University of Virginia Library

Act. 1.

Enter Malipiero, who knocks at a Doore, to him a Servant.
Mal.
Where is my Uncle sirra?

Ser.
Not within.

Mal.
Come hither, tell me truth.

Ser.
Hee's gone abroad.

Mal.
He has commanded your officious rogueship.
To deny him to me.

[Mal. kicks him.]
Ser.
What do you mean sir?

Mal.
To speak with my Uncle sirrah, and these kicks
Shall fetch him hither.

Ser.
Help.

[He runns in]
Mal.
Your howling will
Be his kue to appear.

Enter Cornari.
Cor.
What insolence is this?

Mal.
No insolence: I did but correct your knave,
Because I would not lose my labour sir,
I came to speak w'ee.

Cor.
Shall I not be safe
Within my house? hence.

Mal.
I ha not done yet.

Cor.
You were best assault me too.

Mal.
I must borrow money,
And that some call a striking; but you are
My very loving Uncle, and do know
How necessary it is, your Nephew should not
Want for your honor.

Cor.
Hence; I disclaim,
And throw thee from my blood; thou art a bastard.

Mal.
Indeed you do lie Uncle, and 'tis love,
And reverence bids me say so, it would cost
Dear, should the proudest Gentleman of Venice
Have call'd my Mother whore, but you shall onely
By the disbourse of fifty Duccats take
My anger off, and I'le be still your Nephew,
And drink your health, and my good Aunts.

Cor.
Drink thy
Confusion.

Mal.
Heaven forbid your Heir should so
Forget himself, and lose the benefit
Of such a fair Estate as you have Uncle;
Shall I have Gold for present use?

Cor.
Not a Zechine.

Mal.
Consider but what Company I keep.

Cor.
Things that lie like Consumptions on their Family,
And will in time eat up their very name;
A knot of fooles and knaves.

Mal.
Take heed, be temperate,
A hundred Duccats else wil hadly satisfie,
The Dukes own Son Signior Thomazo wo'not
Blush to be drunk sir in my company.

Cor.
He is corrupted
Amongst diseases like thy self, become
His Fathers shame and sorrow, and hath no
Inheritance of his noble nature.

Mal.
You
Were best call him bastard too, the money
I modestly demanded, and that quickly,
And quietly, before I talk aloud,
I may be heard to'th Palace else.

Cor.
Thou heard? i'le tel thee,
Were treason talk'd, I believe thy testimony
Would hold no credit against the hangman, but
I lose too pretious time in dialogue with thee,
To be short therefore know.—

Mal.
Very well, to'th point.

Cor.
I will consume all my estate my self.

Mal.
You do not know the waies without instruction.

Cor.
I will be instructed then.

Mal.
I doe like that,
Let's joyn societies, and ile be satisfied;
Let me have part in the consuming of
The mony, that does mould for want of Sun-beams
Within your musty Coffers, I'le release you.
You have no swaggering face; but I can teach
Your very lookes to make a noyse, and if
You cannot drink or game, wee'l ha' devices;
You may have whores, I that but live in hope
After your death, keep twelve in pension,
They wear my Livery, I'le resigne the Leverets,
I can ha more, I have a list of all
The Curtezans in Venice, which shall tumble
And keep their bugle bowes for thee dear Uncle,
Wee'l teach thee a thousand waies.

Cor.
It shannot need,
I shall take other courses with my wealth,
And none of you shall share in't. I have a humour
To turn my mony into Hospitalls;
Your riots come not thither.

Mal.
But we may,
Drink, and diseases are the waies to that too,
But will you turn a Master of this Colledge
You talk of Uncle? this same Hospitall?
And lay out mony to buy wooden leggs
For crippl'd men of War, invite to your cost
Men that have lost their noses in hot service?
Live and converse with roten bawdes & bonesetters,
Provide Pensions for surgery, and hard words
That eat like Corrosives, and more afflict
The patient? but you'l save charges, I consider
My Aunt, your wife—

Cor.
How darst thou mention her
With thy foul breath.

Mal.
May be excellent at composing
Of Med'cines for corrupted lungs, impostumes
At making plaisters, dyet drinks, and in charity
Will be a great friend to the pox.

Cor.
Thou villain.

Mal.
And you'l be famous by't, I may in time
As I said before, if lust, and wine assist me,
Grow unsound too, and be one of her patients;
And have an office after in her houshold
To prepare lint, and searcloths, empty veines,
And be controller of the Crutches, oh
The world would praise the new foundation
Of such a Pest house, and the poor soules drink
Your health at every Festivall in hot porredge.

