menu_book Chapter 4

act four of tis pity she's a whore this libri box recording is in the public domain tis pity she's a whore by john ford act four scene i a room in florio's house a banquet set out horse boys enter the friar giovanni anabella filotis soranzo donado florio riccadetto putana and vasquez these holy rites performed now take your times to spend the remnant of the day in feast such fit repasts are pleasing to the saints who are your guests though not with mortal eyes to be beheld long prosper in this day you happy couple to each other's joy a father your prayer is heard the hand of goodness hath been a shield for me against my death and more to bless me hath enriched my life with this most precious jewel such a prize as earth hath not another like to this cheer up my love and gentlemen my friends rejoice with me in mirth

this day will crown with lusty cups to anabelleth health aside torture were this marriage yet undone ere i'd endure this sight to see my love glipped by another i would dare confusion and stand the horror of ten thousand deaths are you not well sir sir pray thee fellow wait i need not thy officious diligence signor donado come you must forget your late mishaps and drown your cares in wine vasquez my lord reach me that weighty bowl here brother giovanni here's to you your turn come next though now a bachelor here's to your sister's happiness and mine drinks and offers him the bowl i cannot drink what jwill indeed offend me mrs pray do not urge him if he be not willing what boys pound now what noise is this

oh sir i had forgot to tell you certain young maidens of parma in honour to madame annabella's marriage have sent their loves to her in a mask for which they humbly crave your patience and silence we are much bound to them so much the more as it comes unexpected guide them in enter hippolita followed by ladies in white robes with garlands of willows all masked music and a dance thanks lovely virgins now might we but know to whom we have been beholding for this love we shall acknowledge it yes you shall know what think you know anmasks hippolytara tis she be not amaz'd nor blush young lovely bride i come not to defraud you of your man tis now no time to reckon up the talk what parma long hath rumour'd of us both let rash report run on the breath that vents it will like a bubble break itself at last

but now to you sweet creature lend your hand perhaps it hath been said that i would claim some interest in soranzo now your lord what i have right to do his soul knows best but in my duty to your noble worth sweet annabella and my care of you here soranzo take this hand from me i'll once more join what by the holy church is finish'd and allow'd have i done well you have too much engaged us one thing more that you may know my single charity freely i here remit all interest i e'er could claim and give you back your vows and to confirm'd reach me a cup of wine vasquez gives her a poison'd cup my lord soranzo in this draught i drink long rest to ye she drinks aside look to it vasquez fear nothing ippolita i thank you and will pledge this happy union as another life wine there you shall have none neither shall you pledge her

how no now mistress she-devil your own mischievous treachery hath killed you i must not marry you villain what's the matter foolish woman thou art now like a firebrand that hath kindled others and burnt thyself tropo spirar ingana thy vain hope hath deceived thee thou art but dead if thou hast any grace pray monster die in charity for shame this thing of malice this woman hath privately corrupted me with promise of marriage under this political reconciliation to poison my lord whilst she might laugh at his confusion on his marriage day i promised her fair but i knew what my reward should have been and would willingly have spared her life but that i was acquainted with the danger of her disposition and now have fitted her a just payment in her own coin there she is she hath yet and end thy days in peace vile woman as for life there's no hope think not aunt wonderful justice heaven thou art righteous oh tis true i feel my minute coming at that slave kept promise oh my torment thou this hour hadst died soranzo heat above hell-fire

yet ere i pass away oh cruel cruel flames take here my curse amongst you may thy bed of marriage be a rack unto thy heart burn blood and boil in vengeance oh my heart my flame's intolerable may'st thou live to father bastards may her womb bring forth monsters and die together in your sins hated scorned and unpitied oh oh oh oh was e'er so vile a creature here's the end of lust and pride it is a fearful sight vasquez i know thee now a trusty servant and never will forget thee come my love we'll home and thank the heavens for this escape father and friends we must break up this mirth it is too sad a feast bear hence the body aside to giovanni here's an ominous change mark this my giovanni and take heed i fear the event that marriage seldom's good where the bride banquet so begins in blood

scene two a room in ricardetto's house enter ricardetto and philotis my wretched wife more wretched in her shame than in her wrongs to me hath paid too soon the forfeit of her modesty and life and i am sure my niece though vengeance hover keeping aloof yet from soranzo's fall yet he will fall and sink with his own weight i need not now my heart persuades me so to further his confusion there is one above begins to work for as i hear debates already twixt his wife and him thicken and run to head she as tis said slightens his love and he abandons hers much talk i hear since things go thus my niece in tender love and pity of your youth my counsel is that you should free your years from hazard of these woes by flying hence to fair cremona

