Sub. Would you had stooped a little, Sub. Stab me; I shall never hold, man. He looks in that deep ruff like a head in a platter, Served in by a short cloak upon two trestles. Face. Or what do you say to a collar of brawn, cut down Beneath the souse, and wriggled with a knife? Sub. 'Slud, he does look too fat to be a Face. Perhaps some Fleming or some In d'Alva's time; Count Egmont's bastard. Sub. Don, Your scurvy, yellow, Madrid face is wel 1 Pray God he have no squibs in those deep sets.] i.e., in the deep plaits of his ruff: our old writers abound in satirical allusions to the enormous ruffs worn by the Spaniards, and to the mischief which might be concealed in them. Thus Glapthorne : "I Watch. No news stirring, neighbours? 2 Watch. Yes, strange and true-twixt Deale And Dover one, fishing for flounders, drew A Spaniard's body up, slain in the late fight, And searching him for money, found, in the sets Of his great ruff, the—Í shall think on't presently, Tis a hard word—the Inquisition." Sub. No! why? Face. Unless you'll mar all. 'Slight, he will suspect it : And then he will not pay not half so well. This is a travelled punk-master, and does know All the delays; a notable hot rascal, Sub. 'Sdeath, and Mammon Face. Mammon ! in no case. Sur. Entiendo que la senora es tan hermosa, que codicio tan verla, como la bien aventuranza de mi vida. Face. Mi vida! 'Slid, Subtle, he puts me in mind o' the widow. What dost thou say to draw her to it, ha! And tell her 'tis her fortune? all our venture Now lies upon't. It is but one man more, Which of us chance to have her: and beside, 2 Praises the house, I think;] Face is right; he does so. I have corrected the language, which Whalley appears not to have understood, and which Jonson or his printer had in more than one place confounded. 3 See all the monsters, the great lion, &c.] Till I met with this passage, I had no idea that the phrase of "showing the lions" was of such venerable antiquity. Entiendo, &c.] "I hear the lady is so handsome that I am anxious to see her, as the most fortunate circumstance of my life." There is no maidenhead to be feared or lost. What dost thou think on't, Subtle? Sub. Who, I? why- Face. The credit of our house too is engaged. Sub. You made me an offer for my share erewhile. What wilt thou give me, i' faith? Face. O, by that light I'll not buy now. You know your doom to me. E'en take your lot, obey your chance, sir; win her, And wear her out for me. Sub. 'Slight, I'll not work her then. Face. It is the common cause; therefore bethink you. Dol else must know it, as you said. Sur. Senores, porque se tarda tanto? Sur. Puede ser de hazer burla de mi amor? Sur. Por estas honradas barbasSub. He swears by his beard. Dispatch, and call the brother too. [Exit Face. Sur. Tengo duda,1 senores, que no me hagan alguna traycion. Sub. How, issue on? yes, præsto, sennor. Please you Enthratha the chambratha, worthy don : Where if you please the fates, in your bathada, You shall be soaked, and stroked, and tubbed, and rubbed, And scrubbed, and fubbed, dear don, before you go. You shall in faith, my scurvy baboon don, Be curried, clawed, and flawed, and tawed, indeed. I will the heartlier go about it now, sooner, To be revenged on this impetuous Face: The quickly doing of it is the grace. [Exeunt Sub. and Surly. Face. You hear the Don too? by this SCENE II.-Another Room in the same. air I call, Sub. A plague of hell- Face. Will you then do? Sub. You are a terrible rogue ! Enter Face, Kastril, and Dame Pliant. Face. Come, lady: I knew the doctor would not leave I'll think of this will you, sir, call the Till he had found the very nick of her forwidow ? 1 Tengo duda, &c.] "I fear, gentlemen, that you are about to play me some foul trick.' All these speeches, though sufficiently pertinent, have greatly the air of being taken from some grammar. In this scene Jonson seems to have had the Panulus of Plautus in view Hanno, like Surly, speaks a language not understood by the rest, and is played upon by Milphio (the Face of the piece) till his patience is exhausted, and he breaks out, as he says, in Latin, "to confound the rogue." 2 Your Spanish stoup is the best garb :] I am tune. Kas. To be a countess, say you, a Spanish countess, sir? Dame P. Why, is that better than an English countess ? Face. Better! Slight, make you that a question, lady? Kas. Nay, she is a fool, captain, you must pardon her. Face. Ask from your courtier, to your inns-of-court-man, To your mere milliner; they will tell you all, Your Spanish gennet is the best horse; your Spanish Stoup is the best garb:2 your Spanish beard unable to explain this. It may mean that the Spanish fashion of evincing politeness is the most respectful, (for garb is sometimes used for a mode of behaviour,) or stoup may signify some article of dress-but this is all at random. It is more to the purpose to observe that Face is correct in what he says of the strong prejudice in favour of Spain, at least among the great. During the earlier part of James's reign Spanish influence was paramount at court, and Spanish fashions