صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

Face. Softly, sir; speak softly. I meant

To have told your worship all. This must not hear.
Mam. No, he will not be "gull'd": let him alone.

550

Face. You are very right, sir; she is a most rare scholar, And is gone mad with studying Broughton's works.1

If you but name a word touching the Hebrew

She falls into her fit, and will discourse

So learnedly of genealogies,

As you would run mad, too, to hear her, sir.

Mam. How might one do t'have conference with her, Lungs?

Face. Oh, divers have run mad upon the conference :

I do not know, sir. I am sent in haste

To fetch a vial.

Sur. Be not gull'd, Sir Mammon.

Mam. Wherein? Pray ye, be patient.

Sur. Yes, as you are,

And trust confederate knaves and sharks and bawds.

Mam. You are too foul, believe it.—Come here, Ulen,

One word.

Face. I dare not, in good faith.

Mam. Stay, knave.

Face. He is extreme angry that you saw her, sir.

560

[Going.

570

Mam. Drink that (gives him money). What is she when she's out of her fit?

Face. Oh, the most affablest creature, sir! So merry!

So pleasant! She'll mount you up like quicksilver

Over the helm, and circulate like oil,

A very vegetal; discourse of state,

Of mathematics, frolic, anything

Mam. Is she no way accessible? no means,

1 A celebrated divine and Hebrew scholar in Elizabeth's time.

No trick to give a man a taste of her wit

Or so?

Sub. (within). Ulen!

Face. I'll come to you again, sir.

Mam. Surly, I did not think one of your breeding

Would traduce personages of worth.

Sur. Sir Epicure,

Your friend to use; yet still loth to be gulled:

I do not like your philosophical bawds.

Their stone is lechery enough to pay for
Without this bait.

Mam. 'Heart, you abuse yourself.

I know the lady, and her friends, and means,
The original of this disaster. Her brother
Has told me all.

Sur. And yet you never saw her

Till now!

Mam. Oh yes, but I forgot. I have, believe it, One of the treacherousest memories, I do think, Of all mankind.

Sur. What call you her brother?

Mam. My lord

He will not have his name known, now I think on it.

Sur. A very treacherous memory!

Mam. On my faith

Sur. Tut, if you have it not about you, pass it

Till we meet next.

Mam. Nay, by this hand, 'tis true,

He's one I honour, and my noble friend;
And I respect his house.

Sur. Heart! can it be

That a grave sir, a rich, that has no need,

580

[Exit.

590

600

A wise, sir, too, at other times, should thus,

With his own oaths and arguments, make hard means
To gull himself? An this be your elixir,

Your lapis mineralis and your lunary,

Give me your honest trick yet at primero,

Or gleek:1 and take your lutum sapientis,

Your menstruum simplex! I'll have gold before you,
And with less danger of the quicksilver

Or the hot sulphur.

Re-enter FACE.

Face. Here's one from Captain Face, sir (to SURLY),

Desires you meet him in the Temple Church

610

620

Some half-hour hence, and upon earnest business.
Sir-(whispers MAMMON)-if you please to quit us now,

and come

Again within two hours, you shall have

My master busy examining o' the works;

And I will steal you in unto the party,

That you may see her converse. Sir, shall I say

You'll meet the captain's worship?

Sur. Sir, I will.

But, by attorney and to a second purpose,
Now, I am sure I understand this house;

[Walks aside.

I'll swear it, were the marshal here to thank me :

630

The naming this commander doth confirm it.
Don Face! why he's the most authentic dealer
In these commodities, the superintendent

To all the quainter traffickers in town!

He is the visitor, and does appoint

Who visits whom, and at what hour; what price;

1 A game of cards.

Which gown, and in what smock; what fall1; what tire.
Him will I prove, by a third person, to find

The subtleties of this dark labyrinth :

Which if I do discover, dear Sir Mammon,

You'll give your poor friend leave, though no philosopher,

To laugh for you that are, 'tis thought, shall weep.

Face. Sir, he does pray you'll not forget.

Sur. I will not, sir.

Sir Epicure, I shall leave you.

640

[Exit.

Mam. I follow you straight.

Face. But do so, good sir, to avoid suspicion.

This gentleman has a parlous head.

Mam. But wilt thou, Ulen,

Be constant to thy promise?

Face. As my life, sir.

650

Mam. And wilt thou insinuate what I am, and praise me,

And

say I am a noble fellow?

Face. Oh, what else, sir?

And that you'll make her royal with the stone,

An empress and yourself, King of Bantam.

Mam. Wilt thou do this?

[blocks in formation]

May busy himself about projection.

Mam. Thou hast witch'd me, rogue: take, go.

[blocks in formation]

And the weights too.

Slave, I could bite thine ear.

Away, thou dost not care for me.

Face. Not I, sir!

Mam. Come, I was born to make thee, my good weasel,

Set thee on a bench, and have thee twirl a chain

With the best lord's vermin of 'em all.

Face. Away, sir.

Mam. A count, nay, a count palatine

Face. Good, sir, go.

Mam. Shall not advance thee better: no, nor faster.

Re-enter SUBTLE and DOL.

Sub. Has he bit? has he bit?

Face. And swallowed too, my Subtle.

I have given him line, and now he plays, i' faith.
Sub. And shall we twitch him?

Face. Thorough both the gills.

For here is a rare bait, with which a man

No sooner's taken, but he straight firks mad.

671

[Exit.

Sub. Dol, my Lord What's'hums sister, you must now

Bear yourself statelich.

Dol. Oh, let me alone.

I'll not forget my race, I warrant you.

I'll keep my distance, laugh and talk aloud;

Have all the tricks of a proud scurvy lady,

And be as rude as her woman.

Face. Well said, sanguine!

Sub. But will he send his andirons?

Face. His jack too,

And's iron shoeing-horn; I have spoke to him. Well,
I must not loose my wary gamester yonder.

680

690

« السابقةمتابعة »