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(Which I did mean t' help on,) would sure enrage

him

his

To do some violence upon parent,

On which the law should take sufficient hold,
And you be stated in a double hope:
Truth be my comfort, and my conscience,
My only aim was to dig you a fortune
Out of these two old rotten sepulchres-
Volt. I cry thee mercy, Mosca.
Mos. Worth your patience,

And your great merit, sir. And see the change!
Volt. Why, what success?

Mos. Most hapless! you must help, sir. Whilst we expected the old raven,2 in comes Corvino's wife, sent hither by her husbandVolt. What, with a present?

Mos. No, sir, on visitation;

(I'll tell you how anon;) and staying long,
The youth he grows impatient, rushes forth,
Seizeth the lady, wounds me, makes her swear
(Or he would murder her, that was his vow)
To affirm my patron to have done her rape:
Which how unlike it is, you see! and hence,
With that pretext he's gone, to accuse his father,
Defame my patron, defeat you--

Volt. Where is her husband?

Let him be sent for straight.

Mos. Sir, I'll go fetch him.

Volt. Bring him to the Scrutineo.
Mos. Sir, I will.

found far less frequently in the second than in the first impressions of these plays Two instances of disclaim in occur in the quarto edition of Every Man in his Humour; both of which, in the folio, are simplified into disclaim.

My only aim was to dig you a fortune

Out of these two old rotten sepulchres-] The expression is as natural, as the image is just treasure has been often found in ancient monuments and sepulchres. WHAL.

2 Whilst we expected the old raven,] i. e. Corbaccio. WHAL.

Volt. This must be stopt.

Mos. O you do nobly, sir.

Alas, 'twas labour'd all, sir, for your good;
Nor was there want of counsel in the plot :
But fortune can, at any time, o'erthrow
The projects of a hundred learned clerks, sir.
Corb. [listening.] What's that?

Volt. Will't please you, sir, to go along? [Exit
Corbaccio followed by Voltore.

Mos. Patron, go in, and pray for our success. Volp. [rising from his couch.] Need makes devotion: heaven your labour bless! [Exeunt.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

A Street.

Enter sir POLITICK WOULD-BE and PEREGRINE.

Sir P. I told you, sir, it was a plot; you see What observation is! You mention'd me For some instructions: I will tell you, sir, (Since we are met here in this height of Venice,) Some few particulars I have set down, Only for this meridian, fit to be known Of your crude traveller; and they are these. I will not touch, sir, at your phrase, or clothes, For they are old.'

Per. Sir, I have better.

3 Sir P. I will not touch, sir at your phrase, or clothes, For they are old.

Per. Sir, I have better.] This captious kind of wit (such as it is) occurs in Donne:

"Your only wearing is your grogram.

"Not so, sir: I have more." Sat. iv.

Sir P. Pardon,

I meant, as they are themes.

Per. O, sir, proceed :

I'll slander you no more of wit, good sir.

Sir P. First, for your garb, it must be grave and serious,

Very reserv'd and lock'd; not tell a secret
On any terms, not to your father; scarce.
A fable, but with caution: make sure choice
Both of your company, and discourse; beware
You never speak a truth--

Per. How!

Sir P. Not to strangers,

For those be they you must converse with most;
Others I would not know, sir, but at distance,
So as I still might be a saver in them:

You shall have tricks else past upon you hourly.
And then, for your religion, profess none,
But wonder at the diversity of all;

And, for your part, protest, were there no other
But simply the laws o' th' land, you could con-

tent you.

Nic. Machiavel, and monsieur Bodin,* both
Were of this mind. Then must you learn the use
And handling of your silver fork at meals,'
The metal of your glass; (these are main matters

First, for your garb, it must be grave and serious, &c.] Jonson with much humour ridicules the stale counsel and advice, which at this time, when travelling to Italy was so much in vogue, were retailed by every pretender to a knowledge of the world. WHAL.

* Monsieur Bodin was a French lawyer of eminence, and a very voluminous writer. Not being so well acquainted with his works as sir Pol, I cannot tell to which of them he alludes, unless it be to his "Republics," which was once read at our Universities, and, about the time when this play appeared, trans. lated into English, by Richard Knolles. Bodin died in 1596. 5 Then must you learn the use

And handling of your silver fork at meals,] See Devil's an Ass.

your figs.

With your Italian ;) and to know the hour
When you must eat your melons, and
Per. Is that a point of state too?
Sir P. Here it is:

For your Venetian, if he see a man

Preposterous in the least, he has him straight;
He has; he strips him. I'll acquaint you, sir,
I now have lived here, 'tis some fourteen months:
Within the first week of my landing here,
All took me for a citizen of Venice,

[Aside.

I knew the forms so well-
Per. And nothing else.
Sir P. I had read Contarene, took me a house,
Dealt with my Jews to furnish it with moveables-

6

6 I had read Contarene,] A treatise della republica et magistrati di Venetia, di Gasp. Contarini. WHAL.

It was translated in 1599, by Lewis Lewkenor, Esq. Coryat speaks of this work as very elegantly rendered into English; though somewhat deficient in the description of sign-posts, grave-stones, &c., matters in which Tom greatly delighted. But a more valuable testimony to its merits is the approbation of Spenser, who accompanied the publication (as the manner then was) with a commendatory sonnet, now become not a little interesting from the fallen estate of this "flower of the last world's delight."-Rome, in defiance of Spenser's prophecy, may yet rise from her ashes; but Venice, like Babylon, is sunk for

ever.

"The antique Babel, Empresse of the East,

Upreard her buildinges to the threatned skie:
And Second Babel, tyrant of the West,

Her ayry towers upraised much more high.
But with the weight of their own surquedrie

They both are fallen, that all the earth did feare,

And buried now in their own ashes lye;

Yet shewing by their heapes how great they were.
But in their place doth now a third appeare,
Fayre Venice, flower of the last world's delight,
And next to them in beauty draweth neare,
But farre exceedes in policie of right.

Yet not so fayre her buildinges to behold,
As Lewkenors stile that hath her beautie told."

Well, if I could but find one man, one man
To mine own heart, whom I durst trust, I would-
Per. What, what, sir?

Sir P. Make him rich; make him a fortune: He should not think again. I would command it. Per. As how?

Sir P. With certain projects that I have; Which I may not discover.

Per. If I had

But one to wager with, I would lay odds now, He tells me instantly.

Sir P. One is, and that

[Aside.

I care not greatly who knows, to serve the state Of Venice with red herrings for three years, And at a certain rate, from Rotterdam,

Where I have correspondence. There's a letter, Sent me from one o' the states, and to that purpose:

He cannot write his name, but that's his mark. Per. He is a chandler?

Sir P. No, a cheesemonger.

There are some others too with whom I treat
About the same negociation;

And I will undertake it: for, 'tis thus.

I'll do't with ease, I have cast it all: Your hoy
Carries but three men in her, and a boy;
And she shall make me three returns a year:
So, if there come but one of three, I save;
If two, I can defalk :-but this is now,

If my main project fail.

Per. Then you have others?

Sir P. I should be loth to draw the subtle air

Of such a place, without my thousand aims.
I'll not dissemble, sir: where'er I come,
I love to be considerative; and 'tis true,
I have at my free hours thought upon
Some certain goods unto the state of Venice,

VOL. III.

T

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