What, shall I sound retreat? The battle's done :

Let the world judge which of us two have won. Hip. I!

Bell. You? nay then as cowards do in fight, What by blows cannot, shall be sav'd by Exit. flight.

456

Hip. Fly to earth's fixed centre: to the caves Of everlasting horror, 'll pursue thee, Though loaden with sins, even to hell's brazen doors.

Thus wisest men turn fools, doting on whores. Exit.

[SCENE II.]1

Enter the DUKE, LODOVICO, and ORLANDO [disguised as a Serving-man]; after them INFELICE, CAROLO, ASTOLFO, BERALDO, and FONTINELL.

Orl. I beseech your grace, though your eye be so piercing as under a poor blue coat to cull out an honest father from an old serving-man, yet, good my lord, discover not the plot to any, but only this gentleman that is now to be an [s actor in our ensuing comedy.

Duke. Thou hast thy wish, Orlando, pass un-
known,

Sforza shall only go along with thee,
To see that warrant serv'd upon thy son.

Lod. To attach him upon felony, for two [10 pedlars is 't not so?

Orl. Right, my noble knight: those pedlars were two knaves of mine; he fleec'd the men before, and now he purposes to flay the master. He will rob me; his teeth water to be nib- [15 bling at my gold; but this shall hang him by th' gills, till I pull him on shore.

Duke. Away: ply you the business. Orl. Thanks to your grace: but, my good lord, for my daughter

Duke. You know what I have said.

20

Duke. Infelice.

Inf. Here, sir.

Lod. Signor Friscobaldo.

Orl. Frisking again? Pacheco.

All. Enough.

Exeunt LODOVICO and ORLANDO. Duke. Th' old fellow sings that note thou

didst before,

Only his tunes are, that she is no whore, But that she sent his letters and his gifts, Out of a noble triumph o'er his lust,

IV. ii.

40

His arms

Duke.

80

I have dir

To purge The out

To show she trampled his assaults in dust.
Inf. 'Tis a good honest servant, that old man.
Duke. I doubt no less.

Inf.
And it may be my husband,
Because when once this woman was unmaskt,
He levell'd all her thoughts, and made them fit,
Now he'd mar all again, to try his wit.

Duke. It may be so too, for to turn a harlot Honest, it must be by strong antidotes; 'Tis rare, as to see panthers change their spots. And when she's once a star fix'd and shines

bright,

Though 't were impiety then to dim her light,
Because we see such tapers seldom burn,
Yet 't is the pride and glory of some men,
To change her to a blazing star again,
And it may be, Hippolito does no more.-
It cannot be but you 're acquainted all
With that same madness of our son-in-law,
That dotes so on a courtesan.

New la

Shall g

Yes, my lord. All. Car. All the city thinks he's a whoremonger. Ast. Yet I warrant he 'll swear no man marks him.

Ber. 'Tis like so, for when a man goes a wenching, is as if he had a strong stinking breath, every one smells him out, yet he feels it not, though it be ranker than the sweat of sixteen bear warders.

15

Duke. I doubt then you have all those stink

ing breaths;

You might be all smelt ont.

Car. Troth, my lord, I think we are all as you ha' been in your youth when you went amaying; we all love to hear the cuckoo sing ["o upon other men's trees.

Duke. It's well; yet you confess. But, girl, thy bed

Shall not be parted with a courtesan.
'T is strange,

No frown of mine, no frown of the poor lady,
My abus'd child, his wife, no care of fame,
Of honour, heaven, or hell, no not that name
Of common strumpet, can affright, or woo him
To abandon her; the harlot does undo him;"
She has bewitcht him, robb'd him of his shape,
Turn'd him into a beast; his reason's lost;
You see he looks wild, does he not?
I ha' noted

adri

D

H

In troth, my lord, I know not, I know no drabs, not I. Duke. Oh, Bellafront! And, catching her fast, cries," My Bellafront!" Car. A drench that's able to kill a horse, cannot kill this disease of smock-smelling, my lord, if it have once eaten deep.

447

Duke. I'll try all physic, and this medicine first:

I have directed warrants strong and peremptory To purge our city Milan, and to cure

The outward parts, the suburbs, for the attaching

Of all those women, who, like gold, want weight:

Cities, like ships, should have no idle freight. 109 Car. No, my lord, and light wenches are no idle freight; but what 's your grace's reach1 in this?

Duke. This, Carolo. If she whom my son dotes on,

Be in that muster-book enroll'd, he 'll shame
Ever t' approach one of such noted name.
Car. But say she be not?
Duke.

115

Yet on harlots' heads New laws shall fall so heavy, and such blows Shall give to those that haunt them, that Hippolito

If not for fear of law, for love to her,
If he love truly, shall her bed forbear.

120

Car. Attach all the light heels i' the city and clap 'em up? Why, my lord, you dive into a well unsearchable: all the whores within the walls, and without the walls? I would not be [124 he should meddle with them for ten such dukedoms; the army that you speak on is able to fill all the prisons within this city, and to leave not a drinking-room in any tavern besides.

Duke. Those only shall be caught that are of

note;

Harlots in each street flow:

The fish being thus i' th' net, ourself will sit, And with eye most severe dispose of it.

130

Come, girl. [Exeunt DUKE and INFELICE.] Car. Arraign the poor whores !

Ast. I'll not miss that sessions.

Font. Nor I.

135

Ber. Nor I, though I hold up my hand there myself.

[SCENE III.]2

Exeunt.

