Five Revenge Tragedies: The Spanish Tragedy, Hamlet, Antonio's Revenge, The Tragedy of Hoffman, The Revenger's Tragedy (Penguin Classics)
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Hoffman. come, come, he’s dead; either by him or me,
No matter, he’s gone. There’s more to go.
Run with the news; away.
Exit [lorrique and Hoffman].
[Act 3
Scene 2]
Enter Stilt, and a rabble of poor soldiers; Old Stilt his father, with his scarf like a captain. A scurvy march.
Stilt. Father, set you the army in beray, while I invocate the general folks: Fibs, foreman, and friends all, officers all, help to marshal; Prince Jerome my lord shall remunerate, that is, shall be full of thanksgiving, while nature is able to nourish or sustain. Father, you have order to say the rest: be sententious, and full of circumstance I advise you, and remember this, that more than mortality fights on our side; for we have treason and iniquity to maintain our quarrel.
Old Stilt. Hah! what sayest my son? treason and iniquity?
10 Stilt. Reason, and equity I meant, father; there’s little controversity in the words. But, like a captain courageous, I pray, go forward. Remember the place you are in no more but this; the days of old, no more, but that; and the glory, father. Knighthood at least, to the utter defacing of you and your posterity, no more but so.
Exit.
Old Stilt. Well, go thy ways: thou are able to put fire into a flintstone. Thou hast as rheumatic a tongue to persuade as any is between Pole and Pomer, but thou are even kit after kind. I am thy father, and was infamous for my exprobations,
20 to discourage a dissembly of tall soldiers afore thou wert born; and I have made them stand to it tooth and nail. How say you, most valiant and reprobate countrymen? Have ye not heard I have been a stinger, a tickler, a wormer?
Fibs. Yes: noble, ancient captain Stilt. Ye have removed men’s hearts, I have heard that of my father – God rest his soul – when ye were but one of the common all soldiers that served old Hoffman in Norway.
Old Stilt. I then was, and Hoffman was a gentleman would not have given his head for the washing, but he is cut off, as all
30 valiant cavalieros shall, and they be no more negligent of themselves. But to the purpose: we are dissembled together, and fallen into a battle beray in the behalf Prince Jerome, a virtuous prince, a wise prince, and a most respectless prince, my son Timothy’s master, and the unlawful heir of this land. Now sir, the old duke has put out a declamation, and says our rising is no other than a resurrection; for the prince inspires not against his father, but the duke inspires against his son, using him most naturally, charitably, and abominably, to put him from intercession of the crown. Wherefore as ye
40 be true men, and obstinate subjects, to the state uncover your heads, and cast up your caps, and cry ‘a Jerome, a Jerome!’
All. A Jerome, a Jerome, a Jerome!
Enter Jerome and Stilt.
Jerome. Most noble countrymen, I cannot but condole in joy, and smile in tears to see you all assembled in my right, but this is the lamentation that I, poor prince, must make, who for my father’s proclamation am like for to lose my head, except you stand to me, for they are coming on with bows, bills, and guns against us. But if you be valiant, and stand to
50 me lustily, all th’earth shall roar, but we’ll have victory.
Enter with Drum and colours, Duke Ferdinand, Hoffman, lorrique, captains to lead the drum, the soldiers march and make a stand. All on Jerome’s side cast up their caps and cry ‘a Jerome’.
Ferdinand. Upon those traitors, valiant gentlemen!
Let not that beast the multitude confront
With garlic-breath and their confused cries
The majesty of me their awful duke.
Strike their Typhoean body down to fire,
That dare ’gainst us, their sovereign, conspire.
Jerome. come, come, you shall have your hands full, and you
come where we have to do: stand to it, Stilt.
60 Stilt. Stand to’t? Here’s the father and the son will stand, though all the rest fly away.
Old Stilt. I warrant you, prince, when the battle comes to joining, my son and I will be invisible; and they overcome us, I’ll give you leave to say I have no pith in me; upon ’em, true prince, upon ’em.
An Alarum. Hoffman kneels between the armies.
