Flow. Sen. I'faith no where, fir, for he hath none

at all.

Weath. Benedicite! We are o'er-reach'd, I believe.

Sir Lanc. I am cozen'd, and my hopefulleft child undone.

M. Flow. You are not cozen'd, nor is fhe undone. They flander me; by this light, they flander me. Look you, my uncle here's an ufurer,

And would undo me; but I'll ftand in law;
Do you but bail me, you fhall do no more:
You brother Civet, and mafter Weathercock, do but
bail me,

And let me have my marriage-money paid me,
And we'll ride down, and your own eyes fhall fee
How my poor tenants there will welcome me.
You fhall but bail me, you fhall do no more :-
And you, you greedy gnat, their bail will serve?
Flow. Jun. Ay, fir, I'll afk no better bail.

Sir Lane. No, fir, you shall not take my bail, nor his,

Nor my fon Civet's: I'll not be cheated, I.

Shrieve, take your prifoner; I'll not deal with him.
Let his uncle make falfe dice with his false bones;
I will not have to do with him: mock'd, gull'd, and
wrong'd!

Come, girl, though it be late, it falls out well;
Thou shalt not live with him in beggar's hell.
Luce. He is my husband, and high heaven doth

know

And you, greedy gnat,-] I think we fhould read - And you, you greedy gnats. The term seems addreffed to the sheriff's officers, who appear as troublesome to the Prodigal as fo many blood-fucking infects. STEEVENS.

He infinuates by this (unufual but) expreffive phrafe, that his uncle was a little flinging blood-fucker, equally infatiable and contemptible. PERCY,

VOL. II.

Kk

With

With what unwillingness I went to church;
But you enforc'd me, you compell'd me to it.
The holy church-man pronounc'd these words but

now,

I must not leave my husband in diftrefs:

Now I muft comfort him, not go with you.

Sir Lanc. Comfort a cozener! on my curfe forfake him.

Luce. This day you caus'd me on your curfe to
take him.

Do not, I pray, my grieved foul opprefs:
God knows my heart doth bleed at his diftrefs.
Sir Lanc. O mafter Weathercock,

I must confefs I forc'd her to this match,
Led with opinion his falfe Will was true.
Weath. Ah, he hath o'er-reach'd me too.
Sir Lanc. She might have liv'd

Like Delia, in a happy virgin's ftate.

Del. Father, be patient: forrow comes too late.
Sir Lanc. And on her knees fhe begg'd and did en-

treat,

If the muft needs tafte a fad marriage life,

She crav'd to be fir Arthur Greenfhield's wife. Sir Arth. You have done her and me the greater wrong.

Sir Lanc. O, take her yet.

Sir Arth. Not I.

Sir Lanc. Or, mafter Oliver, accept my child, And half my wealth is yours.

Oli. No, fir, chil break no laws.

Luce. Never fear, fhe will not trouble you.
Del. Yet, fifter, in this paffion

Do not run headlong to confufion :
You may affect him, though not follow him.
Fran. Do, fifter; hang him, let him go.
Weath. Do 'faith, miftrefs Luce; leave him.
Luce. You are three grofs fools; pray let me alone:

"I fwear, I'll live with him in all his moan.

Oli. But an he have his legs at liberty, Cham aveard he will never live with you.

Sir Arth. Ay, but he is now in hucksfter's handling for running away 5.

Sir Lane. Hufwife, you hear how you and I are wrong'd,

And if you will redress it yet, you may :
But if you ftand on terms to follow him,
Never come near my fight, nor look on me ;
Call me not father, look not for a groat;
For all thy portion I will this day give
Unto thy fifter Frances.

Fran. How fay you to that, Tom? [to Civet] I fhall have a good deal: befides, I'll be a good wife; and a good wife is a good thing I can tell.

Civ. Peace, Franke. I would be forry to fee thy fifter caft away, as I am a gentleman.

Sir Lanc. What, are you yet resolv'd?
Luce. Yes, I am refolv'd.

Sir Lanc. Come then away; or now, or never come. Luce. This way I turn; go you unto your feaft; And I to weep, that am with grief oppreft.