Cor.
Art thou of kin to me?

Mal.
I think I am,
As near as your brothers eldest Son, who had
No competent estate from his own parents.
And for that reason by wise nature was
Ordain'd to be your heir that have enough Uncle.
The fates must be obeyed, and while your land
Is fastned to my name for want of males,
Which I do hope, if my Aunt hold her barrennesse
You will never bang out of her Sheaf, I may
Be confident to write my self your Nephew.

Cor.
Thou hast no seeds of goodness in thee, but
I may find waies to cross your hopefull interest.

Mal.
You'l find no seeds in my Aunts parslybed
I hope, and then I'm safe, but take your course,
Supply me for the present, for your honour—
The Duccats come.

Cor.
You are cosened.

Mal.
As you would not
Have me pull down this house, when you are dead
And build a stewes, the Duccats come.

Cor.
Thou coward!

Mal.
Because I do not cut your throat, that were
The way to disinherit my self queintly.

Cor.
Canst thou not steal? & so deserve a hanging?

Mal.
Yes I can, and am often tempted, but I wo'not
Do you that mighty wrong, to let what you have
So long, and with so little conscience gathered,
Be lost in confiscation by my fellony.
I know a way worth ten on't; yet thus much
I'le bind it with an oath, when I turn thief,
Your Gold shall be the first I will make bold with,
In the mean time lend me the trifling Duccats,
And do not trouble me.

Cor.
Not a Muccinigo
To save thee from the Gallies.

Mal.
No? the Gallies!
Must I shift still? remember, and die shortly
I'le live, I will, and 'rather then not be
Reveng'd on thy estate, I will eat roots
Course ones I mean, love, and undoe an herbwife
With eating up her sallets, live and lap
Onely in barly water, think on't yet,
I am now for wine, you know not what that heat
May do, the injury being so fresh, I may
Return, and you'l repent.

Cor.
'Tis more then I
Can hope of thee, go to your rabble sir.

Mal.
You a Gentleman of Venice? but remember,
A pox 'a your wealth, I will do something
To deserve the halter, that I may disgrace
The house I came on, and at my Execution
Make such a speech, as at the report, thou shalt
Turn desperate, and with the remnant of
My Cord go hang thy self, and that way forfeit
All thy Estate when I am dead, i'le do
Or this, or something worse to be reveng'd.
Exit. Mal.

Enter Servant.
Cor.
Hee's lost, this doth new fire my resolution;
See if your Mistris be yet ready sirra,
Say I expect her.
Exit Servant.
My blood is almost in a fever with
My passion, but Claudiana may cure all,
Whom I have wrought with importunity
To be spectator at the exercise
This day 'ith Academy, here she comes,
Enter Claudiana.
Art ready?

Clau.
Ever to obey you sir,
But if you would consider yet, you may
Be kind, and let me stay, I dare not think
You are less careful of my honor, but
You gave once Command with my consent too,
Not to be seen too much abroad.

Cor.
I did.
I must confesse Claudiana, I had thoughts
And scruples which thy innocence hath clear'd,
And though our nice Italian every where
Impose severely on their wives; I should
Be unjust to make thee still a prisoner to
Thy melancholly Chamber, take the aire,
'Tis for thy health, and while I wait upon thee,
Thou art above the tongue, and wound of scandall.

Clau.
I know your presence takes off all dishonor,
But—

Cor.
No more, I charge thee by thy love,
And to convince all arguments against it;
I have provided so, thou shalt observe
Unseen the bold contentions of art,
And action.

Clau.
I'm not well.

Cor.
I shall be angry
If my desires be plai'd withall, pretend not
With purpose to delude me, I have blessings
Stor'd in thy health, but if you practise any
Infirmity to cross my will, that almes
At the security of thy health and honour—

Clau.
Sir, you shall steere me.

Cor.
This becomes Claudiana,
I will thank thee in a kiss, prepare
The Gundelo.

Ser.
It waites

[Within]
Cor.
And I on thee,
The treasure of my eyes, and heart.

Exeunt.
Enter Roberto, Ursula, Georgio.
Rob.
Where is my son Giovanni sirra?

Geo.
Hee went two hours agoe to the Academy,
To see the exercise to day.

Urs.
How's that?
What business has he there, pray 'mongst Gentlemen?
He does presume too much.

