Neither his fortunes nor his parts deserve it: Enter SORDIDO with an almanack in his hand. Sord. O rare! good, good, good, good, good! I thank my stars, I thank my stars for it. Mac. Said I not true? doth not his passion speak Out of my divination? O my senses, [Aside. Sord. Excellent, excellent, excellent! as I would wish, as I would wish. 9 I thank my stars, &c.] The folio edition of this play varies so little from the quarto, that I have not always thought it ne. cessary to call the reader's attention to the very few unimportant changes made in the present text. Not to defraud Jonson of his due praise, however, it is proper to observe, that in this, as in the preceding play, he has omitted or softened many of the profane ejaculations which deformed the first copies. To shock or nauseate the reader, by bringing back what the author, upon better consideration, flung out of his text, though unfortunately not without example, is yet a species of gratuitous mischief, for which simple stupidity scarcely forms an adequate excuse. Mac. See how the strumpet fortune tickles him, And makes him swoon with laughter, O, O, O! Sord. Ha, ha, ha! I will not sow my grounds this year. Let me see, what harvest shall we have? June, July? Mac. What, is't a prognostication raps him so? Sord. The 20, 21, 22 days, rain and wind. O good, good! the 23, and 24, rain and some wind, good! the 25, rain, good still! 26, 27, 28, wind and some rain; would it had been rain and some wind! well, 'tis good, when it can be no better. 29, inclining to rain: inclining to rain! that's not so good now: 30, and 31, wind and no rain : no rain! 'slid, stay; this is worse and worse: What says he of saint Swithin's? turn back, look, saint Swithin's: no rain! Mac. O, here's a precious, dirty, damned rogue, That fats himself with expectation Of rotten weather, and unseason'd hours; And he is rich for it, an elder brother! His barns are full, his ricks and mows well trod, His garners crack with store! O, 'tis well; ha, ha, ha! A plague consume thee, and thy house! [Aside. Sord. O, here, St. Swithin's, the 15 day, variable weather, for the most part rain, good! for the most part rain: why, it should rain forty days after, now, more or less, it was a rule held, afore I was able to hold a plough, and yet here are two days no rain; ha! it makes me muse. We'll see how the next month begins, if that be better. August 1, 2, 3, and 4, days, rainy and blustering; this is well now: 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, rainy, with some thunder; Ay marry, this is excellent; the other was false printed sure: e 10 and 11, great store of rain; O good, good, good, good, good! the 12, 13, and 14 days, rain; good still: 15, and 16, rain; good still: 17 and 18, rain, good still; 19 and 20, good still, good still, good still, good still, good still! 21, some rain; some rain! well, we must be patient, and attend the heavens' pleasure, would it were more though: the 22, 23, great tempests of rain, thunder and lightning. O good again, past expectation good! I thank my blessed angel; never, never Laid I [a] penny better out' than this, To purchase this dear book: not dear for price, And yet of me as dearly prized as life, Since in it is contain'd the very life, Blood, strength, and sinews of my happiness. Blest be the hour wherein I bought this book; His studies happy that composed the book, And the man fortunate that sold the book! Sleep with this charm, and be as true to me, As I am joy'd and confident in thee. [Puts it up. * Laid I [a] penny out, &c.] We must not be surprised at the confidence which Sordido reposes in his almanack, as persons in his station of life are to be found, even now, superstitiously attentive to its predictions. The ancient almanacks too, possessed higher claims to respect, than those of our days, since besides certain assurance of the downfall of the Pope, and every potentate with whom we might happen to be at war, circumstances common to both, they contained lists of the days favourable for buying and selling:-matters of high import to the Sordidos of all ages. What appears somewhat extraordinary, is the cheapness of this miraculous information: Sordido purchases it at a penny, and that this was not below the stated price, appears from other authorities. Thus Beaumont and Fletcher: 66 Why all physicians, "And penny almanacks allow," &c. The Chances. And Massinger, 66 Stargaze! sure, "I have a penny almanack about me, "In his name publish'd." Vol. IV. p. 37. 1 Enter a Hind, and gives SORDIDO a paper to read. Mac. Ha, ha, ha! Is not this good? Is it not pleasing this? and walk, Feed with digestion, sleep, enjoy his health, Sord. Who brought this same, sirrah? Or follow their prescriptions. Here's a device, poor, Only because they would be pitied, And kills the vipers up.3 Hind. O, but master, 3 Take heed they hear you not. Hind. They will exclaim against you. Move me as much, as thy breath moves a moun tain. Poor worms, they hiss at me, whilst I at home Can be contented to applaud myself, To sit and clap my hands, and laugh, and leap, Knocking my head against my roof, with joy To see how plump my bags are, and my barns. 2 Ay, much!] i. e. by no means; not at all. See vol. I. p. 117. 3 And kills the wipers up.] See vol. I. p. 122. Poor worms, they hiss at me, whilst I at home &c.] Taken from Horace, but heightened and improved: Populus mi sibilat, at mihi plaudo Ipse domi. |