Nor mew'd up to the lure of your devotion; Trust me, I must not, will not, dare not; surely I cannot, for my promise past; and sufferance Of former trials hath too strongly arm'd me: You may take this for answer.

Liv. In such earnest!

Hath goodness left thee quite? Fool, thou art wand'ring

In dangerous fogs, which will corrupt the purity
Of every noble virtue dwelt within thee.
Come home again, home, Castamela, sister,
Home to thine own simplicity; and rather
Than yield thy memory up to the witchcraft
Of an abused confidence, be courted

For Romanello.

Cast. Romanello!

Liv. Scorn'st thou

The name? thy thoughts I find, then, are chang'd, rebels

To all that's honest; that's to truth and honour.
Cast. So, sir, and in good time!
Liv. Thou art fallen suddenly

Into a plurisy of faithless impudence;

A whorish itch infects thy blood, a leprosy
Of raging lust, and thou art mad to prostitute
The glory of thy virgin-dower basely

For common sale. This foulness must be purged,
Or thy disease will rankle to a pestilence,
Which can even taint the very air about thee;
But I shall study physic.

Cast. Learn good manners:

I take it, you are saucy.

Liv. Saucy? strumpet

In thy desires! 'tis in my power to cut off
The twist thy life is spun by.

Cast. Phew! you rave now:

2

But if have not perish'd all your reason,

you Know I will use my freedom. You, forsooth, For change of fresh apparel, and the pocketing Of some well-looking ducats, were contented, Passingly pleased-yes, marry were you, mark

it,

T' expose me to the danger now you rail at! Brought me, nay, forced me hither, without ques

tion

Of what might follow; here you find the issue :

2 But if you have not perish'd all your reason,] i. e. destroyed; thus in a former passage:

to such perfection as no flattery

Of art can perish now."

The verb is no longer in use in an active sense.

In the last edition of Beaumont and Fletcher, Valentine, who had stripped himself in a bravado, observes,

'Tis cold, and I am very sensible; extremely cold too;
Yet I'll not off, till I have shamed these rascals.

I have endured as ill heats as another,

And every way; if one could perish my body,
You'll bear the blame on't.-Wit without Money.

Which the editor explains in a way altogether worthy of him. "I have endured as ill heats as another; if any such heat could make my body perish in the present case, you" (those who had carried off his clothes, and exposed him to freezing!) "would bear the blame of it. This is the only explanation which occurs to me." This is sheer drivelling-read

'Tis cold, and I am very sensible;
Extremely cold too; yet I will not off,
Till I have shamed these rascals.-
I have endured as ill heats as another,
And every way; if one cold perish me,
Body, you'll bear the blame on't.

And I distrust not but it was th' appointment

Of some succeeding fate that more concern'd me Than widowed virginity.

Liv. You are a gallant;

One of my old lord's Fancies. Peevish girl,' Was't ever heard that youth could doat on sick

ness,

A grey beard, wrinkled face, a dried-up marrow,
A toothless head, a-?— this is but a merriment,
Merely but trial. Romanello loves thee;
Has not abundance, true; yet cannot want:
Return with me, and I will leave these fortunes,
Good maid, of gentle nature.

Cast. By my hopes,

I never placed affection on that gentleman, Though he deserv'd well; I have told him often. My resolution.

3 Peevish girl.] i. e. Foolish, captious, or, it may be, (as it evidently is in a former passage, p. 190.) perverse; as Castamela seems at cross-purposes with her brother. That it bore all these senses in Ford's time cannot be doubted, any more than that the more ancient meaning of peevishness was weakness, imbecility of body or of mind.

It is not a little curious that this unfortunate word (peevish) was mainly operative in effecting the condemnation of Archbishop Laud. He was accused, on the evidence of his memorandum-book, (of which his enemies had tyrannically possessed themselves,) of a treasonable minute to this effect, at a Council Board,-Strafford and Hamilton being present.- A resolution voted at the Board to assist the King in extraordinary ways, if the Parliament should prove peevish, and refuse," &c. There was no proof that Laud had advised that vote, and he demanded "whether, though the epithet peevish were a very peevish word, he might not write it in his private notes without treason?"

Now in what sense was the word used? Laud's accusers seem to have given it the meaning of wayward, perverse; he himself apparently gives it that of foolish; and such was then its usual import.

Liv. Will you hence, and trust to My care of settling you a peace?

Cast. No, surely;

Such treaty may break off.

Liv. Off be it broken! I'll do what thou shalt rue. Cast. You cannot, Livio.

Liv. So confident, young mistress mine! I'll

do't.

Enter TROYLO.

Troy. Incomparable maid!

Cast. You have been counsellor

To a strange dialogue.

Troy. If there be constancy

In protestation of a virtuous nature,

Exit.

You are secure, as the effects shall witness.
Cast. Be noble; I am credulous: my language
Hath prejudiced my heart; I and my brother
Ne'er parted at such distance: yet, I glory
In the fair race he runs; but fear the violence
Of his disorder.

Troy. Little time shall quit him. [They retire.

Enter SECCO, leading NITIDO in a garter with one hand, a rod in the other; followed by MOROsa, SILVIA, FLORIA, CLARELLA. SPADONE behind laughing.

Sec. The young whelp is mad; I must slice the worm out of his breech. I have noosed his neck

The young whelp is mad, &c.] See vol. i. p. 135.

in the collar; and I will once turn dog-leech: stand from about me, or you'll find me terrible and furious.

Nit. Ladies, good ladies, dear madam, Morosa! Flo. Honest Secco!

Sil. What was the cause? what wrong has he done to thee?

Clar. Why dost thou fright us so, and art so peremptory

Where we are present, fellow?

Mor. Honey-bird, spouse, cat-a-mountain! ah, the child, the pretty poor child, the sweet-faced child!

Spa. That very word halters the earwig.

Sec. Off I say, or I shall lay bare all the naked truth to your faces! his fore-parts have been too lusty, and his posteriors must do penance for't. Untruss, whiskin, untruss! away, burs! out mare-hag mule! avaunt! thy turn comes next,' avaunt! the horns of my rage are advanced; hence, or I shall gore ye!

Spa. Lash him soundly; let the little ape show tricks.

Nit. Help, or I shall be throttled!

Mor. Yes, I will help thee, pretty heart; if my tongue cannot prevail, my nails shall. Barbarous minded man, let go, or I shall use my talons. [They fight.

5 Axaunt! thy turn comes next,] The printer has repeated these words by mistake: they are now removed from the text.