Enter MATHEO, LODOVICO, and ORLANDO [disguised as a Serving-man].

Mat. Let who will come, my noble chevalier; I can but play the kind host, and bid 'em

welcome.

Lod. We'll trouble your house, Matheo, but as Dutchmen do in taverns, drink, be merry, [5 and be gone.

1 Aim.

2 A room in Matheo's house.

Mat. Happily encounter'd, sweet bloods. Lod. Gentlemen, you all know Signor Candido, the linen-draper, he that's more patient than a brown baker upon the day when he heats his oven, and has forty scolds about him.

21

All. Yes, we know him all; what of him? Lod. Would it not be a good fit of mirth, to make a piece of English cloth of him, and to stretch him on the tenters, till the threads of his own natural humour crack, by making [26 him drink healths, tobacco, dance, sing bawdy songs, or to run any bias according as we think good to cast him?

29

Car. 'T were a morris-dance worth the seeing. Ast. But the old fox is so crafty, we shall hardly hunt him out of his den.

Mat. To that train I ha' given fire already; and the hook to draw him hither, is to see certain pieces of lawn, which I told him I have [36 to sell, and indeed have such; fetch them down, Pacheco.

Orl. Yes, sir, I'm your water-spaniel, and will fetch any thing-Aside.] but I'll fetch one dish of meat anon shall turn your stomach, and that's a constable. Exit.

Enter Bors ushering Mistress HORSELEECH. All. How now ? how now?

Car. What galley-foist 5 is this?

to me:

91

94

Mis. H. Any citizen shall be most welcome I have used to buy ware at your shop. Cand. It may be so, good madam. Mis. H. Your prentices know my dealings well; I trust your good wife be in good case. If it please you, bear her a token from my lips, by word of mouth. [Kisses him.]

Cand. I pray, no more; forsooth, 't is very well;

Indeed I love no sweetmeats. -[Aside.] Sh'as a breath

100

Stinks worse than fifty polecats. — Sir, a word, Is she a lady?

Lod. A woman of a good house, and an ancient she's a bawd.

Cand. A bawd? Sir, I'll steal hence, and see your lawns

Some other time.

105

Cand. No; too dear: thus.

150

Mat. No. O fie, you must fly higher. Yet take 'em home, trifles shall not make us quar rel; we'll agree; you shall have them, and a pennyworth. I'll fetch money at your shop. 154

Cand. Be it so, good signor, send me going. Mat. Going? A deep bowl of wine for Signor Candido.

Orl. He would be going.

Cand. I'll rather stay than go so: stop your bowl.

Enter Constable and Billmen.

Lod. How now?

100

Bots. Is 't Shrove-Tuesday, that these ghosts walk? 8

Mat. What's your business, sir?

Const. From the duke: you are the man we look for, signor. I have warrant here from [185 the duke, to apprehend you upon felony for robbing two pedlars. I charge you i' th' duke's name, go quickly.

5 An acid liquor made from green fruit. 6 A play upon 66 pop-guns."

7 The price was here probably indicated by displaying the fingers. (Rhys.)

On Shrove Tuesday the city authorities made a search for brothel-keepers.

Enter DUKE, INFELICE, CAROLO, ASTOLFO, BERALDO, FONTINELL, and three or four Masters of Bridewell.

Duke. Your Bridewell? that the name? For beauty, strength,

Capacity and form of ancient building,
Besides the river's neighbourhood, few houses
Wherein we keep our court can better it.

1 Mast. Hither from foreign courts have princes come,

And with our duke did acts of State commence.
Here that great cardinal had first audience,
The grave Campayne; that duke dead, his son
That famous prince, gave free possession
Of this, his palace, to the citizens,

10

To be the poor man's ware-house; and endow'd it

With lands to th' value of seven hundred mark,2 With all the bedding and the furniture, once

The drone is beaten well, and sent away.
As other prisons are, some for the thief,
Some, by which undone credit gets relief
From bridled debtors; others for the poor,
So this is for the bawd, the rogue, the whore.
Car. An excellent team of horse!
1 Mast.
Nor is it seen 45
That the whip draws blood here, to cool the
spleen

Of any rugged bencher; 5 nor does offence
Feel smart on spiteful or rash evidence;
But
pregnant testimony forth must stand,
Ere justice leave them in the beadle's hand. »
As iron, on the anvil are they laid,

Not to take blows alone, but to be made
And fashion'd to some charitable use.

Duke. Thus wholsom'st laws spring from the │

worst abuse.

Orl. This is the hen, my lord, that the cock with the lordly comb, your son-in-law, would crow over, and tread.

Duke. Are your two servants ready?

Orl. My two pedlars are pack'd together, my good lord.

Duke. 'Tis well; this day in judgment shall

be spent:

Vice, like a wound lane'd, mends by punishment. Inf. Let me be gone, my lord, or stand un

seen;

'Tis rare when a judge strikes and that none die,

ཏྠ

And 't is unfit then women should be by. 1 Mast. We'll place you, lady, in some pri

vate room.

Inf. Pray do so.

Exit [with a Master, who returns alone). Orl. Thus nice dames swear, it is unfit their

eyes

Should view men carv'd up for anatomies,"
Yet they'll see all, so they may stand unseen;
Many women sure will sin behind a screen.

Enter LODOVICO.

Lod. Your son, the Lord Hippolito, is ent'red. Duke. Tell him we wish his presence. A word, Sforza;

On what wings flew he hither?

Lod. These: -I told him his lark whom he loved, was a Bride well-bird; he's mad that