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Double Falsehood: Act III, Scene 2

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Double Falsehood
Act III, Scene 2

Don Bernard’s house.

  1. Enter Leonora.

Leonora

1 - 21
  1. I’ve hoped to th’ latest minute hope can give:
  2. He will not come: h’as not receiv’d my letter:
  3. May be, some other view has from our home
  4. Repeal’d his chang’d eye: for what business can
  5. Excuse a tardiness thus willfull? None.
  6. Well then, it is not business.—Oh! That letter,—
  7. I say, is not deliver’d; or he’s sick;
  8. Or, O suggestion, wherefore wilt thou fright me?
  9. Julio does to Henriquez on mere purpose,
  10. On plotted purpose, yield me up; and he
  11. Hath chose another mistress. All presumptions
  12. Make pow’rful to this point: his own protraction,
  13. Henriquez left behind;—that strain lack’d jealousy,
  14. Therefore lack’d love. So sure as life shall empty
  15. It self in death, this new surmise of mine
  16. Is a bold certainty. ’Tis plain, and obvious,
  17. Henriquez would not, durst not, thus infringe
  18. The law of friendship; thus provoke a man,
  19. That bears a sword, and wears his flag of youth
  20. As fresh as he: he durst not: ’tis contrivance,
  21. Gross-dawbing ’twixt them both. But I’m o’erheard.
  1. Going.
  1. Enter Julio, disguised.

Julio

22 - 23
  1. Stay, Leonora; has this outward veil
  2. Quite lost me to thy knowledge?

Leonora

24 - 28
  1.                                 O my Julio!
  2. Thy presence ends the stern debate of doubt,
  3. And cures me of a thousand heartsick fears,
  4. Sprung from thy absence: yet awakes a train
  5. Of other sleeping terrors. Do you weep?

Julio

29 - 32
  1. No, Leonora; when I weep, it must be
  2. The substance of mine eye. Would I could weep;
  3. For then mine eye would drop upon my heart,
  4. And ’suage the fire there.

Leonora

33 - 37
  1.                            You are full possess’d
  2. How things go here. First, welcome heartily;
  3. Welcome to th’ ending of my last good hour:
  4. Now summer bliss and gawdy days are gone,
  5. My lease in ’em ’s expir’d.

Julio

38
  1.                             Not so, Leonora.

Leonora

39 - 48
  1. Yes, Julio, yes; an everlasting storm
  2. Is come upon me, which I can’t bear out.
  3. I cannot stay much talk; we have lost leisure;
  4. And thus it is: your absence hath giv’n breeding
  5. To what my letter hath declar’d, and is
  6. This instant on th’ effecting, hark!
  7. Flourish within.
  8.                                      The music
  9. Is now on tuning, which must celebrate
  10. This bus’ness so discordant. Tell me then,
  11. What you will do.

Julio

49 - 50
  1.                   I know not what: advise me.
  2. I’ll kill the traitor.

Leonora

51 - 52
  1.                        O! Take heed: his death
  2. Betters our cause no whit. No killing, Julio.

Julio

53 - 58
  1. My blood stands still; and all my faculties
  2. Are by enchantment dull’d. You gracious pow’rs,
  3. The guardians of sworn faith, and suff’ring virtue,
  4. Inspire prevention of this dreaded mischief!
  5. This moment is our own; let’s use it, love,
  6. And fly o’th’ instant from this house of woe.

Leonora

59 - 60
  1. Alas! Impossible: my steps are watch’d;
  2. There’s no escape for me. You must stay too.

Julio

61 - 68
  1. What! Stay, and see thee ravish’d from my arms?
  2. I’ll force thy passage. Wear I not a sword?
  3. Ne’er on man’s thigh rode better. If I suffer
  4. The traitor play his part; if I not do
  5. Manhood and justice, honor; let me be deem’d
  6. A tame, pale, coward, whom the night owl’s hoot
  7. May turn to aspen leaf: some man take this,
  8. Give me a distaff for it.

Leonora

69 - 85
  1.                           Patience, Julio;
  2. And trust to me: I have fore-thought the means
  3. To disappoint these nuptials.
  4. Music within.
  5.                               Hark! Again;
  6. These are the bells knoll for us. See, the lights
  7. Move this way, Julio. Quick, behind yon arras,
  8. And take thy secret stand. Dispute it not;
  9. I have my reasons, you anon shall know them:
  10. There you may mark the passages of the night.
  11. Yet, more:—I charge you by the dearest ties,
  12. Whate’er you see, or hear, whate’er shall hap,
  13. In your concealment rest a silent statue.
  14. Nay, hide thee straight,—or, see, I’m arm’d and vow
  15. Shews a dagger.
  16. To fall a bleeding sacrifice before thee.
  17. Thrusts him out, to the arras.
  18. I dare not tell thee of my purpose, Julio,
  19. Lest it should wrap thee in such agonies,
  20. Which my love could not look on.
  1. Scene opens to a large hall: an altar prepared with tapers.
  1. Enter at one door servants with lights, Henriquez, Don
  2. Bernard, and Churchman. At another, Ladies Attending on
  3. Leonora.
  1. Henriquez runs to her.

Henriquez

86 - 93
  1. Why, Leonora, wilt thou with this gloom
  2. Darken my triumph; suff’ring discontent,
  3. And wan displeasure, to subdue that cheek
  4. Where love should sit enthron’d? Behold your slave;
  5. Nay, frown not; for each hour of growing time
  6. Shall task me to thy service, ’till by merit
  7. Of dearest love I blot the low-born Julio
  8. From thy fair mind.