Stilt. I thought ’twould come to that.
I thought we should bring
The false prince on his knees.
Ferdinand. What means my dukedom’s hope to turn thus base? Arise, and smite thy foes.
70 Hoffman. I see them not, my most honoured uncle. Pity, I beseech
These silly people, that offend as babes:
Not understanding how they do offend.
And suffer me, chief agent in this wrong,
To plead their pardons with a peaceful tongue.
Stilt. We scorn pardons, peace and pity: we’ll have a prince of our own choosing: Prince Jerome!
Old Stilt. Ay, ay, Prince Jerome or nobody! Be not obstacle, old duke: let not your own flesh and blood be inherited of your dukedom, and a stranger displaced in his retority, for and
80 you do, we will take no comparison of you and your army, but fall upon you like temperance and lightning.
Ferdinand. Upon your peril: gentlemen, assail!
Hoffman. If any bosom meet the brunt of war,
Mine shall be first opposed. These honest men
That rise in arms for my young cousin’s right
Shall be protected whilst Prince Otho can stand.
Jerome. Why, see now what a thing majesty is!
Stilt and the rest of my good people, my cousin
Otho looking but in the face of our excellence,
90 cannot choose but take our part.
Stilt. Nay, but trust him not, my lord: take heed of him,
Aware your enemies at any hand.
Ferdinand. Why should you make this intercession
For these base abjects, whose presumptuous hearts
Have drawn their rebel bodies ’gainst their head?
Entreat not for them, they are all but dead.
Hoffman. Forbear a little, worthy countrymen.
Stilt. Nay, we deny that, we are none of your countrymen. You are an arrant, arrant alien!
Old Stilt. True, son: a mere peregrination, and one that was not
100 born within our duke’s damnation, and therefore not to be remitted to any upstantial degree of office amongst us. That’s the fine; that’s the fine; that’s the confusion of all.
Hoffman. But hear me.
Jerome. Ay, ay: pray hear him. Nay, I charge you all upon pain of death that you hear my cousin.
Stilt. Well, we will hear him: come on, speak. What will ye say?
Hoffman. O, I beseech you, save your lives and goods,
For the duke’s squadrons, armed with wrath and death,
110 Watch but the signal when to seize on you,
That can no more withstand their approved strengths
Than sparrows can contend with towering hawks:
Or ’gainst the eagle’s eyrie.
This act of yours, by gathering to a head,
Is treason capital, and, without grace,
Your lives are forfeit to extremest law.
Old Stilt. Mass, he says true so. But what’s the remedy?
Stilt. None at all father, now we are in, we must go through-stitch.
120 Hoffman. Yes, there is remedy. cast your weapons down,
And arm yourselves with mercy of your prince;
Who, like a gracious shepherd ready stands,
To take his lost sheep home in gentle hands.
As for your prince, I will for him entreat
That he may be restored again in love,
And unto offices of dignity, as either taster,
Sewer, cup-bearer – the place himself thinks
Fittest for his state. And for my part, when
That unhappy time of Prince Ferdinand’s
130 Sad death shall come –
Which moment –
But shoul
d I as I say behold that hour,
Although I am elected for your prince,
Yet would I not remove this gentleman,
But rather serve him as his counsellor.
Jerome. Give me your hand of that, cousin. Well said: now get a pardon for me, and my merry men all; and then let me be my father’s taster – being the office belonging to his eldest son; I being the same – and then you shall see me behave
140 myself not as a rebel or a reprobate, but as a most reasonable prince and sufficient subject.
Stilt. Well, since my lord has said the word, bring that of spake he to pass and ye shall have my word too, and old Stilt my father’s, being a man of good reproach I tell you, and condemnation in his country.
Old Stilt. Ay, that I am, my lord. I have lived in name and shame these threescore and seven winters. All my neighbours can bear me testament and accord.
Hoffman. Well, rest ye quiet. Sovereign, on my knees
150 I beg your highness grant to their request:
Suppose them silly, simple, and your own;
To shed their blood were just, yet rigorous.
The praise of kings is to prove gracious.
