Troy. We have been thirsty'

In our pursuit.-Sir, here's a gentleman
Desertful of your knowledge, and as covetous
Of entertainment from it: you shall honour
Your judgment, to entrust him to your favours;
His merits will commend it.

Oct. Gladly welcome ;

Your own worth is a herald to proclaim it.
For taste of your preferment, we admit you
The chief provisor of our horse.

Liv. Your bounty

Stiles me your ever servant.

Troy. He's our own;

Surely, nay most persuadedly. My thanks, sir,

Owes to this just engagement.

Oct. Slack no time

[Aside to OCT.

To enter on your fortunes.-Thou art careful,
My Troylo, in the study of a duty.

His name is ?

Troy. Livio.

Liv. Livio, my good lord.

Oct. Again, you're welcome to us :-be as

speedy,

[Apart to TROYLO.

Dear nephew, as thou'rt constant.— Men of

parts,

Fit parts and sound, are rarely to be met with;
But being met with, therefore to be cherish'd

5 We have been thirsty

In our pursuit.] i. e. sharp, eager, active.

With love and with supportance. While I stand, Livio can no way fall ;-yet, once more, welcome! [Exit.

Troy. An honourable liberality, Timely disposed, without delay or question, Commands a gratitude. Is not this better Than waiting three or four months at livery, With cup and knee unto this chair of state, And to that painted arras, for a nod From goodman-usher, or the formal secretary; Especially the juggler with the purse,

That pays some shares, in all? A younger bro

ther,

Sometimes an elder, not well trimm'd i' th' headpiece,

May spend what his friend left, in expectation
Of being turn'd out of service-for attendance !
Or marry a waiting-woman, and be damn'd for't
To open laughter, and, what's worse, old beg-
gary!

What thinks my Livio of this rise at first?

Is't not miraculous?

Liv. It seems the bargain

Was driv'n before between you.

" And

And to that painted arras, for a nod,] The 4to reads, to their painted arras for a need," which I do not understand. Troylo is evidently congratulating Livio on his entering at once into the good graces of his lord, without stooping (as was too frequently the case) to the meanness of flattering the proud and formal domestics of his patron's establishment, the steward, gentleman-usher, &c. If the reader prefers need to nod, I see no great objection. Cup and knee," I doubt not, should be " cap and knee," as we have it in the Sun's Darling: it was not usual to present the cup kneeling to any but princes.

Troy. Twas, and nothing

Could void it, but the peevish resolution
Of your dissent from goodness, as you call it;
A thin, a threadbare honesty, a virtue
Without a living to't.

Liv. I must resolve

To turn my sister whore? speak a home-word
For my
old bachelor lord ?-so! is't not so?
A trifle in respect to present means;

Here's all.

Troy. Be yet more confident; the slavery Of such an abject office shall not tempt The freedom of thy spirit: stand ingenious To thine own fate," and we will practise wisely Without the charge of scandal.

Liv. May it prove so!

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.

The Street.

Enter SECCO, with a casting bottle, sprinkling his hat and face, and a little looking-glass at his girdle;8 setting his countenance.

Sec. Admirable! incomparably admirable! to be the minion, the darling, the delight of love; 'tis a very tickling to the marrow, a kissing i' th'

7 Stand ingenious

To thine own fate.] i. e. labour to forward the plans of fortune by thy own dexterity, &c.

With a casting bottle.] A small phial for perfumes, sweet

blood, a bosoming the extacy, the rapture of virginity, soul and paradise of perfection,-ah!— pity of generation, Secco, there are no more such

men.

Enter SPADONE.

Spa. Oyes! if any man, woman, or beast, have found, stolen, or taken up a fine, very fine male barber, of the age of above or under eighteen, more or less

Sec. Spadone, hold; what's the noise?

Spa. Umph! pay the cryer. I have been almost lost myself in seeking you; here's a letter from

Sec. Whom, whom, my dear Spadone? whom? Spa. Soft and fair! an you be so brief, I'll return it whence it came, or look out a new owner. -Oyes!

Sec. Low, low! what dost mean? is't from the glory of beauty, Morosa, the fairest fair? be gentle to me; here's a ducat: speak low, prithee.

Spa. Give me one, and take t'other: 'tis from the party. (Gives him the letter.) Golden news, believe it.

Sec. Honest Spadone! divine Morosa! [Reads. Spa. Fairest fair, quoth'a! so is an old rotten coddled mungrel, parcel bawd, parcel midwife; all the marks are quite out of her mouth; not the stump of a tooth left in her head, to mumble the

waters, &c., which, in Ford's time, were in more general use than at present. For the fashion of wearing mirrors at the girdle, and in the hat, see Massinger, vol. iv. p. 8. and Jonson, vol. ii. p. 263.

curd of a posset.-[Aside.] Signor, 'tis as I told you; all's right.

Sec. Right, just as thou told'st me; all's right. Spa. To a very hair, signor mio.

Sec. For which, sirrah Spadone, I will make thee a man; a man, dost hear? I say, a man.

Spa. Thou art a prick-ear'd foist, a citternheaded gew-gaw, a knack, a snipper-snapper. Twit me with the decrements of my pendants! though I am made a gelding, and, like a tame buck, have lost my dowsets,-more a monster than a cuckold with his horns seen,-yet I scorn to be jeered by any checker-approved barbarian1 of ye all. Make me a man! I defy thee.

Sec. How now, fellow, how now! roaring ripe indeed!

Spa. Indeed? thou'rt worse: a dry shaver, a copper-bason'd suds-monger.

Sec. Nay, nay; by my mistress' fair eyes, I meant no such thing.

Spa. Eyes in thy belly! the reverend madam

Thou art a prick-eared foist, &c.] This stuff is hardly worth explaining; but it may be noted, en passant, that foist is one of the thousand cant terms for a rogue of any kind; that citternheaded means ugly, in allusion to the grotesque and monstrous figures with which these and similar musical instruments were ornamented; that knack is a slight, inconsiderate toy, and snippersnapper whatever of vituperative the reader pleases.

By any checker-approved barbarian.] i. e. by any favourite of taverns and their frequenters. Or, as Secco is not tainted with the vice of drunkenness, may we venture to suppose that a barber's shop, like a tavern, was occasionally denoted by the sign of the chequers? Ford seems tickled with his facetious pun on barber; for he uses it again in a subsequent passage, where Spadone calls Secco, who is about to shave him, a precious barbarian."