_Hip._ 'Twas all done for the best, my lord. _Ven._ All for your grace's good. We may be bold to speak it now, 'Twas somewhat witty carried, though we say it-- 'Twas we two murdered him. _Ant._ You two? _Ven._ None else, i' faith, my lord. Nay, 'twas well-managed. _Ant._ Lay hands upon those villains! _Ven._ How! on us? _Ant._ Bear 'em to speedy execution. _Ven._ Heart! was't not for your good, my lord? _Ant._ My good! Away with 'em: such an old man as he! You, that would murder him, would murder me. _Ven._ Is't come about? _Hip._ 'Sfoot, brother, you begun. _Ven._ May not we set as well as the duke's son? Thou hast no conscience, are we not revenged? Is there one enemy left alive amongst those? 'Tis time to die, when we're ourselves our foes: When murderers shut deeds close, this curse does seal 'em: If none disclose 'em, they themselves reveal 'em! This murder might have slept in tongueless brass But for ourselves, and the world died an ass. Now I remember too, here was Piato Brought forth a knavish sentence once; No doubt (said he), but time Will make the murderer bring forth himself. 'Tis well he died; he was a witch. And now, my lord, since we are in for ever, This work was ours, which else might have been slipped! And if we list, we could have nobles clipped, And go for less than beggars; but we hate To bleed so cowardly: we have enough, I' faith, we're well, our mother turned, our sister true, We die after a nest of dukes. Adieu! [_Exeunt._ _Ant._ How subtlely was that murder closed![234] Bear up Those tragic bodies: 'tis a heavy season; Pray Heaven their blood may wash away all treason! [_Exit._ NOTES. [1] See J. A. Symonds' _Shakespeare's Predecessors_, chap. xii., for a definition and description of this dramatic genus. [2] This play will be included in another volume of the Mermaid Series. [3] It ought, perhaps, to be mentioned that the remarks which follow are adapted in part from an essay on Webster published in my _Italian By-ways_. [4] Readers of this volume who are anxious to obtain more light upon Webster's art, must be referred to Lamb's notes in the _Specimens from English Dramatic Poets_, to Mr. Swinburne's article on John Webster in _The Nineteenth Century_ for June, 1886, and to my own essay upon _Vittoria Accoramboni_ in _Italian By-ways_ (Smith and Elder, 1883).