[Act 3. Enter a Priestess of Venus and a Boy. Priest. FIND him by any means; and, good child, tell him He has forgot his old friend. Give him this; And say, this night, without excuse or busi Pray heartily against MY FORTUNES, Cle. To-morrow morning you. When? I'll visit you again; and when occasion Priest. Instruct me, and have at you. Make their effects seem fearful. Farewell, soldier; Now I shall be his sweet again. What busi[ness Is this she has a-foot? Some lusty lover Beyond her line; the young wench would fain piddle; A little to revive her must be thought of; "Tis e'en so, she must have it. But how by my means, A devil, can she drive it? I that wait still [Exit. Enter Polydor, Eumenes, Captains, and Stremon. Polyd. Why, this is utter madness. Polyd. Only the princess' sight? Polyd. He does not offer at his life? For much I fear a main one.] This reading carries a sense directly opposite to what the situation requires. We should certainly read, Pray heartily against misfortunes, I know the slave shakes but to think on't. Eum. I know not, Sir. Mem. But I shall catch you, rascal; Your mangy soul is not immortal here, Sir; You must die, and we must meet; we must, maggot, Be sure we must! For not a nook of hell, Not the most horrid pit, shall harbour thee; 'The devil's tail sh'an't hide thee, but I'll have thee, And how I'll use thee! Whips and firebrands, Toasting thy tail against a flame of wildfire, And basting it with brimstone, shall be nothing, [rous! Nothing at all! I'll teach you to be treacheWas never slave so swing'd, since hell was hell, [on't. As I will swinge thy slave's soul; and be sure Polyd. Is this imagination, or some circumstance? For 'tis extreme strange. Eum. So is all he does, Sir. Mem. 'Till then I'll leave you. Who's there? Where's the Surgeon? Demagoras! Enter Demagoras. Dem. My lord! 42 Sur. I'll do it. Mem. Bring me the Surgeon; And wait you too. Enter Surgeon. Polyd. What would he with a Surgeon? Have you brought your instruments? Mem. Put-to the doors a while there. To a hair's breadth, without defacing? Mem. And take out fairly from the flesh? [my doublet. Mem. Well, come hither then. Take off For, look you, Surgeon, I must have you cut My heart out here, and handsomely. Nay, [Surgeon! stare not, Nor do not start: I'll cut your throat else, Come, swear to do it. Why what should we do living after you, Sir.] The latter part of this sentence seems proper to one of the officers of Meninon, not to the Surgeon, and accordingly we find Memnon applies to them to swear that they'd immediately kill themselves and follow him. I have therefore restored it to Demagoras. Seward. 43 Sur. Living! hang living.] If the words mentioned in the last note should be taken from the Surgeon, surely these should be taken from him also, being quite contrary to the rest of his speech. But as it is probable the Authors intended the Surgeon to dissemble with Memnon aloud, while he expressed his fears in a low voice, and aside (which must have a droll effect in the representation) we have left to his part all that the old books assigned him. Polyd. He'll do it. [tools, [Exeunt Sur. and Dem. Eum. He cannot, and we here. [syringe, Ye dull slaves? Will you come, Sir? Surgeon, Dog-leach,43 shall I come and fetch you? Polyd. Now I'll to him. God save you, honour'd brother! Welcome from travel, welcome! And how do you? Polyd. Well, Sir; 'would you were so. You are a better'd man much; I the same still, Polyd. Pray be plain, brother, And tell me but the meaning of this vision, Mem. Thank thee, Fortune, At length I've found the man, the man must The man in honour bound! Polyd. To do what? [do it, [circumstance Mem. Hark, for I will bless you with the Of that weak shadow that appear'd. Polyd. Speak on, Sir. Mem. It is no story for all ears. [Walks with him. Polyd. The princess? [Whispers. Polyd. Your heart? Do you know, Sir— Mem. Yes; pray thee be softer. Polyd. Me to do it? Mem. Only reserv'd, and dedicated. Polyd. For shame, brother! Know what you are; a man. Mem. None of your Athens, Good sweet Sir, no philosophy! Thou feel st The honourable end, fool. Polyd. I'm sure I feel [not The shame and scorn that follow. Have you serv'd thus long, The glory of your country in your conquests, Belov'd and fear'd as far as Fame has travell'd, Does your rule lastly hold upon yourself? Fy, Look and lament how little Memmon seems now. Mem. Hum! 'Tis well spoken; but dost thou think, young scholar,44 The tongues of angels from my happiness Could turn the end I aim at. No, they cannot. This is no book-case, brother. Will you do it? Use no more art; I am resolv'd. Polyd. You may, Sir, Command me to do any thing that's honest, And for your noble end: But this, it carriesMem. You shall not be so honour'd; live an ass still, And learn to spell for profit: Go, go study! Eum. You must not hold him up so; he is lost then. [turneps,+5 Mem. Get thee to school again, and talk of And find the natural cause out why a dog Turns thrice about ere he lies down: There's learning. [I find it, Polyd. Come; I will do it now; 'Tis brave; And now allow the reason. 