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Which way I should make my door, by Necromancy, And where my shelves; and which fhould be for boxes, And which for pots. I would be glad to thrive, fir. And I was wifh'd to your worship by a gentleman, One captain Face, that fays you know mens planets, And their good angels, and their bad.

Sub. I do,

If I do fee 'em

Fac. What! my honeft Abel? Thou art well met here.

Dru. Troth, fir, I was fpeaking,

Just as your worship came here, of your worship.
I pray you speak for me to mafter doctor.

Fac. He fhall do any thing. Doctor, do you hear?
This is my friend, Abel, an honest fellow;
He lets me have good tobacco, and he does not
Sophifticate it with fack-lees or oil,

Nor washes it in mufcadel and grains,
Nor buries it in gravel, under ground,
Wrapp'd up in greafy leather, or pifs'd clouts:
But keeps it in fine lilly pots, that open'd,
Smell like conserve of roses, or French beans.
He has his maple block, his filver tongs,
Winchester pipes, and fire of juniper,

A neat, fpruce, honeft fellow, and no goldsmith.
Sub. H' is a fortunate fellow, that I am fure on-
Fac. Already, fir, ha' you found it? Lo' thee Abel!
Sub. And in right way to'ard riches—

Fac. Sir.

Sub. This fummer

He will be of the clothing of his company,

16 He has his maple block, bis filver tongs,

Winchefter pipes, and fire of juniper.] Naturalifts tell us that a coal of juniper, if covered over with its own afhes, will retain its fire a whole year: Fuerunt qui exiftimaverint truncum ligni juniperi accenfum, & proprio cinere contectum ignem annuum fervare.

CARDAN. de fubtil. 1. 8. Abel kept this coal of juniper for his cuftomers to light their pipes with.

And

And next spring call'd to the fcarlet; fpend what he can' Fac. What, and fo little beard?

Sub. Sir, you must think,

He may have a receipt to make hair come :

But he'll be wife, preferve his youth, and fine for't; His fortune looks for him another way.

Fac. 'Slid, doctor, how canst thou know this fo foon? I am amus'd at that!

Sub. By a rule, captain,

In metapofcopy, which I do work by ;

A certain ftar i' the forehead, which you fee not.
Your chestnut, or your olive-colour'd face
Do's never fail and your long ear doth promife.
*I knew't, by certain fpots too, in his teeth,
And on the nail of his mercurial finger.
Fac. Which finger's that?

Sub. His little finger. Look.

Yo' were born upon a Wednesday?

Dru. Yes indeed, fir.

Sub. The thumb, in chiromanty, we give Venus; The fore-finger, to Jove; the midft, to Saturn; The ring to Sol; the leaft, to Mercury : Who was the lord, fir, of his horoscope,

His houfe of life being Libra; which fore-fhew'd, He fhould be a merchant, and fhould trade with ballance. Fac. Why, this is ftrange! Is't not, honeft Nab? Sub. There is a fhip now, coming from Ormus, That fhall yield him fuch a commodity

Of drugs

This is the weft, and this the fouth?

Dru. Yes, fir.

Sub. And thofe are your two fides?
Dru. I, fir.

I knew't, by certain fpots too, in his TEETH,

And on the NAIL of his mercurial finger.] Our poet's authority is Cardan: Sunt etiam in nobis veftigia quædam futurorum eventuum in unguibus, atque etiam in dentibusfed pro manus natura, & digiorum in quibus fiunt, & colorum & mutatione eorum.

De fubtil. 1. 18.

Sub. Make me your door, then, fouth; you rbroad And on the east-fide of your fhop, aloft, [fide, weft: Write, Mathlai, Tarmiel, and Baraborat ; Upon the north-part, Rael, Velel, Thiel. They are the names of thofe mercurial fpirits, That do fright flies from boxes.

Dru. Yes, fir.

Sub. And

Beneath your threshold, bury me a load-stone
To draw in gallants, that wear fpurs: the reft,
They'll feem to follow17.

Fac. That's a fecret, Nab!

Sub. And, on your stall, a puppet, with a vice' And a court-fucus to call city-dames.

You fhall deal much with minerals.

