 | The Maid in the Mill |  |
Scæna Secunda.
Enter Julio.Jul.
My mind's unquiet; while Antonio
My Nephew's abroad, my heart is not at home,
Only my fears stay with me; bad company;
But I cannot shift 'em off. This hatred
Betwixt the House of Bellides and us,
Is not fair war: 'tis civill, but uncivill.
We are neer neighbours, were of loves as neer,
Till a crosse misconstruction ('twas no more
In conscience) put us so far asunder:
I would 'twere reconcil'd; it has lasted
Too many Sun-sets, if grace might moderate:
Man should not lose so many dayes of peace
To satisfie the anger of one minute
I could repent it heartily. I sent
The knave to attend my Antonio too,
Enter Bustofa.
Yet he returns no comfort to me neither.
Bust.
No: I must not.
Jul.
Hah; hee's come,
Bust.
I must not: 'twill breake his heart to hear it.
Jul.
How? there's bad tidings: I must obscure & hear it;
He will not tell mee for breaking of my heart,
'Tis half split already.
Bust.
I have spi'd him: Now to knock down a Don
with a lie, a silly harmlesse lie; 'twill be valiantly done,
and nobly perhaps.
Jul.
I cannot hear him now.
Bust.
Oh the bloody dayes that wee live in; the envious,
malitious, deadly dayes that we draw breath in!
Jul.
Now I hear too loud.
Bust.
The children that never shall be born may rue
it; for men that are slain now might have liv'd to have
got children, that might have curs'd their fathers.
Jul.
Oh, my posterity is ruin'd.
Bust.
Oh sweet Antonio.
Jul.
Oh deer Antonio.
Bust.
Yet it was nobly done of both parts: When hee
and Lisauro met,
Jul.
Oh, death has parted 'em.
Bust.
Welcome my mortall foe (sayes one), Welcome
my deadly enemy (sayes th'other:) off go their doublets,
they in their shirts, and their swords stark naked; here
lies Antonio, here lies Lisauro: hee comes upon him with
an Embroccado, that hee puts by with a puncta reversa;
Lisauro recoils mee two paces and some six inches back,
takes his career, and then, oh.
Jul.
Oh.
Bust.
Runs Antonio quite thorow,
Jul.
Oh villain.
Bust.
Quite thorow between the arme and the body:
so yet he had no hurt at that bout.
Jul.
Goodnesse be praised.
Bust.
But then, at next encounter, he fetches me up Lisauro;
Lisauro makes out a Long at him, which he thinking
to be a Passado, Antonio's foot slipping: down: oh
down.
Jul.
O now thou art lost.
Bust.
Oh, but the quality of the thing: both Gentlemen,
both Spanish Christians, yet one man to shed
Jul.
Say his enemies blood.
Bust.
His hair may come by divers casualties, though
he never go into the field with his foe: but a man to lose
nine ounces and two drams of blood at one wound, thirteen
and a scruple at another, and to live till he die in cold
blood: yet the Surgeon (that cur'd him) said, if Pia-mater
had not been perish'd, he had bin a lives man till this day.
Jul.
There hee concludes he is gone.
Bust.
But all this is nothing: now I come to the
point.
Jul.
I the point, that's deadly: the ancient blow
Over the buckler ne'r went half so deep.
Bust.
Yet pitie bids mee keep in my charitie: for mee
to pull an old mans ears from his head with telling of a
Tale: oh fowle Tale! No, be silent Tale. Furthermore,
there is the charge of Buriall; every one will cry Blacks,
Blacks, that had but the least finger dipt in his blood,
though ten degrees remov'd when 'twas done. Moreover,
and sweet breads; yet I say, the man may recover
again, and die in his bed.
Jul.
What motley stuffe is this? Sirrha, speak truth
What hath befallen my deer Antonio?
Restrain your pity in concealing it;
Tell mee the danger full; take off your care
Of my receiving it: kill me that way.
I'll forgive my death: what thou keepst back from truth
Thou shalt speak in pain; doe not look to find
A limb in his right place, a bone unbroke,
Nor so much flesh unbrod'd of all that mountain
As a worm might sup on; dispatch, or be dispatch'd.
Bust.
Alas Sir, I know nothing, but that Anton. is a man of
Gods making to this hour, 'tis not two since I left him so.
Jul.
Where didst thou leave him?
Bust.
In the same clothes he had on when he went from you.
Jul.
Does he live?
Bust.
I saw him drink.
Jul.
Is he not wounded?
Bust.
He may have a cut i'th' leg by this time; for Don
Martin and he were at whole slashes.
Jul.
Met he not with Lisauro?
Bust.
I doe not know her.
Jul.
Her? Lisauro is a man, as he is.
Bust.
I saw ne'r a man like him.
Jul.
Didst thou not discourse a fight betwixt Ant. & Lis.?
Bust.
I to my self; I hope a man may give himself the lie
if it please him.