43 Dog-leach.] Leach is the old word signifying a physician: It is frequently used in that sense in Spenser, and other ancient writers. The tongues of angels from my happiness Could turn the end I aim at?] Mr. Sympson thinks this an indissoluble difficulty. I think the meaning intended is easy to be seen, and by a small transposition (which does indeed a little roughen the metre) it will be quite clear. Mr. Seward's reading is, Th' end I aim at, could turn mẹ. Seward. The old reading conveys the same sense, and is not more difficult of construction than many other passages in these plays. Mr. Seward's is very harsh. 45 and talk of turneps.] Why turneps should be a subject for scholars to talk of, more than any one thing in the world beside, I can't see. I believe it a corruption, but cannot easily guess what could have been the original. The only conjecture I have is turnspits, which is as low a subject of mechanism, as the reason of a dog's turning round thrice is in another part of natural philosophy. Seward. 46 As I have taught ye. Basta, Chi. No more; I would ha' come; I must. God-a-mercy Want! You never care for me, Chi. Ne'er fear that, wench; 'Shall find good current coin still. Is this the old house? Priest. Have you forgot it? Chi. And the door still standing Priest. Still, Chi. The robes too, That I was wont to shift in here? Chi. Oh, you tough rogue, what troubles [monster What fears and frights? Every poor mouse a That I heard stir, and every stick I trod on A sharp sting to my conscience, Priest. 'Las, poor conscience! Chi. And all to liquor thy old boots, wench. Chi. To new-carine thy carcase;43_ that's [tether Chi. Ne'er stemm'd the straights? Chi. I am old, wench, And talking to an old man is like a stomacher; Priest. But, pray tell me Chi. Any thing. Priest. Where did the boy meet with you? At one end of a wench, a cup of wine, sure? And that the surgeon knows. I will not fail you soon. Priest. You shall stay supper; I have sworn you shall; by this you shall! But after supper, for an hour, my business- Chi. No, by this kiss; that ended, I will return, and all night in thine arms, Priest. No more; I take your meaning. [Exeunt. Mem. Work.] Basta, in Italian, or Spanish, sufficit, or it's enough, from whence our sailors term, avast. But I have given the word to Memnon, and not to Polydor, it being plainly his answer. Seward. Why take basta from Polydor? It destroys Memnon's speech, which is more humourous, consisting of the single monosyllable work. 47 To state it.] i. e. to take state upon her. 48 Chi. To new-carine, &c.] This and the four following lines appear in no edition but the first. Enter Calis, Cleanthe, and Lucippe. Calis. Thou art not well. Cle. Your grace sees more a great deal Than I feel.-Yet I lie. Oh, brother! Calis. Mark her; Is not the quickness of her eye consum'd, The lively red and white? [wench? Lucip. Nay, she is much alter'd, That on my understanding; all her sleeps, Which were as sound and sweet- [lady, Cle. Pray, do not force me, Good madam, where I am not, to be ill. Conceit's a double sickness; on my faith, your highness Is mere mistaken in me. [A dead march within, of drum and sackbuts. Calis. I am glad on't. Yet this I've ever noted, when thou wast thus, It still fore-run some strange event: My sister Died when thou wast thus last!-Hark, hark, ho! [forward? What mournful noise is this comes creeping Still it grows nearer, nearer; do ye hear it? sorrow I never look'd upon, nor one that braver Polyd. Great lady--[Plucks out the cup. Excellent beauty! Calis. He speaks handsomely. Polyd. See, see, thou princess, Polyd. See, see the noble heart Of him that was the noblest! See, and glory Behold the heart of Memnon! Does it start You boldly said you durst. Look, wretched woman! Nay, fly not back, fair folly, tis too late now. Virtue and blooming honour bleed to death here: Take it; the legacy of love bequeath'd you, What was the will that wrought it then? Can you weep? Embalm it in your truest tears (if women Can weep a truth, or ever sorrow sunk yet Into the soul of your sex); for 'tis a jewel The world's worth cannot weigh down : Take it, lady; And with it all (I dare not curse) my sorrows, And may they turn to serpents! Eum. How she looks [her. Still upon him! See, now a tear steals from 2 Capt. But still she keeps her eye firm. Polyd. Next, read this. But, since I see your spirit somewhat troubled, I'll do it for you. 2 Capt. Still she eyes him mainly. Polyd. Go, happy heart! for thou shalt lie Tell her, if she chance to chide If a tear escape her eye, The altar was my loving breast, Your body was the sacred shrine, down. Eum. Now it pours Polyd. I like it rarely.-Lady! Eum. How greedily she swallows up his 2 Capt. Her eye inhabits on him.[language! Polyd. Cruel lady, [pow'r Great as your beauty scornful! 49 had your But equal poise on all hearts, all hearts pe[flames too; rish'd; But Cupid has more shafts than one, more Calis. I swear his anger's excellent. Calis. Still more pleasing. [slaughters, Polyd. Live then, I say, famous for civil 49 Great as your beauty scornful.] This expression for your scorn and cruelty, as for your beauty. is obscure, but means, As remarkable J. N. |
