All which shall understand how you provoke me.
In mine own house to brave me! is this princely?
Then to my guard; and if I spare your Grace,
[Draws.
And do not make this place your monument,
Too rich a tomb for such a rude behaviour,-
(I have a cause will kill a thousand of ye)-'
Mercy forsake me!

Juan. Hold, fair sir, I beseech you!

The gentleman but pleads his own right nobly. Leon. He that dares strike against the husband's freedom,

The husband's curse stick to him, a tam'd cuckold!
His wife be fair and young, but most dishonest,
Most impudent, and have no feeling of it,

No conscience to reclaim her from a monster!
Let her lie by him like a flattering ruin,

And at one instant kill both name and honour!
Let him be lost, no eye to weep his end,

Nor find no earth that's base enough to bury him!

Now, sir, fall on! I'm ready to oppose you.

Duke. I've better thought. I pray, sir, use your

wife well.

Leon. Mine own humanity will teach me that,

sir.

And now you are all welcome, all, and we'll to dinner :

This is my wedding-day.

Duke. I'll cross your joy yet.

[Aside.

Juan. I've seen a miracle! hold thine own, sol

dier!

I have a cause will kill a thousand of ye, mercy forsake me.] The last words are evidently misplaced, and the measure is by that means confused. Seward.

The old reading is far best, only putting I have a cause, &c., between parentheses.-Ed. 1778.

Sure they dare fight in fire that conquer women. Sanc. He has beaten all my loose thoughts out of me,

As if he had thresh'd 'em out o' the husk.

Perez. 'Save ye!

Enter PEREZ.

Which is the lady of the house?
Leon. That's she, sir,

That pretty lady, if you'd speak with her.

Juan. Don Michael, Leon; another darer come? Perez. 'Pray do not know me; I am full of busi

ness:

When I have more time I'll be

merry with ye.It is the woman.-Good madam, tell me truly, Had you a maid call'd Estifania?

Marg. Yes, truly, had I.

Perez. Was she a maid, d'you think?

Marg. I dare not swear for her;

For she had but a scant fame.

Perez. Was she your kinswoman?

Marg. Not that I ever knew. Now I look bet

ter,

I think you married her: Give you much joy, sir! You may reclaim her; 'twas a wild young girl.

Perez. Give me a halter!-Is not this house mine, madam?

Was not she owner of it? 'Pray speak truly! Marg. No, certainly; I'm sure my money paid for it;

And I ne'er remember yet I gave it you, sir.
Perez. The hangings and the plate too?
Marg. All are mine, sir,

And every thing you see about the building:
She only kept my house when I was absent,
And so ill kept it, I was weary of her.

Sanc. What a devil ails he?

Juan. He's possess'd, I'll assure you.
Perez. Where is your maid?

Marg. Do not you know that have her? She's yours now; why should I look after her ? Since that first hour I came, I never saw her. Perez. I saw her later; 'would the devil had had her!

It is all true, I find; a wild-fire take her! Juan. Is thy wife with child, Don Michael? thy excellent wife?

Art thou a man yet?

Alon. When shall we come and visit thee? Sanc. And eat some rare fruit? thou hast admirable orchards.

You are so jealous now! pox o' your jealousy,
How scurvily you look!

Perez. Pr'ythee leave fooling;

I'm in no humour now to fool and prattle.-
Did she ne'er play the wag with you?
Marg. Yes, many times,

So often that I was asham'd to keep her;
But I forgave her, sir, in hope she'd mend still,
And had not you o' th' instant married her,
I had put her off.

Perez. I thank you; I am bless'd still!
Which way soe'er I turn, I'm a made man ;
Miserably gull'd beyond recovery!

Juan. You'll stay and dine?

Perez. Certain I cannot, captain.

Hark in thine ear; I am the arrant'st puppy,
The miserablest ass! But I must leave you;
I am in haste, in haste !-Bless you, good madam,
And [may] you prove as good as my wife! [Exit.

• And [may] you prove.] The word in brackets does not occur in the old copies. It is properly inserted in the modern editions, but without taking the proper notice of it in a note.

Leon. Will you

Come near, sir? will your Grace but honour me, And taste our dinner? you are nobly welcome. All anger's past, I hope, and I shall serve ye. Juan. Thou art the stock of men, and I admire thee. [Exeunt.

ACT IV. SCENE I.

The Street.

Enter PEREZ.

Perez. I'll go to a conjuror but I'll find this polecat,

This pilfering whore! A plague of veils, I cry, And covers for the impudence of women! Their sanctity in show will deceive devils.

Enter ESTIFANIA, with a casket.

It is my evil angel; let me bless me ! ?

Estif. "Tis he; I'm caught; I must stand to it stoutly,

And shew no shake of fear; I see he's angry,
Vex'd at the uttermost!

Perez. My worthy wife,

9 Let me bless me.] Alluding to the superstition that an evil spirit disappears at signing the body with a cross.

I have been looking of your modesty
All the town over.

Estif. My most noble husband,

I'm glad I've found you; for in truth I'm weary, Weary and lame, with looking out your lordship. Perez. I've been in bawdy-houses.

Estif. I believe you,、

And very lately too.

Perez. 'Pray ye pardon me ;

To seek your ladyship. I have been in cellars,
In private cellars, where the thirsty bawds
Hear your confessions: I have been at plays,
To look you out amongst the youthful actors:
At puppet-shows (you're mistress of the mo-
tions!):

At gossipings I hearken'd after you,

But amongst those confusions of lewd tongues There's no distinguishing beyond a Babel:

I was amongst the nuns, because you sing well; But they say yours are bawdy songs, they mourn for ye:

And last I went to church to seek you out; "Tis so long since you were there, they have forgot you.

Estif. You've had a pretty progress; I'll tell

mine now.

To look you out, I went to twenty taverns-
Perez. And are you sober?

Estif. Yes, I reel not yet, sir.

Where I saw twenty drunk, most of 'em soldiers; There I had great hope to find you disguis'd too: From hence to th' dicing-house; there I found quarrels

Needless and senseless, swords, and pots, and candlesticks,

You're mistress of the motions.] Perez puns upon the more obvious sense of the word, and another which was very usually affixed to it,-puppet-shows.