Malevole.

A cuckold. To be made a thing that's hood-wink'd with kindness, whilft every rafcal fillips his brows; to have a coxcomb with egregious horns pinned to a lord's back, every page fporting himself with delightful laughter, whilst he muit be the last must know it; piftols and poniards! pistols and poniards!

Pietro Jacomo.

Death and damnation!

Nay, to felect among ten thousand fairs
A lady far inferior to the moft,
In fair proportion both of limb and foul;
To take her from austerer check of parents,
To make her his by most devoutful rites,
Make her commandrefs of a better effence,
Than is the gorgeous world even of a man ;
To hug her with as rais'd an appetite,
As ufurers do their delv'd up treasury,
(Thinking none tells it but his private self);
To meet her spirit in a nimble kiss,
Distilling panting ardour to her heart;
True to her sheets, nay diets strong his blood,
To give her height of hymeneal fweets,

O God!

Pietro Jacomo.

Malevole,

Whilft the lifes, and gives him fome court quelquechofe, Made only to provoke, not fatiate:

26 Catzo!] I believe, in cant Italian, this word is obfcenely ufed. S. This conjecture feems to be well founded. See Florio's Dictionary, 1598, voce cazzo.

And

And yet even then the thaw of her delight
Flows from lewd heat of apprehenfion,
Only from ftrange imagination's rankness,
That forms the adulterer's prefence in her foul,
And makes her think the 27 clips the foul knave's loins.
Pietro Jacomo.

Affliction to my blood's root!

Malevole.

Nay think, but think what may proceed of this, Adultery is often the mother of incest.

Incest !

Pietro Jacomo.

Malevole.

Yes, incest: mark; Mendozo of his wife begets perchance a daughter; Mendozo dies; his fon marries this daughter. Say you? Nay, 'tis frequent, not only probable, but no question often acted, whilst ignorance, fearlefs ignorance, clafps his own feed.

Adultery? why next to the fin of fimony, 'tis the most horrid tranfgreffion under the cope of falvation.

Next to fimony!

Pietro Jacomo.

Malevole.

Ay, next to fimony, in which our men in next age fhall not fin.

Because (thanks to fome church-men) our age will leave them nothing to fin with. But adultery! O dulness! fhew fuch exemplary punishment, that intemperate bloods may freeze but to think it. I would damn him and all his generation! my own hands fhould do it; ha, I would not trust heaven with my vengeance any thing.

Pietro Jacomo.

Any thing, any thing, Malevole; thou fhalt fee inftantly 27 clips] i. e. clafps, embraces.

B 4

what

what temper my spirit holds. Farewel, remember I forget thee not, farewel.

Farewel.

Malevole.

Lean thoughtfulness, a fallow meditation,
Suck thy veins dry! diftemperance rob thy fleep;
The beart's difquiet is revenge moft deep.
He that gets blood, the life of flesh but spills,
But he that breaks heart's peace, the dear foul kills.
Well, this disguise doth yet afford me that
Which kings do feldom hear, or great men ufe,
Free fpeech and though my ftate's ufurp'd,
Yet this affected strain gives me a tongue,
As fetterlefs as is an emperor's.

I may fpeak foolishly, ay knavifhly,
Always carelefly, yet no one thinks it fashion

[Exit Pietro.

To poize my breath. "For he that laughs and frikes,
"Is lightly felt, or feldom ftruck again."
Duke, l'li torment thee now, my just revenge
From thee than crown a richer gem fhall part.
Beneath God, nought's fo dear as a calm heart.

Peace, fpeak low; peace, O Celfo! conftant lord, (Thou to whose faith I only reft discovered,

Thou, one of full ten millions of men,

That lovest virtue only for itself;

Thou in whofe hands 28 old Ops may put her foul :)
Behold for ever banish'd Altofront,

This Genoa's last year's duke. O truly noble !

I wanted thofe old instruments of state,

28 old Ops] The wife of Saturn, who deceived him by a ftratagem relative to the preservation of Jupiter. S.

Diffem

Diffemblance, and 29 fufpect: I could not time it, Celfo;
My throne stood like a point in midst of a circle,

To all of equal nearness, bore with none;
Rein'd all alike, fo flept in fearless virtue,
Sufpectlefs, too fufpectlefs; till the crowd,
(Still liquorous of untried novelties,)
Impatient with feverer government,

Made strong with Florence, banish'd Altofront.
Celfo.

your

mifchief rofe.

Strong with Florence! ay, thence
For when the daughter of the Florentine

Was match'd once with this Pietro, now duke,
No ftratagem of state untry'd was left,

Till you of all

1 O no; climb not a falling tower,

'Tis well held defperation, not zeal,

Celfo ;

Hopeless to strive with fate; (peace) temporize.

30 Hope, hope, that never forfak'st the wretched'st man, Yet bid'it me live, and lurk in this difguife.

What? play I well the free-breath'd 31 difcontent?

Why, man, we are all philofophical monarchs, or natural fools. Celfo, the court's afire; the dutchess's fheets will fmoke for't ere it be long. Impure Mendozo, that sharpnos'd lord, that made the cursed match, link'd Genoa with Florence, now broad horns the duke, which he now knows. Difcord to malcontents is very manna; when the ranks are burst, then fcuffle, Altofront.

29 fufpect] i. e. fufpicion. See Note 45 to Edward II. vol. II. p. 385. 30 Hope, hope, &c.] So Pope :

"Hope fprings eternal in the human breast;

"Man never is, but always to be bleft."

31 difcontent] i. e. difcontented perfon, as we now fay malecontent. So, in The First Part of King Henry IV. A. 5. S. 1.

"Of fickle changelings and poor discontents."

See Mr. Malone's Note on this paffage.

Ay,

'Tis gone; 'tis fwallowed like a mineral; fome way 'twill work; pheut, I'll not shrink:

He's refolute who can no lower fink.

Biliofo entering, Malevole Shifteth his speech.

O the father of may-poles! did you never see a fellow whofe ftrength confifted in his breath, respect in his office, religion on his lord, and love in himself? why then, behold

Signior!

Biliofo.

Malevole.

My right worshipful lord, your court night-cap makes you have a paffing high forehead.

Biliofo.

I can tell you strange news, but I am fure you know them already. The duke speaks much good of you.

Malevole.

Go to then; and shall you and I now enter into a strict friendship?

Second one another?

Yes.

Biliafo.

Malevole.

Biliofo.

Malevole.

Do one another good offices?

Juft; what tho' I call'd thee old ox, egregious Wittal, broken-bellied coward, rotten mummy, Yet, fince I am in favour

Biliofo.

Words of course, terms of difport.

His grace prefents you by me a chain, as his grateful remembrance for I am ignorant for what, marry, ye may impart ; yet how foever-come-dear friend,

Do'ft know my fon?

Your fon?

Malevole.

Biliofo.