The Duchess of Malfi
Both form and matter. I have ever thought
Nature doth nothing so great for great men
As when she 's pleas'd to make them lords of truth:
Integrity of life is fame's best friend,
Which nobly, beyond death, shall crown the end.
Exeunt.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 1: Malfi. The presence-chamber in the palace of the Duchess.]
[Footnote 2: Prevent.]
[Footnote 3: The same.]
[Footnote 4: The reference is to the knightly sport of riding at the ring.]
[Footnote 5: At the expense of.]
[Footnote 6: Rolls of lint used to dress wounds.]
[Footnote 7: Surgeons.]
[Footnote 8: A small horse.]
[Footnote 9: Ballasted.]
[Footnote 10: A lively dance.]
[Footnote 11: Throws into the shade.]
[Footnote 12: At the point of.]
[Footnote 13: Coaches.]
[Footnote 14: Spy.]
[Footnote 15: Cheats.]
[Footnote 16: Spy.]
[Footnote 17: Malfi. Gallery in the Duchess' palace.]
[Footnote 18: Lustful.]
[Footnote 19: Genesis xxxi., 31-42.]
[Footnote 20: The net in which he caught Venus and Mars.]
[Footnote 21: Housekeepers.]
[Footnote 22: Produced.]
[Footnote 23: Qq. read STRANGE.]
[Footnote 24: Guess.]
[Footnote 25: The phrase used to indicate that accounts had been examined
and found correct.]
[Footnote 26: Using words of present time; i.e., "I take," not "I will take."]
[Footnote 27: Knot.]
[Footnote 28: More firmly.]
[Footnote 29: Of difficult disposition.]
[Footnote 30: Malfi. An apartment in the palace of the Duchess.]
[Footnote 31: Chief part.]
[Footnote 32: Bullies (Hazlitt); lawyers (Vaughan).]
[Footnote 33: Royal journey.]
[Footnote 34: Turning a boat on its side for repairs.]
[Footnote 35: Scabbed.]
[Footnote 36: Empty.]
[Footnote 37: Face-modeling (Sampson). "There's a plain statement of your
practises."]
[Footnote 38: Blue like those of a woman with child.]
[Footnote 39: Scurf.]
[Footnote 40: Person of highest influence.]
[Footnote 41: Hysteria.]
[Footnote 42: This year.]
[Footnote 43: Clearly.]
[Footnote 44: Youngster.]
[Footnote 45: A hall in the same palace.]
[Footnote 46: Crossness.]
[Footnote 47: Always.]
[Footnote 48: The meaner servants.]
[Footnote 49: At once.]
[Footnote 50: Cast his horoscope.]
[Footnote 51: The court of the same palace.]
[Footnote 52: Making an astrological calculation.]
[Footnote 53: Going to the root of the matter.]
[Footnote 54: Write.]
[Footnote 55: i.e., on his handkerchief.]
[Footnote 56: Addressing the lantern.]
[Footnote 57: "The rest not considered."]
[Footnote 58: A piece of news.]
[Footnote 59: Cleverly contrived.]
[Footnote 60: Rome. An apartment in the palace of the Cardinal.]
[Footnote 61: Religious recluse.]
[Footnote 62: Experienced.]
[Footnote 63: Sick.]
[Footnote 64: Medicinal.]
[Footnote 65: Strong broth.]
[Footnote 66: Another apartment in the same palace.]
[Footnote 67: The mandrake was supposed to give forth shrieks when uprooted,
which drove the hearer mad.]
[Footnote 68: Unchaste.]
[Footnote 69: Supposed to be a sign of folly.]
[Footnote 70: Throw the hammer.]
[Footnote 71: Boil to shreds. (Dyce.) Qq, TO BOIL.]
[Footnote 72: Malfi. An apartment in the palace of the Duchess.]
[Footnote 73: Wealth.]
[Footnote 74: Lampoons.]
[Footnote 75: Plowshares.]
[Footnote 76: Spying.]
[Footnote 77: Deceptions.]
[Footnote 78: Soothing.]
[Footnote 79: The bed-chamber of the Duchess in the same.]
[Footnote 80: Qq. read SLIGHT.]
[Footnote 81: Powder of orris-root.]
[Footnote 82: Wheels of craft.]
[Footnote 83: Certificate that the books were found correct.]
[Footnote 84: The badge of a steward.]
[Footnote 85: Spies.]
[Footnote 86: Lot.]
[Footnote 87: For Plutus.]
[Footnote 88: Quick steps.]
[Footnote 89: Miss.]
[Footnote 90: Remains.]
[Footnote 91: Profession.]
[Footnote 92: An apartment in the Cardinal's palace at Rome.]
[Footnote 93: A decorated horse-cloth, used only when the court is traveling.]
[Footnote 94: The first quarto has in the margin: "The Author disclaims
this Ditty to be his."]
[Footnote 95: Near Loretto.]
[Footnote 96: Small birds.]
[Footnote 97: His vizard.]
[Footnote 98: Malfi. An apartment in the palace of the Duchess.]
[Footnote 99: Curtain.]
[Footnote 100: The wife of Brutus, who died by swallowing fire.]
[Footnote 101: By artificial means.]
[Footnote 102: Profession.]
[Footnote 103: Spying.]
[Footnote 104: Another room in the lodging of the Duchess.]
[Footnote 105: Band.]
[Footnote 106: Bands.]
[Footnote 107: Boil.]
[Footnote 108: Punning on the two senses of "dye" and "corn."]
[Footnote 109: From exporting his grain.]
[Footnote 110: Optical glass.]
[Footnote 111: The Geneva Bible.]
[Footnote 112: Petticoat.]
[Footnote 113: Coach.]
[Footnote 114: A warm drink containing milk, wine, etc.]
[Footnote 115: Receptacle.]
[Footnote 116: A drug supposed to ooze from embalmed bodies.]
[Footnote 117: Curdled.]
[Footnote 118: Trial.]
[Footnote 119: An exclamation of impatience.]
[Footnote 120: Milan. A public place.]
[Footnote 121: In escheat; here, in fee.]
[Footnote 122: Disbeliever.]
[Footnote 123: Fraught.]
[Footnote 124: A gallery in the residence of the Cardinal and Ferdinand.]
[Footnote 125: A dog which worries sheep.]
[Footnote 126: A fabulous serpent that killed by its glance.]
[Footnote 127: Cut a caper.]
[Footnote 128: Broth.]
[Footnote 129: Skeletons.]
[Footnote 130: So Dyce. Qq. BROUGHT.]
[Footnote 131: Perfumed sweetmeats for the breath.]
[Footnote 132: Smoke.]
[Footnote 133: A fortification.]
[Footnote 134: Milan. An apartment in the residence of the Cardinal
and Ferdinand.]
[Footnote 135: Reality.]
[Footnote 136: Mistake.]
[Footnote 137: i.e., the dead body.]
[Footnote 138: Another apartment in the same.
END OF PLAY
Transcriber's Note:
Comments on the preparation of this e-text:
All of the footnotes have been re-numbered, in the form [xxx].
A few punctuation marks have been added. These are always set
off by angle brackets. Eg. [?]
The names of the characters have been spelled out in full.
Eg. CARDINAL was CARD.
Leading blanks are reproduced from the printed text. Eg.:
FERDINAND. Sister, I have a suit to you.
DUCHESS. To me, sir?