Volpone and Other Plays (20 page)

He may be forced to come, that your grave eyes

May bear strong witness of his strange impostures.

VOLTORE
: Upon my faith and credit with your virtues,

20        He is not able to endure the air.

2ND AVOCATORE
: Bring him, however.

3RD AVOCATORE
:             We will see him.

4TH AVOCATORE
:                 Fetch him.

[
Exeunt
OFFICERS.]

VOLTORE
: Your fatherhoods' fit Pleasures Be Obeyed,

But sure the sight will rather move your pities

Than indignation. May it please the court,

In the meantime he may be heard in me!

I know this place most void of prejudice,

And therefore crave it, since we have no reason

To fear our truth should hurt our cause.

3RD AVOCATORE
:            Speak free.

VOLTORE
: Then know, Most Honoured Fathers, I Must now

30        Discover to your strangely abusèd ears

The most prodigious and most
frontless
piece

Of solid impudence, and treachery,

That ever vicious nature yet brought forth

To shame the state of Venice. This lewd woman,

[
Indicating
CELIA.]

That wants no artificial looks or tears

To help the visor she has now put on,

Hath long been known a close adulteress

To that lascivious youth, there;

[
Indicating
BONARIO
.]

               not suspected,

I say, but known, and taken, in the act,

40   With him; and by this man, the easy husband,

    [
Indicating
CORVINO
.]

Pardoned; Whose timeless bounty makes him now

Stand here, the most unhappy, innocent person

That ever man's own goodness made accused.

For these, not knowing how to owe A gift

Of that dear grace but with their shame, being placed

So above all powers of their gratitude,

Began to hate the benefit, and in place

Of thanks, devise t'
extirp
the memory

Of such an act. Wherein, I pray your fatherhoods

50        To observe the malice, yea, the rage of creatures

Discovered in their evils; and what heart

Such take, even from their crimes. But that anon

Will more appear. This gentleman, the father,

        [
Indicating
CORBACCIO
.]

Hearing of this foul fact, with many others,

Which daily struck at his too tender ears,

And grieved in nothing more than that he could not

Preserve himself a parent (his son's ills

Growing to that strange flood) at last decreed

To disinherit him.

1ST AVOCATORE
: These be strange turns!

60    
2ND AVOCATORE
: The young man's fame was ever fair and honest.

VOLTORE
: So much more full of danger is his vice,

That can beguile so under shade of virtue.

But as I said, my honoured sires, his father

Having this settled purpose (by what means

To him betrayed, we know not) and this day

Appointed for the deed, that parricide,

(I cannot style him better) by confederacy

Preparing this his paramour to be there,

Entered Volpone's house – who was the man,

70        Your fatherhoods must understand, designed

For the inheritance – there sought his father.

But with what purpose sought he him, my lords?

I tremble to pronounce it, that a son

Unto a father, and to such a father,

Should have so foul, felonious intent:

It was to murder him! When, being prevented

By his more happy absence, what then did he?

Not check his wicked thoughts? No, now new deeds!

(Mischief doth ever end where it begins)

80        An act of horror, fathers! He dragged forth

The agèd gentleman, that had there lain bed-rid

Three years and more, out off his innocent couch,

Naked upon the floor, there left him; wounded

His servant in the face; and, with this strumpet,

The
stale
to his forged practice, who was glad

To be so active (I shall here desire

Your fatherhoods to note but my collections

As most remarkable) thought at once to stop

His father's ends, discredit his free choice

90        In the old gentleman, redeem themselves

By laying infamy upon this man,

To whom, with blushing, they should owe their lives.

1ST AVOCATORE
: What proofs have you of this?

BONARIO
:                     Most honoured fathers,

I humbly crave there be no credit given

To this man's mercenary tongue.

2ND AVOCATORE
:                Forbear.

BONARIO
: His soul moves in his fee.

3RD AVOCATORE
:          O, sir!

BONARIO
:                   This Fellow,

For six
sols
more would plead against his Maker.

1ST AVOCATORE: You do forget yourself.

VOLTORE
:              Nay, nay, grave fathers,

Let him have scope. Can any man imagine

100      That he will spare 's accuser, that would not

Have spared his parent?

1ST AVOCATORE
:         Well, produce your proofs.

CELIA
: I would I could forget I were a creature!

VOLTORE
: Signor Corbaccio!

4TH AVOCATORE
:              What is he?

VOLTORE
:                                        The father.

2ND AVOCATORE
:              Has he had an oath?

NOTARIO
:                                        Yes.

CORBACCIO
:                 What must I do now?

NOTARIO
: Your testimony's craved.

CORBACCIO
[
not hearing
]:                  Speak to the knave?

I'll ha' my mouth first stopped with earth. My heart

Abhors his knowledge. I disclaim in him.

1ST AVOCATORE
: But for what cause?

CORBACCIO
:                                              The
mere portent of nature
.

