"For he can live without a wife, and purchase:"4 By'r lady so you do, sir; send you joy on't! These rules you see are possible, and answer'd. Liv. Full-answer was late made to this already; My sister's only thine.

Rom. Where lives the creature

Your pity stoops to pin upon your servant?
Not in a nunnery for a year's probation.

Fie on such coldness! there are Bowers of Fancies
Ravish'd from troops of fairy nymphs, and virgins
Cull'd from the downy breasts of queens their
mothers,

In the Titanian empire, far from mortals; But these are tales:-'troth, I have quite abandoned

All loving humour.

Liv. Here is scorn in riddles.

Rom. Were there another marquis in Sienna, More potent than the same who is vicegerent To the great duke of Florence, our grand master; Were the great duke himself here, and would

lift up

My head to fellow-pomp amongst his nobles,

By falsehood to the honour of a sister,

Urging me instrument in his seraglio,

I'd tear the wardrobe of an outside from him,
Rather than live a pandar to his bribery.

For he can live without a wife, and purchase.] "Livio's very words." p. 152. This is the retort courteous. For the meaning of the passage, see Introduction, p. cxlviii.

Liv. So would the he

you

talk to, Romanello,

Without a noise that's singular.”

Rom. She's a countess,

Flavia, she; but she has an earl her husband,
Though far from our procurement.

Liv. Castamela

Is refused then!

Rom. Never design'd my choice,

You know, and I know, Livio;-more, I tell thee,--
A noble honesty ought to give allowance,
When reason intercedes: by all that's manly,
I range not in derision, but compassion.

Liv. Intelligence flies swiftly.

Rom. Pretty swiftly;

We have compared the copy with the original,
And find no disagreement.

Liv. So my sister

Can be no wife for Romanello?

Rom. No, no,

One no, once more and ever:-this your courtesy
Foil'd me a second.-Sir, you brought a welcome,
You must not part without it; scan with pity
My plainness; I intend nor gall nor quarrel.

Liv. Far be't from me to press a blame. Great lady,

I kiss your noble hands ;-and to these gentlemen Present a civil parting. Romanello,

By the next foot-post thou wilt hear some news Of alteration; if I send, come to me.

• Without a noise that's singular.] i. e. without making such an extraordinary clamour about it.

Rom. Questionless, yea.

Liv. My thanks may quit the favour.

Exit.

Flav. Brother, his intercourse of conference Appears at once perplex'd, but withal sensible. Rom. Doubts easily resolved; upon your vir

tues

The whole foundation of my peace is grounded. I'll guard you to your home; lost in one comfort, Here I have found another.

Flav. Goodness prosper it!

[Exeunt.

ACT V.-SCENE I.

An Apartment in the Palace.

Enter OCTAVIO, TROYLO, SECCO, and NITIDO.

Oct. No more of these complaints and clamours!
Have we

Nor enemies abroad, nor waking sycophants,
Who, peering through our actions, wait occasion
By which they watch to lay advantage open
To vulgar descant; but amongst ourselves,
Some, whom we call our own, must practise
scandal

(Out of a liberty of ease and fulness)

Against our honour? We shall quickly order Strange reformation, sirs, and you will find it. Troy. When servants' servants, slaves, once re

lish license

Of good opinion from a noble nature,
They take upon them boldness to abuse
Such interest, and lord it o'er their fellows,
As if they were exempt from that condition.

Oct. He is unfit to manage public matters,
Who knows not how to rule at home his household.
You must be jealous, puppy,--of a boy too!
Raise uproars, bandy noise, amongst young mai-
dens;

Keep revels in your madness, use authority
Of giving punishment: a fool must fool ye;
And this is all but pastime, as you think it!

Nit. With your good lordship's favour, since,
Spadone

Confess'd it was a gullery put on Secco,
For some revenge meant me.

Troy. He vow'd it truth,

Before the ladies, in my hearing.

Oct. Sirrah,

I'll turn you to your shop again and trinkets,
Your suds and pan of small-coal: take your damsel,
The grand old rag of beauty, your death's head,
Try then what custom reverence can trade in ;
Fiddle, and play your pranks amongst your neigh-
bours,

That all the town may roar ye! now you simper,
And look like a shaved skull.

Nit. This comes of prating.

6

now you simper.] This, I think, should

be, now you whimper; as Secco seems little disposed to indulge a

smile of any kind.

Sec. I am, my lord, a worm; pray, my lord,

tread on me,

I will not turn again;-'las, I shall never venture
To hang my pole out-on my knees, I beg it,
My bare knees; I will down unto my wife,
And do what she will have me, all I can do ;
Nay more, if she will have it, ask forgiveness,
Be an obedient husband, never cross her,
Unless sometimes in kindness:-Signor Troylo,
Speak one sweet word; I'll swear 'twas in my
madness,

I said I knew not what, and that no creature
Was brought by you amongst the ladies; Nitido,
I'll forswear thee too.

Oct. Wait a while our pleasure;

You shall know more anon.

Sec. Remember me now. [Exeunt SEC. and NIT. Oct. Troylo, thou art my brother's son, and nearest In blood to me; thou hast been next in counsels. Those ties of nature (if thou canst consider How much they do engage) work by instinct, In every worthy or ignoble mention

Which can concern me.

Troy. Sir, they have, and shall,

As long as I bear life.

Oct. Henceforth the stewardship.

My carefulness, for the honour of our family,
Has undertook, must yield the world account,
And make clear reckonings; yet we stand sus-
pected,"

In our even courses.

7

yet we stand suspected,] i. e. hitherto, up to this period.