[SCENE II.]
Enter Falleria and two Ruffaines.
Fall. Seeme it not strange, resolved gentlemen,[14]
That I thus privatelie have severed you,
To open secret furrowes of my hart.
Think not I do intend to undermine,
Your passed lives, although you know I am
A man to whom the true unpartiall sworde,
Of equall justice is delivered.
Therefore sweare both, as you respect your soules,
At the last dreadfull sessions held in heaven,
First to conceale, and next to execute,
What I reveale, and shall enioyne you to.
Both. So you rewarde us, whatsoever it be, We vowe performance, and true secrecie.
Fall. There go aside, yee seeming semblances,
Of equall justice, and true pietie,
And lay my hearts corrupted Cytadell
Wide open to your thoughts to look into.
Know I am named Fallerio to deceive
The world with shew of truth and honestie,
But yet nor truth, nor honestie abides
Within my thoughts, but falshood, crueltie,
Blood-sucking Avarice, and all the sinnes,
That hale men on to bloodie stratagems,
Like to your selves, which care not how you gaine,
By blood, extorcion, falshood, periurie,
So you may have a pleasing recompence: [They start.
Start not aside, depart not from your selves,
I know your composition is as mine,
Of bloud, extortion, falshood, periurie,
True-branded with the marke of wickednesse.
1 Ruffin. Be not so bitter; we are they indeede,
That would deprive our fathers of their lives,
So we were sure to have a benefit:
I way no more the murthring of a child,
Drag'd from the sucking bosome of his mother,
Then I respect to quaffe a boule of wine,
Unto his health, that dearely loveth me.
2 Ruff. Where golde rewardeth, were apparent death,
Before mine eyes, bolde, hartie, visible,
Ide wrastle with him for a deadly fall,
Or I would loose my guerdon promised.
Ide hang my brother for to wear his coate,
That all that saw me might have cause to say,
There is a hart more firme then Adamant,
To practise execrable butcheries.
Fall. I know that well, for were I not assur'd
Of your performance in this enterprice,
I would not ope the closet of my brest,
To let you know my close intention.
There is a little boy, an urchin lad,
That stands betweene me and the glorious rayes,
Of my soule-wishing sunne of happinesse.
There is a thicket ten miles from this place,
Whose secret ambush and unused wayes
Doth seeme to ioyne with our conspiracie:
There murther him, and when the deed is done,
Cast his dead body in some durtie ditch,
And leave him for the fowles to feed upon.
Do this, here is two hundreth markes in golde,
To harten on your resolution:
Two hundreth more, after the deed is done,
Ile pay you more for satisfaction.
1 Ruff. Swones her's rewards would make one kill himselfe,
To leave his progenie so rich a prize!
Were twentie lives engadged for this coine,
Ide end them all, to have the money mine.
2 Ruff. Who would not hazard life nay soule and all,
For such a franke and bounteous pay-maister?
Sblood! what labor is't to kill a boy?
It is but thus, and then the taske is done.
It grieves me most, that when this taske is past,
I have no more to occupie my selfe.
Two hundred markes to give a paltrie stab!
I am impatient till I see the brat.
Fall. That must be done with cunning secrecie,
I have devisde to send the boye abroade,
With this excuse, to have him fostered,
In better manners than this place affoords.
My wife, though loath indeed to part with him,
Yet for his good, she will forgoe her joy,
With hope in time to have more firme delights,
Which she expects from young Pertillos life.
2 Ruff. Call you him Pertillo, faith leave out the T.
Fall. Why so?
Ruff. Because Perillo will remaine, For he shall surely perish if I live. What do you call the father of the child?
Fall. Why man, he hath no father left alive.
1 Ruff.—Yes, such a father, that doth see and know, How we do plot this little infants woe. [To the people.
2 Ruff. Why, then his little sonne is much to blame, That doth not keepe his father company. When shall we have deliverie of the boy?
Fall. To morrow morning by the breake of day: And you must sweare youle see him safely brought, Unto the place that I do send him to.
2 Ruff. That may we safely, for you meane to send
Him to the wood and there his journey end.[15]
Both soule and limbes shall have a place to rest,
In earth the last, the first in Abrams brest.
Fall. Come gentlemen, this night go rest with me, To morrow end Pertillos tragedie.
[Exeunt omnes.