The Duchess of Malfi

[Enter] CARDINAL, with a book

CARDINAL.  I am puzzl'd in a question about hell;
He says, in hell there 's one material fire,
And yet it shall not burn all men alike.
Lay him by.  How tedious is a guilty conscience!
When I look into the fish-ponds in my garden,
Methinks I see a thing arm'd with a rake,
That seems to strike at me.

[Enter BOSOLA, and Servant bearing ANTONIO'S body]

Now, art thou come?
Thou look'st ghastly;
There sits in thy face some great determination
Mix'd with some fear.
BOSOLA.                Thus it lightens into action:
I am come to kill thee.
CARDINAL.                Ha! – Help! our guard!
BOSOLA.  Thou art deceiv'd; they are out of thy howling.
CARDINAL.  Hold; and I will faithfully divide
Revenues with thee.
BOSOLA.              Thy prayers and proffers
Are both unseasonable.
CARDINAL.               Raise the watch!
We are betray'd!
BOSOLA.           I have confin'd your flight:
I 'll suffer your retreat to Julia's chamber,
But no further.
CARDINAL.        Help! we are betray'd!

[Enter, above, PESCARA, MALATESTI, RODERIGO, and GRISOLAN]

MALATESTI.  Listen.
CARDINAL.  My dukedom for rescue!
RODERIGO.  Fie upon his counterfeiting!
MALATESTI.  Why, 'tis not the cardinal.
RODERIGO.  Yes, yes, 'tis he:
But, I 'll see him hang'd ere I 'll go down to him.
CARDINAL.  Here 's a plot upon me; I am assaulted!  I am lost,
Unless some rescue!
GRISOLAN.            He doth this pretty well;
But it will not serve to laugh me out of mine honour.
CARDINAL.  The sword's at my throat!
RODERIGO.                             You would not bawl so loud then.
MALATESTI.
Come, come, let 's go to bed:  he told us this much aforehand.
PESCARA.  He wish'd you should not come at him; but, believe 't,
The accent of the voice sounds not in jest:
I 'll down to him, howsoever, and with engines
Force ope the doors.

[Exit above.]

RODERIGO.             Let 's follow him aloof,
And note how the cardinal will laugh at him.

[Exeunt, above, MALATESTI, RODERIGO, and GRISOLAN.]

BOSOLA.  There 's for you first,
'Cause you shall not unbarricade the door
To let in rescue.
Kills the Servant.
CARDINAL.  What cause hast thou to pursue my life?
BOSOLA.                                             Look there.
CARDINAL.  Antonio!
BOSOLA.              Slain by my hand unwittingly.
Pray, and be sudden.  When thou kill'd'st thy sister,
Thou took'st from Justice her most equal balance,
And left her naught but her sword.
CARDINAL.                           O, mercy!
BOSOLA.  Now it seems thy greatness was only outward;
For thou fall'st faster of thyself than calamity
Can drive thee.  I 'll not waste longer time; there!
[Stabs him.]
CARDINAL.  Thou hast hurt me.
BOSOLA.                        Again!
CARDINAL.                              Shall I die like a leveret,
Without any resistance? – Help, help, help!
I am slain!

[Enter FERDINAND]

FERDINAND.    Th' alarum!  Give me a fresh horse;
Rally the vaunt-guard, or the day is lost,
Yield, yield!  I give you the honour of arms
Shake my sword over you; will you yield?
CARDINAL.  Help me; I am your brother!
FERDINAND. The devil!
My brother fight upon the adverse party!
He wounds the CARDINAL, and, in the scuffle, gives BOSOLA
his death-wound.
There flies your ransom.
CARDINAL.  O justice!
I suffer now for what hath former bin:
Sorrow is held the eldest child of sin.
FERDINAND. Now you 're brave fellows. Caesar's fortune was harder
than Pompey's; Caesar died in the arms of prosperity, Pompey at the
feet of disgrace. You both died in the field. The pain 's nothing;