The modern British drama

But in a strange place, to a stranger too,
As if I came on purpose to betray you :
Indeed I will not.

Mich. I shall love you dearly,

And 'tis a sin to fling away affection;
I have no mistress, no desire to honour
Any but you: (will not this oyster open ?)

I know not, you have struck me with your modesty

(She will draw sure ;) so deep, and taken from me All the desire I might bestow on others: Quickly, before they come.

Estif. Indeed I dare not :

But since I see you are so desirous, sir,

To view a poor face that can merit nothing
But your repentance-

Mich. It must needs be excellent.

Estif. And with what honesty you ask it of me, When I am gone, let your man follow me, And view what house I enter; thither come, For there I dare be bold to appear open: And as I like your virtuous carriage then,

Enter JUAN, CLARA, a Servant.

I shall be able to give welcome to you. She has done her business, I must take my leave, sir.

Mich. I'll kiss your fair white hand, and thank you, lady.

My man shall wait, and I shall be your servant. Sirrah, come near; hark.

Mich. Mine was i' th' 'clipse, and had a cloud drawn over it:

But I believe well, and I hope 'tis handsome.
She had a hand would stir a holy hermit.
Juan. You know none of 'em?

Mich. No.

Juan. Then I do, captain;

But I'll say nothing till I see the proof on't.
Sit close, Don Perez, or your worship's caught:
I fear a fly.

Mich. Were those she brought love-letters? Juan. A packet to a kinsman now in Flanders: Yours was very modest, methought.

Mich. Some young unmanaged thing; But I may live to see

Juan. "Tis worth experience.

Let's walk abroad and view our companies. [Exeunt.

Enter SANCHIO and ALONZO.

Sanch. What, are you for the wars, Alonzo?
Alon. It may be ay,

It may be no, e'en as the humour takes me.
If I find peace amongst the female creatures,
And easy entertainment, I'll stay at home.
I am not so far obliged yet to long marches
And mouldy biscuit, to run mad for honour:
When you are all gone, I have my choice before

Alon. Dost thou count it base to suffer?
Suffer abundantly? 'tis the crown of honour;
You think it nothing to lie twenty days
Under a surgeon's hands that has no mercy.
Sanch. As thou hast done, I am sure: but I
perceive now

Why you desire to stay; the orient heiress,
The Margarita, sir.

Alon. I would I had her.

Sanch. They say she will marry.
Alon. I think she will.

Sanch. And marry suddenly, as report goes too.
She fears her youth will not hold out, Alonzo.
Alon. I would I had the sheathing on't.
Sanch. They say too,

She has a greedy eye, that must be fed
With more than one man's meat.

Alon. Would she were mine,

I would cater for her well enough: but, Sanchio,

There be too many great men that adore her, Princes, and princes' fellows, that claim privilege. Sanch. Yet those stand off i' the way of marriage.

To be tied to a man's pleasure is a second labour. Alon. She has bought a brave house here in

town.

Sanch. I have heard so.

Alon. If she convert it now to pious uses,

And bid poor gentlemen welcome!

Sanch. When comes she to it?

1 Lady. How does the sweet young beauty, lady Margaret?

2 Lady. Has she slept well after her walk last night?

1 Lady. Are her dreams gentle to her mind? Alt. All's well,

She's very well; she sent for you thus suddenly,
To give her counsel in a business
That much concerns her.

2 Lady. She does well and wisely,
To ask the counsel of the ancient'st, madam;

Alon. Within these two days: she is in the Our years have run through many things she

knows not.

By th' ounce then. O here's another pumpion, Let him loose for luck's sake, the crammed son Of a starved usurer, Cacafogo; both their brains buttered,

Cannot make two spoonfuls.

Caca. My father's dead: I am a man of war too,

Monies, demesnes: I have ships at sea too,
Captains.

Juan. Take heed o' th' Hollanders; your ships may leak else.

Caca. I scorn the Hollanders, they are my drunkards.

Alon. Put up your gold, sir, I'll borrow it else. Caca. I am satisfied, you shall not.

Come out, I know thee, meet mine anger instantly.

Leon. I never wrong'd ye.

Caca. Thou hast wrong'd mine honour,

Thou look'd'st upon my mistress thrice lasciviously,

I'll make it good.

