In seeking to reduce both state and people
To a fix'd order, their judicious king
Begins at home; quits first his royal palace
Of flattering sycophants, of dissolute

And infamous persons,-which he sweetly terms
His master's masterpiece, the work of heaven:
Considering duly that a prince's court

Is like a common fountain, whence should flow
Pure silver drops in general, but if't chance
Some curs'd example poison'd near the head,
Death and diseases through the whole land
spread.

And what is't makes this blessèd government
But a most provident council, who dare freely
Inform him the corruption of the times?
Though some o' the court hold it presumption
To instruct princes what they ought to do,
It is a noble duty to inform them

What they ought to foresee.-Here comes Bosola,
The only court-gall; yet I observe his railing
Is not for simple love of piety:

Indeed, he rails at those things which he wants;
Would be as lecherous, covetous, or proud,
Bloody, or envious, as any man,

If he had means to be so.-Here's the cardinal.

Enter CARDINAL and BoSOLA.

Bos. I do haunt you still.

Card. So.

Bos. I have done you better service than to be slighted thus. Miserable age, where only the reward of doing well is the doing of it!

Card. You enforce your merit too much. Bos. I fell into the galleys in your service; where, for two years together, I wore two towels instead of a shirt, with a knot on the shoulder, after the fashion of a Roman mantle. Slighted thus! I will thrive some way: blackbirds fatten best in hard weather; why not I in these dogdays?

Card. Would you could become honest!

Bos. With all your divinity do but direct me the way to it. I have known many travel far for it, and yet return as arrant knaves as they went forth, because they carried themselves always along with them. [Exit Cardinal.] Are you gone? Some fellows, they say, are possessed with the devil, but this great fellow were able to possess the greatest devil, and make him

worse.

Ant. He hath denied thee some suit?

Bos. He and his brother are like plum-trees that grow crooked over standing-pools; they are rich and o'erladen with fruit, but none but crows, pies, and caterpillars feed on them. Could I be one of their flattering panders, I would hang on their ears like a horseleech, till I were full, and then drop off. I pray, leave me. Who would rely upon these miserable dependencies, in expectation to be advanced to-morrow? what creature ever fed worse than hoping Tantalus? nor ever died any man more fearfully than he that hoped for a pardon. There are rewards for hawks

1 quits-clears.

To make me the partaker of the natures
Of some of your great courtiers.

Ant. The lord cardinal's,

And other strangers that are now in court?
I shall. Here comes the great Calabrian duke.
Ferd. Who took the ring oftenest ??
Sil. Antonio Bologna, my lord.

Ferd. Our sister duchess' great-master of her household? give him the jewel.-When shall we leave this sportive action, and fall to action indeed?

Cast. Methinks, my lord, you should not desire to go to war in person.

Ferd. Now for some gravity:-why, my lord? Cast. It is fitting a soldier arise to be a prince, but not necessary a prince descend to be a captain.

Ferd. Why do you laugh? methinks you that are courtiers should be my touch-wood, take fire when I give fire; that is, not laugh but when I laugh, were the subject never so witty.

Cast. True, my lord. I myself have heard a very good jest, and have scorned to seem to have so silly a wit as to understand it.

Ferd. But I can laugh at your fool, my lord. Cast. He cannot speak, you know, but he makes faces: my lady cannot abide him. Ferd. No?

Cast. Nor endure to be in merry company; for she says too much laughing and too much company fills her too full of the wrinkle.

Ferd. I would, then, have a mathematical instrument made for her face, that she might not laugh out of compass.-I shall shortly visit you at Milan, Lord Silvio.

Sil. Your grace shall arrive most welcome. Ferd. You are a good horseman, Antonio: you have excellent riders in France: what do you think of good horsemanship?

Ant. Nobly, my lord: as out of the Grecian horse issued many famous princes, so out of brave horsemanship arise the first sparks of growing resolution, that raise the mind to noble action. Ferd. You have bespoke it worthily.

Sil. Your brother the lord cardinal, and sister duchess.

Re-enter CARDINAL, with DUCHESS, CARIOLA, and
JULIA.

Card. Are the galleys come about?
Gris. They are, my lord.

Ferd. Here's the Lord Silvio is come to take his leave.

Del. Now, sir, your promise: what's that cardinal?

I mean his temper? they say he's a brave fellow, Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance,

Court ladies, and one that hath fought single combats.

Ant. Some such flashes superficially hang on him for form; but observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman; the spring in his face is nothing but the engendering of toads; where he is jealous of any man, he lays worse plots for them than ever was imposed on Hercules, for he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters. He should have been Pope; but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without Heaven's knowledge. Some good he hath done

1 tent is a roll of lint or other material used in searching or dilating a wound; from Lat. tendo, to stretch.

He never pays debts unless they be shrewd turns,
And those he will confess that he doth owe.
Last, for his brother there, the cardinal,
They that do flatter him most say oracles
Hang at his lips; and verily I believe them,
For the devil speaks in them.

