The earth I'd have want men, ere you want living:
They're bound to erect your statue in St. Mark's.
Signior Corvino, I would have you go

And shew yourself, that you have conquer'd.

Coro. Yes.

Mos. It was much better that

fess

Yourself a cuckold thus, than that the other

Should have been proved.

Corv. Nay, I consider'd that:

Now it is her fault.

Mos. Then it had been yours.

Corv. True; I do doubt this advocate still.
Mos. I'faith

You need not, I dare ease you of that care.
Corv. I trust thee, Mosca.

Mos. As your own soul, sir.

Corb. Mosca!

Mos. Now for your business, sir.

Corb. How! have you business?
Mos. Yes, your's sir.

Corb. O, none else?

Mos. None else, not I.

Corb. Be careful then.

Mos. Rest you with both your eyes, sir.

Corb. Dispatch it.

Mos. Instantly.

Corb. And look that all,

[Exit.

Whatever, be put in, jewels, plate, moneys,
Househould stuff, bedding, curtains.

Mos. Curtain-rings, sir:

Only the advocate's fee must be deducted.
Corb. I'll pay him now; you'll be too prodigal.
Mos. Sir, I must tender it.

Corb. Two chequines is well.

Mos. No, six, sir.

Corb. 'Tis too much.

Mos. He talk'd a great while;
You must consider that, sir.
Corb. Well, there's three-

Mos. I'll give it him.

Corb. Do so, and there's for thee.

[Exit.

Mos. Bountiful bones! What horrid strange

offence

6

Did he commit 'gainst nature, in his youth, Worthy this age? [Aside.]-You see, sir, [to Volt.] how I work

Unto your ends: take you no notice.
Volt. No,

I'll leave you.

Mos. All is yours, the devil and all:

[Exit.

Good advocate !-Madam, I'll bring you home. Lady P. No, I'll go see your patron.

Mos. That

you

shall not:

I'll tell you why. My purpose is to urge
My patron to reform his will; and for

The zeal you have shewn to-day, whereas before
You were but third or fourth, you shall be now
Put in the first; which would appear as begg'd,
you were present. Therefore

If

Lady P. You shall sway me.

What strange offence

Did he commit 'gainst nature, &c.]

Cur hæc in tempore duret?

[Exeunt.

Quod facinus dignum tam longo admiserit ævo?

Juv. Sat. 10.

There are other imitations of Juvenal in this scene, which,

like this, are all sufficiently obvious.

ACT V. SCENE I.

A Room in Volpone's House.

Enter VOLPONE.

Volp. Well, I am here, and all this brunt is past. I ne'er was in dislike with my disguise

Till this fled moment: here 'twas good, in private; .
But in your public,-cave whilst I breathe.
'Fore God, my left leg 'gan to have the cramp,
And I apprehended straight some power had
struck me

With a dead palsy: Well! I must be merry,
And shake it off. A many of these fears
Would put me into some villainous disease,
Should they come thick upon me: I'll prevent 'em.
Give me a bowl of lusty wine, to fright

7 Fore God, my left leg 'gan to have the cramp, And I apprehended straight some power had struck me With a dead palsy :] Alluding to a piece of ancient superstition, that all sudden consternations of mind, and sudden pains of the body, such as cramps, palpitations of the heart, &c. were ominous, and presages of evil. Hence we may explain, as Mr. Upton remarks, a passage in Plautus's Miles Gloriosus:

Schel. Timeo quod rerum gesserim hic, ita dorsus totus prurit. And in his Bacchides, Nicobulus says, Caput prurit, perii.

WHAL.

This note, the whole of which Whalley took from Upton, is carefully retained in his corrected copy. That two men of learning (for Whalley was also a scholar) should fall into such absurdities, is truly pitiable. Volpone, by lying so long immovable in his constrained situation, naturally begins to feel the cramp: this, his fears, magnified by his guilt, represent as the con mencement of a divine punishment. Such is the plain sense of the passage.

This humour from my heart. [Drinks.]-hum, hum, hum!

'Tis almost gone already; I shall conquer.
Any device, now, of rare ingenious knavery,
That would possess me with a violent laughter,
Would make me up again. [Drinks again.]—So,

so, so, so!

This heat is life; 'tis blood by this time :-Mosca!

Enter MOSCA.

Mos. How now, sir? does the day look clear again?

Are we recover'd, and wrought out of error,
Into our way, to see our path before us?
Is our trade free once more?

Volp. Exquisite Mosca !

Mos. Was it not carried learnedly?
Volp. And stoutly:

Good wits are greatest in extremities.

Mos. It were a folly beyond thought, to trust Any grand act unto a cowardly spirit: You are not taken with it enough, methinks. Volp. O, more than if I had enjoy'd the wench: The pleasure of all woman-kind's not like it. Mos. Why now you speak, sir. We must here be fix'd;

Here we must rest; this is our master-piece; We cannot think to go beyond this.

Volp. True,

Thou hast play'd thy prize, my precious Mosca. Mos. Nay, sir,

To gull the court

Volp. And quite divert the torrent

Upon the innocent.

Mos Yes, and to make

So rare a music out of discords

Volp. Right.

That yet to me's the strangest, how thou hast borne it!

That these, being so divided 'mongst themselves, Should not scent somewhat, or in me or thee, Or doubt their own side.

Mos. True, they will not see't.

Too much light blinds them, I think. Each of them
Is so possest* and stuft with his own hopes,
That any thing unto the contrary,

Never so true, or never so apparent,
Never so palpable, they will resist it-
Volp. Like a temptation of the devil.
Mos. Right, sir.

Merchants may talk of trade, and your great signiors

Of land that yields well; but if Italy

Have any glebe more fruitful than these fellows, I am deceived. Did not your advocate rare? Volp. O--- My most honour'd fathers, my grace fathers,

Under correction of your fatherhoods,

What face of truth is here? If these strange deeds May pass, most honour'd fathers—I had much ado To forbear laughing.

Mos. It seem'd to me, you sweat, sir.

Volp. In troth, I did a little.

Mos. But confess, sir,

Were you not daunted?

Volp. In good faith, I was

A little in a mist, but not dejected;

Never, but still my self.

Mos. I think it, sir.

Now, so truth help me, I must needs say this, sir And out of conscience for your advocate,

* Each of them

Is so possest, &c.] These touches are skilful in the extreme. They are natural in the speaker, and at the same time the best explanation and defence of the plot of the Drama.