BONAMICO

No question, Have you dispersed my Bills about the City, Does every public place carry the scroll, As I commanded? What do they say abroad, do they not wonder? There's hope then we shall prosper, In this believing Age, Jtaly is full Of Juggling Mountibanks, that show tricks with oils, And powders, here and Empiric dares boast Himself a Paracelsian, and daub Each Post with printed folly's, when he went A'th ticket with some Midwife, or old woman For his whole stock of Physic, here a fellow Only has skill to make a handsome perewig, Or to sow teeth i'th gums of some state Madam, Which she coughs out again, when so much phlegm As would not strangle a poor flay, provokes her, Proclaims himself a rectifier of Nature, And is believed so, gets more by keeping Mouths in their quarterly reparations, Then knowing men for all their Art, and pains I'th cure of the whole body—shall we doubt To be made rich, rich Carlo, by our Art Whereof I am the first and bold Professor In Jtaly, we shall grow fat and purchase, Dost not think so? True Carlo. There may be in the throng of our admirers, Some will presume't above the power of Art To make men walk and talk invisible. But we can clear the mystery, and make Mantua in the proof acknowledge it A matter feasible—here's some Customer Enter Rolliardo. Would? It's the Humorist, the Undertaker, The Bird I spread my Art for, he has money Enough, and's apt to prove a fortune to me. Save you Signior. One appointed by fate to do you service Sir. Mistake me not, he speaks to you, has power To make you happy. D'ee mock me, Sir? Do you despise my Art? I leave you to the misery of your unbelief, when you hear of me hereafter, you will curse your fortune to have thus neglected me, fare you well, Sir. Save you Signiors, pray where about is the sign of the invisible man. Cry ye mercy now I see it. It's my name Sir, a poor Artist, not warm in these parts of Italy. Please you walk in, I am now alone, your per sons will grace my poor habitation. I would dispatch they they are fresh departed. Upon my credit Sir no other way. Right Sir, they came hither to that purpose, their designs required hast. That of the Ring too, would you not. The one was Magic, and tother and imposture, what I do is by Art fair and natural, are you in debt and fear arresting, you shall save your money in protections, come up to the face of a Sergiant, nay walk by a Shoal of these mankind horseleeches, and be mace proof. If you have a mind to rail at they, or kick some a their lose flesh out, they shannot say blacks your eye, nor with all their linces eyes discover you: would you see when the Mercers abroad, how his man plays the Merchant at home with his Mistress silkeworme, and deals underhand for commodity—would your self talk with a Lady in secret, fit down, play with her, ravish a Diamond from her finger, and bind her soft wrist with a bracelet, kiss her abroad, at home, before her servants, in the presence of her jealous husband, nay truss her up, when the tame Lord is a bed with her, and to his eyes be undiscovered as the wind Signior—do you suspect your Mistress plays double? would you hear how she entertains the t'others love, and know what she does i'the closet with the smooth Page—would you be present at secret Counsels, betray letters, see how such a Lord paints his thighs, this per fume his breath, tother marshal his fine French teeth, see this Statesmans eyes put out with a bribe, how that officer cozens the Duke, and his Secretary abuses they both, this Lawyer takes fees a both sides; while the Judge examines the fertility, and price of the Manor, before the witnesses and then decrees who shall have the Land? would you see justice employ her scales to weigh light Gold, that comes in for fees or corruption, and flourish with her sword Like a Fencer to make more room for causes 'ithe Court. See him Sir? Nay Sir you needs not distinguish, for it is possi ble to see a man invisible observe me, you see me now per fectly, in every partly, if I should walk before you without a body. My head only visible and hanging in the Air Like a Comet. Sometime nothing shall be seen but my arm, another while one of my legs, hopping without a body. When I please I will have nothing conspicuous, but my hand, nay, perhaps my little finger. It's a Mystery indeed but a safe one Signiors. Why Gentlemen, you speak but Justice, you shall have experiment. I will be invisible first, but as to oh there in this kind, I will not demonstrate without half in hand, let me have 50. Crowns apiece, le point you a day when I will be invisible I can be invisible in a twinkling, but what assum rance can you have, that I am here at the same instant, when you see no partly of me, I may deceive you. I do purpose therefore to give you reality and proof, for I will walk invisible, all but—my hand. Only my hand, you shall touch it, see every line in't, and the rest of my body be to you invisible, this will require a little time for preparation, and when with the consent of your eyes and understandings, I keep my pro mice in this point, you will think your moneys well ex pended to be taught the Mystery. At your own pleasures, would Rolliardo? I must not be seen Gentlemen. Save you noble Signiors.