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Act IIScene VI. The same.
Scene VI. The same.
Subtle [Enter] Face [in his uniform, followed by] Drugger
Face. He`s busy with his spirits, but we`ll upon him.
Sub. How now! What mates, what Bayards^1 ha` we here?
[Footnote 1: Blind horses.]
Face. I told you he would be furious. - Sir, here`s Nab
Has brought you another piece of gold to look on;
- We must appease him. Give it me, - and prays you,
You would devise - what is it, Nab?
Drug. A sign, sir.
Face. Ay, a good lucky one, a thriving sign, doctor.
Sub. I was devising now.
Face. [Aside to Sub.] `Slight, do not say so,
He will repent he ga` you any more -
What say you to his constellation, doctor,
The Balance?
Sub. No, that way is stale and common.
A townsman born in Taurus, gives the bull,
Or the bull`s head: in Aries, the ram,
A poor-device! No, I will have his name
Form`d in some mystic character; whose radii,
Striking the senses of the passers-by,
Shall, by a virtual^2 influence, breed affections,
That may result upon the party owns it:
As thus -
[Footnote 2: Due to the virtue or power of the device.]
Face. Nab!
Sub. He first shall have a bell, that`s Abel;
And by it standing one whose name is Dee,^3
In a rug^4 gown, there`s D, and Rug, that`s drug:
And right anenst him a dog snarling er;
There`s Drugger, Abel Drugger. That`s his sign.
And here`s now mystery and hieroglyphic!
[Footnote 3: A reference to Dr. Dee, the famous magician and astrologer, who
died in 1608.]
[Footnote 4: Of coarse frieze.]
Face. Abel, thou art made.
Drug. Sir, I do thank his worship.
Face. Six o` thy legs^5 more will not do it, Nab.
He has brought you a pipe of tobacco, doctor.
[Footnote 5: Bows.]
Drug. Yes, sir;
I have another thing I would impart -
Face. Out with it, Nab.
Drug. Sir, there is lodg`d, hard by me,
A rich young widow -
Face. Good! a bona roba?^6
[Footnote 6: Handsome girl.]
Drug. But nineteen at the most.
Face. Very good, Abel.
Drug. Marry, she`s not in fashion yet; she wears
A hood, but `t stands a cop.^7
[Footnote 7: Peaked (?) or straight on the top of her head, instead of tilted
(?).]
Face. No matter, Abel.
Drug. And I do now and then give her a fucus^8 -
[Footnote 8: Paint for the face.]
Face. What! dost thou deal, Nab?
Sub. I did tell you, captain
Drug. And physic too, sometime, sir; for which she trusts me
With all her mind. She`s come up here of purpose
To learn the fashion.
Face. Good (his match too!) - On, Nab.
Drug. And she does strangely long to know her fortune.
Face. `Ods lid, Nab, send her to the doctor, hither.
Drug. Yes, I have spoke to her of his worship already;
But she`s afraid it will be blown abroad,
And hurt her marriage.
Face. Hurt it! `tis the way
To heal it, if `twere hurt; to make it more
Follow`d and sought. Nab, thou shalt tell her this.
She`ll be more known, more talk`d of; and your widows
are ne`er of any price till they be famous;
Their honour is their multitude of suitors.
Send her, it may be thy good fortune. What!
Thou dost not know.
Drug. No, sir, she`ll never marry
Under a knight: her brother has made a vow.
Face. What! and dost thou despair, my little Nab,
Knowing what the doctor has set down for thee,
And seeing so many o` the city dubb`d?
One glass o` thy water, with a madam I know,
Will have it done, Nab. What`s her brother, a knight?
Drug. No, sir, a gentleman newly warm in`s land, sir,
Scarce cold in his one and twenty, that does govern
His sister here; and is a man himself
Of some three thousand a year, and is come up
To learn to quarrel, and to live by his wits,
And will go down again, and die i` the country.
Face. How! to quarrel?
Drug. Yes, sir, to carry quarrels,
As gallants do; to manage `em by line.
Face. `Slid, Nab, the doctor is the only man
In Christendom for him. He has made a table,
With mathematical demonstrations,
Touching the art of quarrels: he will give him
An instrument to quarrel by. Go, bring `em both,
Him and his sister. And, for thee, with her
The doctor happ`ly may persuade. Go to:
`Shalt give his worship a new damask suit
Upon the premises.
Sub. O, good captain!
Face. He shall;
He is the honestest fellow, doctor. Stay not,
No offers; bring the damask, and the parties.
Drug. I`ll try my power, sir.
Face. And thy will too, Nab.
Sub. `Tis good tobacco, this! What is`t an ounce?
Face. He`ll send you a pound, doctor.
Sub. O no.
Face. He will do`t.
It is the goodest soul! - Abel, about it.
Thou shalt know more anon. Away, be gone. [Exit Abel.]
A miserable rogue, and lives with cheese,
And has the worms. That was the cause, indeed,
Why he came now: he dealt with me in private,
To get a med`cine for `em.
Sub. And shall, sir. This works.
Face. A wife, a wife for one on us, my dear Subtle!
We`ll e`en draw lots, and he that fails, shall have
The more in goods.
Sub. Faith, best let`s see her first, and then determine.
Face. Content: but Dol must ha` no breath on`t.
Sub. Mum.
Away you, to your Surly yonder, catch him.
Face. Pray God I ha` not staid too long.
Sub. I fear it.
[Exeunt.]
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