Page images
PDF
EPUB

If an Italian blade, or Spanish metal,
Be brief, we challenge answer.
Fut. Famous Don.

Ful. What does he talk? my weapon speaks no language,

"Tis a Dutch iron truncheon.

Guz. Dutch!

Fut. And, if need be,

"Twill maul one's hide, in spite of who says nay. Guz. Dutch to a Spaniard! hold me.

Ful. Hold me too,

Sirrah, if thou'rt my friend, for I love no fighting; Yet hold me, lest in pity I fly off:

If I must fight, I must; in a scurvy quarrel

I defy he's and she's: twit me with Dutch!
Hang Dutch and French, hang Spanish and Italians,'
Christians and Turks. Pew-waw, all's one to me!
I know what's what, I know upon which side
My bread is butter'd.

Guz. Butter'd? Dutch again!

You come not with intention to affront us?

Ful. Front me no fronts; if thou be'st angry,

squabble

Here's my defence, and thy destruction.

[Whistles a charge. If friends, shake hands, and go with me to dinner. Guz. We will embrace the motion, it doth re

lish.

The cavaliero treats on terms of honour;

Peace is not to be baulk'd on fair conditions.
Fut. Still Don is Don the great.

Piero. He shews the greatness

Of his vast stomach in the quick embracement

Of th' other's dinner.

Fut. "Twas the ready means

To catch his friendship.

Piero. You're a pair of worthies, That make the Nine no wonder.

Fut. Now, since fate

Ordains that one of two mnst be the man,
The man of men which must enjoy alone
Love's darling, Amoretta; both take liberty
To shew himself before her, without cross
Of interruption, one of th' other: he
Whose sacred mystery of earthly blessings
Crowns the pursuit, be happy.

Piero. And, till then,

Live brothers in society.

Guz. We are fast.

Ful. I vow a match; I'll feast the Don to-day, And fast with him to-morrow.

Guz. Fair conditions.

ADURNI, SPINELLA, AMORETTA, and CASTANNA pass over the Stage.

Adur. Futelli and Piero, follow speedily.

Piero. My lord we wait you.

Fut. We shall soon return.

[Exeunt all but FUL. and Guz.

Ful. What's that I saw ?-a sound.

Guz. A voice for certain.

Ful. It named a lord.

Guz. Here are lords too, we take it;

We carry blood about us, rich and haughty

As

any o' the twelve Cæsars.

Ful. Gulls or Moguls,

Tag, rag, or other, hogen-mogen, vanden,

Skip-jacks, or chouses.

flinch'd,

Whoo! the brace are

The pair of shavers are sneak'd from us, Don:
Why, what are we!

Guz. The valiant will stand to't.

Ful. So say I; we will eat and drink, and squan

der,

Till all do split again.

Guz. March on with greediness.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.'

A Room in the House of MARTINO.

Enter MARTINO and LEVIDOLCHE.

Mart. You cannot answer what a general tongue Objects against your folly; I may curse The interest you lay claim to in my blood.

4 Skip-jacks, or chouses.] Turkish officers, Sanjiaks and Chiouses; the last term we have naturalized. As a verb, it means to cheat, to defraud; as a substantive, a dexterous rogue, a swindler. See Mass. and Jonson, vol. iv. p. 27.

Your mother, my dear niece, did die, I thought,
Too soon, but she is happy; had she lived
Till now, and known the vanities your life
Hath dealt in, she had wish'd herself a grave
Before a timely hour.

Lev. Sir, consider

My sex; were I mankind, my sword should quit
A wounded honour, and reprieve a name
From injury, by printing on their bosoms
Some deadly character, whose drunken surfeits
Vomit such base aspersions: as I am,

Scorn and contempt is virtue; my desert
Stands far above their malice.

Mart. Levidolche,

Hypocrisy puts on a holy robe,

Yet never changeth nature; call to mind,
How, in your girl's days, you fell, forsooth,
In love, and married,-married (hark ye!) whom?
A trencher-waiter; shrewd preferment! but
Your childhood then excused that fault; for so
Footmen have run away with lusty heirs,
And stable-grooms reach'd to some fair one's
chambers.

Lev. Pray let not me be bandied, sir, and baffled, By your intelligence.

Mart. So touch'd to the quick!

Fine mistress, I will then rip up at length
The

progress of your infamy: in colour

Of disagreement, you must be divorced;
Were so, and I must countenance the reasons;
On better hopes I did, nay, took you home,

Provided you my care, nay, justified

Your alteration; joy'd to entertain

Such visitants of worth and rank as tender'd

Civil respects: but then, even then

Lev. What then?

Sweet uncle, do not spare me.

Mart. I more shame

To fear my hospitality was bawd,
And name it so, to your unchaste desires,
Than you to hear and know it.

Lev. Whose whore am I?

For that's your plainest meaning.

Mart. Were you modest,

The word you utter'd last would force a blush.
Adurni is a bounteous lord, 'tis said,

He parts with gold and jewels like a free
And liberal purchaser! he wriggles in

To ladies' pleasures by a right of pension;

But you know none of this! you are grown a tavern-talk,

Matters for fiddlers' songs. I toil to build
The credit of my family, and you

To pluck up the foundation: even this morning,
Before the common-council, young Malfato-
(Convented for some lands he held, supposed
Belong'd to certain orphans,) as I question'd
His tenure in particulars, he answer'd,
My worship needed not to flaw his right;
For if the humour held him, he could make
A jointure to my over-loving niece,
Without oppression; bade me tell her too,

« PreviousContinue »