Five Revenge Tragedies: The Spanish Tragedy, Hamlet, Antonio's Revenge, The Tragedy of Hoffman, The Revenger's Tragedy (Penguin Classics)

by William Shakespeare

  Saxony. Go forward.

  Lorrique. After all those hated murders,

  He taught the foolish prince, in the disguise

  Of a French doctor, to prepare a poison,

  Which was the death of princely Ferdinand.

  Next plot, he purposed your grace’s death,

  And had he opposed my strength of my tears,

  You had been murdered as you lay asleep.

  240 Saxony. let’s hear no more. Seek out the hated wretch,

  And with due torture let his life be forced

  From his despised body.

  Rodorick. Do, I pray.

  Saxony. All the land will help,

  And each man be a justice in this act.

  Martha. Well, I that never knew revenge’s power,

  Have entertained her newly in my breast:

  Determine what’s to do.

  Lucibella. Even what you will; would I were with my lodowick asleep

  250 In the Elysian fields, where no fears dwell,

  For earth appears as vile to me as hell.

  Lorrique. let me be prologue to your scene of wrath,

  And as the Roman Catiline resolved

  His doubtful followers by exhausting blood

  From the live body, so draw mine, cast mine

  Upon the troubled and offended earth.

  Offer blood fit for an infernal sacrifice;

  Wine is not poured but on celestial offerings,

  Therefore I advise you,

  260 As you hope to thrive in your revenge, smite me,

  That have been pander to this injury.

  Martha. Thou merit’st death indeed.

  Mathias. Stay: judge him not; let me a little plead in his excuse,

  And this one sentence serves. A man compelled

  To evil acts, cannot be justly held

  A wilful malefactor. The law still

  Looks upon the deed, ne’er on the will.

  Besides, although I grant the matter small

  And very safe to raise a multitude,

  270 That by their power might seize the murderer,

  Yet two especial reasons cross that course.

  First: many having notice of our plot,

  One babbling tongue may utter out intent,

  And Hoffman being warned is surely armed,

  Having the fort and treasure in his power;

  And be his cause more than notorious ill,

  He may with gold maintain it at his will;

  ’Scape us, for no doubt he’s full of sleights.

  Besides, revenge should have proportion:

  280 By sly deceit he acted every wrong,

  And by deceit I would have him entrapped;

  Then the revenge were fit, just, and square,

  And ’twould more vex him that is all composed

  Of craft and subtlety to be outstripped

  In his own fashion, than a hundred deaths.

  Therefore by my advice, pardon lorrique

  Upon condition that he lay some plot

  To intercept the other.

  All. We are agreed.

  290 Lorrique. Your mercy doth all bounds of hope exceed,

  And if you will repose that trust in me,

  By all the protestations truth can make,

  Before the sun have run his midday’s course,

  I will tomorrow yield him to your hands.

  Saxony. Show us the means.

  Lorrique. The means is in the duchess’ policy,

  If she can smooth the murder but a while.

  Martha. I’ll turn deceit to overthrow his fraud.

  Lorrique. Then, with fair words his flatteries entertain,

  300 And when he doth importune you for love,

  Desire him first to show you the first place,

  Where he beheld Prince Otho after the wreck.

  Say you have earnestly entreated me,

  But I have led you in a labyrinth

  Of no effect; he full of heat and lust,

  Glad of occasion, will no doubt alone

  Conduct you to this fatal horrid cave,

  Thinking by force, or fair means, to attain

  His false heart’s longing, and your honour’s stain;

  310 But being in the height of his base pride,

  The duke, the hermit, Mathias and myself

  Will change his pleasures into wretched

  And redeemless misery.

  Saxony. The plot is good: madam, are you agreed?

  Martha. To anything, however desperate.

  Lucibella. Ay, but by your leave, lady and lords all, what if

  This knave that has been, play the knave still,

  And tells tales out of school, how then?

