so hard to thee, so respectless of thee,
To put all this to thee? Why, it was more
Than I was able to perform myself
With all the courage that I could take to me.
It tired me; I was fain to fall, and rest.
And hast thou, valiant woman, overcome
Thy honour’s enemies with thine own white hand,
Where virgin-victory sits, all without help?
Eternal praise go with thee! Spare not now;
Make all the haste you can. I’ll plant this bawd
Against the door, the fittest place for him,
That when with ungoverned weapons they rush in,
Blinded with fury, they may take his death
Into the purple number of their deeds,
And wipe it off from mine.
[Places the body of Sophonirus against the door.] Knock within.
How now, forbear!
My lord’s at hand.
WITHIN
My lord, and ten lords more,
I hope the king’s officers are above ‘em all.
[They attempt to open the door.]
GOVIANUS
Life, what do you do? Take heed!
Enter the Fellows well weaponed [and stab Sophonirus].
Bless the old man!
My lord, All-Ass, my lord, he’s gone!
FIRST [FELLOW]
Heart, farewell he, then!
We have no eyes to pierce thorough inch boards.
’Twas his own folly. The king must be served,
And shall. The best is, we shall ne’er be hanged for’t,
There’s such a number guilty.
GOVIANUS
Poor my lord!
He went some twice ambassador, and behaved himself
So wittily in all his actions!
SECOND [FELLOW]
My lord! What’s she?
GOVIANUS
Let me see.
What should she be? Now I remember her.
Oh, she was a worthy creature
Before destruction grew so inward with her!
FIRST [FELLOW]
Well, for her worthiness, that’s no work of ours.
You have a lady, sir; the king commands her
To court with speed, and we must force her thither.
GOVIANUS
Alas, she’ll never strive with you; she was born
E’en with the spirit of meekness. Is’t for the king?
FIRST [FELLOW]
For his own royal and most gracious lust,
Or let me ne’er be trusted.
GOVIANUS
Take her, then.
SECOND [FELLOW]
Spoke like an honest subject, by my troth.
I’ll do the like myself to serve my prince.
Where is she, sir?
GOVIANUS
Look but upon yon face,
Then do but tell me where you think she is.
SECOND [FELLOW]
Life, she’s not here!
GOVIANUS
She’s yonder.
FIRST [FELLOW]
Faith, she’s gone
Where we shall ne’er come at her, I see that.
GOVIANUS
No, nor thy master neither. Now I praise
Her resolution; ’tis a triumph to me
When I see those about her.
SECOND [FELLOW]
How came this, sir?
The king must know.
GOVIANUS
From yon old fellow’s prattling.
All your intents he revealed largely to her,
And she was troubled with a foolish pride
To stand upon her honour, and so died.
’Twas a strange trick of her. Few of your ladies
In ord’nary will believe it: they abhor it;
They’ll sooner kill themselves with lust than for it.
FIRST [FELLOW]
We have done the king good service to kill him,
More than we were aware on; but this news
Will make a mad court. ‘Twill be a hard office
To be a flatterer now; his grace will run
Into so many moods there’ll be no finding on him:
As good seek a wild hare without a hound now.
A vengeance of your babbling! These old fellows
Will hearken after secrets as their lives,
But keep ‘em in e’en as they keep their wives.
ALL [FELLOWS]
We have watched fairly.
Exeunt [with the body of Sophonirus]. Manet Govianus.
GOVIANUS
What a comfort ’tis
To see ‘em gone without her! Faith, she told me
Her everlasting sleep would bring me joy,
Yet I was still unwilling to believe her,
Her life was so sweet to me, like some man
In time of sickness that would rather wish,
To please his fearful flesh, his former health
Restored to him, than death; when, after trial,
If it were possible, ten thousand worlds
Could not entice him to return again
And walk upon the earth from whence he flew.
So stood my wish, joyed in her life and breath;
Now gone, there is no heav’n but after death!
Come, thou delicious treasure of mankind,
To him that knows what virtuous woman is
And can discretely love her. The whole world
Yields not a jewel like her, ransack rocks
And caves beneath the deep. Oh, thou fair spring
Of honest and religious desires,
Fountain of weeping honour, I will kiss thee
After death’s marble lip! Thou’rt cold enough
To lie entombed now by my father’s side.
Without offence in kin[d]red there I’ll place thee,
With one I loved the dearest next thee.
Help me to mourn, all that love chastity.
Exit [with her body].