124 ‘ The Early English Drama: © \ [Aveust, 
Flamineo, who figures in this scene, is the most candid of younger 
brothers. Hear how he justifies himself to his mother for the part he is 
taking in bringing about the dishonour of his sister :— 
Flam. I would fain know the mass of wealth 
Which you have hoarded for my maintenance, 
That I may bear my beard out of the level 
Of my lord’s stirrup. 
Cor. What! because we are poor, 
Shall we be vicious ? 
Flam. Pray, what means have you 
To keep me from the gallies or the gallows ? 
My father proved himself a gentleman, 
Sold all his land, and, like a fortunate fellow, 
Died ere the money was spent. You brought me up 
At Padua, I confess ; where, I protest, 
For want of means (the university judge me), 
I have been fain to heel my tutor’s stockings 
At least seven years. a 7 
~ * And shall I, 
Having a path so open and so free 
To my preferment, still retain your milk 
In my pale forehead? No—this face of mine 
TPilarm and fortify with lusty wine, 
*>Gainst shame and blushing. 
Cor. Oh, that I ne’er had borne thee ! 
Flam. So would I: 
I would the common’st courtezan in Rome 
Had been my mother rather than thyself. 
* * ” * « a 
The duchess comes to court !—I like not that. 
We are engaged to mischief, and must on, 
As rivers, to find out the ocean, : 
Flow with crooked windings beneath forced banks ; 
Or as we see, to aspire some mountain’s top, i 
The way ascends not straight, but imitates : 
The subtle foldings of a winter snake. : 
) 
i i i i 
This is the way in which our early dramatists dared to look upon the 
truth as it is in human nature ; and, looking upon it, dared to tell it. 
They, and they only, are the wizards alluded to by the greatest of their 
band, who, it was said, “ could almost read the thoughts of people.” 3 
The secoud act opens with the arrival of the duchess, attended by her ; 
brother the Duke of Florence, and the Cardinal Monticelso, who are 
come to remonstrate with Brachiano against the treatment of his duchess, 
and his supposed guilty intimacy with Vittoria. Brachiano treats them 
all with indignant scorn; and then, being left alone, Isabella (the 
duchess) enters. The scene which ensues is beautiful beyond descrip- 
tion. We shall give it nearly entire. It is by the development of cha- 
racters like that of Isabella, through the medium of scenes like this, that 
Webster, and the writers of his age, have given themselves the title to 
make those frightful exposures of human nature, one of which we have 
just quoted, and more of which will presently occur in this play. If 
they could have seen but one side of the picture (no matter which) they 
would not have ventured to expose that one, because they would not have 
felt the right to do so. But seeing both, they had not only a right, but 
were bound to shew the bad with the good. 
