That, where occasion is to do a benefit, Aims at the end, and not the rubs before it. I was a fool to ask you this! a more fool To think a woman had so much noble nature To entertain a secret of this burthen: You'd best to tell the duchess I persuaded [credit; That's a fine course, and one will win you Forget the name of cousin, blot my blood out, [shorter! And, so you raise yourself, let me grow A woman-friend? He that believes that weakness,

you,

Steers in a stormy night without a compass. Rod. What is't I durst not do might not impeach you? [not think of! Sil. Why, this you dare not do, you dare Rod. 'Tis a main hazard.

Sil. If it were not so,

I would not come to you to seek a favour.
Rod. You'll lose yourself.

Sil. The loss ends with myself then.
Rod. You will but see her?

Sil. Only look upon her.
Rod. Not stay?

Sil. Prescribe your time.
Rod. Not traffick with her,

In any close dishonourable action?
Sil. Stand you yourself by.

Rod. I will venture for you: [friend, Because you shall be sure I am a touch'd I'll bring her to you. Come, walk; you know the garden,

And take this key to open the little postern; There stand no guards.

Sil. I shall soon find it, aunt.

SCENE II.

Enter two Soldiers.

[Exeunt.

1 Sold. 'Tis not her fault, I warrant you; she's ready for't;

And that's the plague; when they grow ripe for marriage,

They must be slipt like hawks.

2 Sold. Give me a mean wench! [ready. No state-doubt lies on her, she's always 1 Sold. Come to the guard; 'tis late, and Cannot be long away. [sure the captain 2 Sold. I've watch'd these three nights; To-morrow they may keep me tame for nothing. [Exeunt.

I am undone if this be seen, disgrac'd,
Fallen under all discredit!

Bel. Do you love still? Dear, do you keep your old faith? Sil. Ever, lady; [sake me! And, when that fails me, all that's good forRod. Do not you shame? Madam, I must not suffer this,

I will not suffer it! Men call you virtuous: What do you mean, to lose yourself thus ? Silvio,

I charge thee get away, charge you retire you; I'll call the watch else.

Sil. Call all the world to see us! We live in one another's happiness, And so will die.

Bel. Here will I hang for ever! [madam, Rod. As you respect me, as hereafter, You would enjoy his love-Nothing prevail with you? [thou villain,

I'll try my strength then: get thee gone, Thou promise-breaker!

Sil. I am tied; I cannot.

Rod. I'll ring the bell then!

Sil. Ring it to death, I'm fix'd here.

Enter Bartello, and two Soldiers with lights.

Bart. I saw a light over the garden walls, Hard by the ladies' chamber: Here's some As I live, I saw it twice. [knavery!

Rod. The guard, the guard there!

I must not suffer this, it is too mischievous. Bart. Light up the torch! I fear'd this. Ha! young Silvio?

How got he in?

1 Sold. The devil brought him in sure; He came not by us.

Burt. My wife between 'em bustling? Guard, pull him off!

Rod. Now, now, ye feel the misery.

Bart. You, madam, at an hour so far undecent?

Death o'my soul! This is a foul fault in you! Your mother's care abus'd too! Light us to her chamber9.

I'm sorry to see this.

Sympson.

Bel.

Bel. Farewell, my Silvio,

And let no danger sink thee!

Sil. Nor death, lady. [Exeunt Bel. and Rod.
Bart. Are you so hot? I shall prepare you
physick
[fiery:

Will purge you finely, neatly; you're too
Think of your prayers, sir, an you've not
forgot 'em!
[holes?
Can you fly i' th' air, or creep you in at key-
I have a gin will catch you, tho' you conjur'd.
Take him to guard to-night, to strong and
sure guard;
[sport serve you,
I'll back to th' duchess presently. No less
Than th' heir to a dukedom? Play at push-
pin there, sir?
[shot short,

It was well aim'd; but, plague upon't, you
And that will lose your game.
Sil. I know the loss then.

SCENE IV.

[Exeunt.

Mine own blind passion had so master'd me
I could not see his love; for sure he loves her,
And on a nobler ground than I pretended.
Enter Penurio.

It must be so, it is so.- -What, Penurio,
My shotten friend, what wind blew you?
Pen. Faith, 'tis true,

Any strong wind will blow me like a feather:
I am all air, nothing of earth within me,
Nor have not had this month, but that good
dinner

[by me, Your worship gave me yesterday; that stays And gives me ballast, else the sun would draw me. [me?

Clau. But does my mistress speak still of
Pen. Yes, sir,
[too,

And in her sleep, that makes my master mad
And turn and fart for anger.

Clau. Art sure she saw me?

