and had drawn their weapons, and were ready to go to it, yet her persuasions would make them put up.

CAST. That she would, my lord.-How do you like my

Spanish gennet ?

ROD. He is all fire.

FERD. I am of Pliny's opinion, I think he was begot by the wind; he runs as if he were ballass'd' with quicksilver.

SIL. True, my lord, he reels from the tilt often.

ROD. GRIS. Ha, ha, ha!

FERD. Why do you laugh? Methinks you that are courtiers should be my touch-wood, take fire when I give fire; that is, laugh when I laugh, were the subject never so witty.

CAST. True, my lord: I myself have heard a very good jest, and have scorn'd to seem to have so silly a wit as to understand it.

FERD. But I can laugh at your fool, my lord.

CAST. He cannot speak, you know, but he makes faces; my lady cannot abide him.

FERD. NO?

CAST. Nor endure to be in merry company; for she says too much laughing, and too much company, fills her too full of the wrinkle.

FERD. I would, then, have a mathematical instrument made for her face, that she might not laugh out of compass.-—I shall shortly visit you at Milan, Lord Silvio.

SIL. Your grace shall arrive most welcome.

FERD. You are a good horseman, Antonio: you have excellent riders in France: what do you think of good horsemanship?

ANT. Nobly, my lord: as out of the Grecian horse issued many famous princes, so out of brave horsemanship arise the first sparks of growing resolution, that raise the mind to noble action.

FERD. You have bespoke it worthily.

SIL. Your brother, the lord cardinal, and sister duchess.

A small horse. ? Ballasted.

[Enter CARDINAL, with DUCHESS, and CARIOLA]

CARD. Are the galleys come about?

GRIS.

They are, my lord.

FERD. Here's the Lord Silvio is come to take his

leave.

DELIO. Now, sir, your promise: what 's that cardinal? I mean his temper? They say he 's a brave fellow, Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance, Court ladies, and one that hath fought single combats.

ANT. Some such flashes superficially hang on him for form; but observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman. The spring in his face is nothing but the engend'ring of toads; where he is jealous of any man, he lays worse plots for them than ever was impos'd on Hercules, for he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters. He should have been Pope; but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without heaven's knowledge. Some good he hath done

DELIO. You have given too much of him. What 's his brother?

ANT. The duke there? A most perverse and turbulent na

ture.

What appears in him mirth is merely outside;

If he laught heartily, it is to laugh

All honesty out of fashion.

DELIO.

ANT.

Twins?

In quality.

He speaks with others' tongues, and hears men's suits

With others' ears; will seem to sleep o' the bench

Only to entrap offenders in their answers;

Dooms men to death by information;

Rewards by hearsay.

DELIO.

Then the law to him

Is like a foul, black cobweb to a spider,-
He makes it his dwelling and a prison
To entangle those shall feed him.

ANT.

Most true:

He never pays debts unless they be shrewd turns,
And those he will confess that he doth owe.
Last, for his brother there, the cardinal,
They that do flatter him most say oracles
Hang at his lips; and verily I believe them,
For the devil speaks in them.

But for their sister, the right noble duchess,
You never fix'd your eye on three fair medals
Cast in one figure, of so different temper.
For her discourse, it is so full of rapture,
You only will begin then to be sorry

When she doth end her speech, and wish, in wonder,
She held it less vain-glory to talk much,

Than your penance to hear her. Whilst she speaks,
She throws upon a man so sweet a look
That it were able to raise one to a galliard."

That lay in a dead palsy, and to dote

On that sweet countenance; but in that look
There speaketh so divine a continence

As cuts off all lascivious and vain hope.
Her days are practis'd in such noble virtue,

That sure her nights, nay, more, her very sleeps,
Are more in heaven than other ladies' shrifts.
Let all sweet ladies break their flatt'ring glasses,
And dress themselves in her.

Fie, Antonio,

DELIO.
You play the wire-drawer with her commendations.
ANT. I'll case the picture up: only thus much;
All her particular worth grows to this sum,-
She stains the time past, lights the time to come.
CARI. You must attend my lady in the gallery,
Some half an hour hence.

ANT.

I shall. [Exeunt ANTONIO and DELIO.]

FERD. Sister, I have a suit to you.
DUCH.

To me, sir?

Yes, I know him.

FERD. A gentleman here, Daniel de Bosola, One that was in the galleys

DUCH.

FERD. A worthy fellow he is: pray, let me entreat for

The provisorship of your horse.

DUCH.

Commends him and prefers him.

10

Your knowledge of him

FERD.
We [are] now upon parting. Good Lord Silvio,
Do us commend to all our noble friends

Call him hither. [Exit Attendant.]

At the leaguer.

SIL.

[DUCH.]

SIL. I am.
DUCH.

To the haven.

CARD.

Sir, I shall.

You are for Milan?

Bring the caroches."-We 'll bring you down

[Exeunt DUCHESS, SILVIO, CASTRUCCIO, RODERIGO, GRISOLAN, CARIOLA, JULIA, and Attendants.] Be sure you entertain that Bosola For your intelligence." I would not be seen in 't; And therefore many times I have slighted him When he did court our furtherance, as this morning. FERD. Antonio, the great-master of her household, Had been far fitter.

CARD.

You are deceiv'd in him.

His nature is too honest for such business.

He comes: I 'll leave you.

[Re-enter BOSOLA]

Bos.

I was lur'd to you.

FERD. My brother, here, the cardinal, could never Abide you.

Bos.

Never since he was in my debt.

FERD. May be some oblique character in your face Made him suspect you.

Bos.

Doth he study physiognomy?

There's no more credit to be given to the face
Than to a sick man's urine, which some call

The physician's whore, because she cozens" him.
He did suspect me wrongfully.

FERD.

For that

18 Cheats.

10 At the point of. 11 Coaches. 12 Spy.

[Exit.]

You must give great men leave to take their times.
Distrust doth cause us seldom be deceiv'd.

You see the oft shaking of the cedar-tree

Fastens it more at root.

For to suspect a friend unworthily

Instructs him the next way to suspect you,
And prompts him to deceive you.

FERD.

Bos.

There's gold.

So:

What follows? [Aside.] Never rain'd such showers as these Without thunderbolts i' the tail of them.-Whose throat must

I cut?

FERD. Your inclination to shed blood rides post Before my occasion to use you. I give you that To live i' the court here, and observe the duchess; To note all the particulars of her haviour,

What suitors do solicit her for marriage,

And whom she best affects. She's a young widow:
I would not have her marry again.

No, sir?

Bos.
FERD. Do not you ask the reason; but be satisfied.
I say I would not.

Bos.

It seems you would create me

Familiar! What 's that?

One of your familiars.

FERD.

Bos. Why, a very quaint invisible devil in flesh,An intelligencer."

FERD

Such a kind of thriving thing

I would wish thee; and ere long thou mayst arrive
At a higher place by 't.

Bos.

Which hell calls angels!

Take your devils,

These curs'd gifts would make

You a corrupter, me an impudent traitor;

And should I take these, they'd take me [to] hell.

FERD. Sir, I'll take nothing from you that I have given.

There is a place that I procur'd for you

This morning, the provisorship o' the horse;

Have you heard on 't?

Spy.