Guz. And my renowned sire, Don Picaro

Fut. In proper sense, a rascal-O, brave don!

Guz. Had honours both by sea and land, to wit— Fut. The galleys and Bridewell.

Ful. I'll not endure it.

To hear a canting mongrel-hear me, lady!
Guz. "Tis no fair play.

Ful. I care not, fair or foul.

I from a king derive my pedigree,

King Oberon by name, from whom my father,
The mighty and courageous Mountibanco,
Was lineally descended; and my mother
(In right of whose blood I must ever honour
The lower Germany) was a Harlequin.
Fut. He'll blow up

The Spaniard presently by his mother's side.

Ful. Her father was Grave Hans Van Herne, the son Of Hogen Mogen, and my uncle, hight

Yacob Van Flagon-drought, with Abraham Snortenfert,

Took by surprise a thousand Spanish jobbernowls, And beat a sconce about their ears.

Guz. My fury

Is now but justice on thy forfeit life.

Amor. 'Lath, they thall not fight.
Fut. Fear not, sweet lady.

Piero. Be advised, great spirits.

[Draws.

Ful. My fortunes bid me to be wise in duels;

Else, hang 't, who cares?

Guz. Mine honour is my tutor,

Already tried and known.

Fut. Why, there's the point,

Mine honour is my tutor too. Noble men

Fight in their persons! scorn't! 't is out of fashion;
There's none but hairbrain'd youths of mettle use it.
Piero. Yet put not up your swords; it is the
pleasure

Of the fair lady that you quit the field,
With brandish'd blades in hand.

Fut. And more, to show

Your suffering valour, as her equal favours,
You both should take a competence of kicks.
Both. How?

Fut. and Piero. Thus and thus!-[kicking them.]— away, you brace of nincompoops!

Ful. Pheugh! as it were.

Guz. Why, since it is her pleasure, I dare and will endure it.

Ful. Pheugh!

Piero. Away, But stay below.

Fut. Budge not, I charge ye, Till you have further leave.

Guz. Mine honour claims

The last foot in the field.

Ful. I'll lead the van then.

[Whistles.

Fut. Yet more? begone! [Exeunt FULG. and Guz. Are not these precious suitors—

Re-enter TRELCATIO.

Trel. What tumults fright the house?

Fut. A brace of castrels,

That flutter'd, sir, about this lovely game,

Your daughter: but they durst not give the souse, And so took hedge.

Piero. Mere haggards, buzzards, kites.

Amor. I thkorne thuch trumpery; and will thape my luffe,

Henthforth, ath thall my father betht direct me. Trel. Why now thou sing'st in tune, my Amoretta;

And, my good friends, you have, like wise physi

cians,

Prescribed a healthful diet: I shall think on

A bounty for your pains, and will present ye
To noble Auria, such as your deserts
Commend; but for the present we must quit
This room to privacy: they come-

Amor. Nay, predee,

Leave me not, dentlemen.

Fut. We are your servants.

[Exeunt.

Enter AURIA, ADURNI, and AURELIO.

Aur. You are welcome,be assured you are; for proof, Retrieve the boldness (as you please to term it) Of visit to commands: if this man's presence Be not of use, dismiss him.

Adur. 'Tis with favour,

Of consequence, my lord, your friend may witness How far my reputation stands engaged

To noble reconcilement.

Aur. I observe

No party here among us, who can challenge
A motion of such honour.

Adur. Could your looks

Borrow more clear serenity and calmness,
Than can the peace of a composed soul;
Yet, I presume, report of my attempt,

Train'd by a curiosity in youth

For scattering clouds before 'em, hath rais'd tempests Which will at last break out.

Adur. Hid now, most likely, I' the darkness of your speech. Aurel. You may be plainer.

Aur. I shall, my lord; that I intended wrongAur. Ha! wrong! to whom?

Adur. To Auria; and as far

As language could prevail, did-
Aur. Take advice,

Young lord, before your tongue betray a secret
Conceal'd yet from the world; hear and consider:
In all my flight of vanity and giddiness,

When scarce the wings of my excess were fledg'd,
When a distemperature of youthful heat
Might have excus'd disorder and ambition,
Even then, and so from thence till now the down
Of softness is exchang'd for plumes of age,

Confirm'd and harden'd,' never durst I pitch
On any, howsoever likely, rest,

Where the presumption might be construed wrong;
The word is hateful, and the sense wants pardon.
For, as I durst not wrong the meanest, so
He who but only aim'd, by any boldness,

A wrong to me, should find I must not bear it;
The one is as unmanly as the other.-
Now, without interruption.

Adur. Stand, Aurelio,

And justify thine accusation boldly;

Spare me the needless use of my confession;
And, having told no more than what thy jealousy
Possess'd thee with, again before my face
Urge to thy friend the breach of hospitality
Adurni trespass'd in, and thou conceiv'st
Against Spinella; [when thy] proofs grow faint,
If barely not suppos'd, I'll answer guilty.
Aurel. You come not here to brave us?
Adur. No, Aurelio;

But to reply upon that brittle evidence,
To which thy cunning never shall rejoin.
I make my judge my jury; be accountant
Whether, with all the eagerness of spleen
That a suspicious rage can plead, thou hast
Enforced the likelihood of scandal.

Aurel. Doubt not

But that I have deliver'd honest truth,
As much as I believe, and justly witness.

Adur. Loose grounds to raise a bulwark of reproach on!

And thus for that.-My errand hither is not
In whining, truant-like submission,

66

To cry, "I have offended, pray, forgive me;

Of softness is exchang'd for plumes of age, &c.] This is at once a correct translation, and a good comment on the well-known line, "Insperata tuæ cum veniet pluma superbiæ,"

which has sorely perplexed the critics.--GIFFORD.

I will do so no more:" but to proclaim

The power of virtue, whose commanding sovereignty

Sets bounds to rebel-bloods; and checks, restrains, Custom of folly; by example teaches

A rule to reformation; by rewards

Crowns worthy actions, and invites to honour.
Aurel. Honour and worthy actions best beseem
Their lips who practise both, and not discourse 'em.
Aur. Peace, peace, man; I am silent.

Adur. Some there are,

And they not few in number, who resolve
No beauty can be chaste, unless attempted.
Meeting ofttimes too many soon seduced, they
Conclude all may be won by gifts, by service,
Or compliments of vows: and with this file
I stood in rank; conquest secured my confidence.
Spinella storm not, Auria-was an object
Of study for fruition; here I angled,

Not doubting the deceit could find resistance.
Aurel. After confession, follows-

Aur. Noise! observe him.

Adur. Oh, strange! by all the comforts of my hopes,

I found a woman good;-a woman good!

Yet, as I wish belief, or do desire

A memorable mention, so much majesty
Of humbleness, and scorn, appear'd at once
In fair, in chaste, in wise Spinella's eyes,
That I grew dull in utterance, and one frown
From her cool'd every flame of sensual appetite.
Aur. On, sir, and do not stop.

Adur. Without protests,

I pleaded merely love, used not a syllable,
But what a virgin might without a blush

Have listen'd to, and, not well arm'd, have pitied;
But she, neglecting, cried, "Come, Auria, come,
Fight for thy wife at home!" then in rush'd you,

sir,