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Now I dare hear you with mine honour. Speak.
So may this gentleman too.
Sub. Why, fir—

Fac. No whispering.

Sub. 'Fore heav'n, you do not apprehend the lofs You do your felf in this.

Fac. Wherein? for what?

Sub. Marry, to be fo importunate for one, That, when he has it, will undo you all : He'll win up all the money i' the town.

Fac. How!

Sub. Yes, and blow up gamefter after gamefter, As they do crackers in a puppet play.

If I do give him a familiar,

Give you him all you play for; never set him:
For he will have it.

Fac. You are mistaken, doctor:

Why, he does afk one but for cups and horfes,
A rifling fly; none o' your great familiars.

Dap. Yes, captain, I would have it for all games.
Sub. I told you fo.

Fac. 'Slight, that's a new business!

I understood you, a tame bird, to fly
Twice in a term, or fo, on Friday nights,
When you had left the office, for a nag
Of forty or fifty fhillings.

Dap. I, 'tis true, fir;

But I do think now I shall leave the law,
And therefore-

Fac. Why, this changes quite the cafe!
Do you think that I dare move him?

Dap. If you please, fir;

All's one to him, I fee.

Fac. What! for that money?

I cannot with my confcience: nor should you
Make the request, methinks.

Dap. No, fir, I mean

To

To add confideration.

Fac. Why then, fir,

I'll try. Say that it were for all games, doctor?
Sub. I fay then, not a mouth fhall eat for him
At any ordinary, but o' the score,

That is a gaming mouth, conceive me.

Fac. Indeed!

Sub. He'll draw you all the treasure of the realm, If it be fet him.

Fac. Speak you this from art?

Sub. I, fir, and reafon too, the ground of art. H' is o' the only beft complexion,

The queen of Fairy loves.

Fac. What! is he!

Sub. Peace.

He'll over-hear you. Sir, fhould fhe but fee himFac. What?

Sub. Do not you tell him.

Fac. Will he win at cards too?

Sub. The fpirits of dead Holland, living Ifaac 14, You'ld fwear, were in him; fuch a vigorous luck As cannot be refifted. 'Slight, he'll put

Six o' your gallants to a cloke, indeed.

Fac. A ftrange fuccefs, that fome man fhall be born to! Sub. He hears you, man

Dap. Sir, I'll not be ingrateful.

Fac. Faith, I have confidence in his good nature: You hear, he fays he will not be ingrateful.

Sub. Why as you pleafe; my venture follows yours. Fac. Troth, do it, doctor; think him trusty, and make him.

14 Sub. The fpirits of dead HOLLAND, hving ISAAC,

You'ld fwear, were in him.] The context leads us to imagine thefe were lucky gameflers, and perfons well known at ordinaries, and places of the like refort; though 'tis poffible the poet may allude to the two famous chemists aac, and John Ifaac Hollandus, who flourished about this time, and wrote feveral treatifes on Alchemy.

| ལ མང &

22

The ALCHEMIST.

He may make us both happy in an hour;
Win fome five thousand pound, and fend us two on't.
Dap. Believe it, and I will, fir.

Fac. And you fhall, fir.

You have heard all?

Dap. No, what was't? Nothing, I fir.

Fac. Nothing?

Dap. A little, fir.

Fac. Well, a rare star

Reign'd at your birth.

Dap. At mine, fir? No.

Fac. The doctor

Swears that you are

[Face takes him aside.

Sub. Nay, captain, you'll tell all now.
Fac. Allied to the queen of Fairy.
Dap. Who? that I am?

Believe it, no fuch matter

Fac. Yes, and that

Yo' were born with a cawl o' your head.

Dap. Who fays fo?

Fac. Come,

You know it well enough, though you diffemble it.
Dap. I-fac, I do not: you are mistaken.

Fac. How!

Swear by your fac? and in a thing so known
Unto the doctor? how fhall we, fir, truft you
I' the other matter? can we ever think,
When you have won five or fix thousand pound,
You'll fend us fhares in't, by this rate?
Dap. By Jove, fir,

I'll win ten thousand pound, and fend you half.
1-fac's no oath.

Sub. No, no, he did but jeft.

Fac. Go to. Go thank the doctor. He's your friend, To take it fo.

Dap. I thank his worship.

Fac. So:

Another

Another angel.

Dap. Mult I?

Fac. Muft you? 'flight,

What else is thanks? will you be trivial? doctor,
When must he come for his familiar?

Dap. Shall I not ha' it with me?

Sub. O, good fir!

There muft a world of ceremonies pass,
You must be bath'd and fumigated first :
Besides, the queen of Fairy does not rife
Till it be noon.

Fac. Not, if fhe danc'd, to-night.
Sub. And fhe muft blefs it.

Fac. Did you never see

Her royal grace yet?

Dap. Whom?'

Fac. Your aunt of Fairy 1?

Sub. Not fince fhe kift him in the cradle, captain; I can refolve you that.

Fac. Well, fee her grace,

Whate'er it cost you, for a thing that I know.
It will be somewhat hard to compass; but

However, fee her.

If

you can fee her.

You are made, believe it,

Her grace is a lone woman,

And very rich; and if fhe take a phant'fie,

She will do ftrange things. See her, at any hand. 'Slid, the may hap to leave you all she has !

It is the doctor's fear.

Dap. How will't be done then?

Fac. Let me alone, take you no thought. Do you But fay to me, captain, I'll fee her grace.

Dap. Captain, I'll fee her grace.

Fac. Enough.

15

Did you never fee

Her royal grace yet? Dap. Whom? your aunt of Fairy] Here is a mistake in the laft fpeech; your aunt of Fairy belongs to Face, and is the proper reply to Dapper's queftion. The perfons are fo ordered in the folio of 1616.

[blocks in formation]

Sub. Who's there?

[One knocks without

Anon. (Conduct him forth by the back way.)
Sir, against one a clock prepare yourself:
Till when you must be fafting; only take
Three drops of vinegar in at your nose,
Two at your mouth, and one at either ear;
Then bath your fingers ends, and wash your eyes,
To fharpen your five fenfes, and

cry hum

Thrice, and then buz as often; and then come.
Fac. Can you remember this?

Dap. I warrant you.

Fac. Well then, away.

'Tis but your bestowing

Some twenty nobles 'mong her grace's fervants,
And put on a clean fhirt: you do not know
What grace her grace may do you in clean linen.

SCENE III.

Subtle, Drugger, Face.

Sub. Come in (good wives, I pray you forbear me

Troth I can do you no good till after-noon)

[now:

What is your name, fay you? Abel Drugger?

[blocks in formation]

Dru. This, an't please your worship;
I am a young beginner, and am building
Of a new fhop, an't like your worship, just
At corner of a street: (Here's the plot on't)
And I would know by art, fir, of your worship,

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