[Exeunt Pages and Nutriche.
O thou cold widow-bed, sometime thrice blest
By the warm pressure of my sleeping lord,
Open thy leaves, and whilst on thee I tread,
Groan out,—Alas, my dear Andrugio’s dead!
[Maria draweth the curtain: and the ghost of Andrugio is displayed, sitting on the bed.
Amazing terror, what portent is this!
Ghost of And. Disloyal to our hymeneal[284] rites,
What raging heat reigns in thy strumpet blood?
Hast thou so soon forgot Andrugio?
Are our love-bands so quickly cancellèd?
Where lives thy plighted faith unto this breast? 70
O weak Maria! Go to, calm thy fears.
I pardon thee, poor soul! O shed no tears;
Thy sex is weak. That black incarnate fiend
May trip thy faith that hath o’erthrown my life:
I was impoison’d by Piero’s hand.
Join with my son to bend up strain’d revenge,
Maintain a seeming favour to his suit,
Till time may form our vengeance absolute.
Enter Antonio, his arms bloody, bearing a torch, and a poniard.
Ant. See, unamazed I will behold thy face;
Outstare the terror of thy grim aspect, 80
Daring the horrid’st object of the night.
Look how I smoke in blood, reeking the steam
Of foaming vengeance. O my soul’s enthroned
In the triumphant chariot of revenge!
Methinks I am all air, and feel no weight
Of human dirt clog. This is Julio’s blood!
Rich music, father: this is Julio’s blood!
Why lives that mother?
Ghost of And. Pardon ignorance.
Fly, dear Antonio:
Once more assume disguise, and dog the court 90
In feignèd habit, till Piero’s blood
May even o’erflow the brim of full revenge.
Peace and all blessèd fortunes to you both!
Fly thou from court, be peerless in revenge:
[Exit Antonio.