How the holds up the neb! the bill to him!
And arms her with the boldnefs of a wife
[Exe. Polix. Her. and attendants. Manent Leo.
Mam. and Cam.
To her allowing hufband. Gone already,
Inch-thick, knee-deep; o'er-head and ears,-a * fork'd
Go, play, boy, play--thy mother plays, and I
Play too; but fo difgrac'd a part, whofe iffue
Will hifs me to my grave: contempt and clamour
Will be my knel.-Go, play, boy, play-there
have been,
Or I am much deceiv'd, cuckolds ere, now;
And many a man there is, even at this prefent,
Now while I speak this, holds his wife by th' arm,
That little thinks, fhe has been fluic'd in's abfence;
And his pond fish'd by his next neighbour, by
Sir Smile, his neighbour: nay, there's comfort in't,
Whiles other men have gates; and thofe gates open'd,
As mine, against their will. Should all despair,
That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind
Would hang themselves. Phyfick for't, there is none:
It is a bawdy planet, that will strike
Where 'tis predominant; and 'tis powerful, think it.
From eaft, weft, north and fouth. Be it concluded,
No barricado for a belly. Know't,
It will let in and out the enemy,
With bag and baggage: many a thousand of's
Have the disease, and feel't not.-How now, boy?
Mam. I am like you, they fay.
Leo. Why, that's fome comfort, What is Camillo there?
Cam. Ay, my good Lord.
Leo. Go play, Mamillius-Thou'rt an honest man:
a fork'd one-] That is, a borned one; a cuckold.
Camillo, this Great Sir will yet ftay longer.
Cam. You had much ado to make his anchor hold;
When you caft out, it ftill came home.
Cam. He would not stay at your petitions made; His bufinefs more material.
*They're here with me already; whifp'ring, rounding': Sicilia is a fo-forth; 'tis far gone,
When I fhall guft it laft. How came't, Camillo.
That he did stay?
Cam. At the good Queen's entreaty.
Leo. At the Queen's be't; good, fhould be pertinent; But fo it is, it is not. Was this taken
By any understanding pate but thine?
For thy conceit is foaking, will draw in
More than the common blocks; not noted, is't,
But of the finer natures? by fome severals
Of head-piece extraordinary; lower meffes,
Perchance, are to this business purblind? fay.
Cam. Bufinefs, my Lord? I think, most understand
Bohemia ftays here longer.
Cam. To fatisfy your Highness, and th'entreaties Of our most gracious mistress.
Th' entreaties of your mistress?-satisfy?—
Let that fuffice. I've trufted thee, Camillo,
With all the things nearest my heart; as well
My chamber-councils, wherein, priest like, thou
Haft cleans'd my bofom: I from thee departed
Thy Penitent reform'd; but we have been
Deceiv'd in thy integrity; deceiv'd
In that, which feems fo.
Cam. Be it forbid, my Lord-
Leo. To bide upon't;-Thou art not honeft; or, If thou inclin'ft that way, thou art a coward; Which hoxes honefty behind, reftraining
From courfe requir'd: or elfe thou must be counted A fervant grafted in my ferious Truft,.
And therein negligent; or elfe a fool,
That feeft a game play'd home, the rich stake drawn, And tak'ft it all for jeft.
Cam. My gracious Lord,
I may be negligent, foolish and fearful;
In every one of thefe no man is free,
But that his negligence, his folly, fear,
Amongst the infinite doings of the world,
Sometime puts forth. In your affairs, my Lord,
If ever I were wilful negligent,
It was my folly; if industriously
I play'd the fool, it was my negligence,
Not weighing well the end; if ever fearful
To do a thing, where I the iffue doubted,
Whereof the execution did cry out '
Against the non-performance, 'twas a fear
Which oft infects the wifeft: thefe, my Lord,
Are fuch allow'd infirmities, that honesty
Is never free of. But, 'befeech your Grace,
Be plainer with me, let me know my trefpafs
By its own vifage; if I then deny it,
"Tis none of mine,
Leo. Ha'not you feen, Camillo,
(But that's paft doubt, you have; or your eye-glafs
Is thicker than a cuckold's horn;) or heard,
(For to a vifion fo apparent, rumour`
Cannot be mute;) or thought, (for cogitation
Refides not in that man, that do's not think it ;)
My wife is flippery? if thou wilt, confefs;
(Or elfe be impudently negative,
To have nor eyes nor ears, nor thought,) then fay,
My wife's a hobby-horse, deferves a name
As rank as any flax-wench, that puts to
Before her troth plight: fay't, and justify't.
Cam. I would not be a ftander-by, to hear
My fovereign Mistress clouded fo, without
My prefent vengeance taken; 'fhrew my heart,
You never spoke what did become you lefs
Than this; which to reiterate, were fin
As deep as that, tho' true '.
Leo. Is whifpering nothing??
Is leaning cheek to cheek? is meeting noses?
Kiffing with infide lip? ftopping the career
Of laughter with a figh? (a note infallible
Of breaking honefty) horfing foot on foot?
Skulking in corners? wifhing clocks more fwift?
Hours, minutes? the noon, midnight? and all eyes
Blind with the pin and web, but theirs; theirs only,
That would, unseen, be wicked? is this nothing?
Why, then the world, and all that's in't, is nothing;
for which you fufpect her.
As deep as that, tho' true.] i. e. Your fufpicion is as great a fin as would be that (if committed,
WARBURTON. meeting nofes?] Dr. Thirlby reads, meting nofes; that is, measuring nofes. The
The covering fky is nothing, Bohemia nothing;
My wife is nothing; nor nothing have these nothings, If this be nothing.
Cam. Good my Lord, be cur'd
Of this difeas'd Opinion, and betimes;
For 'tis most dangerous.
Leo. Say it be, 'tis true.
Cam. No, no, my Lord.
Leo. It is; you lye, you lye:
I fay, thou lieft, Camillo, and I hate thee;
Pronounce thee a grofs lowt, a mindless flave,
Or elfe a hovering temporizer, that
Canft with thine eyes at once fee good and evil,
Inclining to them both were my wife's liver
Infected, as her life, fhe would not live
The running of one glafs.
Cam. Who does infect her?
Leo. Why he, that wears her like his medal, hanging
About his neck; Bohemia,- who, if I
Had fervants true about me, that bare eyes
To fee alike mine honour, as their profits,
Their own particular thrifts, they would do that
Which should undo more Doing: I, and thou
His cup-bearer, (whom I from meaner form
Have bench'd, and rear'd to worship; who may'ft fee
Plainly, as heav'n fees earth, and earth fees heav'n,
How I am gall'd;) thou might'ft be-spice a cup,
To give mine enemy a lasting wink;
Which draught to me were cordial.
Cam. Sir, my Lord,
I could do this, and that with no rafh potion,
But with a lingring dram, that should not work 3,
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