SIR O. TWI. Do, do, Savourwit; I'll have you all face to face.

SAV. Cuds me, what else, sir?

And you take me so near the net again,

I'll give you leave to squat me; I've scap'd fairly: We're undone in Dutch; all our three months'

roguery

Is now come over in a butter-firkin.

[Aside, and exit. SIR O. TWI. Never was man so tost between two

tales!

I know not which to take, nor which to trust;
The boy here is the likeliest to tell truth,
Because the world's corruption is not yet
At full years in him; sure he cannot know
What deceit means, 'tis English yet to him:
And when I think again, why should the father
Dissemble for no profit? he gets none,

Whate'er he hopes for, and I think he hopes not.
The man's in a good case, being old and weary,
He dares not lean his arm on his son's shoulder,
For fear he lie i' the dirt, but must be rather
Beholding to a stranger for his prop.

Re-enter Dutch Merchant.

[Aside.

D. MER. I make bold once again, sir, for a boy here.

SIR O. TWI. O sir, you're welcome! pray, resolve me one thing, sir;

And] i. e. if.

f squat] Jamieson (Sup. to Et. Dict. of Scot. Lang.) gives Squat, to strike with the open hand, particularly on the breech," in which sense the word seems to be used above.

Beholding] i. e. Beholden—a form of the word frequent in old writers.

h resolve] i. e. satisfy, inform.

Did

you within this month, with your own eyes, See my wife living?

D. MER. I ne'er borrow'd any:

Why should you move that question, sir? dissembling

Is no part of my living.

SIR O. TWI. I have reason

To urge it so far, sir-pray, be not angry though-
Because my man, was here since your departure,
Withstands all stiffly; and to make it clearer,
Question'd your boy in Dutch, who, as he told me,
Return'd this answer first to him, that you
Had imperfection at one time o' the moon,
Which made you talk so strangely.

D. MER. HOW! how's this?-Zeicke yongon, ick ben ick quelt medien dullek heght, ee untoit van the mon, an koot uram'd.

D. Boy. Wee ek heigh lieght in ze bokkas, dee't site. D. MER. Why, la, you, sir, here's no such thing! he says

He lies in's throat that says it.

SIR O. TWI. Then the rogue lies in's throat, for he told me so;

And that the boy should answer at next question, That you ne'er saw this wench, nor came near Ant

werp.

D. MER. Ten thousand devils!-Zeicke hee ewe ek kneeght, yongon, dat wee neeky by Antwarpon ne don cammen no seene de doughter dor.

D. Box. Ick hub ham hean sulka dongon he zaut, hei es an skallom an rubbout.

D. MER. He says he told him no such matter; he's a knave and a rascal.

SIR O. TWI. Why, how am I abus'd! Pray, tell me one thing,

What's gullder-goose in Dutch?

D. MER. How! gullder-goose? there's no
Such thing in Dutch; it may be an ass in English.
SIR O. TWI. Hoyday! then am I that ass in plain
English;

I'm grossly cozen'd, most inconsiderately!
Pray, let my house receive you for one night,
That I may quit1 these rascals, I beseech you, sir.
D. MER. If that may stead you, sir, I'll not re-

fuse you.

SIR O. TWI. A thousand thanks, and welcome.On whom can fortune more spit out her foam, Work'd on abroad, and play'd upon at home!

[Exeunt.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A large room in WEATHERWISE's house. Enter WEATHERWISE while Servants are setting out a table, and PICKADILL looking on.

WEA. So, set the table ready; the widow's i' the next room, looking upon my clock with the days and the months and the change of the moon; I'll fetch her in presently. [Exit.

PICK. She's not so mad to be fetched in with the moon, I warrant you: a man must go roundlier to work with a widow, than to woo her with the hand of a dial, or stir up her blood with the striking part of a clock; I should ne'er stand to shew her such things in chamber. [Exeunt Servants.

Re-enter WEATHERWISE handing in LADY GOLDENFLEECE, SIR GILBERT LAMBSTONE, PEPPERTON, and OVERDone.

WEA. Welcome, sweet widow, to a bachelor's

quit] i. e. requite.

house here! a single man I, but for two or three maids that I keep.

L. GOLD. Why, are you double with them, then?

WEA. An exceeding good mourning-wit! women are wiser than ever they were, since they wore doublets. You must think, sweet widow, if a man keep maids, they're under his subjection.

L. GOLD. That's most true, sir.

WEA. They have no reason to have a lock but the master must have a key to't.

L. GOLD. To him, sir Gilbert! he fights with me at a wrong weapon now.

k

WEA. Nay, and sir Gilbert strike, my weapon falls,

I fear no thrust but his: here are more shooters,
But they have shot two arrows without heads,
They cannot stick i' the butt yet: hold out, knight,
And I'll cleave the black pin in the midst o' the
[Aside, and exit.

white.

L. GOLD. Nay, and he led me into a closet, sir, where he shewed me diet-drinks for several months; as scurvy-grass for April, clarified whey for June, and the like.

SIR G. LAMB. O, madam, he is a most necessary property,' an't be but to save our credit; ten pound in a banquet.

L. GOLD. Go, you're a wag, sir Gilbert.

SIR G. LAMB. How many there be in the world of his fortunes, that prick their own calves with briars, to make an easy passage for others; or, like a toiling usurer, sets his son a-horseback in

kand] i. e. if.

1 necessary property] This expression occurs in vol. iii. p. 598: see note, p. 640 of that vol., and note, vol. ii. p. 308.

cloth-of-gold breeches, while he himself goes to the devil a-foot in a pair of old strossers !!

But shall I give a more familiar sign? His are the sweetmeats, but the kisses mine. [Kisses her. OVER. Excellent!-A pox a' your fortune! [Aside. PEP. Saucy courting has brought all modest wooing clean out of fashion: you shall have few maids now-a-days got without rough handling, all the town's so used to't; and most commonly, too, they're joined before they're married, because they'll be sure to be fast enough.

OVER. Sir, since he strives t' oppose himself against us,

Let's so combine our friendships in our straits,
By all means graceful, to assist each other;
For, I protest, it shall as much glad me
To see your happiness, and his disgrace,
As if the wealth were mine, the love, the place.
PEP. And with the like faith I reward your
friendship;

I'll break the bawdy ranks of his discourse,
And scatter his libidinous whispers straight.-
Madam

L. GOLD. How cheer you, gentlemen?

SIR G. LAMB. Pox on 'em,

They wak'd me out of a fine sleep! three minutes Had fasten'd all the treasure in mine arms. [Aside. PEP. You took no note of this conceit, it seems, madam?

m

L. GOLD. Twelve trenchers, upon every one a month!

January, February, March, April

1 strossers] Or trossers, trusses, &c.-i. e. tight drawers: see Gifford's note on Shirley's Works, vol. i. p. 19.

trenchers, &c.] Compare vol. i. p. 31; vol. iii. p. 98.