_Mal._ Excellent, admirable, as the devil would have it! Lend me, lend me, rapier, pistol, cross-bow: so, so, I'll do it. _Men._ Then we agree. _Mal._ As Lent and fishmongers. Come, a-cap-a-pe, how? inform. _Men._ Know that this weak-brain'd duke, who only stands On Florence' stilts, hath out of witless zeal Made me his heir, and secretly confirm'd The wreath to me after his life's full point. 300 _Mal._ Upon what merit? _Men._ Merit! by heaven, I horn him: Only Ferneze's death gave me state's life. Tut, we are politic, he must not live now. _Mal._ No reason, marry: but how must he die now? _Men._ My utmost project is to murder the duke, that I might have his state, because he makes me his heir; to banish the duchess, that I might be rid of a cunning Lacedæmonian, because I know Florence will forsake her; and then to marry Maria, the banished Duke Altofront's wife, that her friends might strengthen me and my faction: that is all, la. 311 _Mal._ Do you love Maria? _Men._ Faith, no great affection, but as wise men do love great women, to ennoble their blood and augment their revenue. To accomplish this now, thus now. The duke is in the forest next the sea: single him, kill him, hurl him i' the main, and proclaim thou sawest wolves eat him. _Mal._ Um! not so good. Methinks when he is slain, To get some hypocrite, some dangerous wretch 320 That's muffled o['e]r with feignèd holiness, To swear he heard the duke on some steep cliff Lament his wife's dishonour, and, in an agony Of his heart's torture, hurl'd his groaning sides Into the swollen sea,--this circumstance Well made sounds probable: and hereupon The duchess---- _Men._ May well be banish'd: O unpeerable invention! rare! Thou god of policy! it honeys me. 330 _Mal._ Then fear not for the wife of Altofront; I'll close to her. _Men._ Thou shalt, thou shalt. Our excellency is pleas'd: Why wert not thou an emperor? when we Are duke, I'll make thee some great man, sure. _Mal._ Nay, Make me some rich knave, and I'll make myself Some great man. _Men._ In thee be all my spirit: Retain ten souls, unite thy virtual powers: Resolve; ha, remember greatness! heart, farewell: 340 The fate of all my hopes in thee doth dwell. [_Exit._ _Re-enter_ CELSO. _Mal._ Celso, didst hear?--O heaven, didst hear Such devilish mischief? suffer'st thou the world Carouse damnation even with greedy swallow, And still dost wink, still does thy vengeance slumber? If now thy brows are clear, when will they thunder? [_Exeunt._ [453] Streams.--A deer was said to _take soil_ when it took to the water to escape the hunters.