At this price, women will ne'er be saved

By their good works.
Land. I will know.

Peter. You shall, any thing

Lies in my power. The duke of Lorrain now
Is seven thousand strong: I heard it of a fish-wife,
A woman of fine knowledge.

Land. Sirrah, sirrah!

Petr. The pope's bulls are broke loose too, and 'tis suspected

They shall be baited in England.

Land. Very well, sir!

Peter. No, 'tis not so well, neither.

Land. But I say to you,

Who is it keeps your master company?

Peter. I say to you, Don John.

Land. I say, what woman?

Peter. I say so too.

Land. I say again, I will know.
Peter. I say, 'tis fit you should.
Land. And I tell thee,

He has a woman here.

Peter. And I tell thee,

'Tis then the better for him.

Land. You are no bawd now?

Peter. 'Would I were able to be call'd unto it: A worshipful vocation for my elders;

For, as I understand, it is a place

Fitting my betters far.

Land. Was ever gentlewoman

So frump'd off with a fool! Well, saucy sirrah,
I will know who it is, and for what purpose;
pay the rent, and I'll know how my house
Comes by these inflammations: If this geer hold,*

I

8 If this geer hold.] Geer is a word of no very determinate meaning, but used for matters or things in general.

Best hang a sign-post up, to tell the signors,
Here ye may have lewdness at livery.

Enter FREDERIC.

Peter. 'Twould be a great ease to your age.
Fred. How now?

Why, what's the matter, landlady?

Land. What's the matter?

Ye use me decently among ye, gentlemen.
Fred. Who has abused her? you, sir ?
Land. 'Ods my witness,

I will not be thus treated, that I will not!
Peter. I gave her no ill language.
Land. Thou liest lewdly;

Thou took'st me up at every word I spoke,
As I had been a Maukin, a flurt Gillian ;'
And thou think'st, because thou canst write and

read,

Our noses must be under thee.

Fred. Dare you, sirrah?

Peter. Let but the truth be known, sir, I beseech

ye;

She raves of wenches, and I know not what, sir. Land. Go to; thou know'st too well, thou wicked varlet,

Thou instrument of evil!

Peter. As I live, sir,

She is ever thus till dinner.

Fred. Get you in;

I'll answer you anon,

sir.

9 As I had been a Maukin, a flurt-Gillian.] Flurt-Gillian seems to be the origin of the modern expression, a gill-flirt. Maukin and Gillian are, we believe, both corruptions of Christian names of women, commonly applied in a bad or ridiculous sense.-Ed. 1778-They are corruptions of Magdalen and Juliana.

Peter. By this hand,

I'll break your posset-pan!

[Exit.

Land. Then, by this hood,

I'll lock the meat up!

Fred. Now, your grief; what is't?

For I can guess――

Land. You may,

with shame enough,

'If there were shame amongst you! Nothing thought

on,

But how ye may abuse my house? not satisfied
With bringing home your bastards to undo me,
But you must drill your whores here too? My pa-
tience

(Because I bear, and bear, and carry all,
And, as they say, am willing to groan under)
Must be your make-sport now!

Fred. No more of these words,

Nor no more murmurings, lady! for you know
That I know something. I did suspect your anger;
But turn it presently and handsomely,
And bear yourself discreetly to this woman,
(For such an one there is indeed)-

Land. 'Tis well, son.

Fred. Leaving your devils' matins, and your melancholies,

Or we shall leave our lodgings.

Land. You have much need

To use these vagrant ways, and to much profit: You had that might content

At home, within yourselves too, right good, gentle

men,

Wholesome, and you said handsome: But you gallants

Beast that I was to believe ye

Fred. Leave your suspicion;

For, as I live, there's no such thing.

Land. Mine honour!

An 'twere not for mine honour

Fred. Come, your honour,

Your house, and you too, if you dare believe me, Are well enough. Sleek up yourself, leave crying, For I must have you entertain this lady

With all civility, (she well deserves it)

Together with all secresy: I dare trust you,
For I have found you faithful. When you know her,
You will find your own fault: No more words, but
do it.

Land. You know you may command me.

Enter DON JOHN.

John. Worshipful lady,

How does thy velvet scabbard? By this hand, Thou look'st most amiably! Now could I willingly, (An 'twere not for abusing thy Geneva print there) Venture my body with thee.

Land. You'll leave this ropery1

When you come to my years.

John. By this light,

Thou art not above fifteen yet! a mere girl;
Thou hast not half thy teeth: Come

Fred. Pr'ythee, John,

Let her alone; she has been vex'd already;
She'll grow stark mad, man.

John. I would see her mad;

An old mad woman

Fred, Pr'ythee be patient.

Ropery.] The editors of the second folio change this to roguery, and are of course followed by all the modern editors. But they were ignorant that the word in the text was anciently used in the same sense. In Romeo and Juliet, the nurse says to the former-" I pray you, sir, what saucy merchant was this, that was so full of his ropery?"-See a note of Mr Malone on the Taming of the Shrew, (Shakspeare, 1803, vol IX. p. 60.)

John. Is like a miller's mare, troubled with tooth

ach;

She'll make the rarest faces!

Fred. Go, and do it,

And do not mind this fellow.

Land. Well, Don John,

There will be times again, when, "Oh, good mo

ther,

What's good for a carnosity in the bladder?
Oh, the green water, mother!".

John. Doting take you!

Do you remember that?

Fred. She has paid you now, sir.

Land. "Clary, sweet mother! clary!"

Fred. Are you satisfied?

2

Land. "I'll never whore again; never give petticoats

And waistcoats at five pound a-piece!3 Good mo

ther!

Quickly, mother!" Now mock on, son.

John. A devil grind your old chaps!

Fred. By this hand, wench,

[Exit Landlady.

I'll give thee a new hood for this.-
Has she met with your lordship?
John. Touchwood rake her!4

She's a rare ghostly mother,

2

Clary.] This herb was probably used medicinally in the time of our author.

3 And waistcoats at five pound a-piece.] The costliness of these articles of dress, which were chiefly appropriated to ladies of pleasure, has been noticed before. See the Woman's Prize, vol. V. p. 295.

• Touchwood rake her.] The second folio, which is as usual followed by the modern editors, changes this without necessity to -Touchwood take her.