Scene + 

IV + 

Milan. An apartment in the residence of the Cardinal and Ferdinand. + 

Enter Cardinal, Pescara, Malatesti, Roderigo, and Grisolan. + 

Cardinal + 

You shall not watch tonight by the sick prince; + 

His grace is very well recover’d. + 

Malatesti + 

Good my lord, suffer us. + 

Cardinal + 

O, by no means; + 

The noise, and change of object in his eye, + 

Doth more distract him. I pray, all to bed; + 

And though you hear him in his violent fit, + 

Do not rise, I entreat you. + 

Pescara + 

So, sir; we shall not. + 

Cardinal + 

Nay, I must have you promise + 

Upon your honours, for I was enjoin’d to’t + 

By himself; and he seem’d to urge it sensibly. + 

Pescara + 

Let our honours bind this trifle. + 

Cardinal + 

Nor any of your followers. + 

Malatesti + 

Neither. + 

Cardinal + 

It may be, to make trial of your promise, + 

When he’s asleep, myself will rise and feign + 

Some of his mad tricks, and cry out for help, + 

And feign myself in danger. + 

Malatesti + 

If your throat were cutting, + 

I’d not come at you, now I have protested against it. + 

Cardinal + 

Why, I thank you. + 

Grisolan + 

’Twas a foul storm tonight. + 

Roderigo + 

The Lord Ferdinand’s chamber shook like an osier. + 

Malatesti + 

’Twas nothing put pure kindness in the devil + 

To rock his own child. + 

Exeunt all except the Cardinal. + 

Cardinal + 

The reason why I would not suffer these + 

About my brother, is, because at midnight + 

I may with better privacy convey + 

Julia’s body to her own lodging. O, my conscience! + 

I would pray now; but the devil takes away my heart + 

For having any confidence in prayer. + 

About this hour I appointed Bosola + 

To fetch the body. When he hath serv’d my turn, + 

He dies. + 

Exit. + 

Enter Bosala. + 

Bosola + 

Ha! ’twas the cardinal’s voice; I heard him name + 

Bosola and my death. Listen; I hear one’s footing. + 

Enter Ferdinand. + 

Ferdinand + 

Strangling is a very quiet death. + 

Bosola + 

Aside. Nay, then, I see I must stand upon my guard. + 

Ferdinand + 

What say to that? Whisper softly: do you agree to’t? So; it must be done i’ th’ dark; the cardinal would not for a thousand pounds the doctor should see it. + 

Exit. + 

Bosola + 

My death is plotted; here’s the consequence of murder. + 

We value not desert nor Christian breath, + 

When we know black deeds must be cur’d with death. + 

Enter Antonio and Servant. + 

Servant + 

Here stay, sir, and be confident, I pray; + 

I’ll fetch you a dark lantern. + 

Exit. + 

Antonio + 

Could I take him at his prayers, + 

There were hope of pardon. + 

Bosola + 

Fall right, my sword!⁠—Stabs him. + 

I’ll not give thee so much leisure as to pray. + 

Antonio + 

O, I am gone! Thou hast ended a long suit + 

In a minute. + 

Bosola + 

What art thou? + 

Antonio + 

A most wretched thing, + 

That only have thy benefit in death, + 

To appear myself. + 

Reenter Servant with a lantern. + 

Servant + 

Where are you, sir? + 

Antonio + 

Very near my home.⁠—Bosola! + 

Servant + 

O, misfortune! + 

Bosola + 

Smother thy pity, thou art dead else.⁠—Antonio! + 

The man I would have sav’d ’bove mine own life! + 

We are merely the stars’ tennis-balls, struck and banded + 

Which way please them.⁠—O good Antonio, + 

I’ll whisper one thing in thy dying ear + 

Shall make thy heart break quickly! Thy fair duchess + 

And two sweet children⁠— + 

Antonio + 

Their very names + 

Kindle a little life in me. + 

Bosola + 

Are murder’d. + 

Antonio + 

Some men have wish’d to die + 

At the hearing of sad tidings; I am glad + 

That I shall do’t in sadness. I would not now + 

Wish my wounds balm’d nor heal’d, for I have no use + 

To put my life to. In all our quest of greatness, + 

Like wanton boys whose pastime is their care, + 

We follow after bubbles blown in th’ air. + 

Pleasure of life, what is’t? Only the good hours + 

Of an ague; merely a preparative to rest, + 

To endure vexation. I do not ask + 

The process of my death; only commend me + 

To Delio. + 

Bosola + 

Break, heart! + 

Antonio + 

And let my son fly the courts to princes. Dies. + 

Bosola + 

Thou seem’st to have lov’d Antonio. + 

Servant + 

I brought him hither, + 

To have reconcil’d him to the cardinal. + 

Bosola + 

I do not ask thee that. + 

Take him up, if thou tender thine own life, + 

And bear him where the lady Julia + 

Was wont to lodge.⁠—O, my fate moves swift! + 

I have this cardinal in the forge already; + 

Now I’ll bring him to th’ hammer. O direful misprision! + 

I will not imitate things glorious. + 

No more than base; I’ll be mine own example.⁠— + 

On, on, and look thou represent, for silence, + 

The thing thou bear’st. + 

Exeunt. + 