Let me find mercy when I go at night
And do foul murder.
duchess [coming down a few steps]
Murder did you say?
Murder is hungry, and still cries for more,
And Death, his brother, is not satisfied,
But walks the house, and will not go away,
Unless he has a comrade! Tarry, Death,
For I will give thee a most faithful lackey
To travel with thee! Murder, call no more,
·108· For thou shalt eat thy fill.
There is a storm
Will break upon this house before the morning,
So horrible, that the white moon already
Turns grey and sick with terror, the low wind
Goes moaning round the house, and the high stars
Run madly through the vaulted firmament,
As though the night wept tears of liquid fire
For what the day shall look upon. Oh, weep,
Thou lamentable heaven! Weep thy fill!
Though sorrow like a cataract drench the fields,
And make the earth one bitter lake of tears,
It would not be enough. [A peal of thunder.]
Do you not hear,
There is artillery in the Heaven to-night.
Vengeance is wakened up, and has unloosed
His dogs upon the world, and in this matter
Which lies between us two, let him who draws
The thunder on his head beware the ruin
Which the forked flame brings after.
[A flash of lightning followed by a peal of thunder.]
·109· guido
Away! away!
[Exit the Duchess, who as she lifts the crimson curtain looks back for a moment at Guido, but he makes no sign. More thunder.]
Now is life fallen in ashes at my feet
And noble love self-slain; and in its place
Crept murder with its silent bloody feet.
And she who wrought it—Oh! and yet she loved me,
And for my sake did do this dreadful thing.
I have been cruel to her: Beatrice!
Beatrice, I say, come back.
[Begins to ascend staircase, when the noise of Soldiers is heard.]
Ah! what is that?
Torches ablaze, and noise of hurrying feet.
Pray God they have not seized her.
[Noise grows louder.]
Beatrice!
There is yet time to escape. Come down, come out!
[The voice of the Duchess outside.]
This way went he, the man who slew my lord.
·110· [Down the staircase comes hurrying a confused body of Soldiers; Guido is not seen at first, till the Duchess surrounded by Servants carrying torches appears at the top of the staircase, and points to Guido, who is seized at once, one of the Soldiers dragging the knife from his hand and showing it to the Captain of the Guard in sight of the audience. Tableau.]
End of Act III.
·111· Act IV.
·113· SCENE—The Court of Justice: the walls are hung with stamped grey velvet: above the hangings the wall is red, and gilt symbolical figures bear up the roof, which is made of red beams with grey soffits and moulding: a canopy of white satin flowered with gold is set for the Duchess: below it a long bench with red cloth for the Judges: below that a table for the clerks of the court. Two soldiers stand on each side of the canopy, and two soldiers guard the door; the citizens have some of them collected in the Court; others are coming in greeting one another; two tipstaffs in violet keep order with long white wands.
first citizen
Good morrow, neighbour Anthony.
second citizen
Good morrow, neighbour Dominick.
first citizen
This is a strange day for Padua, is it not?—the Duke being dead.
·114· second citizen
I tell you, neighbour Dominick, I have not known such a day since the last Duke died.
first citizen
They will try him first, and sentence him afterwards, will they not, neighbour Anthony?
second citizen
Nay, for he might ’scape his punishment then; but they will condemn him first so that he gets his deserts, and give him trial afterwards so that no injustice is done.
first citizen
Well, well, it will go hard with him I doubt not.
second citizen
Surely it is a grievous thing to shed a Duke’s blood.
third citizen
They say a Duke has blue blood.
second citizen
I think our Duke’s blood was black like his soul.
·115· first citizen
Have a watch, neighbour Anthony, the officer is looking at thee.
second citizen
I care not if he does but look at me; he cannot whip me with the lashes of his eye.
third citizen
What think you of this young man who stuck the knife into the Duke?
second citizen
Why, that he is a well-behaved, and a well-meaning, and a well-favoured lad, and yet wicked in that he killed the Duke.
third citizen
’Twas the first time he did it: may be the law will not be hard on him, as he did not do it before.
second citizen
True.
tipstaff
Silence, knave.
·116· second citizen
Am I thy looking-glass, Master Tipstaff, that thou callest me knave?
first citizen
Here be one of the household coming. Well, Dame Lucy, thou art of the Court, how does thy poor mistress the Duchess, with her sweet face?
mistress lucy
O well-a-day! O miserable day! O day! O misery! Why it is just nineteen years last June, at Michaelmas, since I was married to my husband, and it is August now, and here is the Duke murdered; there is a coincidence for you!
second citizen
Why, if it is a coincidence, they may not kill the young man: there is no law against coincidences.
first citizen