Mor. In truth and sadness, honours, you are in great offence for this. Go to; the gentleman (I'll undertake with him) is a man of fair living, and able to maintain a lady in her two coaches a day, besides pages, monkeys, and paraquettoes, with such attendants as she shall think meet for her turn; and therefore there is more respect requirable, howsoe'er you seem to connive." Hark you, sir, let me discourse a syllable with you. I am to say to you, these ladies are not of that close and open behaviour as haply you may suspend; their carriage is well known to be such as it should be, both gentle and extraordi nary. Mer. O, here comes the other pair. 7 Howsoe'er you seem to connive.] i. e. I suppose to wink, or make faces at it. Decker ridicules Jonson for the use of this word in his Satiromastix. “I was but at the barber's last day, and when he was rincing my face, did but cry out, Fellow, thou makest me connive too long; and says he, master Asinius Bubo, you have e'en Horace's words as right as if he had spit them into your mouth." As the poet is evidently imitating the affected jargon of the ladies of the court, it may be questioned whether his language be a legitimate object of satire: but, indeed, connive is used by other dramatic writers without the preposition; if it be this which offended Decker. Thus Fletcher: " the truth is, "I must connive no more, no more admittance And Massinger: - tis then most fit that we Roman Actor. "Should not connive, and see his government 8 These ladies are not of that close and open behaviour, as haply you may suspend.] If this be not an Euphuism for a disposition in the ladies to play fast and loose with their lovers, the reader, I believe, must acquiesce in Whalley's conjecture, and for close read loose. Suspend, as he observes, has the sense of suspect. Enter AMORPHUS and ASOTUS. Amo. That was your father's love, the nymph Argurion. I would have you direct all your courtship thither; if you could but endear yourself to her affection, you were eternally engallanted. Aso. In truth, sir! pray Phoebus I prove favoursome in her fair eyes. Amo. All divine mixture, and increase of beauty to this bright bevy of ladies; and to the male courtiers, compliment and courtesy. Hed. In the behalf of the males, I gratify you, Amorphus. Pha. And I of the females. Amo. Succinctly return'd. I do vail to both your thanks, and kiss them; but primarily to yours, most ingenious, acute, and polite lady. Phi. Ods my life, how he does all-to-bequalify her! ingenious, acute, and polite! as if there was not others in place as ingenious, acute, and polite as she. Hed. Yes, but you must know, lady, he cannot speak out of a dictionary method. Pha. Sit down, sweet Amorphus. When will this water come, think you? Amo. It cannot now be long, fair lady. Aso. How, most ambiguous beauty! love you? that I will by this handkerchief. Mer. 'Slid, he draws his oaths out of his pocket. Arg. But will you be constant? Aso. Constant, madam! I will not say for constantness; but by this purse, which I would be loth to swear by, unless it were embroider'd, I protest, more than most fair lady, you are the only absolute, and unparallel'd creature, I do adore, and admire, and respect, and reverence in this court, corner of the world, or kingdom. Methinks you are melancholy. Arg. Does your heart speak all this? Mer. O, he is groping for another oath. Aso. Now by this watch-I marle how forward the day is I do unfeignedly vow myselfslight, 'tis deeper than I took it, past five-yours entirely addicted, madam. Arg. I require no more, dearest Asotus; henceforth let me call you mine, and in remembrance of me, vouchsafe to wear this chain and this diamond. Aso. O lord, sweet lady! Cup. There are new oaths for him. What! doth Hermes taste no alteration in all this? Mer. Yes, thou hast strook Argurion enamour'd on Asotus, methinks. Cup. Alas, no; I am nobody, I; I can do nothing in this disguise. Mer. But thou hast not wounded any of the rest, Cupid. Cup. Not yet; it is enough that I have begun so prosperously. Arg. Nay, these are nothing to the gems I will hourly bestow upon thee; be but faithful and kind to me, and I will lade thee with my richest bounties: behold, here my bracelets from mine arms. Aso. Not so, good lady, by this diamond. Arg. Take 'em, wear 'em; my jewels, chain of pearl, pendants, all I have. Aso. Nay then, by this pearl you make me a wanton. Cup. Shall she not answer for this, to maintain him thus in swearing? Mer. O no, there is a way to wean him from this, the gentleman may be reclaim'd. Cup. Ay, if you had the airing of his apparel, coz, I think. Aso. Loving! 'twere pity an I should be living else, believe me. Save you, sir, save you, sweet lady, save you, monsieur Anaides, save you, dear madam. Ana. Dost thou know him that saluted thee, Hedon? Hed. No, some idle Fungoso, that hath got above the cupboard since yesterday." Anai. 'Slud, I never saw him till this morning, and he salutes me as familiarly as if we had known together since the deluge, or the first year of Troy action. Amo. A most right-handed and auspicious encounter. Confine yourself to your fortunes. 9 Some Fungoso that hath got above the cupboard since yesterday.] Some mushroom, some upstart servant who has been just advanced. The cupboard (the modern sideboard) then contained the plate: near this, and above it, the retainers and superior domestics of great families were ranged for state, and for the service of the nobler guests. When the numerous gradations of servitude are considered, and the strictness with which each of them was formerly defined and maintained, it will not appear strange that a rapid advancement should produce some degree of pride, in weak minds. These cupboards are often mentioned by our old writers. Thus Sir John Harington: "I have ever been against the opinion of some elder sarvitors, who will maintain that till ii of the clocke no gentleman should stand above the cupboard." Treatise on Playe. And Donne: "Hear how the huishers cheques, cupbord and fire Phi. For sport's sake let's have some Riddles or Purposes, ho! Pha. No, faith, your Prophecies are best, the t'other are stale. Phi. Prophecies! we cannot all sit in at them; we shall make a confusion. No; what call'd you that we had in the forenoon? Pha. Substantives and adjectives, is it not, Hedon? Phi. Ay, that. Who begins? Pha. I have thought; speak your adjectives, sirs. Phi. But do not you change then. Pha. Not I. Who says? Mor. Odoriferous. Phi. Popular. Arg. Humble. Ana. White-livered. Hed. Barbarous. Amo. Pythagorical. Hed. Yours, signior? Aso. What must I do, sir? Amo. Give forth your adjective with the rest; as prosperous, good, fair, sweet, well Hed. Any thing that hath not been spoken. Aso. Yes, sir, well-spoken shall be mine. Pha. What, have you all done? All. Ay. Pha. Then the substantive is Breeches. Why odoriferous breeches, guardian? Mor. Odoriferous,-because odoriferous: that which contains most variety of savour and smell we say is most odoriferous; now breeches, I presume, are incident to that variety, and therefore odoriferous breeches. Pha. Well, we must take it howsoever. Who's next? Philautia? |