MITIS

Stay your mind, Forbear good Asper, be not Like your name. Gentle Asper, In faith this Humour will come ill to some, You will be thought to be too peremptory. Answer? what? I; I pray you proceed. Asper (I urge it as your friend) take heed, The days are dangerous, full of exception, And men are grown impatient of reproof. Nay Asper. I should Like it much better, if he were less confident. No, but I fear this will procure him much envy. You have seen his play Cordatus? pray you; how is't? Does he observe all the laws of Comedy in it? Why the equal division of it into Acts and Scenes, according to the Terentian manner, his true number of A ctors; the furnishing of the Scene with Grex or Chorus, and that the whole Argument fallen within compass of a days effici encie. They are such as must be received by your favour, or it cannot be Authentic. No? Well, we will not dispute of this now: but what's his Scene? Oh, the fortunate Island? mass he has bound himself to a strict law there. He cannot lightly altar the Scene without crossing the seas. No? how comes it then, that in some one play we see so many seas, countries, and kingdoms, passed over with such admirable dexterity? They have answered your wish sir: they found. He has put you to it, sir. What may this fellow be, Cordatus? You paint forth a monster. Oh, this is your envious man (Macilente) I think. Oh peace, you break the Scene. What is he? Yes (if it be well prosecuted) it's hitherto happy enough: but me thinks Macilente went hence too soon, he might have been made to stay and speak somewhat in reproof of Sordido's wretchedness, now at the last You may enforce the length as a necessary reason; but for propriety the Scene would very well have born it, in my judgeme ̄ to. How? do I mistake it? is't not Envy? So you infer it had been Hate, not Envy in him, to reprehend the humour of Sordido? Stay sir: I envy not this Buffon, but I hate him: why might he not as well have hated Sordido as him? You have satisfied me sir, Oh here comes the Fool and the Jester again me thinks. What bright-shining gallant's that with them? the knight they went to? A humorist too? Why this fellows discourse were nothing but for the word Humour. Is't possible there should be any such Humorist? What? he is enamoured of the Fashion, is he? Me thinks Cordatus, he dwelled somewhat too long on this Scene; it hung i'the hand. True, as his Subject lies: but he might have altered the shape of Argument, & explicated them better in single Scenes. Nay, you are better traded with these things than I, and therefore I'll subscribe to your judgement; marry you shall give me leave to make objections. So sir, but when appears Macilente again? Oh, he is welcome. Well, I doubt this last Scene will endure some grie vous Torture. Do not you? You have uttered my thought sir, indeed. No Sir, I do not. Stay, what new Mute is this that walks so suspiciously? So Sir: and what follows? As how? what name do you give him first? And what makes he in Pauls now? It seems then, he bears a very changing sail What be these two, Signior? How? Clove, and Orange? I travel with another objection Signior, which I fear will be enforced against the Author, ere I can be delivered of it That the argument of his Comedy might have been of some other nature, as of a Duke to be in love with a Countess, & that Countess to be in love with the Dukes son, & the son to love the Ladies waiting maid: some such cross wooing, with a Clown to their servingman, better than to be thus near and familiarly allied to the time. What will he hang himself? Be shrow me, he will be out of his Humour then indeed. Troth, that which does essentially please me: the war ping condition of this green and soggy multitude: but in good faith Signior, your Author hath largely outstripped my ex pectation in this Scene, I will liberally confess it. For when I saw Sordido so desperately intended, I thought I had had a hand of him then. I did; and had framed my objection to it ready, which may yet be very fitly urged, & with some necessity: for though his purposed violence lost effect, & extended not to death, yet the Intent & Horror of the object was more than the nam ture of a Come die will in any sort allow. Sir, I have this (your only) evasion leftmee, to say, think it be so indeed, your memory is happier than mine: but I wone der what engine he will use to bring the rest out of their Hu mors? What follows next Signior Cordatus? this Gallants Humour is almost spent me thinks, it bbes apace, with this contrary breath of his mistress. What, i'the old case? Oh, strangely; and of the others Envy too, that labors so seriously to set debate betwixt a man and his wife, Stay, here comes the Knight Adventurer. I, and to be still a Fashion behind with the world, that's the sport. This Macilente Signior begins to be more sociable on a sudden me thinks, than he was before, there is some Portent in't, I believe. I marry sir, this is that on which my Expectation has dwelled all this while: for I must tell you Signior (though I was loath to interrupt the Scene) yet I made it a question in mine own private discourse, how he should properly call it, Every man out of his Humour, when I saw all his Actors so strongly pur sue and continue their Humours? Well I shall long till I see this fallen you talk of. Oh, a piece of true Envy, but I expect the issue of the other devise. Oh then their fear of Carlo be Like, makes them hold their meeting. What, will he deal upon such quantities of Wine alone. Whom should he personate in this, Signior? Why this is strange. This savours too much of Profanation. Oh, this is to be imagined the Counter belike? Yes faith. Why but Signior, how comes it that Fungoso appeared not with his sisters intelligence to Brisk. How Macilente sweats in this business, if you mark him?