Per. You have made me now too bountiful amends, lady,

For your strict carriage when you saw me first:
These beauties were not meant to be conceal'd,
It was a wrong to hide so sweet an object.
I could now chide ye, but it shall be thus,
No other anger ever touch your sweetness.

Estif. You appear to me so honest, and so
civil,

Without a blush, sir, I dare bid you welcome. Per. Now let me ask your name.

Estif. 'Tis Estifania, the heir of this poor place.

Per. Poor do you call it?

There's nothing that I cast mine eyes upon,
But shews both rich and admirable; all the rooms
Are hung as if a princess were to dwell here ;
The gardens, orchards, every thing so curious:
Is all that plate your own too?

Estif. 'Tis but little,

Only for present use; I have more and richer, When need shall call, or friends compel me

use it.

The suits you see, of all the upper chambers,
Are those that commonly adorn the house.

I think I have besides, as fair as Seville,

Or any town in Spain can parallel.

Per. Now if she be not married, I have some hopes.

Are you a maid?

Estif. You make me blush to answer;

I ever was accounted so to this hour,

And that's the reason that I live retir'd, sir. Per. Then would I counsel you to marry presently,

(If I can get her I am made for ever) For every year you lose, you lose a beauty. A husband now, an honest careful husband, Were' such a comfort: will you walk above stairs?

Estif. This place will fit our talk, 'tis fitter far, sir;

Above there are day-beds, and such temptations I dare not trust, sir.

Per. She is excellent wise withal too.

Estif. You nam'd a husband; I am not so strict, sir,

Nor tied unto a virgin's solitariness,
But if an honest, and a noble one,
Rich, and a soldier, for so I have vowed he

shall be,

Were offer'd me, I think I should accept him ; But, above all, he must love.

Per. He were base, else.

There's comfort ministered in the word soldier. How sweetly should I live!

Estif. I am not so ignorant, but that I know well,

How to be commanded,

And how again to make myself obey'd, sir.
I waste but little, I have gather'd much;
My rial not the less worth, when 'tis spent,
If spent by my direction, to please my husband.
I hold it as indifferent in my duty,

To be his maid i' th' kitchen, or his cook,
As in the hall to know myself the mistress.

Per. Sweet, rich, and provident; now, fortune,
stick

To me! I am a soldier, and a bachelor, lady,
And such a wife as you I could love infinitely.
They that use many words, some are deceitful.
I long to be a husband, and a good one,
For 'tis most certain I shall make a precedent
For all that follow me, to love their ladies.

I am young, you see, able I would have you think
too;

If 't please you know, try me before you take me.
'Tis true I shall not meet in equal wealth
With thee, but jewels, chains, such as the war
Has given me, a thousand ducats I dare

ACT II.

SCENE I.

Enter MARGARITA, two Ladies, and ALTEA. Marg. Sit down, and give me your opinions seriously.

1 Lady. You say you have a mind to marry, lady.

Marg. 'Tis true, I have, for to preserve my credit;

Yet not so much for that as for my state, ladies,
Conceive me right, there lies the main o' th'
question;

Credit I can redeem, money will imp it.
But when my money's gone, when the law shall
Seize that, and for incontinency strip me
Of all-

1 Lady. Do you find your body so malicious
that way?

Marg. I find it as all bodies are that are
young and lusty,

Lazy, and high-fed; I desire my pleasure,
And pleasure I must have.

2 Lady. 'Tis fit you should have,

Your years require it, and 'tis necessary,
As necessary as meat to a young lady;

Sleep cannot nourish more.

1 Lady. You are still i' th' right; why would you marry then?

Alt. Because a husband stops all doubts in this point,

And clears all passages.

2 Lady. What husband mean ye?

Alt. A husband of an easy faith, a fool,
Made by her wealth, and moulded to her pleasure;
One, though he see himself become a monster,
Shall hold the door, and entertain the maker.

2 Lady. You grant there may be such a man.
1 Lady. Yes marry, but how to bring 'em to
this rare

Perfection.

2 Lady. They must be chosen so, things of no honour,

Nor outward honesty.

