the first sparks of growing resolution, that raise the mind to noble action.

Ferd. You have bespoke it worthily.

Silvio. Your brother, the lord cardinal, and sister duchess.

Re-enter Cardinal, with DUCHESS, CARIOLA, and Julia.

Card. Are the galleys come about?

Gris. They are, my lord.

148

Ferd. Here's the Lord Silvio is come to take his leave. Delio. Now, Sir, your promise; what's that cardinal? I mean his temper? they say he's a brave fellow, Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance, Court ladies, and one that hath fought single combats.

Ant. Some such flashes superficially hang on him for form; but observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman; the spring in his face is nothing but the engendering of toads; where he is jealous of any man, he lays worse plots for them than ever was imposed on Hercules, for he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters. He should have been Pope; but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without Heaven's knowledge. Some good he hath done 164

Delio. You have given too much of him. What's his

brother?

Ant. The duke there? a most perverse and turbulent

nature:

What appears in him mirth is merely outside;

If he laugh heartily, it is to laugh

All honesty out of fashion.

Delio. Twins?

Ant. In quality.

He speaks with others' tongues, and hears men's suits
With others' ears; will seem to sleep o' the bench
Only to entrap offenders in their answers;
Dooms men to death by information;
Rewards by hearsay.

Delio. Then the law to him

Is like a foul black cobweb to a spider,

He makes it his dwelling and a prison
To entangle those shall feed him.

Ant. Most true:

He never pays debts unless they be shrewd turns,
And those he will confess that he doth owe.
Last, for his brother there, the cardinal,
They that do flatter him most say oracles
Hang at his lips; and verily I believe them,
For the devil speaks in them.

But for their sister, the right noble duchess,
You never fixed your eye on three fair medals
Cast in one figure, of so different temper.

170

180

For her discourse, it is so full of rapture,

You only will begin then to be sorry

When she doth end her speech, and wish, in wonder,

She held it less vain-glory to talk much,

Than your penance to hear her : whilst she speaks,

She throws upon a man so sweet a look,

That it were able to raise one to a galliard1

That lay in a dead palsy, and to dote
On that sweet countenance; but in that look
There speaketh so divine a continence

As cuts off all lascivious and vain hope.

1 A lively Spanish dance. So Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, i, 3.

190

Her days are practised in such noble virtue,

That sure her nights, nay, more, her very sleeps,
Are more in Heaven than other ladies' shrifts.
Let all sweet ladies break their flattering glasses,
And dress themselves in her.

Delio. Fie, Antonio,

You play the wire-drawer with her commendations.
Ant. I'll case the picture up: only thus much;
All her particular worth grows to this sum,

She stains the time past, lights the time to come.
Cari. You must attend my lady in the gallery,
Some half an hour hence.

Ant. I shall.

200

[Exeunt ANTONIO and DELIO.

Ferd. Sister, I have a suit to you.

Duch. To me, sir?

Ferd. A gentleman here, Daniel de Bosola,

One that was in the galleys

Duch. Yes, I know him.

Ferd. A worthy fellow he is: pray, let me entreat for

The provisorship of your horse.

Duch. Your knowledge of him

Commends him and prefers him.

Ferd. Call him hither.

210

[Exit Attendant.

We are now upon parting. Good Lord Silvio,

Do us commend to all our noble friends

At the leaguer.

Silvio. Sir, I shall.

Ferd. You are for Milan?

Silvio. I am.

Duch. Bring the caroches.1 We'll bring you down to the

haven.

1 Coaches (Italian carrozza).

[Exeunt DUCHESS, SILVIO, CASTRUCCIO, RODERIGO, GRISOLAN, CARIOLA, JULIA, and Attendants.

Card. Be sure you entertain that Bosola

For your intelligence: I would not be seen in't;
And therefore many times I have slighted him
When he did court our furtherance, as this morning.

Ferd. Antonio, the great-master of her household,
Had been far fitter.

Card. You are deceived in him:

His nature is too honest for such business.

He comes: I'll leave you.

220

[Exit.

Re-enter BOSOLA.

Bos. I was lured to you.

Ferd. My brother, here, the cardinal could never Abide you.

Bos. Never since he was in my debt.

Ferd. May be some oblique character in your face Made him suspect you.

Bos. Doth he study physiognomy?

He did suspect me wrongfully.

Ferd. For that

You must give great men leave to take their times.

Distrust doth cause us seldom be deceived:

You see the oft shaking of the cedar-tree

Fastens it more at root.

Bos. Yet, take heed;

For to suspect a friend unworthily

Instructs him the next way to suspect you,

And prompts him to deceive you.

Ferd. There's gold.

Bos. So:

230

What follows? never rained such showers as these

Without thunderbolts i' the tail of them: whose throat must

I cut?

Ferd. Your inclination to shed blood rides post Before my occasion to use you. I

gave you that

To live i' the court here, and observe the duchess;
To note all the particulars of her haviour,
What suitors do solicit her for marriage,

And whom she best affects. She's a young widow :
I would not have her marry again.

Bos. No, sir?

Ferd. Do not you ask the reason; but be satisfied

Bos. It seems you would create me

One of your familiars.

Ferd. Familiar! what's that?

Bos. Why, a very quaint invisible devil in flesh,

An intelligencer.

Ferd. Such a kind of thriving thing

I would wish thee; and ere long thou mayest arrive

At a higher place by't.

Bos. Take your devils,

Which hell calls angels; these cursed gifts would make

You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor;

And should I take these, they'd take me to hell.

Ferd. Sir, I'll take nothing from you that I have given : There is a place that I procured for you

This morning, the provisorship o' the horse;

Have you heard on't?

Bos. No.

Ferd. 'Tis yours is't not worth thanks?

240

250

260

Bos. I would have you curse yourself now, that your bounty