Act V

SCENE I.—A Room in the House of Venturewell.

Enter. VENTUREWELL.

Vent. I will have no great store of company at the wedding; a couple of neighbours and their wives; and we will have a capon in stewed broth, with marrow, and a good piece of beef stuck with rosemary.

Enter JASPER, with his Face mealed.

Jasp. Forbear thy pains, fond man! it is too late.

Vent. Heaven bless me! Jasper!

Jasp Ay, I am his ghost,
Whom thou hast injured for his constant love;
Fond worldly wretch! who dost not understand
In death that true hearts cannot parted be.
First know, thy daughter is quite borne away
On wings of angels, through the liquid air,
To far out of thy reach, and never more
Shalt thou behold her face: but she and I
Will in another world enjoy our loves;
Where neither father’s anger, poverty,
Nor any cross that troubles earthly men,
Shall make us sever our united hearts.
And never shalt thou sit or be alone
In any place, but I will visit thee
With ghastly looks, and put into thy mind
The great offences which thou didst to me:
When thou art at thy table with thy friends,
Merry in heart, and filled with swelling wine,
I’ll come in midst of all thy pride and mirth,
Invisible to all men but thyself,
And whisper such a sad tale in thine ear
Shall make thee let the cup fall from thy hand,
And stand as mute and pale as death itself.

Vent. Forgive me, Jasper! Oh, what might I do,
Tell me, to satisfy thy troubled ghost?

Jasp. There is no means; too late thou think’st of this.

Vent. But tell me what were best for me to do?

Jasp. Repent thy deed, and satisfy my father,
And beat fond Humphrey out of thy doors.

[Exit.

[Wife. Look, George; his very ghost would have folks
beaten.]

Enter HUMPHREY.

Hum. Father, my bride is gone, fair Mistress Luce:
My soul’s the fount of vengeance, mischief’s sluice.

Vent. Hence, fool, out of my sight with thy fond passion!
Thou hast undone me.

[Beats him.

Hum. Hold, my father dear,
For Luce thy daughter’s sake, that had no peer!

Vent. Thy father, fool! there’s some blows more; begone.—

[Beats him.

[ Aside and exit .