The Duchess of Malfi

The left hand way; and all suppose the duchess
Would amend it, if she could; for, say they,
Great princes, though they grudge their officers
Should have such large and unconfined means
To get wealth under them, will not complain,
Lest thereby they should make them odious
Unto the people.  For other obligation
Of love or marriage between her and me
They never dream of.
DELIO.                The Lord Ferdinand
Is going to bed.

[Enter DUCHESS, FERDINAND, and Attendants]

FERDINAND.        I 'll instantly to bed,
For I am weary. – I am to bespeak
A husband for you.
DUCHESS.            For me, sir!  Pray, who is 't?
FERDINAND.  The great Count Malatesti.
DUCHESS.                                Fie upon him!
A count!  He 's a mere stick of sugar-candy;
You may look quite through him.  When I choose
A husband, I will marry for your honour.
FERDINAND.  You shall do well in 't. – How is 't, worthy Antonio?
DUCHESS.  But, sir, I am to have private conference with you
About a scandalous report is spread
Touching mine honour.
FERDINAND.             Let me be ever deaf to 't:
One of Pasquil's paper-bullets,[74 - Lampoons.] court-calumny,
A pestilent air, which princes' palaces
Are seldom purg'd of.  Yet, say that it were true,
I pour it in your bosom, my fix'd love
Would strongly excuse, extenuate, nay, deny
Faults, were they apparent in you.  Go, be safe
In your own innocency.
DUCHESS.  [Aside.]      O bless'd comfort!
This deadly air is purg'd.

Exeunt [DUCHESS, ANTONIO, DELIO, and Attendants.]

FERDINAND.                  Her guilt treads on
Hot-burning coulters.[75 - Plowshares.]       Enter BOSOLA
Now, Bosola,
How thrives our intelligence?[76 - Spying.]
BOSOLA.                        Sir, uncertainly:
'Tis rumour'd she hath had three bastards, but
By whom we may go read i' the stars.
FERDINAND.                            Why, some
Hold opinion all things are written there.
BOSOLA.  Yes, if we could find spectacles to read them.
I do suspect there hath been some sorcery
Us'd on the duchess.
FERDINAND.            Sorcery! to what purpose?
BOSOLA.  To make her dote on some desertless fellow
She shames to acknowledge.
FERDINAND.                  Can your faith give way
To think there 's power in potions or in charms,
To make us love whether we will or no?
BOSOLA.  Most certainly.
FERDINAND.  Away! these are mere gulleries,[77 - Deceptions.] horrid things,
Invented by some cheating mountebanks
To abuse us.  Do you think that herbs or charms
Can force the will?  Some trials have been made
In this foolish practice, but the ingredients
Were lenitive[78 - Soothing.] poisons, such as are of force
To make the patient mad; and straight the witch
Swears by equivocation they are in love.
The witch-craft lies in her rank blood.  This night
I will force confession from her.  You told me
You had got, within these two days, a false key
Into her bed-chamber.
BOSOLA.                I have.
FERDINAND.                      As I would wish.
BOSOLA.  What do you intend to do?
FERDINAND.                          Can you guess?
BOSOLA.                                             No.
FERDINAND.  Do not ask, then:
He that can compass me, and know my drifts,
May say he hath put a girdle 'bout the world,
And sounded all her quick-sands.
BOSOLA.                           I do not
Think so.
FERDINAND.  What do you think, then, pray?
BOSOLA.                                     That you
Are your own chronicle too much, and grossly
Flatter yourself.
FERDINAND.         Give me thy hand; I thank thee:
I never gave pension but to flatterers,
Till I entertained thee.  Farewell.
That friend a great man's ruin strongly checks,
Who rails into his belief all his defects.

Exeunt.

Scene II[79 - The bed-chamber of the Duchess in the same.]

[Enter] DUCHESS, ANTONIO, and CARIOLA

DUCHESS.  Bring me the casket hither, and the glass. —
You get no lodging here to-night, my lord.