Sir Lane. For ever fly my fight: Come, gentlemen, Let's in; I'll help you to far better wives than her. Delia, upon my bleffing talk not to her.

Bafe baggage, in fuch hafte to beggary!

Flow. Jun. Sheriff, take your prifoner to your charge.

M. Flow. Uncle, by God you have us'd me very hardly, by my troth, upon my wedding-day.

[Exeunt Sir Lancelot, Civet, Weathercock, Frances, Delia, and their attendants.

-in huckster's handling-] Hucksters being petty tradefmen, and confequently tenacious of their cuftomers, their prices, and their gains, in that point of view resemble bailiffs who hold fast the perfon whom they have feized. For running away, has the fame meaning as from running away. In cant language a perfon in confinement is ftill faid to be spoiled for a runner. Some acquaintance with the vulgar tongue is neceffary towards the expla nation of this play. STEEVENS.

Kk 2

Luce

Luce. O mafter Flowerdale, but hear me fpeak.
[To Flowverdale Junior.
Stay but a little while, good mafter sheriff;
If not for him, for my fake pity him.

Good fir, ftop not your ears at my complaint;
My voice grows weak, for women's words are faint.
M. Flow. Look you, uncle, fhe kneels to you.
Flow. Jun. Fair maid, for you, I love you with
my heart,

And grieve, fwcet foul, thy fortune is fo bad,
That thou fhould't match with fuch a graceless
youth.

Go to thy father, think not upon him,

Whom hell hath mark'd to be the son of fhame.
Luce. Impute his wildness, fir, unto his youth,
And think that now's the time he doth repent.
Alas, what good or gain can you receive,
To imprison him that nothing hath to pay?
And where nought is, the king doth lofe his due:
O pity him as God fhall pity you.

Flow. Jun. Lady, I know his humours all too well;
And nothing in the world can do him good,
But mifery itself to chain him with.

Luce. Say that your debt were paid, then is he free?

Flow. Jun. Ay, virgin; that being anfwer'd, I have done.

But to him that is all as impoffible,
As I to fcale the high pyramides.

Sheriff, take your prifoner maiden, fare thee well.
Luce. O go not yet, good mafter Flowerdale:
Take my word for the debt, my word, my bond.
M. Flow. Ay, by God, uncle, and my bond too.
Luce. Alas, I ne'er ought nothing but I paid it;
And I can work alas, he can do nothing.
I have fome friends perhaps will pity me:
His chiefest friends do feek his misery.
All that I can, or beg, get, or receive,

Shall

Shall be for you. O do not turn away:
Methinks, within, a face fo reverend,
So well experienc'd in this tottering world,
Should have fome feeling of a maiden's grief:
For my fake, his father's and your brother's fake,
Ay, for your foul's fake, that doth hope for joy,
Pity my state; do not two fouls deftroy.

Flow. Jun. Fair maid, ftand up: not in regard of him,

But in pity of thy hapless choice, I

Do release him. Mafter fheriff, I thank you;
And officers, there is for you to drink.

Here, maid, take this money; there is a hundred angels:

And, for I will be fure he fhall not have it,
Here, Kefter, take it you, and ufe it fparingly;
But let not her have any want at all.

Dry your eyes, niece; do not too much lament
For him whofe life hath been in riot spent :
If well he ufeth thee, he gets him friends,
If ill, a fhameful end on him depends.

[Exit Flowerdale Junior. M. Flow. A plague go with you for an old for. nicator! Come, Kit, the money; come, honeft Kit.

Flow. Sen. Nay, by my faith, fir, you fhall par

don me.

Methinks, within, a face fo reverend,

So well experienc'd in this tottering world,

Should have fome feeling ] Methinks the heart that is lodged in fo reverend a form, fhould have fome pity, &c.-Per. haps however a line has been loft. If the text be not corrupt, within is ufed as an adverb. MALONE.

Perhaps we should read-Should live fome feeling, &c. So in Hamlet:

"If it live in your memory, begin at this line." You who have a face fo refpectable, are one who has feen fo much of the world, fhould at least exprefs fome feeling of a maiden's forrow. STEEVENS.