Leonora

94 - 95
  1.                     So I shall make it foul;
  2. This counsel is corrupt.

Henriquez

96
  1.                          Come, you will change.

Leonora

97 - 104
  1. Why would you make a wife of such a one,
  2. That is so apt to change? This foul proceeding
  3. Still speaks against itself, and vilifies
  4. The purest of your judgment. For your birth’s sake
  5. I will not dart my hoarded curses at you,
  6. Nor give my meanings language: for the love
  7. Of all good things together, yet take heed,
  8. And spurn the tempter back.

Don Bernard

105
  1. I think, you’re mad. Perverse, and foolish, wretch!

Leonora

106 - 117
  1. How may I be obedient, and wise too?
  2. Of my obedience, sir, I cannot strip me;
  3. Nor can I then be wise: grace against grace!
  4. Ungracious, if I not obey a father;
  5. Most perjur’d, if I do. Yet, lord, consider,
  6. Or e’er too late, or e’er that knot be tied,
  7. Which may with violence damnable be broken,
  8. No other way dissever’d: yet consider,
  9. You wed my body, not my heart, my lord;
  10. No part of my affection. Sounds it well,
  11. That Julio’s love is lord Henriquez’ wife;
  12. Have you an ear for this harsh sound?

Henriquez

118 - 121
  1. No shot of reason can come near the place,
  2. Where my love’s fortified. The day shall come,
  3. Wherein you’ll chide this backwardness, and bless
  4. Our fervor in this course.

Leonora

122 - 124
  1.                            No, no, Henriquez,
  2. When you shall find what prophet you are prov’d,
  3. You’ll prophesie no more.

Don Bernard

125 - 128
  1.                           Have done this talking,
  2. If you will cleave to your obedience, do’t;
  3. If not, unbolt the portal, and be gone;
  4. My blessing stay behind you.

Leonora

129 - 131
  1.                              Sir, your pardon:
  2. I will not swerve a hair’s breadth from my duty;
  3. It shall first cost me dear.

Don Bernard

132 - 136
  1.                              Well then, to th’ point:
  2. Give me your hand. My honor’d lord, receive
  3. My daughter of me,—nay, no dragging back,
  4. But with my curses; whom I frankly give you,
  5. And wish you joy and honor.
  1. As Don Bernard goes to give Leonora to Henriquez, Julio
  2. advances from the arras, and steps between.

Julio

137 - 138
  1.                             Hold, Don Bernard,
  2. Mine is the elder claim.

Don Bernard

139
  1.                          What are you, sir?

Julio

140 - 141
  1. A wretch, that’s almost lost to his own knowledge,
  2. Struck through with injuries.—

Henriquez

142 - 147
  1.                                Ha! Julio? Hear you,
  2. Were you not sent on our commands to court?
  3. Order’d to wait your fair dismission thence?
  4. And have you dared, knowing you are our vassal,
  5. To steal away unpriviledg’d, and leave
  6. My business and your duty unaccomplish’d?

Julio

148 - 160
  1. Ungen’rous lord! The circumstance of things
  2. Should stop the tongue of question. You have wrong’d me;
  3. Wrong’d me so basely, in so dear a point,
  4. As stains the cheek of honor with a blush;
  5. Cancels the bonds of service; bids allegiance
  6. Throw to the wind all high respects of birth,
  7. Title, and eminence; and, in their stead,
  8. Fills up the panting heart with just defiance.
  9. If you have sense of shame, or justice, lord,
  10. Forego this bad intent; or with your sword
  11. Answer me like a man, and I shall thank you.
  12. Julio once dead, Leonora may be thine;
  13. But, living, she’s a prize too rich to part with.

Henriquez

161 - 164
  1. Vain man! The present hour is fraught with business
  2. Of richer moment. Love shall first be serv’d:
  3. Then, if your courage hold to claim it of me,
  4. I may have leisure to chastise this boldness.

Julio

165
  1. Nay, then I’ll seize my right.

Henriquez

166 - 168
  1.                                What, here, a brawl?
  2. My servants,—turn this boist’rous sworder forth;
  3. And see he come not to disturb our joys.

Julio

169
  1. Hold, dogs!—Leonora,—coward, base, Henriquez!
  1. Julio is seized, and dragged out by the servants.

Henriquez

170
  1. She dies upon me; help!
  1. Leonora swoons; as they endeavor to recover her, a paper
  2. drops from her.

Don Bernard

171 - 172
  1.                         Throng not about her;
  2. But give her air.

Henriquez

173 - 174
  1.                   What paper’s that? Let’s see it.
  2. It is her own handwriting.

Don Bernard

175 - 177
  1.                            Bow her head:
  2. ’Tis but her fright; she will recover soon.
  3. What learn you by that paper, good my lord?

Henriquez

178 - 180
  1. That she would do the violence to herself,
  2. Which nature hath anticipated on her.
  3. What dagger means she? Search her well, I pray you.

Don Bernard

181 - 182
  1. Here is the dagger.—Oh, the stubborn sex,
  2. Rash ev’n to madness!

Henriquez

183 - 191
  1.                       Bear her to her chamber:
  2. Life flows in her again.—Pray, bear her hence:
  3. And tend her, as you would the world’s best treasure.
  4. Women carry Leonora off.
  5. Don Bernard, this wild tumult soon will cease,
  6. The cause remov’d; and all return to calmness.
  7. Passions in women are as short in working,
  8. As strong in their effect. Let the priest wait:
  9. Come, go we in: my soul is all on fire;
  10. And burns impatient of this forc’d delay.
  1. Exeunt; and the scene closes.
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