So many hours, since I tempted her75
With all my eloquence, and for the king,
Yet found her cold as ice.
Flor. Ha, ha, ha!
Clar. You do not well to tempt a friend: you do
Forget she is my sister.80
Flor. I would I ne'er had known you had one.
Clar. You'll give a reason now for this.
Flor. None.
Clar. By all that's good, since our dear father left us,
We are become his scorn; look you, sir,85
I dare maintain it.[Draws
Flor. But I dare not. Put up, put up, young man,
When thou hast known a woman, thou wilt be tamer.[Exit
Clar. Ha! what should this mean? I know
He's valiant, wise, discreet; and what of that?90
Passion,
When it hath got the bit, doth ofttimes throw
The rider. Yet why should I be peremptory?
She may, for ought I know, be yet unchaste
With some unworthy groom. [Studies.] What, if I stole95
Into some corner, and heard her at confession?
'Twould not be amiss; for souls at such a time,
Like ships in tempests, throw out all they have.
And, now I think on't, her trial shall be quick.
Friend, I'll do thee right:100
Come on't what will, she dies, if she be light.[Exit
Scene IV
Enter Signior Multecarni the Poet, and two of the Actors
Mul. Well, if there be no remedy, one must act two
parts. Roselio shall be the fool and the lord, and Tisso
the citizen and the cuckold.
1 Act. That cannot be, signior: you know, one still
comes in, when the other goes out.5
Mul. By Jove, 'tis true. Let me see, we'll contrive it:
the lord and the usurer, the citizen and the politician;
and, sure, they never are together. But who shall act the
honest lawyer? 'tis a hard part, that!
2 Act. And a tedious one! It's admired you would10