Ferdinand. True soul of honour, substance of myself,
Thy merit wins them mercy. Go in peace:
Lay by your unjust arms; live by your sweat;
And in content the bread of quiet eat.
All. God save Duke Ferdinand!
Exeunt.
Jerome. Pray father, forgive me, and my man,
160 And my man’s father by our single selves;
For we have been the capital offenders.
Old Stilt. Ay truly, my lord, we raised the resurrection.
Ferdinand. I pardon all, give thee my taster’s place;
Honour this prince that hath thus won you grace.
Old Stilt and Young Stilt. God save Duke Ferdinand and Prince Otho!
Jerome. Ay, and me too.
Old Stilt. And Prince Jerome too. Well son, I’ll leave thee a courtier still, and get me home to my own desolation, where I’ll labour to compel away excessity, and so, fare ye well.
Exit.
170 Ferdinand. This business over, worthy nephew Otho,
Let us go visit the sad Saxon duke,
The mourning hermit,
That through affection wrought his brother’s fall.
Hoffman. I’ll wait your highness to that house of woe,
Where sad mischance sits in a purple chair,
And underneath her beetle cloudy brows
Smiles at unlooked-for mischiefs; oh, there
Doth grief unpainted in true shape appear.
Ferdinand. Shrill trumpets sound a flourish
180 For the cries of war are drowned!
Exit.
Jerome. Nay but cousin, cousin: is’t not necessary I wait
Upon mine own father? and Stilt upon me?
Hoffman. It’s most expedient; be obsequious.
No doubt his excellence will like that well.
Enter lorrique like a French Doctor.
Lorrique. Dieu vous garde, monsieur.
Hoffman. Welcome my friend, hast any suit to me?
Lorrique. Away monsieur, if you be the grand prince
Legitimate of Prussia. I have for tendre
To your excellence de service of one poor
190 Gentle homme of champagne.
Hoffman. I am not he you look for, gentleman:
My cousin is the true and lawful prince.
Jerome. Ay sir, I am the legitimate, and am able to entertain
A gentleman though I say’t, and he be of any quality.
Hoffman. [Aside] lorrique, now or never play thy part:
This act is even our tragedy’s best heart.
Lorrique. [Aside] let me alone for plots and villainy,
Only commend me to this fool the prince.
Jerome. I tell thee, I am the prince: my cousin knows it.
200 That’s my cousin, this is Stilt my man.
Lorrique. A vôtre service, monsieur most généreux.
Hoffman. No doubt he is some cunning gentleman.
Your grace may do a deed befitting you
To entertain this stranger.
Jerome. It shall be done, cousin: I’ll talk with him a little and follow you, go commend me to my father. Tell him I am coming, and Stilt, and this stranger; be mindful cousin, as you shall answer to my princely indignation.
Hoffman. Well sir, I will be careful, never doubt.
210 [Aside] Now scarlet mistress from thick sable clouds
Thrust forth thy blood-stained hands, applaud my plot,
That giddy wonderers may amazed stand,
While death smites down suspectless Ferdinand.
Exit.
Stilt. Sweet prince, I scarce understand this fellow well, but I like his conceit in not trusting Prince Otho. You must give him the remove, that’s flat.
Lorrique. Ay, be gar, he be chosen agen’ you, he give you good word, so be dat, but he will have one fisgig or dra’, be gar, for companion, in principality no be possible.
220 Jerome. Well, I apprehend thee, I have a certain princely feeling in myself that he loves me not.
Stilt. Hold ye there, my lord: I am but a poor fellow and have but a simple living left me; yet my brother, were he a very natural brother of my own, should he be ’dopted, I would ’dopt him and ’herit him: I’ll fit him.
Jerome. But how, Stilt, but how?
Lorrique. Be gar, my lord, I will tell you fine knacks for make him kick up his heels, and cry ‘wee!’, or be gar I be hang, and so shall I be too, and for de grand love I bear you, for de lady
230 Isabella’s sake, your most très-excellent lady moder.
Jerome. Didst thou know her, French doctor? didst thou?