Ro.
Patience good Ursula.

Urs.
You give him to much reine; 'twould become him
To follow his profession, and not look after
Those gentlemanly sports.

Ro.
No tempest wife,
No thundring Ursula, am not I the Dukes
Chief Gardiner, ha? and shall I make my Son
A drudg; confine him here to be an earth-worm,
Live like a mole, or make it his last blessing
To plant, and order quickset; let him walk,
And see the fashions.

Urs.
He has cost you sweetly
To bring him up, what use had he of learning?
What benefit, but to endanger us,
And with his 'poring upon books at midnight,
To set the house on fire, let him know how
To rule a spade, as you ha done.

Ro.
He does so,
And knowes how to inoculate my Ursula,
My nimble tongue, no more: because he read
The story of Zantippe to'ther night
That could out-talk a drum, and sound a point
Of War to her husband honest Socrates,
You took a pet; he shall abroad sometimes
And read and write till his head ake. Go to

Urs.
So, so, the Dukes Garden shall be then
Well look't to, he deserves a Pension,
For reading Amadis de gaule, and Guzman,
And Don Quixot, but i'le read him a lecture.

Ro.
You will? offer but to bark at him,
And I will send him to the University
To anger thee, nay he shall learn to fence too,
And fight with thee, at twenty severall weapons
Except thy two edged tongue, a little thing
Would make me entertain a dancing master,
Peace, or I will destroy thy Kitchin Ursula,
Disorder all thy trinkets, and in stead
Of brasse and pewter, hang up Violl de Gambos,
I'le set an Organ up at thy beds head,
And he shall play upon't: what tyrannicall
To thy own flesh and blood, to Giovanni?
My heir, my onely boy? fetch me a taylor,
He shall have new cloaths, and no more be warm
With the reversion of your peticoates,
Do not provoke me, what imperious?
Get you in, or I will swinge you go, and weed.

Vrs.
Now for vexation could I cry my heart out.

Exit.
Ro.
Sirra stay you, and is Giovanni gone
To'th' Academy saist?

Geo.
Yes sir, they say,
There is an English Gentleman, that winns
The Garland from 'em all at every exercise,
One of the Court told my young master on't,
(As he enquired of every Gentleman
Comes in to'th' Garden, what's the newes abroad)

Ro.
And does he not tell thee tales & dainty stories
Sometimes?

Geo.
Oh, of Tamberlain, and the great Turk, & all
His Concubines, he knowes 'em to a hair,
He is more perfect in the Chronicles
Then I am in my prayers.

Ro.
I do believ't

Geo.
And talkes a battell, as he were among 'em,
He tickles all your turbants, and in a rage,
Wishes he had the cutting of their Cabbages
To shew what house he came on.

Ro.
Ha my boy!

Geo.
Oh sir he has a pestilent memory,
He told me to'ther day there was another
World in the Moon, and that the world we live in
Shines like to that, to people that live there,
How many miles it is about the Earth,
How many to the starrs, I fear he will
Be mad, if he read much, 'tis just like ravening,
And such hard words would choak me to repeat 'em.

Ro.
He never tells me this.

Geo.
We are familiar.
You are his Father, and he dares not lie
To you, to me he may talk any thing,
He knowes my understanding to an inch.
Would you would speak to him though, to take a little
More paines, 'tis I do all the droile, the durtwork:
When I am digging; he is cutting Unicornes,
And Lyons in some hedge, or else devising
New knots upon the ground, drawing out Crowns
And the Dukes armes, Castles and Cannons in 'em,
Here Gallies, there a Ship giving a broad side,
Here out of turfe he carves a Senatour
With all his robes, making a speech to Time
That grows hard by, and twenty curiosities,
I think he meanes to embroider all the Garden
Shortly, but I do all the course-worke; here's
My Mistris agen.

Enter Vrsula.
Ro.
What, is the storm laid?

Vrs.
I must be patient: your sonne's not come yet

Ro.
Why now thou art Vrsa Maior, love thy whelp,
And we are friends.

Vrs.
Was not the Dukes Son here?
I fear he is sick, that I have not seen him
These two daies in the Garden.

Geo.
There's a Gentleman.

Vrs.
I, there's a Gentleman indeed.
I dream't on him last night, pray heaven he be
In health, I prethee make enquiry,
There's a Gentleman, and you talk of a Gentleman.

Geo.
Signior Thomazo?