  Lorrique. I know not what to swear by; but no soul

  320 Longs for the sight of endless happiness

  With more desire than mine thirsts for his death.

  By all the gods that shall give ill men life,

  I am resolved chief agent in his end.

  Mathias. We credit thee: join hands and ring him round;

  Kneel, on his head lay our right hands, and swear

  Vengeance against Hoffman.

  All. Vengeance, vengeance, fall

  On him, or sudden death upon us all.

  Saxony. Come, part; we to the cave,

  330 You to the court.

  Justice dig murder’s grave.

  Exit lorrique and Martha.

  Lucibella. Nay, I’ll come: my wits are mine again,

  Now faith grows firm to punish faithless men.

  Exeunt.

  [Act 5

  Scene 2]

  Enter Hoffman, and all the train that attended the Duchess first.

  Hoffman. Not to be found? Hell: which way is she gone?

  Lord. Her highness charged us to call you her son,

  The mystery we know not; but we know

  You are not princely Otho of luningberg.

  Hoffman. No matter what I am; tell me the way she went

  With that lorrique. Speak, or by heaven

  Hell shall receive you all.

  Enter Martha and lorrique.

  Lord. Be not enraged: she comes,

  And with her comes trusty lorrique.

  10 Hoffman. Madam, I feared you, and my heart was sick

  With doubt some over-desperate accident

  Had drawn you to melancholy paths,

  That lie within the verge of this rough scar.

  Martha. Your doubt was but an embryo. I indeed

  Desired lorrique to bring me to the place

  Where you beheld the shipwreck of my son;

  And he hath led me up and down the wood,

  But never brought me to the fatal beach.

  Hoffman.It were not fit you should see the sad place,

  20 That still seems dismal since the prince’s death.

  Lord. Dead? is our sovereign lord the prince dead?

  Martha. Inquire no more of that. I will anon

  Resolve you of his fate; this time forbear,

  Esteem this gentleman, your lord and prince.

  Lord. We hold him so, since you command us so.

  Hoffman. Will you go forward, madam?

  Martha. Willingly, so you will promise me to walk tomorrow

  And see the earth that gently did receive

  My son’s wrecked body from the churlish foam.

  30 Hoffman. I’ll wait upon your grace: set forward there

  [Aside] Tricks and devices! longings! well, ’tis good:

  I’ll swim to my desires through seas of blood.

  Exeunt.

  Lorrique. Fox you’ll be taken; hunter, you are fallen

  Into the pit you digged. I laugh to see

  How I outstripped the prince of villainy.

  Hoffman for me told such a smoothing tale,

  That had not this strange accident befallen

  In finding of the cave, I had been held

  More dear than ever in the duch
ess’ eyes.

  40 But now she’ll hold me hard, whate’er she say.

  Yet is her word passed that she’ll pardon me;

  Enter Hoffman.

  And I have wealth hoard up, which I’ll bear

  To some strange place: rich men live anywhere.

  Hoffman. What? are you gadding sir? what moves your flight?

  Coin not excuses in your crouching: come,

  What cause have you to fly and seek strange hoards

  For your wealth gotten by my liberal gift?

  Lorrique. And my desert, my lord.

  Hoffman. Well, be it your desert;

  50 But what’s the cause you’ll fly this country?

  Lorrique. As I live, my lord, I have no such intent;

  But with your leave, I was debating things,

  As if it should chance thus, and thus, why then,

  ’Twere better be far off; but otherwise

  My love and life low at your service lie.

  Hoffman. You are a villain damned as low as hell!

  An hypocrite, a fawning hypocrite:

  I know thy heart. Come, spaniel, up, arise:

  And think not with your antics and your lies

  60 To go beyond me. You have played the slave,

  Betrayed me unto the duchess, told her all,

  Disappointing all my hopes with your base tongue,

  O’erturned the height of my intendments;

  For which I’ll hurl thee from my mountain wreck,

  Into the lowest cavern of pale death.

