Duke. Thou liest, dissembler; on thy brow I

read

Distracted horrors figured in thy looks.
On thy allegiance, D'Avolos, as e'er

Thou hop'st to live in grace with us, unfold
What by the party-halting of thy speech
Thy knowledge can discover. By the faith
We bear to sacred justice, we protest,
Be it or good or evil, thy reward

Shall be our special thanks, and love unterm'd:*
Speak, on thy duty; we, thy prince, command.

D'Av. Oh my disaster! my lord, I am so charmed by those powerful repetitions of love and duty, that I cannot conceal what I know of your dishonour.

Duke. "Dishonour!" then my soul is cleft with

fear:

I half presage my misery; say on,

Speak it at once, for I am great with grief.

D'Av. I trust your highness will pardon me; yet I will not deliver a syllable which shall be less innocent than truth itself.

Duke. By all our wish of joys, we pardon thee. D'Av. Get from me, cowardly servility! my service is noble, and my loyalty an armour of brass in short, my lord, and plain discovery, you are a cuckold.

Duke. Keep in the word,-a cuckold?

And love unterm'd.] i. e. inexpressible; or rather, perhaps, interminable.

D'Av. Fernando is your rival, has stolen your duchess's heart, murther'd friendship; horns your head, and laughs at your horns.

Duke. My heart is split.

D'Av. Take courage, be a prince in resolution: I knew it would nettle you in the fire of your composition, and was loth to have given the first report of this more than ridiculous blemish to all patience or moderation; but, oh my lord, what would not a subject do to approve his loyalty to his sovereign? Yet, good sir, take it as quietly as you can; I must needs say 'tis a foul fault, but what man is he under the sun, that is free from the career of his destiny? May be she will in time reclaim the errors of her youth; or 't were a great happiness in you, if you could not believe it; that's the surest way, my lord, in my poor counsel.

Duke. The icy current of my frozen blood
Is kindled up in agonies as hot

As flames of burning sulphur. Oh my fate!
A cuckold? had my dukedom's whole inheritance
Been rent, mine honours levell'd in the dust,
So she, that wicked woman, might have slept.
Chaste in my bosom, 't had been all a sport.-
And he, that villain, viper to my heart,

That he should be the man!' death above utterance!

Take heed you prove this true.

D'Av. My lord.

3 That he should be the man.]

This hemistich is repeated in the

4to, apparently by mistake, as it destroys the metre.

G G

Duke. If not,

I'll tear thee joint by joint.-Phew! methinks
It should not be :-Bianca! why, I took her
From lower than a bondage;—hell of hells!
See that you make it good.

D'Av. As for that, 'would it were as good as I would make it! I can, if you will temper your distractions, but bring you where you shall see it;

no more.

Duke. See it?

D'Av. Aye, see it, if that be proof sufficient. I, for my part, will slack no service that may testify my simplicity.

Enter FERNAndo.

Duke. Enough.-What news, Fernando?
Fern. Sir, the abbot

Is now upon arrival; all your servants

Attend your presence.

Duke. We will give him welcome

As shall befit our love and his respect;

Come, mine own best Fernando, my dear friend.

[Exit with FERN.

D'Av. Excellent! now for a horned moon.

[Music within. But I hear the preparation for the entertainment of this great abbot. Let him come and go, that matters nothing to this; whilst he rides abroad in hope to purchase a purple hat, our duke shall as earnestly heat the pericranium of his noddle with a yellow hood at home. I hear them coming.

Loud Music.

Enter Servants with Torches: then the DUKE, followed by FERNANDO, BIANCA, FIORMONDA, PETRUCHIO, and NIBRASSA, at one door; two Friars, the ABBOT and Attendants, at the other. The DUKE and ABBOT meet and salute; BIANCA and the rest salute, and are saluted; they rank themselves, and pass over the Stage; the Choir singing.

D'Av. On to your victuals; some of you, I know, Feed upon wormwood.

[Exit.

SCENE IV.

Another Apartment in the same.

Enter PETRUCHIO and NIBRASSA with Napkins. Pet. The duke's on rising; are you ready? ho! (Within.) All ready.

Nib. Then, Petruchio, arm thyself with courage and resolution; and do not shrink from being stayed on thy own virtue.

Pet. I am resolved:-fresh lights! I hear 'em

coming.

Enter Attendants with Lights, before the DUKE, ABBOT, BIANCA, FIORMONDA, FERNANDO, and D'AVOLOS.

Duke. Right reverend uncle, though our minds be scanted

In giving welcome as our hearts would wish,
Yet we will strive to show how much we joy
Your presence, with a courtly shew of mirth.
Please you to sit?

Abbot. Great duke, your worthy honours
To me, shall still have place in my best thanks:
Since you in me so much respect the church,
Thus much I'll promise; at my next return,
His Holiness shall grant [you] an indulgence
Both large and general.

Duke. Our humble duty.

Seat you, my lords; now let the masquers enter.

Enter, in an antick fashion, FERENTES, ROSEIlli, and MAURUCCIO at several doors; they dance a short time. Suddenly enter to them COLONA, JULIA, and MORONA in odd shapes, and dance; the men gaze at them, are at a stand, and are invited by the women to dance. They dance together sundry changes; at last they close FERENTES in,-MAURUCCIO and ROSEILLI being shook off, and standing at several ends of the Stage gazing. The women hold hands and dance about FERENTES in divers complimental offers of courtship; at length they suddenly fall upon him and stab him; he falls, and they run out at several doors. The Music ceases.

Fer. Uncase me; I am slain in jest. A pox upon your outlandish feminine anticks! pull off my visor; I shall bleed to death ere I have time to