The Duke’s palace
Enter Almachildes.
ALMACHILDES
Though the fates have endued me with a pretty kind of lightness that I can laugh at the world in a corner on’t, and can make myself merry on fasting-nights to rub out a supper (which were a precious quality in a young, formal studient), yet let the world know there is some difference betwixt my jovial condition and the lunary state of madness. I am not quite out of my wits: I know a bawd from an aqua vite shop, a strumpet from wildfire, and a beadle from brimstone. Now shall I try the honesty of a great woman soundly; she reck’ning the duke’s made away, I’ll be hang’d if I be not the next now. If I trust her, as she’s a woman, let one of her long hairs wind about my heart and be the end of me, which were a piteous, lamentable tragedy, and might be entitled A Fair Warning for All Hair Bracelets.
Already there’s an insurrection
Among the people; they are up in arms
Not out of any reason, but their wills,
Which are in them their saints, sweating and swearing
Out of their zeal to rudeness that no stranger,
As they term her, shall govern over them,
They say they’ll raise a duke among themselves first.
Enter Duchess.
DUCHESS
Oh, Almachildes, I perceive already
Our loves are born to crosses! We’re beset
By multitudes, and which is worse, I fear me
Unfriended too of any. My chief care
Is for thy sweet youth’s safety.
ALMACHILDES
[Aside] He that believes you not
Goes the right way to heaven, o’ my conscience.
DUCHESS
There is no trusting of ‘em: they are all as barren
In pity as in faith. He that puts confidence
In them dies openly to the sight of all men,
Not with his friends and neighbours in peace private,
But as his shame, so his cold farewell is,
Public and full of noise. But keep you close, sir,
Not seen of any till I see the way
Plain for your safety. I expect the coming
Of the lord governor, whom I will flatter
With fair entreaties to appease their wildness,
And before him take a great grief upon me
For the duke’s death, his strange and sudden loss;
And when a quiet comes, expect thy joys.
ALMACHILDES
[Aside] I do expect now to be made away
‘Twixt this and Tuesday night; if I live Wednesday,
Say I have been careful and shunn’d spoon-meat.
Exit.
DUCHESS
This fellow lives too long after the deed;
I’m weary of his sight: he must die quickly
Or I’ve small hope of safety. My great aim’s
At the lord governor’s love; he is a spirit
Can sway and countenance: these obey and crouch.
My guiltiness had need of such a master
That with a beck can suppress multitudes
And dim misdeeds with radiance of his glory
Not to be seen with dazzled popular eyes.
Enter L[ord] Governor.
And here behold him come.
GOVERNOR
[To one within] Return back to ‘em;
Say we desire ‘em to be friends of peace
Till they hear farther from us.
DUCHESS
O my lord,
I fly unto the pity of your nobleness,
The grieved’st lady that was e’er beset
With storms of sorrows or wild rage of people!
Never was woman’s grief for loss of lord
Dearer than mine to me.
GOVERNOR
There’s no right done
To him now, madam, by wrong done to yourself;
Your own good wisdom may instruct you so far:
And for the people’s tumult, which oft grows
From liberty or rankness of long peace,
I’ll labour to restrain, as I’ve begun, madam.
DUCHESS
My thanks and prayers shall nev’r forget you, sir,
And, in time to come, my love.
GOVERNOR
Your love, sweet madam?
You make my joys too happy: I did covet
To be the fortunate man that blessing visits,
Which I’ll esteem the crown and full reward
Of service present, and deserts to come.
It is a happiness I’ll be bold to sue for
When I have set a calm upon these spirits
That now are up for ruin.
DUCHESS
Sir, my wishes
Are so well met in yours, so fairly answer’d
And nobly recompens’d, it makes me suffer
In those extremes that few have ever felt,
To hold two passions in one heart at once,
Of gladness and of sorrow.
GOVERNOR
Then as the olive
Is the meek ensign of fair fruitful peace,
So is this kiss of yours.
DUCHESS
Love’s power be with you, sir.
GOVERNOR
[Aside] How sh’as betray’d her! May I breathe no longer
Than to do virtue service and bring forth
The fruits of noble thoughts, honest and loyal!
This will be worth th’ observing; and I’ll do it.
Exit.
DUCHESS
What a sure happiness confirms joy to me,
Now in the times of my most imminent dangers!
I look’d for ruin, and increase of honour
Meets me auspiciously. But my hopes are clogg’d now
With an unworthy weight: there’s the misfortune.
What course shall I take now with this young man?
For he must be no hindrance. I have thought on’t.
I’ll take some witch’s counsel for his end,
That will be sur’st. Mischief is mischief’s friend.
Exit.