Page images
PDF
EPUB

Piero. Lady, you'll perceive it.

Ful. She seems in my first entrance to admire me : Protest she eyes me round; Fulg. she's thine own!

Piero. Noble Fulgoso.

Ful. Did you hear the music?

[Aside.

"T was I that brought it; was 't not tickling? ah, ha! Amor. Pray, what pinth thent it?

Ful. Prince! no prince, but we;

We set the ditty, and composed the song;
There's not a note or foot in 't but our own,
And the pure trodden mortar of this brain:
We can do things and things.

Amor. Dood! thing't youathelf then.
Ful. Nay, nay, I could never sing
More than a gib-cat, or a very howlet;
But you shall hear me whistle it.

Enter GUZMAN.

Amor. Bleth uth, whoth thith?
Fut. Oh, 't is the man of might.

[Whistles.

Guz. May my address to beauty lay no scandal Upon my martial honour, since even Mars,

Whom, as in war, in love I imitate,

Could not resist the shafts of Cupid; therefore,
As, with the god of war, I deign to stoop,
Lady, vouchsafe, Love's goddess-like, to yield
Your fairer hand unto these lips, the portals
Of valiant breath that hath o'erturn'd an army.
Amor. Faya weather keep me! what a thorme
ith thith?

Fut. Oh, don, keep off at farther distance; yet
A little farther; do you not observe

How your strong breath hath terrified the lady? Guz. I'll stop the breath of war, and breathe as gently

As a perfumed pair of sucking bellows

In some sweet lady's chamber; for I can
Speak lion-like, or sheep-like, when I please.

Fut. Stand by, then, without noise, a while, brave don,

And let her only view your parts; they'll take her.
Guz. I'll publish them in silence.
Piero. Stand you there,
Fulgoso the magnificent.

Ful. Here?

Piero. Just there:

Let her survey you both; you'll be her choice,
Ne'er doubt it, man.

Ful. I cannot doubt it, man.

Piero. But speak not till I bid you.

Ful. I may whistle?

Piero. A little to yourself, to spend the time.
Amor. Both foolth, you thay?

Fut. But hear them for your sport.

Piero. Don shall begin.--Begin, don.

Guz. My outside, lady, shrouds a prince obscured. Amor. I thank ye for your muthicke, printh.

Guz. My words

Are music to her.

Amor. The muthicke and the thong

[Aside.

You thent me by thith whithling thing, your man. Guz. She took him for my man! love, thou wert just. [Aside. Ful. I will not hold;-his man! 't is time to speak Before my time: oh scurvy, I his man,

That has no means for meat, or rags and seamrents!
Guz. List and wonder.

My great-great-grandsire was an ancient duke,
Styled Desver di Gonzado.1

Fut. That's, in Spanish,

An incorrigible rogue, without a fellow,

An unmatch'd rogue; he thinks we understand not. Guz. So was my grandfather, hight Argozile. Fut. An arrant, arrant thief-leader: pray mark it.

1 Desver [di] Gonzado,] i. e. Desvergonzado; shameless; or, as it is expounded with sufficient accuracy by the learned Futelli, "a rogue without a fellow."-GIFFORD.

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.

Ο

[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. "T is 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 year 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 wrong-
Aur. 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,

« PreviousContinue »