Mam. Wherein? 'pray ye, be patient.

Sur. Yes, as you are,

And truft confederate knaves, and bawds, and whores. Mam. You are too foul, believe it. Come here, Ulen, One word.

Fac. I dare not, in good faith,

Mam. Stay, knave.

Fac. H' is extreme angry that you faw her, fir.
Mam. Drink that. What is fhe when fhe's out of her

[fit?
Fac. O, the most affableft creature, fir* ! fo merry!
So pleasant! fhe'll mount you up, like quick-filver,
Over the helm; and circulate, like oyl,
A very vegetal: difcourfe of state,

Of mathematicks, bawdry, any thing

Mam. Is the no way acceffible? no means, No trick to give a man a taste of her-witOr fo?-Ulen.

Fac. I'll come to you again, fir.

Mam. Surly, I did not think, one o'your breeding Would traduce perfonages of worth.

Sur. Sir Epicure,

Your friend to use: yet ftill, loth to be gull'd,
I do not like your philofophical bawds.
Their ftone is letchery enough to pay for,
Without this bait.

Mam. 'Heart, you abuse your felf.

I know the lady, and her friends, and means,

Fac. O, the MOST AFFABLEST creature, fir!] This manner of fpeaking, by a comparative or superlative, formed from a comparative or fuperlative, was common to our old writers. Our author has an ingenious remark on this mode of fpeech, in his English Grammar, which the reader will permit me to fet before him:

Furthermore, these adverbs more and most are added to the com"parative and fuperlative degrees themselves, which should be "before the pofitive: and this is a certain kind of English Atti"cifm, or eloquent phrafe of fpeech, imitating the manner of the moft antienieji and fineft Græcians, who, for more emphasis and "vehemencies fake, used so to speak.”

The

The original of this difafter. Her brother

H'as told me all.

Sur. And yet you ne'er faw her

Till now?

Mam. O yes, but I forgot. I have (believe it) One o' the treacheroufeft memories, I do think, Of all mankind.

Sur. What call you her brother?

Mam. My lord

He wi' not have his name known, now I think on't. Sur. A very treacherous memory !

Mam. O' my faith

Sur. Tut, if you ha' 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 fir, a rich, that has no need,
A wife fir 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 honeft trick, yet, at primero,
Or gleek; and take your lutum fapientis,

Your menftruum fimplex: I'll have gold before you,
And with lefs danger of the quicksilver,

Or the hot fulphur".

Fac. Here's one from captain Face, fir, [To Surly. Defires you to meet him i' the Temple-church, Some half hour hence, and upon earnest business. Sir, if you please to quit us, now; and come

[He whispers Mammon. Again within two hours, you shall have

21 With lefs danger of the quickfilver,

Or the bot fulphur.]Meaning, with lefs danger of being falivated

for it.

My mafter bufy examining o' the works;
And I will steal you in unto the party,

That you may fee her converfe. Sir, fhall I fay,
You'll meet the captain's worship?

Sur. Sir, I will.

But, by attorny, and to a fecond purpose22.
Now, I am fure, it is a bawdy-house;

I'll fwear it, were the marshal here to thank me :
The naming this commander doth confirm it.
Don Face! why, h' is the most authentick dealer
I' these commodities! the fuperintendant
To all the quainter traffickers in town.
He is the vifitor, and does appoint,

Who lies with whom, and at what hour; what price;
Which gown; and in what fmock; what fall; what
Him will I prove, by a third perfon, to find
The fubtleties of this dark labyrinth:

Which if I do discover, dear fir Mammon,

[tyre.

You'll give your poor friend leave, tho' no philosopher, To laugh for you that are, 'tis thought, fhall weep. Fac. Sir, he does pray, you'll not forget.

Sur. I will not, fir.

Sir Epicure, I fhall leave you.

Mam. I follow you, straight.

Fac. But do fo, good fir, to avoid fufpicion.

This gent'man has a par❜lous head.

Mam. But wilt thou, Ulen,

Be conftant to thy promife?

Fac. As my life, fir.

Mam. And wilt thou infinuate what I am? and praise

And fay, I am a noble fellow?

Fac. O what elfe, fir?

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

[me?

12 But by attorny, and to a second purpose ] i. e. I will delegate, as it were, or appoint fome other character to act instead of my own proper character. He speaks this afide. For foon after he puts on the perfon of a Spanish don. Mr. UPTON.

An

An emprefs; and your felf, King of Bantam.

Mam. Wilt thou do this?

Fac. Will I, fir?

Mam. Lungs, my lungs!

I love thee.

Fac. Send your ftuff, fir, that my master
May bufie himself about projection.

Mam. Th' haft witch'd me, rogue: take, go.
Fac. Your jack, and all, fir.

Mam. Thou art a villain - I will fend my jack, And the weights too. Slave, I could bite thine ear. Away, thou doft not care for me.

Fac. Not I, fir?

Mam. Come, I was born to make thee, my good Set thee on a bench, and ha' thee twirl a chain [weafel, With the best lord's vermin of 'em all.

Fac. Away, fir.

Mam. A Count, nay, a Count Palatine

Fac. Good, fir, go.

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

SCENE IV.

Subtle, Face, Dol.

Sub. Has he bit? has he bit?
Fac. And fwallow'd too, my Subtle.

I have giv'n him line, and now he plays, i' faith.
Sub. And fhall we twitch him?

Fac. Thorow both the gills.

A wench is a rare bait, with which a man.

No fooner's taken, but he ftraight firks mad.

Sub. Dol, my lord Wha'ts'hums fifter, you must now

Bear your felf Statelich.

Dol. O let me alone.

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

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

Have all the tricks of a proud fcurvy lady,
And be as rude as her woman.

Fac. Well faid, fanguine.

Sub. But will he fend his andirons ?

Fac. His jack too;

And's iron fhoeing horn: I ha' spoke to him. Well, I must not lose my wary gamefter, yonder.

Sub. O monfieur Caution, that will not be gu ll'd Fac. I, if I can strike a fine hook into him, now, The Temple-church, there I have caft mine angle. Well, 'pray for me. I'll about it.

Sub. What, more gudgeons! [One knocks. Dol, fcout, fcout; ftay, Face, you must go to the door, 'Pray God it be my Anabaptift. Who is't, Dol? Dol. I know him not. He looks like a gold end-man. Sub. Gods fo! 'tis he, he said he would fend What call you him?

The fanctified elder, that fhould deal

For Mammon's jack and andirons! Let him in.
Stay, help me off, firft, with my gown. Away,
Madam, to your withdrawing chamber. Now,
In a new tune, new gefture, but old language.
This fellow is fent from one negotiates with me
About the stone too; for the holy brethren
Of Amfterdam, the exil'd faints: that hope
To raise their difcipline by it. I muft ufe him
Infome strange fashion, now, to make him admire me13.

In fome firange fashion now to make him admire me.] It is judiciously remarked by Mr. Upton, that nothing can be finer imagin'd than this change of Subtle's behaviour. Fools always admire what they leaft understand; and characters is the leaft they are acquainted with. To the voluptuous and wicked Mammon, Subtle appears holinefs and humility itfelf: to the ignorant and devout Ananias, he appears all learning and science; to which every other confideration muft fubmit: and all this, very agreeably to the rules of decorum, to excite the admiration and wonder of those various kinds of fools.

SCENE