— When this eternal substance of my Soul, did live inprison'd in my wanton flesh, and so forth? and how d'yee Like Done Andrea Gentlemen; poor snake, but he has cast his skin, and recovered a new coat oth' destinies spinning. The Bird is flown again. The slave does not beg of your Heroic Signi orship, a Court compassion, debts must be paid, there is no danger of the grate as the case goes, nor of forfeiting his daylight in a dungeon, if I mistake not, my illustrious pair of widgens, my serene smooth-faced Coxcombs, whose brains are curdled this hight weather: will your neat worship fell your cloak, would? or you that superflu ous double hatched Rapier, there be sums in Nature to lend you, upon security that I shall Like of. You see me now Gentlemen perfectly, what if I should walk before you without a body, my head hang king in the air Like a comet. Or shall I appoint you a day when I will be invi sible all but my hand? For your Crowns. Farewell Phantasmas then—would? it's he, Sir. You do not know me But I would brought a life which by your means Has been preserved from wretchedness, your Bounty, Deserves you should dispose it. I was the object of a charity We seldom meet in Mankind, from a prison You sent a sum to free me. Among many whom your Nobleness enlarged, I came to make you tender of my service: Despise not Sir my gratitude. May my soul want Heavens mercy then: to you, Next my Creator, I do owe my this Being I have a Soul is full of thanks, but name Employment to assure you, and you make me twice happy. Then I would something to say to you. And you shall hear it too, and give me thanks Y'ave sowed your Charity in a fruitful ground, Which shall return it tenfold; nay one hundred. What you have done for me you shall acknowledge I will deserve toth' height. Nay you shall laugh and heartily ere I would done The Duke does love his Daughter, sends her all Rarities are presented to him. Why then you shall be admitted into the Castle of comfort, that's all; the conceit is in my brain, and would you could as probably get her consent, to untie her Virgin Zone, as I dispose your access to her: it shall not cost you much, if I fail, instead of saying of my prayers, I'll curse the Destinies and die with you. You are in earnest now? By all that you have threatened, so am I, have but the patience to walk and hear me. My Art? Why look you, I made this Watch. I'll bestow it on you. It shall not cost me so much trouble as that Toy did to make you master of your wishes, still if Heaven prosper it: come let's talk privately, you shall would the plot. He that does many good deeds it may fallen, Among the rest, one may reward them all. I long to be discoursing it, pray led the way. I am as jocund since I am admitted, I talk as glib Me thinks, as he that farms the Monuments. My Lord, I am the Constable, that put all these in the Cage, and you may call it a point of Injustice, for they never kept late hours, though they all wear feathers, there's not a Rorer amongst em, and yet were they suffered, they fly high, for some of they are very lofty minded. O my Lord, w'are all born in our degrees to make one another merry, the Birds make me merry, I make my wife merry, the Fool makes your Courtiers merry, and the Courtiers make your Grace merry. The whole Commonwealth if you govern handsomely. I shall be kicked out by the Pages. Because I cannot flatter. Not altogether so Duke? Fellow?—Cry mercy, I'de forgotten you, fellow I'll tell thee, d'ee not know him, 'tis and Arabian Wood cock, the same that carried a Bunch of Grapes in January last to Bethiem Gabor. This was the Duke of Venice his own Bulfinch, And taken by the urkes. Since his Captivity the Wretch endured Much misery by the infidel, it had nothing But bred and water for three Months. This is the Blackbird, which was hatched that day Gondamoure died and which was ominous About that time Spinola is Thrush forsook him. Yes. This was the Pigeon was so shrewdly handled For carrying Letters at the siege of Bergen. This a Wagtail of the City, which a Silkeman So dearly loved, he called it wife, but could not (Though in much Jealousy he had caged her up) Keep her from flying out: This was a Rail, Bred up by a zealous Brother in Amsterdam Which being sent unto and English Lady, Was taken at Sea by Dunkirks —Name but Room, And straight she gapes as she would eat the Pope A Bird to be made much on: She and the Horse That snorts at Spain, by and instinct of Nature Should would shown tricks together: I could run over— But your gracious pardon. I'm now another man, and know my distance. It takes, as Art could wish it. There are two Birds I would not med. A pair of Gulls, which you may share between you. It's no felicity, or admit: the Sun Dispenceth a rich warmth about the World Yet hath no heat it self. To omit circumstance, I know what you Have undertaken to the general Amazement: upon penalty of death, You must procure access to the fair Princess, It's in my Art to help—to perfect what The Duke holds so impossible. Although my outside promise not, my brain Is better furnished, I would gained by study A secret, will advance the work you labour with, I'll teach you Sir to go invisible— I trifle not, I am a man, whose fame Shall outlive time, in teaching you this Mystery For which I must expect reward—you are, (Loud noise procla mes it) able, & can pay me Out of the Dukes Exchequer, being your self His walking treasury. I can, and with your safety, for I deal not With magic, to betray you to a Faith Black and Satannicall, I abhor the Devil. Which some have conjured into a Ring, To effect the wonder, I admit of no Suffumigation, incense offered to Infernal Spirits, but by Art, whose Rules Are lawful and Demonstrative— I'll be active—off with thissullen face, It seurvily 'ecomes you, d'yee hear. I studied for you, since you paid my debts, Ill do you a courtesy and save your life, Which your attempt upon the Princess has Left desperate, a happy fancy Sir, If Heaven will please to prosper it, and you Not be your own enemy to refuse it. My Buffoon face is off, I did but show The impudent condition of a Mountebank That sets off base Toys with miraculous Lies Thus far I'll boast: they are the only choice Italy and other parts of Europe yield For the work if it prove so fortunate To receive Grace from your divine acceptance The workmanship (so duty suffer not) I freely tender—