Piero. In plain troth,

My lord, the she whom we describe is such,
And lives here, here in Genoa, this city,
This very city, now, the very now.
Adur. Trelcatio's daughter?

Fut. Has refused suitors

Of worthy rank, substantial and free parts,
Only for that they are not dukes, or counts;
Yet she herself, with all her father's store,
Can hardly weigh above four hundred ducats.
Adur. Now, your design for sport?
Piero. Without prevention:

Guzman, the Spaniard late cashier'd, most gravely

Observes the full punctilios of his nation;
And him have we beleaguer'd to accost
This she-piece, under a pretence of being
Grandee of Spain, and cousin to twelve princes.
Fut. For rival unto whom we have enraged
Fulgoso, the rich coxcomb lately started

A gentleman, out of a sutler's hut,

Aurel. A melancholy, grounded, and resolv'd, Received into a habit, argues love,

Or deep impression of strong discontents.
In cases of these rarities a friend,
Upon whose faith and confidence we may
Vent with security our grief, becomes
Oft-times the best physician; for, admit
We find no remedy, we cannot miss
Advice instead of comfort; and believe,
It is an ease, Malfato, to disburthen

Our souls of secret clogs, where they may find
A rest in pity, though not in redress.

Mal. Let all this sense be yielded to.
Aurel. Perhaps

You measure what I say, the common nature
Of an officious curiosity.

Mal. Not I, sir.

Aurel. Or that other private ends Sift your retirements.

Mal. Neither.

Enter FUTELLI.

Fut. Under favour,

Signor Malfato, I am sent to crave

Your leisure, for a word or two in private. Mal. To me! Your mind.

Fut. This letter will inform ye.

[Gives him the letter.

Mal. Letter? how's this? what's here?

Fut. Speak you to me, sir?

Mal. Brave riddle! I'll endeavour to unfold it. Aurel. How fares the Lord Adurni?

Fut. Sure in health, sir.

Aurel. He is a noble gentleman, withal

Happy in his endeavours: the general voice
Sounds him for courtesy, behaviour, language,
And every fair demeanour, an example;
Titles of honour add not to his worth,
Who is himself an honour to his titles.

Mal. You know from whence this comes?
Fut. I do.

Mal. D'ye laugh!

[Throws him the letter. Bear back that paper to the hell from whence It gave thee thy directions! tell this lord,

He ventured on a foolish policy,

In aiming at the scandal of my blood;
The trick is childish, base,--say base.
Fut. You wrong him.

Aurel. Be wise, Malfato.

Mal. Say, I know this whore.

She who sent this temptation, was wife
To his abused servant; and divorced
From poor Benatzi, senseless of the wrongs,
That Madam Levidolche and Adurni
Might revel in their sports without control,
Secure, uncheck'd.

Aurel. You range too wildly now,
Are too much inconsiderate.

Mal. I am

A gentleman free-born; I never wore
The rags of any great man's looks, nor fed
Upon their after-meals; I never crouch'd
Unto the offal of an office promised

(Reward for long attendance), and then miss'd.
I read no difference between this huge,
This monstrous big word lord, and gentleman,
More than the title sounds; for aught I learn,
The latter is as noble as the first,

I am sure more ancient.

Aurel. Let me tell you then,

You are too bitter, talk you know not what. Make all men equals, and confound all course Of order, and of nature! this is madness.

Mal. 'Tis so; and I have reason to be mad, Reason, Aurelio, by my truth and hopes. This wit Futelli brings a suit of love From Levidolche, one, however mask'd In colourable privacy, is famed The Lord Adurni's pensioner, at least. Am I a husband pick'd out for a strumpet? For a cast suit of bawdry? Aurelio, You are as I am, you could ill digest The trial of a patience so unfit.Begone, Futelli, do not mince one syllable Of what you hear; another fetch like this May tempt a peace to rage: so say; begone! Fut. I shall report your answer.

Mal. What have I

Deserv'd to be so used! In colder blood,
I do confess nobility requires
Duty and love; it is a badge of virtue,

By action first acquired, and next in rank
Unto anointed royalty.-Wherein
Have I neglected distance, or forgot
Observance to superiors? sure, my name
Was in the note mistook.

Aurel. We will consider

The meaning of this mystery.
Mal. Not so;

[Exit.

Let them fear bondage who are slaves to fear, The sweetest freedom is an honest heart.

ACT II-SCENE L

A Street.

Enter FUTELLI and GUZMAN.

[Exeunt.

Fut. Dexterity and sufferance, brave Don, Are engines the pure politic must work with. Guz. We understand.

Fut. In subtleties of war,"

I talk t'ye now in your own occupation,
Your trade, or what you please-unto a soldier,
Surprisal of an enemy by stratagem,

Or downright cutting throats, is all one thing.
Guz. Most certain: on, proceed.