Pen. She saw you at a window. Clau. 'Tis most true,

In such a place I saw a gentlewoman, A young, sweet, handsome womanPen. That's she, that's she, sir.

Ther

Clau. And well she view'd me: I view'd
Pen. Still she, sir.

Clau. At last she blush'd,and then look'd off.
Pen. That blush, sir,

If you can read it truly—

Clau. But didst thou tell her,

[one?

Or didst thou fool me, thou knew'st such a Pen. I told her, and I told her such a sweet tale

Clau. But did she hear thee?

Pen. With a thousand ears, sir, And swallow'd what I said as greedily As great-bellied women do cherries, stones and all, sir.

That a tame warren of fleas frisk round about
Clau. And wilt thou work still?
Pen. Like a miner for you.

Clau. And get access?

[him,

Pen. Or conjure you together; 'Tis her desire to meet: she's poison'd with And 'till she take a sweet fresh air-that's you, sir[precious varlet ! Clau. There's money for thee; thou'rt a Be fat, be fat, and blow thy master backward. Pen. Blow you my mistress, sir, as flat as a flounder, [their veals: Then blow her up again, as butchers blow If she die upon the same,

Bury her, bury her, in God's name! Clau. Thou art a merry knave! By this hand, I'll feed thee, [do this! "Till thou crack'st at both ends, if thou dar'st Thou shalt eat no fantastical porridge, Nor lick the dish where oil was yesterday, Dust, and dead flies to-day; capons, fat

capons

Pen. Oh, hearty sound!

Clau. Cram'd full of itching oysters

Pen. Will you have the duchess? Clau. And lobsters big as gauntlets; Thou shalt despise base beef

Pen. I do despise it!

[sliding-

And now, methinks, I feel a tart come Clau. Leaping into thy mouth; but first deal faithfully.

Pen. When will you come?

Clau. To-morrow.

Pen. I'll attend you;

For then my master will be out in business. Clau. What news abroad?

Pen. 'Mass, as I was coming to you,

I heard that signor Silvio, a good gentleman, (Many a good meal I have eaten with him)——— Clau. What of him? [the duchess;

Pen. Was this day to be arraign'd before But why, I could not hear.

Clau. Silvio arraign'd?

Go, get you gone, and think of me.
Pen. I fly, sir.

[Exit.

Clau. Arraign'd? for what? for my suppos'd death? No,

That cannot be sure, there's no rumour of it. Be't what it will, I will be there and see it, And, if my help will bring him off, he has it. [Exit.

SCENE V.

Enter Duchess, Lords, Silvio_(prisoner), Belvidere, Bartello, Rodope, Clerk, Counsellors, and Attendunts.

Duch. Read the edict last made; keep silence there!

Clerk [reading]. If any man, of what condition

And let me understand the main offender, Or both shall feel the torture.

Sil. Are you a mother,

nature?

ruin

The mother of so sweet a rose as this is, So pure a flower, and dare you lose that [edness, Dare you take to yourself so great a wick(Oh, holy Heav'n!) of thinking what may [gods dwell? This goodly building? this temple, where the Give me a thousand tortures, I deserve 'em, And shew me death in all the shapes imagin'd[it, seek it; Bel. No death but I will answer't, meet No torture but I'll laugh upon't, and kiss it. 1 Lord. This is no way.

2 Lord. They say no more, for certain,
Than their strong hearts will suffer.
Duch. I've bethought me:

No, lords, altho' I have a child offending,
Nature dares not forget she is a child still:
'Till now,
I never look'd on love imperious.
I have bethought me of a way to break you,
To separate, tho' not your loves, your bodies:
Silvio, attend! I'll be your judge myself now.
The sentence of your death (because my
daughter

Will bear an equal part in your afflictions)
I take away, and pardon: this remains then,
An easy and a gentle punishment,

And this shall be fulfill'd: because unnobly You've sought the love and marriage of a princess,

The absolute and sole heir of this dukedom,
By that means, as we must imagine strongly,
To plant yourself into this rule hereafter,
We here pronounce you a man banish'd
from us.

Sil. For ever banish'd, lady?
Duch. Yet more mercy!

But for a year, and then again in this place
To make your full appearance. Yet more pity!
If in that time you can absolve a question,
Writ down within this scroll, absolve it
rightly,

[you :

This lady is your wife, and shall live with If not, you lose your head.

Sil. I take this honour,

And humbly kiss those royal hands.
Duch. Receive it.

Bartello, to your old guard take the princess.
And so, the court break up!

Sil. Farewell to all,

Pen. Close, close then, and work, wax! Clau. I'm studying for thee

[year.

