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Scæna secunda.
Enter Amada & Eunuchus.Ama.
Eunuchus?
Eunu.
Madam.
Ama.
What solemnity is that the Citty celebrates?
Eunu.
The Dukes of Venice and Ferrara,
Are with your father entred the wals
Vnto the funerals of Iulia.
Ama.
Why, is Iulia dead?
Eunu.
I hope your Ladiship—
Ama.
I cry thee mercy: the remembrance of her
Makes me still thinke she liues.
And thats the cause they parleyed on the wals.
Eunu.
True Madam.
Ama.
Remoue a while.
Eunu.
At your seruice Lady.
stand aside.
Ama.
Iulia giuen out for dead,
And liue in durance at my fathers will?
Tis strange: the Dukes inuited to her fuunerall.
More mists of pollicy? O simplicity!
The clue of reason cannot guid the fate,
Of this Dedalion maze: wer't not prophane
In me to question nature for my birth,
And quarrell with my starres for being daughter
To him whome I suspect to be a villaine:
Some inspiration of religious thoughts,
Make nature lesse in me, and beare my duty
Euen with his awe whose vncontrould commaund,
Frees our obedience from our impious parents.
That I should keepe faire Iulia: I am her Iaylor,
To whome, both he and I do owe alleagiance.
Distracted duty, how should I bestow thee?
On the right owner, Iustice I adore thee.
Enter Borgias.
Borg.
Amada.
Ama.
My loue and duty.
Borg.
Alone?
Ama.
My mothers Eunuch:
Borg.
How fares Iulia?
Ama.
Liues as you cōmanded, vnseene & priuate.
Burg.
Thy mothers dead.
Ama.
Defend it heauens!
Borg.
Dead: no more: Eunuchus?
Eunu.
My loue and seruice.
Borg.
You gaue it out last night as I commaunded
Timoclea my wife was sicke.
Eunu.
I did and't like your grace.
Borg.
When sets the Sunne?
Eunu.
Some six houres hence.
Borg.
To night wilbe to soone: to morrow morning
Rumour't about the Citty, my wife is dead,
Say abroad she is dead.
Eunu.
It shall be done.
Borg.
So shall thy duty keepe me bound to thee.
Amada: some thing more I haue to say,
Prepare for marriage.
Ama.
For marriage?
Borg.
Question me not, thou must be married,
Mulleasses is thy husband, my word hath seald it,
Be still my Argus, and keepe Iulia.
Death to my soule! Eunuchus
Canst thou vnknowne (to any saue thy selfe)
Poyson a groome to stuffe a coffen with?
Eunu.
I can to please your Lordship:
O thou shalt please vs highly! I haue great vse
Of such a thing, I prethee do it:
My wife last night was poysoned, her body
The world beleeues is Iulias, supposed dead.
Now for the second funerall of my wife.
Her coffin must be fild vp with some slaue,
He shall be honord princely to his graue.
The funerall staies my presence: Amada
See to my Iulia, if Mulleasses moue,
Be kinde and gentle to his proffered loue.
Exit Borgiæs.
Ama.
Heere's a distracted laborinth of wit,
Iulia aliue, and yet her funeral kept:
My mother dead and neuer Sicke: tis true:
To many, death is suddaine and vnlookt for:
So't was to her: and in the midst of death,
I must be married: death take me to,
Let me not liue to see those tapers burne,
That leade me to his bed: where's sanctity?
Religion is the fooles bridle, worne by pollicy:
As horse weare trappers to seeme faire in shew,
And make the worldes eye dote on what we seeme.
Be silent yet for duty stops thy mouth,
Ile in to Iulia, 'tis she and I,
That must be Chorus in this Tragedy.
Exit Amada.
Eunu.
Howso'ere my fortunes make me now a slaue
I was a free borne Christians sonne in Cyprus,
When Famagusta by the Turke was sackt:
In the deuision of which Citty spoyles,
My fortunes fell to Mulleasses lot:
Nor was it Tyranny inough that I was Captiue,
My parents robd of me, and I of them,
But they wrongd nature in me, made me an Eunuch,
Disabled of those masculine functions,
Due from our sex: and thus subiected,
These sixteene yeares vnto the vilde commaund,
Of an imperious Turke, I now am giuen
Vnto Timoclea, the wife of Borgias,
Whose priuate mixtures I am guilty of:
Betwixt these three I stand as in a maze,
In eg'd to al their sinnes, and made a baud
To lust and murder: Mulleasses first
Giues me vnto Timoclea, that without suspect
I might procure their loues security;
For which they promise me my liberty.
But Borgias whether iealous of his wife,
Or reaching at some further pollicy,
Bindes me with golden offers to his trust,
And first comaunds me rumour it abroad
Timoclea his wife was sicke, when at that instant
She was in health and dauncing with her Turke.
Now I must second that report with death,
And say abroad Timoclea is dead:
Shortwarning for a iourney vnto heauen:
But (which amazeth most) I must prouide
The body of some groome to stop a coffin with.
This is a riddle of some Sphinx, let Oedipus
Vnfold the meaning: I leaue it to th'euent,
And thinke most safety in not knowing it.