But for their sister, the right noble duchess,
You never fix'd your eye on three fair medals
Cast in one figure, of so different temper.
For her discourse, it is so full of rapture,
You only will begin then to be sorry
When she doth end her speech, and wish, in
wonder,

She held it less vainglory to talk much,
Than your penance to hear her: whilst she
speaks,

She throws upon a man so sweet a look,
That it were able to raise one to a galliard1
That lay in a dead palsy, and to dote
On that sweet countenance; but in that look
There speaketh so divine a continence
As cuts off all lascivious and vain hope.
Her days are practis'd in such noble virtue,
That sure her nights, nay, more, her very sleeps,
Are more in heaven than other ladies' shrifts.
Let all sweet ladies break their flattering glasses,
And dress themselves in her.

Del. Fie, Antonio,

You play the wire-drawer with her commendations.

Ant. I'll case the picture up: only thus much; All her particular worth grows to this sum,She stains the time past, lights the time to come. Cari. You must attend my lady in the gallery, Some half an hour hence.

Ant. I shall. [Exeunt ANTONIO and DELIO.
Ferd. Sister, I have a suit to you.
Duch. To me, sir?

Ferd. A gentleman here, Daniel de Bosola,
One that was in the galleys-

Duch. Yes, I know him.

Ferd. A worthy fellow he is: pray, let me entreat for

The provisorship of your horse.
Duch. Your knowledge of him
Commends him and prefers him.
Ferd. Call him hither.

[Exit Attendant.
We are now upon parting. Good Lord Silvio,
Do us commend to all our noble friends
At the leaguer.

Sil. Sir, I shall.

Ferd. You are for Milan? Sil. I am.

1 galliard-a lively, leaping, nimble French dance; from gaillard, gay.-NARES.

Ferd. Be yourself;

Keep your old garb of melancholy; 'twill express
You envy those that stand above your reach,
Yet strive not to come near 'em: this will gain |
Access to private lodgings, where yourself
May, like a politic dormouse-

Bos. As I have seen some

Feed in a lord's dish, half asleep, not seeming To listen to any talk; and yet these rogues Have cut his throat in a dream. What's my place?

The provisorship o' the horse? Say, then, my corruption

Grew out of horse-dung: I am your creature.
Ferd. Away!

Bos. Let good men, for good deeds, covet good fame,

Since place and riches oft are bribes of shame: Sometimes the devil doth preach.

[Exit.

An intelligencer.

Ferd. Such a kind of thriving thing

Ferd. Now hear me:

You live in a rank pasture, here, i' the court; There is a kind of honey-dew that's deadly;

arrive

cunning;

For they whose faces do belie their hearts
Are witches ere they arrive at twenty years,
Ay, and give the devil suck.

Duch. This is terrible good counsel.
Ferd. Hypocrisy is woven of a fine small thread
Subtler than Vulcan's engine; yet, believe't,

1 luxurious-wanton, lascivious.

2 Vulcan's engine-ie. the net in which he caught Mars and Venus.-DYCE.

our darkest actions, nay, your privat'st thoughts, Will come to light.

Card. You may flatter yourself,

And take your own choice; privately be married Under the eves of night

Ferd. Think't the best voyage

That e'er you made; like the irregular crab,

Ant. So please your beauteous excellence. Duch. Beauteous!

Indeed, I thank you: I look young for your sake;
You have ta'en my cares upon you.
Ant. I'll fetch your grace

The particulars of your revenue and expense.
Duch. Oh, you are

Because it goes its own way: but observe, Such weddings may more properly be said To be executed than celebrated.

Card. The marriage night

Is the entrance into some prison.
Ferd. And those joys,

Those lustful pleasures, are like heavy sleeps
Which do forerun man's mischief.

[Exit. [kindred

Duch. Shall this move me? If all my royal Lay in my way unto this marriage, I'd make them my low footsteps: and even now, Even in this hate, as men in some great battles, By apprehending danger, have achiev'd

Almost impossible actions (I have heard soldiers say so),

So I through frights and threatenings will assay
This dangerous venture. Let old wives report
I wink'd and chose a husband.—Cariola,
To thy known secrecy I have given up
More than my life,-my fame.

Cari. Both shall be safe;

For I'll conceal this secret from the world

As warily as those that trade in poison
Keep poison from their children.

Duch. Thy protestation

Is ingenious' and hearty: I believe it.

Is Antonio come?

Cari. He attends you.

Duch. Good dear soul,

Leave me; but place thyself behind the arras,
Where thou may'st overhear us. Wish me good
For I am going into a wilderness [speed;
Where I shall find nor path nor friendly clew
To be my guide.
[Exit CARIOLA.

Enter ANTONIO.

I sent for you: sit down;

Take pen and ink, and write: are you ready? Ant. Yes.

Duch. What did I say?

Ant. That I should write somewhat.
Duch. Oh, I remember.

After these triumphs and this large expense,
It's fit, like thrifty husbands, we inquire
What's laid up for to-morrow.

1 ingenious-for ingenuous. The terms were often transposed by early writers.-HALLWELL.

For when I said I meant to make inquiry What's laid up for to-morrow, I did mean, What's laid up yonder for me.

Ant. Where?

Duch. In heaven.