PASIPHILO

Nay sir here were Polynesta and his nurse. Sir it is no marvel, the air is very misty to day: I my self knew his better by his apparel than by his face. How can it be otherwise? you are but young. He tells ten less than he is. I say I would have thought you ten less, you look Like one of six and thirty, or seven and thirty at the most. You are Like enough to live fifty more, show m your hand. What is not Pasiphilo? I pray you show me it a little. Oh how straight and infracte is this line of life, you will live to the years of Melchisedech. Why is it not all one? Why you out of doubt: She is a gentlewoman of a noble mind, and makes greater accompt of the re putation she shall have in marrying your worship, than that poor scholar, whose birth and parentage God know weth, and very few else. Yea, where no man knoweth the continued ̄ trarie: but let him brave it, boast his birth, and do what he can, the virtue and knowledge that is within this body of yours, is worth more than all the country he came from. Yea marry, this is the right knowledge, Philoso phy, Poetry, Logic, and all the rest, are but pickling sci ences in comparison to this. Oh excellent verse, who made it? Virgil? Sure who so ever wrote it, the moral is excellent, and worthy to be written in letters of gold: but to the purpose: I think you shall never recover the wealth that you lost at Otranto. Oh great pity. Alas, alas, by God and grafts of such a stock are very gayson in these days. Alas, I could weep for compassion, but there is no remedy but patience, you shall get many by this young dam fell with the grace of God. Get his? why doubt you of that? Content your self sir, he is a wise man, and desirous to place his Daughter well, he will not be too rash in his determination, he will think well of the matter, and let him think, for the longer he thinketh, the more good of you shall he think: whose wealth, whose virtue, whose skill, or whose estimation can he compare to yours in this City? Why, even now, I came but from thence since. Nothing, but that Erostrato had proffered the Like. Think you I did not tell him so? yes I warra ̄ to you, I forgotten nothing that may further your cause, and doubt you not, Erostrato shall never have his unless it be in a dream. Where shall I come to you again? When? Shall I come at dinner time? Fast till thou famish. He speaks of a dead men fast. Nor thou understandest me not. What? think you I know not where to dine? No be you sure, there are enough will pray me. Well, since you will né des, I will come. Better than my reward by the rood. Seek no further, you could never have found one better than me. How many? I will come alone. Thou dost as servants commonly do, hate all that love to visit their masters. Because they have too many tooth as you think. Tongues? I pray you what did my tongue ever hurt you. What? dineth he so early? I would I were his man, master doctor never die neth till noon, and how dilicately then God knoweth, I will be bold to go in, for I count my self bidden. Thou sayest true Nevola, he hath done to much in deed. Out of the same house thou camest from, but not out of the same door. When I arose from the table, I felt a rumbling in my belly, which made me run to the stable, and there I fell on sleep upon the straw, and have line there ever since: And thou, whither goest thou? Whither I pray thee? As though I need any further instructions: Oh God what news I hard even now, as I lay in the stable: Oh good Erostrato and poor Cleander, that have so earnestly strouen for this damsel, happy is he that can get his I promise you, he shall be sure of more than one at a clap that catches his, ey there Adam or Eve within his belly: o God how men may be deceived in a woman: who would have believed the con trary but that she had been a virgin? ask the neighbours and you shall hear very good report of his, mark his behaviours & you would have judged his very maidenly, seldom seen abroad but in place of prayer, and there very devout, and no gazer at outward sights, no blaser of his beauty above in the windows, no stal at the door for the bypassers: you would have thought his a holy young woman. But much good do it you Domine Doctor, he shall be sure to lack no corn in a deer year, whatsoever he have with his else: I beshrew me if I let the marriage any way. But is not this the old scabbed quean that I herd disclosing all this géere to his master, as I stood in the stable ere now? it is she. Whither goes Psiteria? What? to tattle of the goodly stir that thou keptest concerning Polynesta. You told me. Even now when you told it to Damon, I both saw you and herd you, though you saw not me: a good part I promise you, to accuse the poor wench, kill the old man with care, over and beside the danger you have brought Dulipo and the Nurse unto, and many more, fie, fie. And how not so much did I not hear you tell? Well, since you would needs have it, I will tell you: he was taken a bed with your beloved Polynesta. And old trot in the house disclosed it to him, where upon he took both Dulipo and the Nurse which hath be the broker of all this bargain, and clapte them both in a cage, where I think they shall have sour sops to their sweet meats. By the mass if you should have studied this seven night, you could not have appointed me and office to please me better, you shall see what dishes I will devise. Marry, Dalio would have laid the shoulder of mut tun and the Capon both to the fire at once, Like a fool, he did not consider, that the one would have more roasting than the other. Why? and either the one should have be burned before the other had ene roasted, or else he must have drawn them off the spit: and they would have be sir ved to the board either cold or raw. Now sir, if it please you I will go into the town and buy oranges, lives, and caphers, for without such sauce the supper were more than half