University of Virginia Library

Scene III.

The Louvre.
Enter the Queen-Mother, Margaret, Denise, Yolande, and other Ladies.
Ca.
Call in my fool. You have all made proof of love
Except Denise; nay, she shall gift him too.
I prithee call him to us. (Exit Denise.)
And yet I think
The fellow turns half sour about the lip,
Being almost wholly dull.

Mar.
Nay, I keep friends with him.

Ca.
That's like enough, for he doth love your husband.
But the lewd words he put upon my son
And on Denise, did all but quite condemn
Our meek account of them. It is no matter,
If she can pardon him.
Re-enter Denise with Cino.
O, sir, come hither.

Cino.
I shall run at your bidding, shall I not?

Ca.
What should you do?

Mar.
Ay, there, what would you be?

Cino.
Not fool enough to be a dog of yours.

Mar.
This is no fool; he can do nought but rail.

Yol.
The fool has strayed among the gospellers.

Cino.
I begin to see I am virtuous; the wicked abuse me.

Ca.
Come hither, sirrah. Look well upon this fellow;
Would you not say a fool so round of flesh
Should be as courteous as a spaniel, ha?
Make answer, sir; we are told news of you,
What licensed things inhabit in your lip
That should be whipt ere heard, corrected first
And after to offend: what say you to't?

Cino.
Now shall I slip for want of a good tongue
And have my patience beaten. Prithee lend me
A tongue of yours.

Ca.
Have I more tongues than one?

Cino.
A score or so.

Ca.
Show us a little first
What sort of speech thy mother taught thee mar.

Mar.
Ay, there it lies; try that.

Cino.
What will you have me say?

Yol.
His jests are waste.

Anne.
Pure scandal screams in them.

Cino.
You call me gospeller, ha?

Yol.
Nay, that did I.

Cino.
Shall I turn preacher for your sake and make
A parable of your mouths?

Mar.
That, that; come on.

Yol.
Put your worst wrath on us.

Renée.
We'll hear the fool.

Anne.
Speak large and open; spare us not; speak wide.

Yol.
Now the mill grinds; now mark.

Cino.
But I shall rail indeed
Now I have holy leave.

Mar.
No matter; prithee now.

Cino.
It is your preacher's parable and not mine
Who am your poor fool and a simple thing.

Ca.
Come, sir, dig out your spleen.

Cino.
Thus then. You are all goats—

Mar.
Ha?

Ca.
Hear him through; we must have lewder stuff.

Cino.
And that which should make humbled blood in you
And clothe your broader times with modesty
Runs all to spoil and plagues your veins with heat.

Yol.
We must have more.

Anne.
This is blunt matter, fool.

Cino.
Hunger abides in you as in a dog
That has been scanted of flesh-meat three days;
Sin doth make house with you. Are you pleased yet?
You have smooth Sodom in your shameful cheeks;
Respect, obedience, the shut lips of fear,
Worship and grace and observation,
You have not heard of more than spring-swoln kine
Have heard of temperance. Are you yet satisfied?

Ca.
This is dead ware.

Mar.
Mere chaff that chokes the bin.

Yol.
The dust of a fool's bones.

Anne.
Dull as a preacher's beard.

Cino.
But are you not? resolve me; are not you?
You are made up of stolen scraps of man
That were filched unawares; you can make no children
Because you are grown half male with wicked use.

Ca.
I'll have thee whipt; thou art a hollow fool,
And hast no core but pith. Why, any beast
That hath the spring of speech in his tongue's joint
Or any talking nerve, could breed to this.
Thou wert to make us mirth.

Cino.
Well, do I not? do I not?

Mar.
Who angles in thee save for weeds, shall trip
Over his ears in mire: shut thy lewd mouth.

Ca.
Will you take gifts to be dumb? we are wearied with you.

Cino.
Ay, and worse favours at your prayer I will.

Ca.
You look near white with laughing much, Yolande,
Nay, there's no need to catch so sharp at red.
Give me that glove you keep for him.

Yol.
Here, madam.

Ca.
Here, wear this, Cino, and be friends with us.

Cino.
A fair gold thing, a finch's colour i' the back;
Too small for me though; God change one of us.

Ca.
Denise gave me the glove.

Den.
I, gracious madam?

Ca.
You, gracious maiden; it would span your wrist.
So, fool; beware you do not rend it.

Yol.
Ah!

Ca.
What now? did a gnat sting you?

Yol.
A mere fly;
A mere gold fly; I took it for a wasp.

Mar.
What does this mean? Come hither, fool; sit here.

Ca.
I will not have him there.—Stand further off.—
The knave's report doth poison miles about;
Come half so close, he'll kill you in your ear.

Cino.
Have back your glove; here, madam, have it back;
I will not wear it.

Mar.
What stings him now i' the brain?

Cino.
I am not well.

Ca.
This is some sideways jest.

Den.
(Aside.)
God make this business better than my thought,
For I do fear it.

Mar.
Do you note his lips?

Yol.
Yea, his eyes too?

Anne.
He is not well indeed.
Was all his railing prologue to this play
That reads as dull as death?

Cino.
Now I could prophesy
Like who turns heaven to riddles; my brain beats.
A man were as good ask mercy of dead bones
As of the best lip here; nay, I shall be
Quite marred amongst you.

Ca.
Convey the fool from us;
This does not look like wine.

Cino.
God be with you; be wise now, for the fool is gone.

[Exit.
Ca.
I do not like the face of this. Where had you
The glove you gave me?

Den.
I gave you nothing, madam.

Ca.
Does that wind hold? I must have more of you.

Mar.
Madam, you do not think—

Ca.
Give me leave, sweet.
We have had too much peril in report
To let this lie so light. Where had you it?

Den.
Why do you bait me out of season thus?
You know I never had it.

Ca.
Oh! had you not?
Then I have dreamed awry of you.

Den.
Madam—

Enter Attendant.
Att.
Where is the queen?

Ca.
What puts such haste in you?
Am I not worth a knee?

Att.
Pardon me, madam,
I have such tidings; your poor fool is dead.

Ca.
Bring me to him. So suddenly to cease
Is to cry out on his death's manner; bring me
To see his body; I have a little craft
In such a matter's healing. Some of you
Look to that girl; she swoons to have the deed
So entered in her ears.

Mar.
It is too foul.

Ca.
God pardon her! Could she not see that sharpness
Was but the gall and flaw of his bowed brain?
It did not hurt her more, being most proclaimed,
Than she has pitied him. Bring her with us.

[Exeunt.