Jul.
Didst thou lie then?
Bust.
As sure as you live now.
Jul.
I live the happier by it: when will he return?
Bust.
That he sent me to tel you, within these ten daies at farthest.
Jul.
Ten daies? he's not wont to be absent two.
Bust.
Nor I think he wil not: he said he would be at home
to morrow; but I love to speak within my compasse.
Jul.
You shall speak within mine Sir, now. Within there:
Enter Servants.
Take this fellow into custodie, keep him safe
I charge you.
Bust.
Safe? do you hear? take notice what plight you find
me in, if there want but a collop or a steak o'me, look to't.
Jul.
If my nephew return not in his health to morrow,
Thou goest to th'Rack.
Bust.
Let me go to th'manger first; I had rather eat oats
then hay.
Exeunt.
Enter Bellides with a Letter.
Bel.
By your leave, Sir.
Jul.
For ought I know yet, you are welcom Sir.
Bel.
Read that, and tell me so: or if thy spectacles be not easie,
Keep thy nose unsadled, and ope thine ears;
I can speak thee the contents, I made 'em;
'Tis a challenge, a fair one, I'll maintain't:
I scorn to hire my Second to deliver 't,
I bring't my self: Dost know me, Julio?
Jul.
Bellides?
Bel.
Yes: Is not thine hair on end now?
Jul.
Som what amaz'd at thy rash hardines;
How durst thou come so neer thine enemie?
Bel.
Durst?
I dare come neerer: thou'rt a fool, Julio.
Jul.
Take it home to thee with a knave to boot.
Bel.
Knave to thy teeth again: and all that's quit:
Give me not a fool more then I give thee,
Or if thou dost, look to hear on't again.
Jul.
What an encounter's this?
Bel.
A noble one:
My hand is to my words, thou hast it there,
There I do challenge thee, if thou dar'st be
Good friends with me; or I'll proclaim thee coward.
Jul.
Be friends with thee?
Bel.
I'll shew thee reasons for't:
A pair of old coxcombs (now wee go together)
Such as should stand examples of discretion,
The rules of Grammar to unwilling youth
To take out lessons by; we that should check
And quench the raging fire in others bloods,
We strike the battell to destruction?
Read 'em the black art? and make 'em beleeve
It is divinitie? Heathens, are we not?
Speak thy conscience, how hast thou slept this month,
Since this Fiend haunted us?
Jul.
Sure, some good Angell
Was with us both last night: speak thou truth now,
Was it not last nights motion?
Bel.
Dost not think
I would not lay hold of it at first proffer?
Should I ne'r sleep again?
Jul.
Take not all from me;
I'll tell the doctrine of my vision.
Say that Antonio (best of thy blood)
Or any one, the least allyed to thee,
Should be the prey unto Lisauro's sword,
Or any of the house of Bellides?
Bel.
Mine was the just inversion: on, on.
Jul.
How would thine eys have emptied thee in sorrow,
And left the condiment of Nature drie?
Thy hands have turn'd rebellious to the balls,
And broke the glasses, with thine own curses
Have torn thy soul, left thee a Statue
To propagate thy next posterity.
Bel.
Yes, and thou causer? so it said to me,
They fight but your mischiefs: the yong men were friends,
As is the life and blood coagulate
And curded in one body; but this is yours,
An inheritance that you have gatherd for 'em,
A Legacie of blood, to kill each other
Throughout your Generations. Was't not so?
Jul.
Word for word.
Bel.
Nay, I can go farther yet.
Jul.
'Tis far enough; Let us attone it here.
And in a reconciled circle fold
Our friendship new again.
Bel.
The signe's in Gemini,
An auspicious house, 't has joyn'd both ours again.
Jul.
You cannot proclaim me coward now, Don Bellides
Bel.
No: thou 'rt a valiant fellow: so am I:
I'll fight with thee at this hug, to the last leg
I have to stand on, or breath or life left.
Jul.
This is the salt unto humanity,
And keeps it sweet.
Bel.
Love! oh life stinks without it.
I can tell you news.
Jul.
Good has long been wanting.
Bel.
I do suspect, and I have some proof on't,
(So far as a Love-Epistle comes to)
That Antonio (your nephew) and my daughter
Ismenia are very good friends before us.
Jul.
That were a double wall about our houses,
Which I could wish were builded.
Bel.
I had it
From Antonio's Intimate, Don Martin:
And yet (me thought) it was no friendly part
Jul.
Perhaps't was his consent:
Lovers have policies as well as Statesmen:
They look not alwaies at the mark they aime at.
Bel.
Wee'll take up cudgels, and have one bowt with'em,
They shall know nothing of this union:
And till they find themselves most desperate,
Succour shall never see'em.
Jul.
I'll take your part Sir.
Bel.
It grows late; there's a happy day past us.
Jul.
The example I hope to all behind it.
Exeunt.
| The Maid in the Mill | |