[is,

A dinner, that shall victual thee for ten
Pen. Do you hear, mistress?
You know what a dunder-whelp my master
(I need not preach to you) how unfit and
wanting

To give a woman satisfaction: how [fellow;
He stinks, and snores, a bull's a better bed-
And, for his love, never let that deceive.
Isab. Nay, sure he loves me not.
Pen. If he could coin you,

Or turn you into metal, much might be then;
He loves not any thing but what is traffic:
I've heard him swear, he'd sell you to the
grand signor.

Isab. The Turk?
[you-
Pen. The very Turk, and how they'd use
Isab. I'll fit him for't: the Turk?

Pen. I know the price too: [mistress, Now you have time to pay him, pay him home, Pay him o'th' pate, clout him for all his [delicate,

courtesies:

Here's one that dances in your eyes, young, To work this vengeance; if you let it slip [mistress,

now, There is no pitying of you. Od's precious, Were I his wife, I would so maul his mazard

"Tis charity, mere charity, pure charity! Are you the first? Has it not been from Eve's time,

[way? Women would have their safe revenges this And good and gracious women, excellent women?

Is't not a handsome gentleman, a sweet gentleman?

View him from head to foot, a complete gentleman?

[you, When can you hope the like again? I leave And my revenge too, with you: I know my office;

I'll not be far off. Be not long a-fumbling! When danger shall appear, I'll give th' alarm. [Exit.

Isab. You're welcome, sir! and 'would it were my fortune

T' afford a gentleman of your fair seeming A freer entertainment than this house has: You partly know, sir

[blasted:

Clau. Know, and pity, lady, Such sweetness in the bud should be so Dare you make me your servant?

Isab. Dare you make, sir,

That service worthy of a woman's favour
By constancy and goodness?

Clau. Here I swear to you,

By the unvalued love I bear this beauty, (And kiss the book too) never to be recreant; To honour you, to truly love and serve you, My youth to wait upon you, what my wealth has[affection! Isab. Oh, make me not so poor to sell Those bought loves, sir, wear faster than the monies.

A hand

Clau. Let my truth purchase then!

Isab. I should first try it;

But you may happily

Clau. You shall not doubt me:

(I hope she loves me) When I prove false,
Will you believe a little? [shame take me!
Isab. I fear, too much, sir.
Clau. And will you love a little?
Isab. That should be your part.

Clau. Thus I begin then; thus, and thus.
Isab. A good beginning,

[ing. We have a proverb says, makes a good endClau. Say you so? 'tis well inferr'd. Isab. Good sir, your patience! Methinks I've ventur'd now, like a weak bark,

Upon a broken billow, that will swallow me,
Upon a rough sea of suspicions,
Stuck round with jealous rocks.

Pen. [within] A-hem, a-hem there!

Isab. This is my man! my fears too soon have found me.

Enter Bartello.

Bart. Where's my rich jeweller? I've stones

to set.

Pen. He is abroad, and sure, sir. Bart. There's for your service! [beauty? Where's the fair lady? All alone, sweet Isub. She's never much alone, sir, that's acquainted [thoughts are. With such companions as good honest Bart. I'll sit down by thee, and I'll kiss thy hand too, [thee. And in thine ear swear, by my life, I love Isab. You're a merry captain.

Bart. And a mad one, lady. [eyes, wench! By th' mass, th' hast goodly eyes, excellent Ye twinkling rogues! look what thy captain brings thee!

Thou must needs love me, love me heartily, Hug me, and love me, hug me close.

Isub. Fy, captain! [strain you, sirrah, Burt. Nay, I have strength, and I can And vault into my seat as nimbly, little one, As any of your smooth-chin'd boys in Flo

rence.

I must needs commit a little folly with you; I'll not be long; a bridling cast, and away, wench! [way nowTh' hob-nail thy husband's as fitly out o' th' Isab. D' you think he keeps a bawdy-house? Bart. That all one. [my carriage, Isab. Or did you e'er see that lightness in That you might promise to yourself Bart. Away, fool! [fellow. A good turn's a good turn; I'm an honest Isab. You've a handsome wife, a virtuous gentlewoman

Bart. They are not for this time o' th' year.
Isab. A lady,

That ever bore that great respect to you,
That noble constancy—

Bart. That's more than I know.

Enter Maid and Penurio.

Maid. Oh, mistress, you're undone! my master's coming.

Pen. Coming hard by here.

Bart. Plague consume the rascal! Shall I make petty-patties of him? Isub. Now what love, sir?

Fear of your coming made him jealous first; Your finding here will make him mad and desperate;

And what in that wild mood he'll executeBart. I can think of nothing; I have no wit left me;

Certain my head's a mustard-pot14!
Isab. I've thought, sir;

VOL. III.

R.

Ꮐ

And,