lost. Since I told him these news of Dulipo, he is clean beside him self: he hath so many hammers in his head, that his brains are ready to burst: and let them break, so I may sup with him to night, what care I? But is not this Dominus noster Cleandrus that comes before? well said, by my truth we will teach master Doctor to wear a cornered cap of a new fashion: by God Polynesta shall be his, he shall have his out of doubt, for I have told Erostrato such news of his, that he will none of his. I will go salute master Doctor. God save you sir. Then shall be give me your favour continually. I know I am a knave, but no villain, I am your servant. Why? wherein have I offended you sir? What soft and fair sir, I pray you, I prae see , you are mine elder. Why sir? I never offended you. What? I am no dog, I would you wist. What will you make me? I see well the more a man worser the suffer you, the worse you are. Villain? nay I am as honest a man as you. And why wouldst thou tell him? I would not for. &c. Why? how could he take it? Go that the gone powder consume the old Trot. If I love you not, who loves you, command me? Wot you what? I cannot speak with him, he is in prison. In a vile dungeon there within his masters house. Be you content to know he is in prison, I have told you to much. I pray you desire me not, what were you the better if you knew? Well, and yet it stands me upon more than you think, to keep it secret By the mass I would I had fasted this night with master doctor, rather than have come hither. What will you fight? marry come on. Even when you list sir, I will be your man. Nay by the mass, all is one, I care not, for I have nothing: if I had either lands or goods, peradventure you would pull me into the law. That I may be the First that shall bring him these news. Oh Lord, how happy am I? look where he is. Sir, I am merry to make you gla ̄ worser: I bring you joy full news. I know sir, that you are a sorrowful man for this mishap that hath chanced in your house, peradventure you thought I had not known of it: but let it pass, pluck up you sprites, and rejoice, for he that hath done you this inium rye is so well born, and hath so rich parents, that you may be glad to make him your son in law. His father Philogano one of the worthiest men in all Cathanea, is now come to the city, and is here in your neighbours house. Nay in Dulipos house, for where you have always supposed this gentlema ̄ to be Erostrato, it is not so, but your servant whom you have imprisoned hitherto, supposed to be Dulipo, he is in deed Erostrato, and that other is Dulipo: and thus they have always, even since their first arrival in this city, exchanged names, to the end that Erostrato the master, under the name of Dulipo a servant, might be entertained in your house, and so win the love of your daughter. Why, did she tell you so? Well, it is a true tale: and here they will be with you by and by, both Philogano this worthy man, and mai ster doctor Cleander. Cleander? Why thereby lies another tale, the most fortunate adventure that ever you herd: wot you what? this other Dulipo, whom all this while we supposed to be Erostrato, is found to be the son of Cleander, whom he lost at the lose of Otranto, and was after sold in Sicilia to this Philogano, the strangest case that ever you herd: a ma ̄ might make a Comedy of it, they will come even straight, and tell you the whole circumstance of it themselves. So shall you do well sir, I will go tell them that they may stay a while, but look where they come. I am glad then that it proceeded rather of ignorance than of malice. Oh sir, but yet you should not have given me such foul words. Behold the natural love of the child to the the fa there, for inward joy he cannot pronounce one word, in steed whereof he sends sobs and tears to tell the effect of his inward intention. But why do you abide here a broad? will it please you to go into the house sir? No, no: but how knew you of that géere? I? when did I tell you? In deed I was to blame, but not so much as you think. Yes, But I will tell you how it came to pass: I have known for a great while, that this Dulipo and Polynesta have been together, and all by the means of the nurse, yet I held my peace, and never told it. Now this other day the Nurse fell on scolding with me, and twice or thrice call led me drunken old whore, and such names that it was to oh bad: and I called his aude, and told his that I knew well enough how often she had brought Dulipo to Polynestas bed: yet all this while I thought not that any body had herd me, but it befell clean contrary, for my master was on the other side of the wall, and herd all our talk, whereupon he sent for me, and forced me to confess all that you herd. Well, if I had thought my master would have ta ken it so, he should rather have killed me? Alas, it pitieth me to see the poor young woman how she weeps, wails, and tears his hear, not esteeming his own life half so deer as she does poor Dulipoes: and his father, he weeps on the other side, that it would pierce and heart of stone with pity: but I must be gone. A rope stretch your young bones, either you must live to be as old as I, or be hanged while you are young. Yes that he is I warrant him. Content your self, he is otherwise occupied. I tell you he is busy. A rope stretch you marry. Thou wilt be hanged I warrant Thee, if thou live to it. If I come near you hempstring, I will teach now to sing solemnizing fa. Go with a mischief, I think thou be some devil that would tempt me. Yes sir and excellent good Bibler, specially in a bot tle: O what a mount of Venus here is, but this Light serveth not very well, I will behold it and other day, when ̄ the air is clearer, and tell you somewhat, peradventure to your contentation. Nay, yet I had rather lose all the gentlemen in this town, but if I tell you any thing that displease you, blame no body but your self now.