Bussy D'Ambois and The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois Part 11

If he goe back, I die; I must prevent it, And cheare his onset with my sight at least, And that's the most; though every step he takes 245 Goes to my heart. Ile rather die than seeme Not to be strange to that I most esteeme.

_Fri._ Madam!

_Tam._ Ah!

_Fri._ You will pardon me, I hope, That so beyond your expectation, (And at a time for visitants so unfit) 250 I (with my n.o.ble friend here) visit you: You know that my accesse at any time Hath ever beene admitted; and that friend, That my care will presume to bring with me, Shall have all circ.u.mstance of worth in him 255 To merit as free welcome as myselfe.

_Tam._ O father, but at this suspicious houre You know how apt best men are to suspect us In any cause that makes suspicious shadow No greater than the shadow of a haire; 260 And y'are to blame. What though my lord and husband Lie forth to night, and since I cannot sleepe When he is absent I sit up to night; Though all the dores are sure, and all our servants As sure bound with their sleepes; yet there is One 265 That wakes above, whose eye no sleepe can binde: He sees through dores, and darknesse, and our thoughts; And therefore as we should avoid with feare To think amisse our selves before his search, So should we be as curious to shunne 270 All cause that other think not ill of us.

_Buss._ Madam, 'tis farre from that: I only heard By this my honour'd father that your conscience Made some deepe scruple with a false report That Barrisors blood should something touch your honour, 275 Since he imagin'd I was courting you When I was bold to change words with the d.u.c.h.esse, And therefore made his quarrell, his long love And service, as I heare, beeing deepely vowed To your perfections; which my ready presence, 280 Presum'd on with my father at this season For the more care of your so curious honour, Can well resolve your conscience is most false.

_Tam._ And is it therefore that you come, good sir?

Then crave I now your pardon and my fathers, 285 And sweare your presence does me so much good That all I have it bindes to your requitall.

Indeed sir, 'tis most true that a report Is spread, alleadging that his love to me Was reason of your quarrell; and because 290 You shall not think I faine it for my glory That he importun'd me for his Court service, I'le shew you his own hand, set down in blood, To that vaine purpose: good sir, then come in.

Father, I thank you now a thousand fold. 295 _Exit Tamyra and D'Amb[ois]._

_Fri._ May it be worth it to you, honour'd daughter!

_Descendit Fryar._

_Finis Actus Secundi._

LINENOTES:

1-49 _He will . . . bloud_. These lines and the direction, _Montsur . . . Pyrha_, are found in A only.

50 B, which begins the scene with this line, inserts before it: _Enter Monsieur, Tamyra, and Pero with a booke._

71 _joyning a lose_. A, weighing a dissolute.

76 _common_. A, solemne.

135 _honour_. A, profit.

146 _In . . . another_. A omits.

147 _wane_. Emend., Dilke; Qq, wave.

158 _yee_. A, the.

172 _which_. A, that.

173 _For life's . . . me_. A, For love is hatefull without love againe.

_The Vault opens_. B places this after 173; A omits.

177-181 _See . . . in_. Instead of these lines, A has:--

See, see the gulfe is opening that will swallow Me and my fame forever; I will in.

_with a book_. A omits.

266 _wakes_. A, sits.

274 _Made some deepe scruple_. A, Was something troubled.

275 _honour_. A, hand.

278-280 _his long love . . . perfections_. A omits.

280 _ready_. A omits.

286 _good_. A, comfort.

ACTUS TERTII SCENA PRIMA.

[_A Room in Montsurry's House._]

_Enter D'Ambois, Tamyra, with a chaine of pearle._

_Bussy._ Sweet mistresse, cease! your conscience is too nice, And bites too hotly of the Puritane spice.

_Tamyra._ O, my deare servant, in thy close embraces I have set open all the dores of danger To my encompast honour, and my life: 5 Before I was secure against death and h.e.l.l; But now am subject to the heartlesse feare Of every shadow, and of every breath, And would change firmnesse with an aspen leafe: So confident a spotlesse conscience is, 10 So weake a guilty. O, the dangerous siege Sinne layes about us, and the tyrannie He exercises when he hath expugn'd!

Like to the horror of a winter's thunder, Mixt with a gus.h.i.+ng storme, that suffer nothing 15 To stirre abroad on earth but their own rages, Is sinne, when it hath gathered head above us; No roofe, no shelter can secure us so, But he will drowne our cheeks in feare or woe.

_Buss._ Sin is a coward, madam, and insults 20 But on our weaknesse, in his truest valour: And so our ignorance tames us, that we let His shadowes fright us: and like empty clouds In which our faulty apprehensions forge The formes of dragons, lions, elephants, 25 When they hold no proportion, the slie charmes Of the witch policy makes him like a monster Kept onely to shew men for servile money: That false hagge often paints him in her cloth Ten times more monstrous than he is in troth. 30 In three of us the secret of our meeting Is onely guarded, and three friends as one Have ever beene esteem'd, as our three powers That in our one soule are as one united: Why should we feare then? for my selfe, I sweare, 35 Sooner shall torture be the sire to pleasure, And health be grievous to one long time sick, Than the deare jewell of your fame in me Be made an out-cast to your infamy; Nor shall my value (sacred to your vertues) 40 Onely give free course to it from my selfe, But make it flie out of the mouths of Kings In golden vapours, and with awfull wings.

_Tam._ It rests as all Kings seales were set in thee.

Now let us call my father, whom I sweare 45 I could extreamly chide, but that I feare To make him so suspicious of my love, Of which (sweet servant) doe not let him know For all the world.

_Buss._ Alas! he will not think it.

_Tam._ Come then--ho! Father, ope and take your friend. 50

_Ascendit Frier._

_Fri._ Now, honour'd daughter, is your doubt resolv'd?

_Tam._ I, father, but you went away too soone.

_Fri._ Too soone!

_Tam._ Indeed you did; you should have stayed; Had not your worthy friend beene of your bringing, And that containes all lawes to temper me, 55 Not all the fearefull danger that besieged us Had aw'd my throat from exclamation.

_Fri._ I know your serious disposition well.