I must prouide some groome, thats my commaund.
Prosper me Saturne, and those starres of sinne,
Whose influence makes villaines fortunate
“He kils by law that kils men for a state.
Enter Bordello & Pantofle his Page.
But who comes heere? oh my spruce he—letcher
That makes his boye saue him the charges of a bawdy house,
Fore Mahomet an excellent fellow for my Lords coffin:
Assist me power of wit.
Bord.
Pantofle.
At your pleasure sir?
Bord.
Thou hast bene at my pleasure indeed Pantofle, I will
retreate into the country, hate this amourous, Court and betake
my selfe to obscurity; I tel thee boye I wil returne by this Circyan
Isle without transformation since Hebe hath discouered her secrets
I will turne Iupiter, hate the whole sexe of women, and onely
embrace thee my Ganimede.
Pan.
Sfoot sir you are as passionate for the disloyalty of your
Sempstresse as some needy knight would be for the losse of some
rich magnificos widdow: doe you not see how the supporters of
the Court, the Lady of the labby gape after your good parts like
so many grigges after fresh water, and can you withhold the dew
of your moyster element?
Bord.
I tel thee should the Lady Iulia when she was aliue haue
profered me her cheeke to kisse, I would not haue bowed to that
painted image for her whole Dukedome: Mercury had no good
aspect in the horoscope of my natiuity: women and lotium are
reciprocall, their sauour is noysome.
Eun.
Why her's a slaue in folio will seeme to slight the loue of
a Princesse, when he would willingly spend his talent on an oyster
wise.
Bord.
Sirra Pantofle trusse vp my wardrobe: but withal publish
my departure, I would willingly put my creditors to the chardge
of garding me out of towne.
Pan.
It will much scandalize your reputation for to depart
indebted: you will be cursed heauily.
Bord.
To depart indebted boy, is the onely way to be praid for,
seeing they knowe it is my prosperity and welfare that must
make them satisfaction.
Eunu.
Before heauen an excellent reason.
Pant.
Pray Sir make euen with your Taylor, he is
poore.
Bord.
Most willingly, for I am not possest of a pennikin, and
if he be not before with me, I take it we are euen, and may walke
in campage. Pantofle vanish.
I goe Sir.
Eunc.
I haue it, thankes sweete Thalia, thou hast begot a
child of mirth in my braine, I will put it to this creature of Florence
to nurse: Saucy Seignior.
Bord.
Eunuchus, Venus restore thee to thy generation: what
doings are now in your quarters?
Eun.
Doings: in faith courtly and weake: Cupid helpe the
poore Ladyes.
Bord.
you are aboue me, I meane not their ingenys or vpper
galleries:
Eun.
Nor I neither: and yet I speake of their vnderstandings,
which by reason of a generall spring, halt and debility in their
hamms (heauens know) are most falteringly feeble: but to present
the message I am sent for: to your worthiest self, from my Lady
and mistresse the protectors wife: you are intelligent?
Bord.
The beauteous Timoclea.
Eun.
Heauens grant she may haue the vertue of attraction:
for she hath laid open, the luster of her best parts to your grace
Sir: nay make not retreate Sir: she knowes you disdaine her
loue.
Bord.
The truth is I am earthly, and like not to participate
with the element of the fire: good Eunuchus commend me to your
Lady, and tell her by importuning my affection, she seekes the
fall of an innocent.
Eun.
True Sir, but with a firme beliefe of your rising againe.
Bord.
I see no hope of it.
Eun.
The harder is her fortune: but heare me, me thinkes
reward should pricke you on with more courage, to such an honorable
encounter.
Bord.
Faith Eunuche I haue made a vow not to vncase my selfe
to any of that sexe.
Eun.
It may be you grounded your oath vpon the vncleanes
of your shirt.
Bord.
Verily since the relapse of my Sempstresse, I haue not
Eun.
Sfoot I thought some foule cause or other, interposed it
selfe twixt you and my Lady: But sir, Ile see all wants supplyed,
thy debts satisfied, thy fortunes eternally mounted: onely bee
tractable to my poore loue-sicke Lady and mistresse, iust and louing.
Bord.
As I am, so fates assist me: and Eunuchus here's my hand
thou shalt haue ample share in my fortunes.
Eun.
By this hand sir but I will not: doe not faile sir at eight
of the clocke to meete me here, where Ile deliuer you the key of
my Ladyes chamber: with further instructions in the businesse,
and with assurednesse of preferment and promotion.
Bord.
Deere Eunuch let me hugge thee: how I long to manifest
thy seruice to my Lady Timoclea.
Eun.
My hand and promise for it.
Bord.
It shall suffice.
By women man first fell, by them Ile rise.
Exit.
Eun.
Ha ha ha: Protector, here's a slaue
Shall stuffe thy coffin: him thou shalt sacrifice
Vnto Timocleas ghost, whose humerous soule
Shall in his passage ouer Acheron
Make Charon laugh, and the sterne judge of hell
Smile at his folly: this is the fatall key
Conducts him to those shades by Borgias hand.
Thus fooles must fall, that wise men firme may stand.
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