  Lorrique. Alas my lord, forbear, let me be heard –

  Hoffman. Thou hast betrayed me, therefore never talk.

  Lorrique. By heaven –

  Hoffman. O hell! why shouldst thou think on heaven?

  70 Lorrique. Stay and believe me, think you I am mad,

  So great a foe to my own happy chance?

  When things are sorted to so good an end,

  That all is hid, and we held in regard

  After such horrid and perfidious acts:

  Now to betray myself? Be reasonable,

  And think how shallow such an act would seem

  In me, chief agent in so many ills.

  Hoffman. Thou hast a tongue as glib and smooth to lies,

  As full of false inventions and base fraud,

  80 As prone to circumvent believing souls,

  As ever heretic or traitor used,

  Whose speeches are as honey, their acts gall:

  Their words raise up, but their hands ruin all.

  Lorrique. By virtue’s glorious soul –

  Hoffman. Blasphemer peace, swear not by that thou hat’st!

  Virtue and thou have no more sympathy

  Than day with night, heaven with hell.

  Thou knowest I know thy villainies excel.

  Lorrique. Why then by villainy, by blood, by sleights,

  90 By all the horrors tortures can present,

  By hell, and by revenge’s purple hand:

  The duchess had no conference with me

  But only a desire to see the place

  That first received her son, whom she believes

  The unrelenting waves and flinty rocks,

  Had severed from sweet life after the wreck.

  Hoffman. May I believe thee?

  Lorrique. Have I failed you yet?

  Measure my former acts, and you shall find

  100 My soul allied to yours, wholly estranged

  From all I ever loved.

  Hoffman. No more, have done.

  Th’ast won me to continue thee my friend.

  But I can tell thee somewhat troubles me,

  Some dreadful misadventure my soul doubts,

  And I conceive it with no common thought,

  But a most potent apprehension;

  For it confounds imaginary sense.

  Sometimes it inflames my blood, another while

  110 Numbs all the currents that should comfort life,

  And I remain as ’twere a senseless stone.

  Lorrique. Come, come, I know the cause: you are in love;

  And to be so, is to be anything.

  Do you not love the duchess?

  Hoffman. Yes, I do.

  Lorrique. Why there’s the matter, then: be ruled by me.

  Tomorrow morning she desires to see

  The shore that first received her sea-wrecked son,

  And to be unaccompanied she loves,

  120 Except some one or two, you and I.

  Now when you have her near your dismal cave,

  Force her. Ay, do’t man: make no scruple, do’t,

  Else you shall never win her to your bed.

  Do a man’s part, please her before she go,

  Or if you see that she turns violent,

  Shut her perpetual prisoner in that den.

  Make her a Philomel, prove Tereus:

  Do’t, never fear it.

  Hoffman. Why she will be missed.

  130 Lorrique. By whom? By fools: gross, dull, thick-sighted fools,

  Whom every mist can blind. I’ll sway them all

  With exclamation that the grieved duchess,

  When she beheld the sea that drowned her son,

  Stood for a while like weeping Niobe,

  As if she had been stone; and when we strived

  With mild persuasions to make less her woe

  She, madder than the wife of Athamas

  Leapt suddenly into the troubled sea,

  Whose surges greedy of so rich a prey,

  140 Swallowed her up, while we in vain exclaimed

  ’Gainst heaven and hell, ’gainst fortune and her fate.

  Hoffman. Oh my good villain! how I hug thy plots.

  This shall be done: she’s mine. Run swift, slow hours;

  Make a short night hasten on day apace,

  Rough arms wax soft, soft beauty to embrace.

  Lorrique. Why so, now your fear will quickly end.

  Hoffman. Thou wilt not talk of this?

  Lorrique. Will I be hanged?

  Ne’er take me for a blab, you’ll find me none.

  150 Hoffman. I have another secret, but –

  Lorrique. Come what is’t? come, this breast is yours,

  My heart’s your treasury.