Marg. No, 'tis no matter,

I care not what they are, so they be lusty.
2 Lady. Methinks now a rich lawyer, some
such fellow,

That carries credit, and a face of awe,
But lies with nothing but his clients' business.
Marg. No, there's no trusting them, they are
too subtle,

The law has moulded 'em of natural mischief.
1 Lady. Then some grave governor,

1 Lady. But might not all this be, and keep Some man of honour, yet an easy man. ye single?

You take away variety in marriage,

The abundance of the pleasure you are barr'd

then:

Is't not abundance that ye aim at?

Marg. Yes, why was I made a woman? 2 Ludy. And every day a new?

Marg. Why fair and young but to use it?

Marg. If he have honour I am undone, I'll
none such;

I'll have have a lusty man, honour will cloy me.
Alt. 'Tis fit ye should, lady;

And to that end, with search and wit and labour,
I have found one out, a right one and a perfect.
He is made as strong as brass, is of brave years

too,

And doughty of complexion.

Marg. Is he a gentleman?

Alt. Yes, and a soldier, as gentle as you would wish him,

A good fellow, wears good clothes.
Marg. Those I'll allow him,

They are for my credit; does he understand

But little?

Alt. Very little.

Marg. 'Tis the better.

Have not the wars bred him up to anger.

Alon. You need none but her tabor.

Per. May be I'll march after a month or two,

Alt. No, he will not quarrel with a dog that To get me a fresh stomach. I find, colonel,

bites him;

Let him be drunk or sober, is one silence.
Marg. Has no capacity what honour is?

For that's the soldier's god.

Alt. Honour's a thing too subtle for his wis-
dom;

If honour lie in eating, he is right honourable.
Marg. Is he so goodly a man, do you say?
Alt. As you shall see, lady;
But to all this is but a trunk.

Marg. I would have him so,

I shall add branches to him to adorn him.
Go, find me out this man, and let me see him.
If he be that motion that you tell me of,
And make no more noise, I shall entertain him.
Let him be here.

Alt. He shall attend your ladyship.

[Exeunt.

Enter JUAN, ALONZO, and PEREZ.
Juan. Why, thou art not married indeed?
Per. No, no, pray think so.

Alas, I am a fellow of no reckoning,
Not worth a lady's eye.

Alon. Wouldst thou steal a fortune,

And make none of all thy friends acquainted with it,

Nor bid us to thy wedding?

Per. No indeed,

There was no wisdom in't to bid an artist,
An old seducer to a female banquet:

I can cut up my pie without your instructions.
Juan. Was it the wench i' th' veil ?
Per. Basto; 'twas she,

The prettiest rogue that e'er you look'd upon,
The loving'st thief.

Juan. And is she rich withal too?

Per. A mine, a mine, there is no end of wealth, colonel.

I am an ass, a bashful fool! Prithee, colonel,
How do thy companies fill now?

Juan. You are merry, sir;

You intend a safer war at home belike now.

Per. I do not think I shall fight much this year,

colonel;

I find myself given to my case a little.

I care not if I sell my foolish company,
They are things of hazard.

Alon. How it angers me,

This fellow at first sight should win a lady,
A rich young wench, and I that have consum'd
My time and art in searching out their subtleties,
Like a fool'd alchemist blow up my hopes still!

A wantonness in wealth, methinks I agree not

with ;

'Tis such a trouble to be married too,
And have a thousand things of great importance,
Jewels, and plate, and fooleries molest me,
To have a man's brains whimsied with his wealth :.
Before, I walk'd contentedly.

Enter Servant.

Serv. My mistress, sir, is sick, because you are. absent,

She mourns, and will not eat.
Per. Alas, my jewel!

Come, I'll go with thee. Gentlemen, your fair leaves;

You see I'm tied a little to my yoke.
Pray pardon me; would ye had both such loving
wives! [Exeunt PEREZ and Servant.
Juan. I thank ye

For your old boots. Never be blank, Alonzo,
Because this fellow has outstript thy fortune;
Tell me ten days hence what he is, and how
The gracious state of matrimony stands with him.
Come, let's to dinner; when Margarita comes,
We'll visit both, it may be then your fortune.
[Exeunt

Enter MARGARITA, ALTEA, and Ladies.

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The modern British drama, المجلد 3