The Duchess of Malfi

Shine in your chamber.  He will kiss your hand,
And reconcile himself; but for his vow
He dares not see you.
DUCHESS.               At his pleasure. —
Take hence the lights. – He 's come.

[Exeunt Attendants with lights.]

[Enter FERDINAND]

FERDINAND.                           Where are you?
DUCHESS.                                             Here, sir.
FERDINAND.  This darkness suits you well.
DUCHESS.                                   I would ask you pardon.
FERDINAND.  You have it;
For I account it the honorabl'st revenge,
Where I may kill, to pardon. – Where are your cubs?
DUCHESS.  Whom?
FERDINAND.       Call them your children;
For though our national law distinguish bastards
]From true legitimate issue, compassionate nature
Makes them all equal.
DUCHESS.               Do you visit me for this?
You violate a sacrament o' th' church
Shall make you howl in hell for 't.
FERDINAND.                           It had been well,
Could you have liv'd thus always; for, indeed,
You were too much i' th' light: – but no more;
I come to seal my peace with you.  Here 's a hand
Gives her a dead man's hand.
To which you have vow'd much love; the ring upon 't
You gave.
DUCHESS.  I affectionately kiss it.
FERDINAND.  Pray, do, and bury the print of it in your heart.
I will leave this ring with you for a love-token;
And the hand as sure as the ring; and do not doubt
But you shall have the heart too.  When you need a friend,
Send it to him that ow'd it; you shall see
Whether he can aid you.
DUCHESS.                 You are very cold:
I fear you are not well after your travel. —
Ha! lights! – O, horrible!
FERDINAND.                   Let her have lights enough.

Exit.

DUCHESS.  What witchcraft doth he practise, that he hath left
A dead man's hand here?
[Here is discovered, behind a traverse,[99 - Curtain.] the artificial
figures of ANTONIO and his children, appearing as if
they were dead.
BOSOLA.  Look you, here 's the piece from which 'twas ta'en.
He doth present you this sad spectacle,
That, now you know directly they are dead,
Hereafter you may wisely cease to grieve
For that which cannot be recovered.
DUCHESS.  There is not between heaven and earth one wish
I stay for after this.  It wastes me more
Than were 't my picture, fashion'd out of wax,
Stuck with a magical needle, and then buried
In some foul dunghill; and yon 's an excellent property
For a tyrant, which I would account mercy.
BOSOLA.                                     What 's that?
DUCHESS.  If they would bind me to that lifeless trunk,
And let me freeze to death.
BOSOLA.                      Come, you must live.
DUCHESS.  That 's the greatest torture souls feel in hell,
In hell, that they must live, and cannot die.
Portia,[100 - The wife of Brutus, who died by swallowing fire.] I 'll new kindle thy coals again,
And revive the rare and almost dead example
Of a loving wife.
BOSOLA.            O, fie! despair?  Remember
You are a Christian.
DUCHESS.              The church enjoins fasting:
I 'll starve myself to death.
BOSOLA.                        Leave this vain sorrow.
Things being at the worst begin to mend:  the bee
When he hath shot his sting into your hand,
May then play with your eye-lid.
DUCHESS.                          Good comfortable fellow,
Persuade a wretch that 's broke upon the wheel
To have all his bones new set; entreat him live
To be executed again.  Who must despatch me?
I account this world a tedious theatre,
For I do play a part in 't 'gainst my will.
BOSOLA.  Come, be of comfort; I will save your life.
DUCHESS.  Indeed, I have not leisure to tend so small a business.
BOSOLA.  Now, by my life, I pity you.
DUCHESS.                               Thou art a fool, then,
To waste thy pity on a thing so wretched
As cannot pity itself.  I am full of daggers.
Puff, let me blow these vipers from me.

[Enter Servant]

What are you?
SERVANT.       One that wishes you long life.
DUCHESS.  I would thou wert hang'd for the horrible curse
Thou hast given me:  I shall shortly grow one
Of the miracles of pity.  I 'll go pray; —