there to vow your soul in holiness a holy volturus leave me to see the end of these extremes all human worldly courses are uneven no life is blessed but the way to heaven uncle shall i resolve to be a nun ay gentle niece and in your hourly prayers remember me your poor unhappy uncle high to cremona now as fortune leads your home your cloister your best friends your beads your chaste and single life shall crown your birth who dies a virgin lives a saint on earth then farewell world and worldly thoughts adieu welcome chaste vows myself i yield to you exon scene three a chamber in soranzo's house enter soranzo unbraced and dragging in annabella come strumpet famous whore

were every drop of blood that runs in thy adulterous veins a life this sword dost see it should in one blow confound them all harlot rare notable harlot that with thy brazen face maintains thy sin was there no man in parma to be bored to your loose cunning whoredom else but i must your heart etch and pleurisy of lust the heidi of your luxury be fed up to the surfeit and could not but i be picked out to be clogged to your close tricks your belly sports now i must be at the dead to all that gullimorfri that is stuffed in thy corrupted bastard bearing womb why must i beastly man why tis thy fate i sued not to thee for but that i thought your over-loving lordship would have run mad on denial had you lent me time i would have told you in what case i was but you would needs be doing

whore of whores darest thou tell me this oh yes why not you were deceived in me twas not for love i chose you but for honour yet know this would you be patient yet and hide your shame i'd see whether i could love you excellent queen why art thou not with child what needs all this when tis superfluous i confess i am lordship tell me by whom soft twas not in my bargain yet somewhat sir to stay your longing stomach i am content to acquaint you with the man the more than man that got this sprightly boy for tis a boy and therefore glory sir your heir shall be a son damnable monster nay and you will not hear i'll speak no more lordship yes speak and speak thy last a match a match this noble creature was in every part so angel-like so glorious

that a woman who had not been but human as was i would have kneeled to him and have begged for love you why you are not worthy once to name his name without true worship or indeed unless you kneeled to hear another name him what was he called we are not come to that let it suffice that you shall have the glory to father what so brave a father got in brief had not this chance fallen out as it doth i never had been troubled with the thought that you had been a creature but for marriage i scarce dream yet of that lordship tell me his name alas alas there is all will you believe lordship what you shall never know how never if you do let me cursed not know its trumpet i'll rip up thy heart and find it there do do and with my teeth tear the prodigious lecher joint by joint man's merry dost thou love come ho tell me your lover or by truth i'll hew you thy flesh to shreds who is't sings

thus will i pull thy hair and thus i'll drag thy last belepered body through the dust hails her up and down yet tell his name sings sensa delore dost thou triumph the treasure of the earth shall not redeem thee were there kneeling kings did beg thy life or angels did come down to plead in tears yet should not all prevail against my rage dost thou not tremble yet at what to die no be a gallant hangman i dare thee to the worst strike and strike home i leave revenge behind and thou shalt feel it yet tell me ere thou diest and tell me truly knows thy old father this no by my life will thou confess and i will spare thy life my life i will not by my life so dear

i will not slack my vengeance dross his sword enter vascus what do you mean sir forbear vascus such a damned whore deserves no pity now the gods forfend and would you be her executioner and kill her in your rage too oh twere most unmanlike she is your wife what faults have been done by her before she married you were not against you alas poor lady what hath she committed which any lady in italy in the like case would not sir you must be ruled by your reason and not by your fury that were inhuman and beastly she shall not live come she must you would have her confess the authors of her present misfortunes i warrant you tis an unconscionable demand and she should lose the estimation that i for my part hold of her worth if she had done it why sir you ought not of all men living to know it good sir be reconciled alas good gentlewoman pish do not beg for me i prize my life as nothing

if the man will needs be mad why let him take it vascus hear'st thou this vascus yes and commend her for it in this she shrews the nobleness of a gallant spirit and betruths my heart but it becomes her rarely aside to saranso sir in any case smother your revenge leave the scenting out your wrongs to me be ruled as you respect your honour or you mar all aloud sir if ever my service were of any credit with you be not so violent in your distractions you are married now what a triumph might the report of this give to other neglected suitors tis as man like to bear extremities as god like to forgive oh vascus vascus in this piece of flesh this faithless face of hers had i laid up the treasure of my heart hadst thou been virtuous fair wicked woman not the matchless joys of life itself had made me wish to live with any saint but thee deceitful creature how hast thou mocked my hopes and in the shame of thy lewd womb even buried me alive i did too dearly love thee

aside to saranso this is well follow this temper with some passion be brief and moving tis for the purpose saranso be witness to my words my soul and thoughts and tell me didst not think that in my heart i did too superstitiously adore thee i must confess i know you loved me well and wouldst thou use me thus oh annabella be thou assured whoever the villain was that thus hath tempted thee to this disgrace well he might lust but never loved like me he doted on the picture that hung out upon thy cheeks to please his humorous eye not on the part i loved which was thy heart and as i thought thy virtues oh my lord these words wound deeper than your sword could do let me not ever take comfort but i begin to weep myself so much i pity him why madam i knew when his rage was overpast what it would come to forgive me anabella though thy youth hath tempted thee above thy strength to folly yet will i not forget what i should be and what i am a husband in that name is he divinity if i do find that thou wilt yet be true