Fut. By way of parallel;

You drill or exercise your company

(No matter which, for terms), before you draw

Into the field; so in the feats of courtship,
First, choice is made of thoughts, behaviour,
words,

The set of looks, the posture of the beard,
Beso las manos, cringes of the knee,
The very hums and ha's, thumps, and ah me's!
Guz. We understand all these: advance.
Fut. Then next,

Your enemy in face,-your mistress, mark it!
Now you consult either to skirmish slightly,
That's careless amours,-or to enter battle;
Then fall to open treaty, or to work
By secret spies or gold: here you corrupt
The chambermaid, a fatal engine, or
Place there an ambuscado,-that's contract
With some of her near friends, for half her por-
tion;

Or offer truce, and in the interim,

Run upon slaughter, 'tis a noble treachery,
That's swear and lie; steal her away, and to her
Cast caps, and cry victoria! the field's
Thine own, my Don, she's thine.

Guz. We do vouchsafe her.
Fut. Hold her then fast.

Guz. As fast as can the arins
Of strong imagination hold her.
Fut. No,

She has skipt your hold; my imagination's eyes Perceive, she not endures the touch or scent

Of your war over-worn habiliments,

Which I forgot in my instructions

To warn you of: therefore, my warlike Don,
Apparel speedily your imaginations
With a more courtly outside.

Guz. 'Tis soon done.

Fut. As soon as said; in all the clothes thou hast,

More than that walking wardrobe on thy back.

[Aside.

Guz. Imagine first our rich mockado doublet, With our cut cloth-of-gold sleeves, and our quellio,3

Our diamond-button'd callamanco hose,
Our plume of ostrich, with the embroider'd scarf,
The Duchess Infantasgo roll'd our arm in.

Fut. Ay, this is brave indeed!

Guz. Our cloak, whose cape is
Larded with pearls, which the Indian cacique
Presented to our countryman De Cortez,
For ransom of his life; rated in value

At thirteen thousand pistolets; the guerdon

Of our achievement, when we rescued
The infanta from the boar, in single duel,
Near to the Austrian forest, with this rapier,
This only, very, naked, single rapier.
Fut. Top and top-gallant brave!
Guz. We will appear

Before our Amoretta, like the issue
Of our progenitors.

Fut. Imagine so,

The clash of steel, the neighs of barbed steeds, Wounds spouting blood, towns capering in the air,

Castles push'd down, and cities plough'd with swords,

Become great Guzman's oratory best,
Who, though victorious (and during life
Must be), yet now grants parley to thy smiles.
Fut. S'foot, Don, you talk too big, you make
her tremble;

Do you not see't imaginarily?

I do, as plainly as you saw the death

Of the Austrian boar: she rather hears

Of feasting than of fighting; take her that way. Guz. Yes, we will feast; my queen, my empress, saint,

Shalt taste no delicates but what are drest
With costlier spices than the Arabian bird
Sweetens her funeral bed with; we will riot
With every change of meats, which may renew
Our blood unto a spring, so pure, so high,
That from our pleasures shall proceed a race
Of sceptre-bearing princes, who at once
Must reign in every quarter of the globe.

Fut. Can more be said by one that feeds on herring

And garlic constantly?

Guz. Yes, we will feast

[Aside.

Fut. Enough! she's taken, and will love you now,

As well in buff, as your imagined bravery.
Your dainty ten-times drest buff, with this lan-

guage,

Bold man of arms, shall win upon her, doubt not,
Beyond all silken puppetry. Think no more
Of your 'mockadoes, callamancoes, quellios,
Pearl larded capes, and diamond - button'd
breeches;'

Leave such poor outside helps to puling lovers,
Such as Fulgoso, your weak rival, is,

That starveling-brain'd companion; appear you,
At first at least, in your own warlike fashion:
I pray be ruled, and change not a thread about
you.

Guz. The humour takes; for I, sir, am a man Affects not shifts: I will adventure thus.

Fut. Why, so! you carry her from all the world. I'm proud my stars design'd me out an instru

ment

In such an high employment.

Guz. Gravely spoken;

You may be proud on't.

Enter, on the opposite side, FULGOSO and PIERO.

Ful. What is lost is lost,

Money is trash, and ladies are et cæteras, Play's play, luck's luck, fortune's an-I know what;

You see the worst of me, and what's all this now?
Piero. A very spark, I vow; you will be styled
Fulgoso the invincible. But did

The fair Spinella lose an equal part?
How much in all, d'you say?

Ful. Bare threescore ducats,

Thirty apiece, we need not care who know it. She play'd; I went her half, walk'd by, and whistled

After my usual manner thus-unmoved,

[Whistles.