Dru. Sir, I have

At home, already

Sub. I, I know you have arfnike,

Vitriol, fal-tartre, argaile, alkaly,

Cinoper: I know all. This fellow, captain,
Will come, in time, to be a great distiller1,

17

The reft

18

And

They'll feem to follow.] The conftruction is, as to the reft, quod attinet ad cæteros. Shakespear ufes this conftruction very frequent, which his editors never confidered, and hence have frequently altered his words. They'll feem-they'll think it convenient, fuitable, &c. Mr. UPTON.

To confirm the obfervation of this phrafeology ocuring in Shakefpear, I must take leave to mention an inftance in Romeo and Juliet: "Now afore God, this holy reverend friar,

"All our whole city is much bound to him."

Mr. Warburton, not confidering this conftruction, has altered the laft word to hymn; i. e. celebrate or praife: but if it is taken in the manner mentioned above, he will judge, I believe, his correction, however ingenious, not abfolutely neceflary.

18 And, on your fall, a puppet, with a vice.] The droll antick character, so often mentioned in our old plays.

19 Will come, in time, to be a great DISTILLER.] i. e. Chemist. He faid above, "You shall deal much with minerals."-In the difpute fubfifting at this time between Dr. Anthony, and his antagonists, they

infifted,

And give a fay (I will not fay directly,
But very fair) at the philofophers stone.
Fac. Why, how now, Abel! is this true?
Dru. Good captain,

What must I give?

Fac. Nay, I'll not counfel thee.

Thou hear'ft what wealth (he fays, fpend what thou canft)

Th'art like to come to.

Dru. I would gi' him a crown.

Fac. A crown! and toward fuch a fortune? heart, Thou shalt rather gi' him thy fhop. No gold about thee?

Dru. Yes, I have a Portague, I ha' kept this half year. Fac. Out on thee, Nab. 'Slight there was fuch an offer-'Shalt keep't no longer, I'll gi' it him for thee: Doctor, Nab prays your worship to drink this, and fwears

He will appear more grateful, as your skill
Do's raise him in the world.

Dru. I would entreat
Another favour of his worship.

Fac. What is❜t, Nab?

Dru. But, to look over, fir, my almanack, And cross out my ill-days, that I may neither Bargain, nor truft upon them.

Fac. That he fhall, Nab.

Leave it, it shall be done, 'gainst afternoon.
Sub. And a direction for his fhelves.

Fac. Now, Nab?

Art thou well pleas'd, Nab?

Dru. 'Thank, fir, both your worships.

Fac. Away.

Why, now you fmoky perfecutor of nature!
Now do you fee, that fome-thing's to be done,

infifted, that the virtues of metals, as to phyfical uses, were very uncertain; and in his defence he undertakes to fhew, that there are really great virtues, both for preferving health, and curing dieafes, in the mineral kingdom.

Befide

Befide your beech-coal, and your cor'five waters,
Your crosslets, crucibles, and cucurbites?

You must have stuff, brought home to you, to work on?
And yet you think, I am at no expence,

In fearching out these veins, then following 'em,
Then trying 'em out. 'Fore God, my intelligence
Cofts me more mony, than my share oft comes too
In these rare works.

Sub. You are pleasant, fir. How now?

[blocks in formation]

What fays my dainty Dolkin?

Dol. Yonder fish-wife

Will not away. And there's your giantess,
The bawd of Lambeth.

Sub. Heart, I cannot speak with 'em.

Dol. Not afore night, I have told 'em, in a voice, Thorough the trunk, like one of your familiars. But I have spied fir Epicure Mammon

Sub. Where?

Dol. Coming along, at far end of the lane, Slow of his feet, but earneft of his tongue, To one that's with him.

Sub. Face, go you, and fhift.

Dol, you must presently make ready, too
Dol. Why, what's the matter?

Sub. O, I did look for him

With the fun's rifing: 'marvel, he could fleep!
This is the day I am to perfect for him

The magifterium, our great work, the stone:
And yield it, made, into his hands of which
He has, this month, talk'd as he were poffefs'd.
And now he's dealing pieces on't away,
Methinks I fee him entring ordinaries,
Difpenfing for the pox, and plaguy houses,

Reaching

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