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;

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

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Street.

Enter FUTELLI and GUZMAN.

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 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 portion;

Or offer truce, and in the interim,

Run upon slaughter, 't is 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 arms

Of strong imagination hold her.

Fut. No,

She has skipp'd your hold; my imagination's eyes
Perceive, she not endures the touch or scent
Of your war overworn 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, Our diamond-button'd callamanco hose, Our plume of ostrich, with the embroider'd scarf, The dutchess Infantasgo roll'd our arm in.

1 Our rich mockado doublet,] i. e. an inferior kind of velvet, velveret: quellio, which occurs in the following line, is a ruff.-GIFFORD.

Fut. Ay, this is brave indeed!

Guz. Our cloak, whose cape is

Larded with peärls, 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,

And that this rich suit of imagination

Is on already now:-here stands your Amoretta,
Make your approach and court her.

Guz. Lustre of beauty,

Not to affright your tender soul with horror,
We may descend to tales of peace and love,
Soft whispers fitting ladies' closets; for
Thunder of cannon, roaring smoke and fire,
As if hell's maw had vomited confusion,
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. 'Sfoot, 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 dress'd
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 dress'd buff, with this language,
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 instrument In such a 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 ceteras,

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 stiled 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; 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!

Fut. 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. 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.