here i remit all former faults and take thee to my bosom by my troth and that's a point of noble charity sir on my knees rise up you shall not get to your chamber see you make no shoe of alteration i'll be with you straight my reason tells me now that tis as common to err in frailty as to be a woman go to your chamber exit annabella so this was somewhat to the matter what do you think of your heaven of happiness now sir i carry hell about me all my blood is fired in swift revenge that may be but know you how or on whom alas to marry a great woman being made great and the stock at your hand is a usual sport in these days but to know what ferret it was that hunted your coney burro there is the cunning i'll make her tell herself or or what you must not do so let me yet persuade your sufferance a little while go to her use her mildly win her if it be possible to a voluntary to a weeping tune for the rest if all hit

i will not miss my mark pray sir go in the next news i tell you shall be wonders delaying vengeance gives a heavier blow exit ah sir here's work for the nonce i had a suspicion of a bad matter in my head a pretty while ago but after my madam's scurvy looks her at home her washbush perverseness and loud fault-finding then i remember the proverb that where hens crow and cocks hold their peace there are sorry houses foot if the lower part of a she-tailor's cutting can cover up such a swelling in the stomach i'll never blame a false stitch in a shoe whilst i live again up and up so quick and so quickly too twere a fine policy to learn by whom this must be known and i have thought on't enter putana in tears here's the way or none what crying old mistress alas alas i cannot blame you we have a lord heaven help us is so mad as the devil himself the more shame for him o vasquez that ever i was born to see this day doth he use thee so too sometimes vasquez me why he makes a dog of me but if some were of my mind i know what we would do

as sure as i am an honest man he will near to kill my lady with unkindness say she be with child is that such a matter for a young woman of her years to be blamed for alas good heart it is against her will full sore i durst be sworn all his madness is for that she will not confess who tis which he will know and when he doth know it i am so well acquainted with his humour that he will forget all straight well i could wish she would in plain terms tell all for that's the way indeed do you think so foe i know it provided that he did not win her to it by force he was once in a mind that you could tell and meant to have wrung it out of you but i somewhat pacified him from that yet sure you know a great deal vasquez heaven forgive us all i know a little vasquez why should you not who well should upon my conscience she loves you dearly and you would not betray her to any affliction for the world not for all the world by my faith and troth vasquez t were pity of your life if you should

but in this you should both relieve her present discomfort pacify my lord and gain yourself everlasting love and preferment doth think so vasquez nay i know it sure it was some near an entire friend t was a dear friend indeed but-but what fear not to name him my life between you and danger faith i think it was no base fellow thou wilt stand between me and harm youd's pity what else you shall be rewarded too trust me t was even no worse than her own brother her brother giovanni i warrant you even he vasquez as brave a gentleman as ever kissed fair lady oh they love most perpetually aside a brave gentleman indeed why therein i commend her choice better and better you are sure twas he sure and you shall see he will not be long from her too he were to blame if he would but may i believe thee believe me why dost think i am a turk or a jew no vasquez i have known their dealings too long to belie them now

where are you there within sirs enter banditti how now what are these you shall know presently come sirs take me this old damnable hag gag her instantly and put out her eyes quickly quickly vasquez vasquez gag her i say sfoot do you suffer her to prate what do you fumble about let me come to her i'll help your old gums you toad-bellied bitch they gag her sirs carry her closely into the coal-house and put out her eyes instantly if she roars slit her nose do you hear be speedy and sure exorunt banditti with putana why this is excellent and above expectation her own brother oh horrible to what a height of liberty and damnation hath the devil trained our age her brother well there's yet but a beginning i must to my lord and tutor him better in his points of vengeance now i see how a smooth tale goes beyond a smooth tale but soft what thing comes next

giovanni as i could wish my belief is strengthened tis as firm as winter and summer enter giovanni where's my sister troubled with a new sickness my lord she's somewhat ill took too much of the flesh i believe troth sir and you i think have even hid it but my virtuous lady where is she in her chamber please you visit her she is alone giovanni gives him money your liberality hath doubly made me your servant and ever shall ever exit giovanni re-enter soranzo sir i am made a man i have plied my cue with cunning and success i beseech you let us be private my lady's brothers come now he'll know all giovanni let him know it i have made some of them fast enough how have you dealt with my lady giovanni gently as thou hast counseled o my soul runs circular in sorrow for revenge but vascus thou shalt know nay i will know no more for now comes your turn to know i would not talk so openly with you let my young master take time enough and go at pleasure

he is sold to death and the devil shall not ransom him sir i beseech you your privacy no conquest can gain glory of my fear exon end of act four