EUG. O blessed coz, How thou revivest me! HIP. We daily see

The good old man, and feed him twice a day.
Methinks, it is the sweetest joy to cherish him,
That ever life yet shew'd me.

EUG. So should I think,

A dainty thing to nurse an old man well! HIP. And then we have his prayers and daily blessing;

And we two live so lovingly upon't,

His son and I, and so contentedly,

You cannot think unless you tasted on't.

EUG. No, I warrant you.

O loving cousin,

What a great sorrow hast thou eas'd me of!

A thousand thanks go with thee!

HIP. I have a suit to you,

I must not have you weep when I am gone. [Exit. EUG. No, if I do, ne'er trust me. Easy fool, Thou hast put thyself into my power for ever; Take heed of angering of me. I conceal!

I feign a funeral! I keep my husband!

'Las! I've been thinking any time these two years, I have kept him too long already.

I'll go count o'er my suitors, that's my business, And prick the man down; I ha' six months to do't, But could despatch't' in one, were I put to't.

I've] Old ed. "I have."

b despatch't] Old ed. " dispatch him."

[Exit.

ACT III. SCENE I.

Before the Church.

Enter GNOTHO and CLERK.

GNOTH. You have searched o'er the parish-chronicle, sir?

CLERK. Yes, sir; I have found out the true age and date of the party you wot on.

GNOTH. Pray you, be covered, sir.

CLERK. When you have shewed me the way, sir. GNOTH. O sir, remember yourself, you are a clerk.

CLERK. A small clerk, sir.

GNOTH. Likely to be the wiser man, sir; for your greatest clerks are not always so, as 'tis reported.

CLERK. You are a great man in the parish, sir. GNOTH. I understand myself so much the better, sir; for all the best in the parish pay duties to the clerk, and I would owe you none, sir.

CLERK. Since you'll have it so, I'll be the first to hide my head.

GNOTH. Mine is a capcase: now to our business in hand. Good luck, I hope; I long to be resolved.

CLERK. Look you, sir, this is that cannot deceive

you:

This is the dial that goes ever true;

You may say ipse dixit upon this witness,

And it is good in law too.

GNOTH. Pray you, let's hear what it speaks.

ein] Old ed. "in your."

d it is] Old ed. "'tis."

CLERK. Mark, sir.-Agatha, the daughter of Pollux, (this is your wife's name, and the name of her father,) born

GNOTH. Whose daughter, say you?

CLERK. The daughter of Pollux.

GNOTH. I take it his name was Bollux.

CLERK. Pollux the orthography I assure you, sir; the word is corrupted else.

GNOTH. Well, on, sir,-of Pollux; now come on, Castor.

CLERK. Born in an. 1540, and now 'tis 99. By this infallible record, sir, (let me see,) she is now just fifty-nine, and wants but one.

GNOTH. I am sorry she wants so much.

CLERK. Why, sir? alas, 'tis nothing; 'tis but so many months, so many weeks, so many

GNOTH. Do not deduct it to days, 'twill be the more tedious; and to measure it by hourglasses were intolerable.

CLERK. Do not think on it, sir; half the time goes away in sleep, 'tis half the year in nights.

GNOTH. O, you mistake me, neighbour, I am loath to leave the good old woman; if she were gone now it would not grieve me; for what is a year, alas, but a lingering torment? and were it not better she were out of her pain? 'T must needs be a grief to us both.

CLERK. I would I knew how to ease you, neighbour!

GNOTH. You speak kindly, truly, and if you say

e deduct it to days] "A Latinism, deducere, bring it down, or, reduce it to days. This absurdity of consulting the church-book for the age, &c. may be kept in countenance by Beaumont and Fletcher, vol. 6th, p. 248. Indeed there are several passages in this play that resemble some in the Queen of Corinth."-GIFFORD.

but Amen to it, (which is a word that I know you are perfect in,) it might be done. Clerks are the most indifferent honest men,-for to the marriage of your enemy, or the burial of your friend, the curses or the blessings to you are all one; you say Amen to all.

CLERK. With a better will to the one than the other, neighbour: but I shall be glad to say Amen to any thing might do you a pleasure.

GNOTH. There is, first, something above your duty: [Gives him money] now I would have you set forward the clock a little, to help the old woman out of her pain.

CLERK. I will speak to the sexton; but the day will go ne'er the faster for that.

GNOTH. O, neighbour, you do not conceit me; not the jack of the clock-house; the hand of the dial, I mean.-Come, I know you, being a great clerk, cannot choose but have the art to cast a figure.

CLERK. Never, indeed, neighbour; I never had the judgment to cast a figure.

GNOTH. I'll shew you on the back side of your book, look you,-what figure's this?

CLERK. Four with a cipher, that's forty.
GNOTH. SO! forty; what's this now?

CLERK. The cipher is turned into 9 by adding the tail, which makes forty-nine.

GNOTH. Very well understood; what is't now? CLERK. The 4 is turned into 3; 'tis now thirtynine.

GNOTH. Very well understood; and can you do this again?

CLERK. O, easily, sir.

VOL. I.

sexton] Old ed. "sexton for that."

F

GNOTH. A wager of that! let me see the place of my wife's age again.

CLERK. Look you, sir, 'tis here, 1540.

GNOTH. Forty drachmas, you do not turn that forty into thirty-nine.

CLERK. A match with you.

GNOTH. Done! and you shall keep stakes yourself: there they are.

CLERK. A firm match-but stay, sir, now I consider it, I shall add a year to your wife's age; let me see Scirophorion the 17,-and now 'tis Hecatombaion the 11.8 If I alter this, your wife will have but a month to live by the law.

GNOTH. That's all one, sir; either do it, or pay me my wager.

CLERK. Will you lose your wife before you lose your wager?

GNOTH. A man may get two wives before half so much money by 'em; will you do't?

CLERK. I hope you will conceal me, for 'tis flat corruption.

GNOTH. Nay, sir, I would have you keep counsel; for I lose my money by't, and should be laughed at for my labour, if it should be known.

CLERK. Well, sir, there!-'tis done; as perfect [a] 39 as can be found in black and white: but mum, sir, there's danger in this figure-casting.

GNOTH. Ay, sir, I know that: better men than you have been thrown over the bar for as little; the best is, you can be but thrown out of the belfry.

& Scirophorion

....

....

Hecatombaion] Old ed. Scirophon Hecatomcaon."-"Scirophorion, Hecatombaion, and, soon after, December; what a medley! This miserable ostentation of Greek literature is, I believe, from the pen of Middleton, who was a piece' of a scholar."-GIFFORD.