As I would help him to. Fit. How talks he? millions? Yes, I will take no less, and do it too; If they were Myriads: and without the By direct means, it shall be good in law. Meer. Tell Mr. Woodcock, I'll not fail You are a gentleman of a good presence, I have a project to make you a duke now. Meer. Good! Why, Engine, then He shall be an undertaker with me, In a most feasible business. It shall cost him Eng. Good, sir. men, For which I'll make him one. He shall We'll take in citizens, commoners, and The thing is for recovery of drown'd land, Meer. 'Twill yield a pound an acre. [first. Fit. Trifle! twelve thousand pound for Meer. Yes, but, by my way of dressing. And medicining the leather to a height Eng. Of the king's glover? Meer. Yes, how heard you that? And reserve half my secret. Pluck another; 1 The thing is for recovery of drown'd land.] This was the age of projects and monopolies; and the prevailing humour is not unseasonably ridiculed by the poet. 'Tis probable, that a design of draining the fens was then talked of: and experience has since shewn, that the project was not wholly impracticable. Gi' me out one by chance. Project; FOUR DOGS' SKINS] He does not mean so many dogs' skins in number; but his method of dressing these skins was the fourth in the number of his projects: we should read then, Gime out one by chance; project four: (i. e. No. 4.) dog-skins? 3 I will not bate a HARRINGTON o' the sum.] The sense of this phrase is obvious enough; but I am unable to give the reader the original of it. Our author's contemporaries use it as he does, which shews it was familiar at that time: "I have lost four or *five friends, and not gotten the value of one Harrington.”—Sir Henry Wotton's Letters p. 558. My fornaces, and hanging o' my coppers, Within that term: by googing of 'em out cing. Meer. Yes, and as true a wine as th' wines Of the Canary, his; the Claret, his; Meer. Why, then I'll make it out of blackberries, And it shall do the same. 'Tis but more art, And the charge less. Take out another. Fit. No, good sir, Save you the trouble, I'll not look, nor hear Of any but your first, there; the drown'dland: Ift will do, as you say. Meer. Sir, there's not place To gi' you demonstration of these things, They are a little too subtile. But I could shew you Such a necessity in't, as you must be But what you please: against the receiv'd heresie, [land, sir, That England bears no dukes. Keep you the The greatness of th' estate shall throw't upon you. If you like better turning it to money, What may not you, sir, purchase with that wealth? [lions, Say you should part with two o' your milTo be the thing you would, who would not do't? Meer. These, sir, are businesses, ask to he carried With caution, and in cloud. [mistress? Then this way, good sir. Meer. I shall follow you; Trains, Gi' me the bag, and go you presently, Commend my service to my lady Tailbush. Tell her I am come from court this morning; say, [entreat her, I have got our business mov'd, and well: That she give you the fourscore angels, and sec 'em [side. Dispos'd of to my counsel, sir Poule Either Sonie time, to-day, I'll wait upon her ladyship, With the relation. Eng. Sir, of what dispatch He is! do you mark? Meer. Engine, when did you see [ter My cousin Ever-ill? keeps he still your quar I' the Bermudas? Eng. Yes, sir, he was writing This morning, very hard. Meer. Be not you known to him, That I am come to town; I have effected A business for him, but I would have it take' him, Before he thinks for't. Eng. Is it past? Meer. Not yet. 'Tis well o' the way. Eng. O sir! your worship takes Infinite pains. Meer. I love, friends, to be active: My fate. Pray you, let's be private, sir. Meer. Where none may interrupt us. Lock the street-doors fast, and let no one in (Except they be this gentleman's followers) To trouble me. Do you mark? You've heard and seen Something to-day, and by it you may gather, Your mistress is a fruit that's worth the stealing, [sure, now, And therefore worth the watching. Be you * Lay for some PETTY principality.] The edit. of 1640, as I think more justly, Some pretty principality. -Keeps he still your quarter I' the BERMUDAS] This was a cant term for some places in the town, with the same kind of privilege as the Mint of old, or the purlieus of the Fleet. So our author in one of his epistles: Have their Bermudas, and their Streights i' th' Strand. You've all your eyes about you; and let in No lace-woman, nor bawd, that brings French masks, [with wafers, And cut-works. See you? nor old croans, To convey letters. Nor no youths, disguis'd Like country-wives, with cream and marrow-puddings. Much knavery may be vented in a pudding, Much bawdy intelligence: they are shrewd cyphers. Nor turn the key to any neighbour's need; spill it; Knock o' the empty tubs, that by the sound They may be forbid entry. Say, we are robb'd, If any come to borrow a spoon or so. Pug. I'll take care, sir, They sha' not trouble you if they would. I will deserve so well of my fair mistress I'll ha' my share. Most delicate damn'd Mrs. Fit. Look at the back-door, [She sends Devil out. One knocks, see who it is. Pug. Dainty she-devil! Mrs. Fit. I cannot get this venture of the cloke Out of my fancy, nor the gentleman's way He took, which though 'twere strange, yet 'twas handsome, And had a grace withal, beyond the