As no such thing had ever been, as it were,
Although I saw the winners share my money:
His lordship and an honest gentleman
Purs'd it, but not so merrily as I
Whistled it off.

Piero. A noble confidence.

Ful. D'you note your rival?

Guz. With contempt I do.

Ful. I can forego things nearer than my gold, Allied to my affections, and my blood; Yea, honour, as it were, with the same kind Of careless confidence, and come off fairly Too, as it were.

Piero. But not your love, Fulgoso.

Ful. No, she's inherent, and mine own past losing.

Piero. It tickles me to think with how much state,

You, as it were, did run at tilt in love,
Before your Amoretta.

Ful. Broke my lance.
Piero. Of wit! of wit!

Ful. I mean so, as it were,

And laid, flat on her back, both horse and woman. Piero. Right, as it were.

Ful. What else, man, as it were?

Guz. [crossing over to FUL.] Did you do this to her? dare you to vaunt

Your triumph, we being present? um, ha, um.
[FULGOSO whistles the Spanish Pavin.1
Fut. What think you, Don, of this brave man?
Guz. A man!

It is some truss of reeds, or empty cask,
In which the wind with whistling sports itself.
Fut. Bear up, sir, he's your rival, budge not

from him

An inch; your grounds are honour.
Piero. Stoutly ventured,

Don, hold him to't.

Ful. 'Protest, a fine conceit,

A very fine conceit; and thus I told her,
That for mine own part, if she lik'd me, so!
If not, not; for my duck, or doe,' said I,
'It is no fault of mine that I am noble:
Grant it; another may be noble, too,
And then we're both one noble ;'2 better still!—
Hab-nab's good; wink and choose; if one must

have her,

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 relish
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 shows 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 must be the man,
The man of men which must enjoy alone
Love's darling, Amoretta; both take liberty
To show 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.

Tag, rag, or other, hogen-mogen, vanden, Ship-jacks, or chouses.' Whoo! the brace are flinch'd,

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

Guz. The valiant will stand to't.

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 me not 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 thenLev. 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-

A jointure to my over-loving niece,
Without oppression; bade me tell her too,
She was a kind young soul, and might in time
Be sued to by a loving man: no doubt,
Here was a jolly breakfast!

Lev. Uncles are privileged
More than our parents; some wise man in stata
Hath rectified, no doubt, your knowledge, sir.
Whilst all the policy for public business
Was spent,-for want of matter, I by chance
Fell into grave discourse; but, by your leave,
I from a stranger's table rather wish
To earn my bread, than from a friend's by gift
Be daily subject to unfit reproofs.

Amor. Ha' they crownths,

Great crownths oth gold upon their headths? Piero. Pure gold;

Drawn all in state.

Amor. How many horthes, pray,

Are ith their chariots?

Piero. Sixteen, some twenty.

Cast. My sister! wherefore left we her alone? Where stays she, gentlemen?

Fut. Viewing the rooms;

"Tis like you'll meet her in the gallery:
This house is full of curiosities,
Most fit for ladies' sights.

Amor. Yeth, yeth, the thight
Of printhethes ith a fine thight.
Cast. Good, let us find her.

Piero. Sweet ladies, this way; see the doors

sure.

Fut. Doubt not.

[Aside to FUT. [Exeunt.

ACT II.-SCENE IV.

Another Room in the same.-A Banquet set out.
Enter ADURNI and SPINELLA.-A Song within.
Pleasures, beauty, youth attend ye,

Whilst the spring of nature lasteth;
Love and melting thoughts attend ye,
Use the time, ere winter hasteth.
Active blood, and free delight,
Place and privacy invite.

Do, do! be kind as fair.
Lose not opportunity for air.1

She is cruel that denies it,

Bounty best appears in granting,
Stealth of sport as soon supplies it,
Whilst the dues of love are wanting,
Here's the sweet exchange of bliss
When each whisper proves a kiss.
In the game are felt no pains,
For in all the loser gains.

Adur. Plead not, fair creature, without sense of pity,

So incompassionately 'gainst a service,
In nothing faulty more than pure obedience:
My honours and my fortunes are led captives
In triumph, by your all-commanding beauty;
And if you ever felt the power of love,
The rigour of an uncontrolled passion,
The tyranny of thoughts, consider mine,
In some proportion, by the strength of yours;
Thus may you yield and conquer.

Spin. Do not study,

My lord, to apparel folly in the weed
Of costly colours; henceforth cast off far,
Far from your noblest nature, the contempt
Of goodness, and be gentler to your fame,
By purchase of a life to grace your story.
Adur. Dear, how sweetly

Reproof drops from that balmy spring your breath!

Now could I read a lecture of my griefs,
Unearth a mine of jewels at your foot,
Command a golden shower to rain down,
Impoverish every kingdom of the east,

Which traffics richest clothes, and silks, would