  Hoffman. Thou must be secret: ’tis a thing of weight concerns thee near.

  Lorrique. Were it as near as life, come, pray speak.

  Hoffman. Hark in thine ear. I would not have the air

  Be privy to this purpose: wilt thou swear?

  Lorrique. What? to be secret? if the least jot I tell

  Let all my hopes sink suddenly to hell.

  Hoffman. Thou hast thy wish, down villain, keep this close.

  [Stabs him.]

  160 Lorrique. Unthankful murderer, is this my meed?

  Oh slave, th’ast killed thy heart in wounding mine.

  This is my day, tomorrow shall be thine.

  Hoffman. Go, fool! now thou art dead, I need not fear.

  Yet, as thou wert my servant just and true,

  I’ll hide thee in the ditch: give dogs their due.

  He that will prove a mercenary slave

  To murder, seldom finds so good a grave.

  He’s gone. I can now spare him. lorrique, farewell;

  Commend me to our friends thou meet’st in hell:

  170 Next plot for Mathias and old Saxony:

  Their ends shall finish our black tragedy.

  Exit.

  [Act 5

  Scene 3]

  Enter Saxony and Mathias.

  Saxony. How little care had we to let her ’scape,

  Especially on this so needful time,

  When we are vowed to wait upon revenge.

  Mathias. No doubt our uncle’s care will keep her safe,

  Nor is she in her fits so violent

  As she was wont. look where my

  Uncle comes, sustaining with one hand

  A dying man, and on the other sid
e,

  Fair lucibel supports the fainting body.

  Enter Rodorick, and lucibella leading lorrique.

  10 Lucibella. look you here. You marvelled why I went,

  Why this man drew me unto him: can you help

  Him now? Hoffman has houghed him too.

  Saxony. Brother, who is’t you bring thus ash-pale?

  Is’t not lorrique?

  Lorrique. I am, and ’tis in vain to strive for longer hope.

  I cannot – only be provident. I greatly fear

  The murderous traitor out of mere suspect

  Will plot some stratagem against the life

  Of the chaste duchess. Help her what you can,

  20 Against the violence of that wicked man.

  Rodorick. Hast thou not told him what we do intend?

  Lorrique. No, as heaven help me in my wretched end:

  Be confident of that. Now I must fall

  Never again to rise. You know his wrongs:

  Be careful, princes to revenge them all. [Dies.]

  Lucibella. Well, farewell, fellow, thou art now paid home

  For all thy counselling in knavery.

  Good lord! what very fools are very knaves!

  Their cunning bodies often want due graves.

  30 Saxony. Son, daughter, brother: follow my advice.

  Let us no longer keep this hateful plot,

  Lest we be circumvented.

  Rodorick. True ’tis: to put on open arms.

  Mathias. ’Tis now too late, we are beset

  With soldiers. We must fight, and since it must be;

  Let’s to’t valiantly.

  Enter [Martha’s] Lord, with soldiers.

  Lord. Princes, prepare not to resist your foes,

  We are firm as life unto your blood.

  The Duchess Martha greets old Saxony,

  40 Prince Mathias, Rodorick and fair Lucibel.

  To me she hath discovered the damned plots

  Of that perfidious Hoffman, and hath sent

  These armed soldiers to attend on you.

  Saxony. We thank her highness, but we think in vain

  Both you and we attend. Lorrique lies slain

  By Hoffman’s sly suspicion: best be joined

  To apprehend him publicly.

  Lord. There is no need. Our duchess hath apparelled

  Her speech in a green livery.

  50 She salutes him fair, but her heart

  Like his actions, is attired

  In red and blue and sable ornaments.

  Saxony. But tell us where they are?

  Lord. At hand she comes with him alone her plot is:

  She comes in happy time for all your good.

  Mathias. Cease words, use deeds.

  Revenge draws nigh.

  Saxony. Come set his body like a scarecrow.

  [They hang up Lorrique’s body and hide behind bushes.]