Ro.
Where is hee?

Geo.
I know not, but my mistris would send me
To know the state of his body.

Ro.
Why, how now Vrsula? sirra about you businesse,
And spare that inquisition, what hath
Your impudence to do with the Dukes Son?

Vrs.
Have not I to do that gave him suck?
I hope I was his nurse, and it becomes me
To enquire of his health, he is the very pearl
Of curtesie, not proud nor coy I warrant you,
But gentle as my Sunday muffe.

Ro.
Your conny skinne.

Vrs.
I am the better when I look upon him,
There' a gentleman, and you talk of a gentleman,
So compleat, so affable, a scholar too,
If I could understand him, prethee sweet heart,
Get me with child that I may long a little.

Ro.
For a piece of the Dukes Son?

Vrs.
I shall nere forget how pretily
He took the niple, and would play, and prattle himself
Asleep I warrant you, but hee's now a man,
A great man, and he remembers me still:
There's a gentleman, and you talk of a gentleman.

Ro.
The woman dotes.

Exit.
Enter Marino meeting Candiano a Senatour.
Mar.
Whither so fast?

Can.
To the Academy.

Ma.
Spare
Your hast, all's done.

Can.
Who has the vote to day?

Mar.
The English Gentleman is still victorious
All praises flow upon him, he ha's depos'd
Our City, which hath now resign'd her Lawrell.

Enter Florelli and other gentlemen.
Can.
Is not this hee?

Mar.
The same, in's face the promise
Of a most noble nature.

Flo.
Gentlemen,
Pray give me leave, to understand your language,
For this, so much above me, scarce will be,
(When I'm lesse ignorant), worth my thanks.

1. Gent.
This is
We know pretence of modesty, we must
Congratulate your triumph.

Flo.
For this time
I'le be content your praises shall abuse me.
Who are these?

Mar.
Friends and Honorers of your worth.

Flo.
I see that courtesie is native here,
All the reward I can return, must be
To speak abroad the Noblenesse of Venice
For so much grace to an unworthy stranger.

Can.
The Duke himselfe.

Enter Duke, Thomazo, Senators, Malipiero.
Du.
We must resolve to send new forces
And speedily, the flame will else endanger
Venice it self.

Sen.
This town lost will encourage
The insulting Genowese.

Du.
Thomazo!

Tho.
Sir.

Du.
I look when you will ask me leave to traile
A pike, and purchase honor in these Warrs.

Tho.
I have not been well since I was last
Let blood, and therefore if you please, I would
Be excus'd till the next warrs, and then have at 'em,
By that time I shall be a better rapier man.

Du.
This fool is the dishonor of my blood,
He declines all that's noble, and obeyes
A base and vulgar appetite, he dwells
Like a disease within my name, but 'tis
Heavens punishment, what are they?

Mari.
All strangers, but among them one
In whom you may read something worth your grace,
An English Gentleman.

Du.
He, to whom fame
Gives the honor of our exercises, nature
With such an active heat might have built up
My Son, but hee's curst to live a shadow,
Marino fetches Florelli to kiss the Dukes hand.
Welcome sir to Venice.

Tho.
He shall kiss my hand too, I am the Dukes Son.

Flo.
You honor me.

Du.
Thomazo give that gentleman
A box 'oth ear.

Tho.
He wo'not take it kindly,
He is one—

Du.
Will strike agen, is not that it?

Tho.
I would not use a stranger so discourteously, or else—

Du.
Embrace him then, and make your self worthy of
His friendship and converse, you'l gain more honor
Then the empty title of your birth can bring yee:
But to the great affair; the War, your Counsells.

Exeunt Duke, Senatour and Marino.
Tho.
My father bids me embrace you sir.

Flo.
I shall
Be proud when I can do you any service.

Tho.
Gentlemen, pray know me every one,
I am the Dukes Son, my name's Signior Thomazo.

Gent.
You do us too great honor.

Mal.
We had no object worth our envy sir
Till you arriv'd, you have at once dishonored,
And made our Venice fortunate.

Tho.
Malipiero, let's bid 'em welcome in rich wine.

Mal.
I attend you sir.
This fellow must not live to boast his trophees,
He may supplant me too, if he converse
Too freely with Thomazo, whose course wit
Is all the stock I live by, please you gentlemen
To walk.

Gent.
We follow.

Tho.
I would not have the way
But that you are a stranger.

Gen.
it becomes you.

Ex. Omnes.