• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

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].

ACT IV.i. Anselmus' house

Enter Votarius with Anselmus' [Wife].

VOTARIUS

[Prithee] forgive me, madam; come, thou shalt.

WIFE

I'faith, 'twas strangely done, sir.

VOTARIUS

I confess it.

WIFE

Is that enough to help it, sir? 'Tis easy

To draw a lady's honour in suspicion,

But not so soon recovered and confirmed

To the first faith again from whence you brought it.

Your wit was fetched out about other business

Or such forgetfulness had never seized you.

VOTARIUS

'Twas but an overflowing, a spring tide

In my affection, raised by too much love,

And that's the worst words you can give it, madam.

WIFE

Jealous of me?

VOTARIUS

Life, you'd 'a' sworn yourself, madam,

Had you been in my body, and changed cases,

To see a fellow with a guilty pace

Glide through the room, his face three quarters nighted,

As if a deed of darkness had hung on him--

WIFE

I tell you twice, 'twas my bold woman's friend.

Hell take her impudence!

VOTARIUS

Why, I have done, madam.

WIFE

Y'ave done too late, sir. Who shall do the rest now?

Confessed me yielding! Was thy way