Stilt. Ay, as beggars do the ladies that are their almsgivers.
Lorrique. Be gar you, lie, like jackanape: I love de lady
With a bonne coeur, and for her sake here take dis same, and dis same. [Gives him two potions.] Put dis in de cup where de competitor Prince Otho shall drink; be gar it will poison him bravely.
Stilt. That were excellent, my lord, and it could be done, and nobody know on’t.
240 Jerome. Ay, but he always drinks in my father’s cup.
Lorrique. Ay so let be, let de duke drink de same.
Jerome. What, poison my father? no, I like not that so well.
Lorrique. You shall drink too, and I too, and when we sick, as we shall have a petit rumble in da belly; dan take a dis same, and give your fadra dis, but your cousin none of it, and be gar nobody shall be dead, and kicka, and cry ‘oh!’ – but Otho.
Stilt. That’s excellent, master.
Jerome. This is the poison then, and this is the medicine?
250 Lorrique. Ay, dat be true.
Jerome. Well physician, attend in my chamber here, till Stilt and I return; and if I pepper him not, say I am not worthy to be called a duke, but a draw-latch.
Stilt. Farewell a oui, and je bit a vous; and we speed by thy practice, we’ll crush a cup of thine own country wine. [Exeunt.]
Lorrique. Go speed to spoil yourselves: [Takes off disguise.]
Doctor, lie there; lorrique, like thyself appear.
So now I’ll post unto the hermitage, and smile
While silly fools act treason through my guile. Exit.
Act 4
Scene 1
Enter Ferdinand and Hoffman, open a curtain; kneel Saxony, the hermit and Mathias; tapers burning.
Hoffman. See princely uncle, the black dormitory
Where Austria and Prince lodowick are laid
On the cold bed of earth, where they must sleep
Till earth and air and sea consume by fire.
Ferdinand. Their rest be peace, their rising glorious.
Sad mourners, give your partners leave to kneel,
And make their offertory on this tomb
That does contain the honourablest earth
<
br /> That ever went upright in Germany.
10 Saxony. Welcome Duke Ferdinand: come, come; kneel, kneel,
Thus should each friend another’s sorrow feel.
Hoffman. Is lucibella in this monument?
Rodorick. No, she’s recovered from death’s violence;
But through her wounds and grief distract of sense.
Hoffman. Heaven help her, here she comes:
Enter lucibella, mad.
Rodorick. Kneel still, I pray.
Mathias. Oh me accursed! why live I this black day?
[Draws his sword to kill himself.]
Lucibella. Oh a sword! I pray you kill me not,
For I am going to the river’s side
20 To fetch white lilies and blue daffodils
To stick in lodowick’s bosom, where it bled;
And in mine own. My true love is not dead,
No: y’are deceived in him. My father is;
Reason he should, he made me run away,
And lodowick too, and you Mathias too.
Alack, for woe; yet what’s the remedy?
We all must run away: yet all must die.
’Tis so, I wrought it in a sampler.
’Twas heart in hand, and true love’s knots and words,
30 All true-stitched by my troth. The poesie thus:
No flight, dear love, but death shall sever us.
Nor that did not neither; he lies here does he not?
Rodorick. Yes, lovely madam. Pray be patient.
Lucibella. Ay, so I am, but pray tell me true,
Could you be patient, or you, or you, or you,
To lose a father and a husband too?
Ye could, I cannot; open door, here, ho!
Tell lodowick, lucibel would speak with him.
I have news from heaven for him: he must not die,
40 I have robbed Prometheus of his moving fire.
Open the door, I must come in, and will,
I’ll beat myself to air, but I’ll come in!
Hoffman. Alas, her tender hands smiting the stone
Beweep their mistress’ rage in tears of blood.
Ferdinand. Fair lady, be of comfort: ’tis in vain
To invocate the dead to life again.
Hoffman. Ay, gentle daughter: be content, I pray.
Their fate is come, and ours is not far off.
Mathias. Here is a hand over my fate hath power,
50 And I now sink under the stroke of death,
But that a purer spirit fills my breast