newness. The excellence of mistresses, I am, Although my master's man, my mistress slave, The servant of her secrets, and sweet turns, And know what fitly will conduce to either. Mrs. Fit. What's this? I pray you come to yourself, and think What your part is; to make an answer. Tell, Who is at the door? Pug. The gentleman, mistress, [you Who was at the cloke-charge to speak with This morning; who expects only to take Some small commandments from you, what you please, Worthy your form, he says, and gentlest Mrs. Fit. O you'll anon prove his hir'd man, I fear; manners. What has he giv'n you for this message? sir, Bid him put off his hopes of straw, and leave To spread his nets in view thus. Though they take Master Fitz-dottrel, I am no such foul Nor fair one, tell him, will be had with stalking; And wish him to forbear his acting to me, At the gentleman's chamber-window in Lincoln's-inn there, That opens to my gallery; else I swear T'acquaint my husband with his folly, and leave him [him, To the just rage of his offended jealousy. How now? ha' you told him? Mrs. Fit. And what says he? Pug. Says he that which myself would say to you, if I durst: That you are proud, sweet mistress; and withal, A little ignorant, to entertain The good that's proffer'd; and (by your beauty's leave) Not all so wise as some true politic wife Would be; who having match'd with such a Nupson [face (I speak it with my master's peace) whose Hath left t' accuse him, now, for't doth confess him, [scruple, What you can make him; will yet (out of And a spic'd conscience) defraud the poor gentleman, At least delay him in the thing he longs for, And makes it his whole study, how to com pass Only a title. Could but he write cuckold, He had his ends. For, look you Mrs. Fit. This can be None but my husband's wit. Pug. My precious mistress. Mrs. Fit. It creaks his Engine: the groom never durst Be else so sawcy Pug. If it were not clearly His worshipful ambition, and the top of it, The very forked top too, why should he Keep you thus mur'd up in a back-room, mistress, Allow you ne'er a casement to the street, Fear of engendering by the eyes, with gallants; Forbid you paper, pen and ink, like ratsbane; [letter Search your half-pint of Muscatel, lest a Be sunk i' the pot; and hold your new-laid egg Against the fire, lest any charm be writ there? Will you make benefit of truth, dear mis tress, If I do tell it you? I do't not often: And to report them to him. Now, if you master, We will, my mistress, an absolute fine cokes, If you neat handsome vessels, of good sail, You are a stranger to the plot! you see not Fit. Did you so, devil? Mrs. Fit. Not you? you were not planted i' your hole to hear him, Upo' the stairs, or here behind the hangings? I do not know your qualities? he durst do it, And you not give directions? Fit. You shall see, wife, Whether he durst or no, and what it was, [Her husband goes out, and enters pre- You fiend apparent you! you declar'd hellhound! Or of that truth of PICARDIL, in clothes.] This alludes to the fashion then in vogue: Picardils were the stiff upright collars that were fastened on to the coat; and Pug here means by the expression, that his clothes, perhaps, were not made enough in the reigning mode, to captivate a lady's fancy. Fit. Nay, there is one blow more for exercise: [After a pause he strikes him again. I told you I should do it. Pug. Would you had done, sir! Fit. O wife, the rarest man! (yet there's another [man, wife! To put you in mind o' the last) such a brave Within, he has his projects, and does vent [And again. 'em The gallantest! were you tentiginous! ha? Fit. Out of my sight. If thy name were not Devil, [In, Thou should'st not stay a minute with me. Go, yet stay, yet go too. I am resolv'd What I will do, and you shall know't aforehand. Soon as the gentleman is gone, do you hear? I'll help your lisping. Wife, such a man, wife! [Devil goes out. He has such plots! he will make me a duke! No less by heaven! six mares to your coach, wife! [man bald, That's your proportion! and your coachBecause he shall be bare enough. Do not [map, you laugh, We are looking for a place, and all, i' the What to be of. Have faith, be not an infidel. You know I am not easy to be gull'd. make Another dutchess, if you ha' not faith. these false spirits. [mere wit! Fit. Spirits? O, no such thing, wife; wit, This man defies the devil and all his works! He does't by Engine, and devices, he! He has his winged ploughs, that go with sails, [mills Will plough you forty acres at once! and Will spout you water ten miles off All Crowland [folk, Is ours, wife; and the fens, from us, in NorTo the utmost bounds of Lincolnshire! we have view'd it, And measur'd it within all, by the scale! Sweet-heart, if th' hast a fancy to one place Mrs. Fit. You ha' strange phantasies! SCENE IV. Meer-cruft, Fitz-dottrel, Engine. Meer. Where are you, sir? Fit. Ha! that last has a good sound! I like it well. The Duke of Drown'd-land? Eng. Yes; It goes like Groen-land, sir, if you mark it. Meer. I, And drawing thus your honour from the work, You make the reputation of that greater, Drown'd-lands will live in drown'd-land! Ha' no foot left; as that must be, sir, one day. purchase. Nature hath these vicissitudes. She makes No man a state of perpetuity, sir. Fit. You're ' the right. Let's in then, and conclude. |