The White Devil Part 41

Enter Amba.s.sadors and Giovanni

Eng. Amba.s.s. This way, this way! break open the doors! this way!

Lodo. Ha! are we betray'd?

Why then let 's constantly all die together; And having finish'd this most n.o.ble deed, Defy the worst of fate, nor fear to bleed.

Eng. Amba.s.s. Keep back the prince: shoot! shoot!

Lodo. Oh, I am wounded!

I fear I shall be ta'en.

Giov. You b.l.o.o.d.y villains, By what authority have you committed This ma.s.sacre?

Lodo. By thine.

Giov. Mine!

Lodo. Yes; thy uncle, which is a part of thee, enjoined us to 't: Thou know'st me, I am sure; I am Count Lodowick; And thy most n.o.ble uncle in disguise Was last night in thy court.

Giov. Ha!

Lodo. Yes, that Moor thy father chose his pensioner.

Giov. He turn'd murderer!

Away with them to prison, and to torture: All that have hands in this shall taste our justice, As I hope heaven.

Lodo. I do glory yet, That I can call this act mine own. For my part, The rack, the gallows, and the torturing wheel, Shall be but sound sleeps to me: here 's my rest; I limn'd this night-piece, and it was my best.

Giov. Remove these bodies. See, my honour'd lord, What use you ought make of their punishment.

Let guilty men remember, their black deeds Do lean on crutches made of slender reeds.

Instead of an epilogue, only this of Martial supplies me:

Haec fuerint n.o.bis praemia, si placui.

For the action of the play, 'twas generally well, and I dare affirm, with the joint testimony of some of their own quality (for the true imitation of life, without striving to make nature a monster,) the best that ever became them: whereof as I make a general acknowledgment, so in particular I must remember the well-approved industry of my friend Master Perkins, and confess the worth of his action did crown both the beginning and end.