He is an utter stranger to my loins.

110 
BONARIO
: Have they made you to this?

CORBACCIO
:                        I will not hear thee,

Monster of men, swine, goat, wolf, parricide!

Speak not, thou viper.

BONARIO
:                           Sir, I will sit down,

And rather wish my innocence should suffer,

Than I resist the authority of a father.

VOLTORE
: Signor Corvino!

2ND AVOCATORE
:              This is strange.

1ST AVOCATORE
:                           Who's this?

NOTARIO
: The husband.

4TH AVOCATORE
: Is he sworn?

NOTARIO
:                              He is.

3RD AVOCATORE
:                    Speak, then.

CORVINO
: This woman, please your fatherhoods, is a whore

Of most hot exercise, more than a
partridge
,

Upon recòrd –

1ST AVOCATORE
: No more.

CORVINO
:          Neighs like a
jennet
.

NOTARIO
: Preserve the honour of the court.

120 
CORVINO
:                   I shall,

And modesty of your most reverend ears.

And, yet, I hope that I may say these eyes

Have seen her glued unto that piece of cedar,

That fine, well-timbered gallant; and that here

[
Indicating his brow
.]

The letters may be read, thorough the horn,

That make the story perfect.

MOSCA
:             Excellent, sir.

CORVINO
[
to
MOSCA]: There is no shame in this now, is there?

MOSCA
:              None.

CORVINO
: Or if I said I hoped that she were onward

To her damnation, if there be a hell

130      Greater than whore and woman; a good Catholic

May make the doubt.

3RD AVOCATORE
:        His grief hath made him frantic.

1ST AVOCATORE
: Remove him hence.

She
[
CELIA
]
swoons
.

2ND AVOCATORE
: Look to the woman!

CORVINO
:                  Rare!

Prettily feigned! Again!

4TH AVOCATORE
:            Stand from about her.

1ST
AVOCATORE
: Give her the air.

3RD
AVOCATORE
[
to
MOSCA
]: What can you say?

MOSCA
:                    My wound,

May't please your wisdoms, speaks for me, received

In aid of my good patron, when he missed

His sought-for father, when that well-taught dame

Had her cue given her to cry out a rape.

BONARIO
: O most laid impudence! Fathers –

3RD AVOCATORE
:                   Sir, be silent,

140      You had your hearing free, so must they theirs.

2ND AVOCATORE
: I do begin to doubt th' imposture here.

4TH AVOCATORE
: This woman has too many moods.

VOLTORE
:               Grave fathers,

She is a creature of a most professed

And prostituted lewdness.

CORVINO
:               Most impetuous,

Unsatisfied, grave fathers!

VOLTORE
:              May her feignings

Not take your wisdoms; but this day she baited

A stranger, a grave knight, with her loose eyes

And more lascivious kisses. This man saw 'em

Together on the water in a gondola.

150 
MOSCA
: Here is the lady herself that saw 'em too,

Without; who, then, had in the open streets

Pursued them, but for saving her knight's honour.

1ST
AVOCATORE
: Produce that lady.

[
Exit
MOSCA.]

2ND
AVOCATORE
:            Let her come.

4TH
AVOCATORE
:                These things,

They strike with wonder!

3RD
AVOCATORE
:            I am turned a stone!

IV, vi     [
Re-enter
MOSCA
with
LADY WOULD-BE.]

[
MOSCA
:] Be resolute, madam.

LADY WOULD-Be [
pointing to
CELIA
]: Ay, This same is she.

Out, thou chameleon harlot! Now thine eyes

Vie tears with the
hyena
. Dar'st thou look

Upon my wrongèd face? – I cry your pardons.

I fear I have forgettingly transgressed

Against the dignity of the court –

2ND
AVOCATORE
:               No, madam.

LADY WOULD-BE
: And been exorbitant –

4TH
AVOCATORE
:              You have not, lady.

These proofs are strong.

LADY WOULD-BE
:     Surely, I had no purpose

To scandalize your honours, or my sex's.

3RD
AVOCATORE
: We do believe it.

10    
LADY WOULD-BE
:            Surely, You may believe it.

2ND
AVOCATORE
: Madam, we do.

LADY WOULD-BE
:             Indeed, You may; my breeding

Is not so coarse –

4TH
AVOCATORE
: We know it.

LADY WOULD-BE
:             To offend

With
pertinacy
–

3RD
AVOCATORE
: Lady –

LADY WOULD-BE
:            Such a presence.

No, surely.

1ST
AVOCATORE
: We well think it.

LADY WOULD-BE:            You may think it.

1ST
AVOCATORE
: Let her o' ercome. [
To
BONARIO] What witnesses have you

To make good your report?

BONARIO
:             Our consciences.

CELIA
: And heaven, that never fails the innocent.

4TH
AVOCATORE
: These are no testimonies.

BONARIO
:              Not in your courts,

Where multitude and clamour overcomes.