Pier. Grave! Why, think’st thou he deserves a grave,
That hath defil’d the temple of——
Pan. Peace, peace!
Methinks I hear a humming murmur creep
From out his jellied[241] wounds. Look on those lips,
Those now lawn pillows, on whose tender softness
Chaste modest speech, stealing from out his breast, 80
Had wont to rest itself, as loath to post
From out so fair an inn! look, look, they seem to stir
And breathe defiance to black obloquy!
Pier. Think’st thou thy son could suffer wrongfully?
Pan. A wise man wrongfully, but never wrong
Can take;[242] his breast’s of such well-tempered proof
It may be razed, not pierced by savage tooth
Of foaming malice: showers of darts may dark
Heaven’s ample brow, but not strike out a spark,
Much less pierce the sun’s cheek. Such songs as these
I often dittied till my boy did sleep; 91
But now I turn plain fool, alas, I weep.
Pier. [Aside.] ’Fore heaven he makes me shrug; would ’a were dead.
He is a virtuous man: what has our court to do
With virtue, in the devil’s name!—Pandulpho, hark:
My lustful daughter dies; start not, she dies.
I pursue justice; I love sanctity,
And an undefiled temple of pure thoughts.
Shall I speak freely? Good Andrugio’s dead:
And I do fear a fetch;[243] but (umh) would I durst speak—
I do mistrust but (umh)—[Aside.] Death is he all, all man,
Hath he no part of mother in him, ha? 102
No licorish womanish inquisitiveness?
Pan. Andrugio’s dead!
Pier. Ay; and I fear his own unnatural blood,
To whom he gave life, hath given death for life.
[Aside.] How could he come on? I see false suspect
Is viced; wrung hardly in a virtuous heart.—
Well, I could give you reason for my doubts:
You are of honour’d birth, my very friend: 110
You know how god-like ’tis to root out sin.
Antonio is a villain: will you join
In oath with me against the traitor’s life,
And swear you knew he sought his father’s death?
I loved him well, yet I love justice more:
Our friends we should affect, justice adore.
Pan. My lord, the clapper of my mouth’s not glibb’d
With court-oil, ’twill not strike on both sides yet.
Pier. ’Tis[244] just that subjects act commands of kings.