in consequence of it very generally adopted there. This did not, however, contri Is the best cut; your Spanish ruffs are the best Wear; your Spanish pavin the best dance; And Spanish blade, let your poor captain speak Here comes the doctor. Enter Subtle, with a paper. Sub. My most honoured lady, For so I am now to style you, having found Barer to her, than at their prayers! Sub. Is served And her right worshipful brother here, that Upon the knee! she shall be Face. And has her pages, ushers, Footmen, and coaches Sub. Her six mares Face. Nay, eight! Sub. To hurry her through London, to the Exchange, Bethlem, the china-houses- The citizens gape at her, and praise her tires, And my lord's goose-turd bands, that ride with her! Kas. Most brave! By this hand, you are not my suster If you refuse. Face. O no, sir. Sur. Senora mia, mi persona esta muy indigna de allegar a tanta hermosura. Face. Does he not use her bravely? Face. Nay, he will use her better. Sur. Senora, si sera servida, entremonos. Kas. Where does he carry her? Face. Into the garden, sir; Take you no thought: I must interpret for her. Sub. Give Dol the word.1 [Aside to Face, who goes out.]-Come, my fierce child, advance, We'll to our quarrelling lesson again. Kas. Agreed. I love a Spanish boy with all my heart. Sub. Nay, and by this means, sir, you shall be brother To a great count. Kas. Ay, I knew that at first, This match will advance the house of the Kastrils. Sub. 'PrayGod your sister prove but pliant! Kas. Why, Her name is so, by her other husband. Kas. The Widow Pliant. Knew you not that? Sub. No, faith, sir; Yet, by erection of her figure, I guest it. Come, let's go practise. Kas. Yes, but do you think, doctor, I e'er shall quarrel well? Sub. I warrant you. [Exeunt. SCENE III.-Another Room in the same. Enter Dol in her fit of raving, followed by Dol. For after Alexander's death- Dol. That Perdiccas and Antigonus, The two that slood, Seleuc' and Ptolomeewere slain, Mam. Madam Dol. Made up the two legs, and the fourth beast, That was Gog-north and Egypt-south: which after Was called Gog-iron-leg, and South-ironleg Mam. Lady Dol. And then Gog-horned. So was Egypt, too: Then Egypt-clay-leg, and Gog-clay-leg Mam. Sweet madam Dol. And last Gog-dust, and Egypt-dust, which fall In the last link of the fourth chain. And these Be stars in story, which none see, or look at- Mam. What shall I do? Dol. For, as he says, except We call the rabbins, and the heathen Greeks Mam. Dear lady—— Dol. To come from Salem, and from Athens, And teach the people of Great Britain Enter Face hastily, in his servant's dress. Dol. To speak the tongue of Eber and She's in her fit. Dol. We shall know nothing- We are undone ! Dol. Where then a learned linguist 1 Give Dol the word,] i.e., to begin her fit of Shall see the ancient used communion raving. Of vowels and consonants-- Face. My master will hear ! Sub. How! what sight is here? Dol. A wisdom, which Pythagoras held Close deeds of darkness, and that shun the most high Mam. Sweet honourable lady! All sounds of voices, in few marks of letters. And profane Greek, to raise the building up Face. How did you put her into 't? Of a fifth monarchy I would erect, Falls on the other four straight. Face. Out of Broughton !! I told you so. 'Slid, stop her mouth. Face. She'll never leave else. If the old man hear her, We are but fæces, ashes. Sub. [within.] What's to do there? Face. O, we are lost! Now she hears him, she is quiet. Enter Subtle; they run different ways. Mam. Where shall I hide me! 1 Face. Out of Broughton !] Literally out of his Concent of Scripture. Broughton has been noticed above, see p. 29 b. The author of the Life of Bernard Gilpin has given us a very beautiful elegy, written in 1612, on the death of Hugh Broughton; which though designed as an encomium, is rather a satire on him for the misemployment of his time and talents. His skill in expounding prophecies, and tracing Jewish genealogies, is touched on in the following stanzas: "What meant that monstrous man, whom Babel's king Did in a troubled slumber once behold, With breasts and mighty arms of silver mould; Whose swelling belly and large sides were brass, Whose legs were iron, feet of mingled mass, Of which one part was clay, the other iron was? "What meant the lion, plumed in eagle's wings, What meant the bear, that in his horrid jaw light! Bring him again. Who is he? What, my son! O, I have lived too long. Mam. Nay, good, dear father, Mam. That was my error. Guilt, guilt, my son: give it the right name. If I found check in our great work within, When such affairs as these were managing! Mam. Why, have you so? Sub. It has stood still this half hour: And all the rest of our less works gone back. Where is the instrument of wickedness, Mam. Nay, good sir, blame not him; Believe me, 'twas against his will or knowledge: I saw her by chance. Sub. Will you commit more sin, To excuse a varlet ? Mam. By my hope, 'tis true, sir. Sub. Nay, then I wonder less, if you, for whom The blessing was prepared, would so tempt heaven, And lose your fortunes. Mam. Why, sir? |