University of Virginia Library

SCEN. I.

A dumbe showe. The cornets sounding for the Acte.
Enter Castilio and Forobosco, Alberto and Balurdo, with polaxes: Strozzo talking with Piero, seemeth to send out Strotzo. Exit Strotzo. Enter Strotzo, Maria, Nutriche, and Luceo. Piero passeth through his guard, and talkes with her with seeming amorousnesse: she seemeth to reiect his suite, flyes to the toumbe, kneeles, and kisseth it. Piero bribes Nutriche and Lucio: they goe to her, seeming to solicite his suite. She riseth, offers to goe out, Piero stayeth her, teares open his breast, imbraceth and kisseth her, and so they goe all out in State.
Enter two pages, the one with two tapers, the other with a chafing dish: a perfume in it. Antonio, in his night gowne, and a night cap, vnbrac't, following after.
An.
The black iades of swart night trot foggy rings

Bout heauens browe. (12) Tis now starke
deade night.

Is this Saint Markes Church?

1. Pa.
It is, my Lord.

Ant.
Where stands my fathers hearse?

2. Pa.
Those streamers beare his armes. I, that is it.

Ant.
Set tapers to the toumbe, & lampe the Church.
Giue me the fire. Now depart and sleepe.
Exeunt pages.
I purifie the ayre with odorous fume.
Graues, valts, and toumbes, groane not to beare my weight,
Colde flesh, bleake trunkes, wrapt in your half-rot shrowdes,
I presse you softly, with a tender foote.
Most honour'd sepulchre, vouchsafe a wretch,
Leaue to weepe ore thee. Toumb, Ile not be long
Ere I creepe in thee, and with bloodlesse lips
Kisse my cold fathers cheeke. I pree thee, graue,
Prouide soft mould to wrap my carcasse in.
Thou royal spirit of Andrugio, where ere thou houerst
(Ayrie intellectt) I heaue vp tapers to thee (viewe thy son)
In celebration of dewe obsequies.
Once euery night, Ile dewe thy funerall hearse
With my religious teares,
O blessed father of a cursed son,
Thou diedst most happie, since thou liuedst not
To see thy sonne most wretched, and thy wife
Pursu'd by him that seekes my guiltlesse blood.
O, in what orbe thy mightie spirit soares,
Stoop and beat downe this rising fog of shame,
That striues to blur thy blood, and girt defame
About my innocent and spotlesse browes.
Non est mori miserum, sed miserè mori.

And.
Thy pangs of anguish rip my cerecloth vp:
And loe the ghoast of ould Andrugio
Forsakes his coffin. Antonio, reuenge.
I was impoyson'd by Piero's hand:
Reuenge my bloode; take spirit gentle boy:
Reuenge my bloode. Thy Mellida, is chaste:
Onely to frustrate thy pursuite in loue,
Is blaz'd vnchaste. Thy mother yeelds consent
To be his wife, & giue his bloode a sonne,
That made her husbandlesse, and doth complot
To make her sonlesse: but before I touch
The banks of rest, my ghost shall visite her.
Thou vigor of my youth, iuyce of my loue,
Seize on reuenge, graspe the sterne bended front
Of frowning vengeance, with vnpaized clutch.
Alarum Nemesis, rouze vp thy blood,
Inuent some stratageme of vengeance:
Which but to thinke on, may like lightning glide,
With horor through thy breast; remember this.
Scelera non vlcisceris, nisi vincis.

Exit Andrugio's ghost.