To spread his nets in view thus. Though they take
Master Fitzdottrel, I am no such foul

Nor fair one, tell him, will be had with stalking;'
And wish him to forbear his acting to me,

7

At the gentleman's chamber-window in Lincoln's-inn there,

That opens to my gallery; else I swear

To acquaint my husband with his folly, and leave

him

To the just rage of his offended jealousy.
Or if your master's sense be not so quick
To right me, tell him I shall find a friend
That will repair me. Say, I will be quiet
In mine own house. Pray you, in those words give
it him.

Pug. This is some fool turn'd!

[Exit.

Mrs. Fitz. If he be the master,

Now, of that state and wit which I allow him,
Sure, he will understand me: I durst not
Be more direct; for this officious fellow,
My husband's new groom, is a spy upon me,
I find already. Yet, if he but tell him
This in my words, he cannot but conceive
Himself both apprehended and requited.

Master Fitzdottrel, I am no such foul

Nor fair one, tell him, will be had with stalking.] This punning allusion of foul to fowl, is introduced for the sake of playing upon the word dottrel, (the name of her husband,) a silly bird usually taken by stalking, in the plain sense of the word. "The dotterel (Fuller tells us) is avis yeλorоTotos, a mirth-making bird, so ridiculously mimical, that he is easily caught, or rather catcheth himself by his over-active imitation. As the fowler stretcheth forth his arms and legs, stalking towards the bird, so the bird extendeth his legs and wings, approaching the fowler till he is surprised in the net." To this simplicity of the dottrel, there are allusions in every part of this play. Fuller adds a very comfortable consideration. "It is observed, that the foolisher the woodcock, dotterel, codshead, &c., the finer the flesh thereof." See his Lincolneshire.

I would not have him think he met a statue,
Or spoke to one, not there, though I were silent.

Re-enter PUG.

How no? have you told him?

Pug. Yes.

Mrs. Fitz. 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
(I speak it with my master's peace) whose face
Hath left to accuse him, now, for it doth confess him,
What you can make him; will yet (out of scruple,
And a spiced conscience) defraud the poor gentleman,
At least delay him in the thing he longs for,
And makes it his whole study, how to compass
Only a title. Could but he write cuckold,
He had his ends: for, look you——

Mrs. Fitz. This can be

None but my husband's wit.

Pug. My precious mistress

[Aside.

Mrs. Fitz. It creaks his engine: the groom never

durst

Be else so saucy.

Pug. If it were not clearly

His worshipful ambition, and the top of it,
The very forked top too, why should he

[Aside.

8 I speak it with my master's peace,] i. e. respectfully, reverently: a bad translation of cum pace domini. Nupson, which occurs in the preceding line, is used by our old writers for a gull, an easy dupe. As they sometimes write it nup, it may be corrupted from the Greek vη. Both nup and nupson are found in the old comedy of Lingua. See vol. i. p. 111.

Keep you thus mured 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 a rat's-bane;
Search your half pint of muscatel, lest a letter
Be sunk in the pot; and hold your new-laid egg
Against the fire, lest any charm be writ there?
Will you make benefit of truth, dear mistress,
If I do tell it you? I do't not often :

I am set over you, employ'd indeed

To watch your steps, your looks, your very breathings, And to report them to him. Now, if you

Will be a true, right, delicate, sweet mistress,

Why, we will make a Cokes of this Wise Master,
We will, my mistress, an absolute fine Cokes,
And mock, to air, all the deep diligences

Of such a solemn and effectual ass,

An ass to so good purpose as we'll use him.
I will contrive it
so, that you shall go

To plays, to masques, to meetings, and to feasts :
For, why is all this rigging and fine tackle, mistress,
If your neat handsome vessels, of good sail,
Put not forth ever and anon with your nets
Abroad into the world? It is your fishing.

There, you shall choose your friends, your servants,

lady,

Your squires of honour; I'll convey your letters,
Fetch answers, do you all the offices

That can belong to your blood and beauty. And,
For the variety, at my times, although

I am not in due symmetry, the man

Of that proportion; or in rule
Of physic, of the just complexion;
Or of that truth of Picardil, in clothes,"

9 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 means by the expression, that

To boast a sovereignty o'er ladies; yet

I know to do my turns, sweet mistress. Come, kissMrs. Fitz. How now!

Pug. Dear delicate mistress, I am your slave, Your little worm, that loves you; your fine monkey, Your dog, your Jack, your Pug, that longs to be Styled, o' your pleasures.

Mrs. Fitz. [aloud.] Hear you all this?' Sir, pray you Come from your standing, do, a little, spare

Yourself, sir, from your watch, t'applaud your squire, That so well follows your instructions!

Enter FITZDOTTREL.

Fitz. How now, sweet heart! what is the matter? Mrs. Fitz. Good!

You are a stranger to the plot! you set not

Your saucy Devil here, to tempt your wife,
With all the insolent uncivil language,

Or action, he could vent!

Fitz. Did you so, Devil?

Mrs. Fitz. Not you!

You were not planted in your hole to hear him,

his clothes, perhaps, were not made enough in the reigning mode, to captivate a lady's fancy. WHAL.

Whalley did not perceive that Pug (unless the author has forgotten himself) is affecting modesty, since he had not only assumed a handsome body, but also a fashionable dress, "made new" for a particular occasion. See A. v. S. 1. With respect to the piccadil, or, as Jonson writes it, Picardil, (as if he supposed the fashion of wearing it to be derived from Picardy,) the term is simply a diminutive of picca (Span. and Ital.) a spear-head, and was given to this article of foppery, from a fancied resemblance of its stiffened plaits to the bristled points of those weapons. Blount thinks, and apparently with justice, that Piccadilly took its name from the sale of the "small stiff collars, so called," which was first set on foot in a house near the western extremity of the present street, by one Higgins, a tailor.

I Hear you all this, &c.] This is addressed to her husband, whom, as the margin of the old copy says, she supposes to be on the watch.

Upon the stairs, or here behind the hangings!
I do not know your qualities! he durst do it,
And you not give directions!

Fitz. You shall see, wife,

Whether he durst or no, and what it was,

I did direct.

Pug. Sweet mistress, are you mad?

Re-enter FITZDOTTREL with a cudgel.

[Exit.

Fitz. You most mere rogue! you open manifest villain !

You fiend apparent, you! you declared hell-hound! Pug. Good sir.

Fitz. Good knave, good rascal, and good traitor. Now, I do find you parcel Devil indeed.

Upon the point of trust! in your first charge,
The very day of your probation,

To tempt your mistress! [Beats PUG.] You do see, good wedlock,

How I directed him?

Mrs. Fitz. Why where, sir, were you ?

Fitz. Nay, there is one blow more for exercise :

I told you, I should do it.

Pug. Would you had done, sir.

[Strikes him again.

Fitz. O wife, the rarest man!-(yet there's another To put you in mind o' the last)-[Beats him again.] such a brave man, wife!

Within, he has his projects, and does vent them
The gallantest!-Were you tentiginous, ha?

Would you be acting of the incubus?

Did her silk's rustling move you?

Pug. Gentle sir!

Fitz. Out of my sight. If thy name were not

Devil,

Thou should'st not stay a minute with me. In,

Go, yet stay, yet go too. I am resolv'd