Face. That's a secret, Nab! Sub. And on your stall, a puppet, with a vice And a court-fucus to call city-dames : You shall deal much with minerals. Drug. Sir, I have At home, already Sub. Ay, I know you have arsenic, Cinoper: I know all. This fellow, captain, And give assay But very fair-at the philosopher's stone. Drug. Good captain, What must I give? Face. Nay, I'll not counsel thee. Thou hear'st what wealth Thou'rt like to come to. [Aside to FACE. (he says, spend what thou canst) Drug. I would gi' him a crown. Face. A crown! and toward such a fortune? Heart, Thou shalt rather gi' him thy shop. No gold about thee? Drug. Yes, I have a portague I have kept this half-year. Face. Out on thee, Nab! 'Slight, there was such an offerShalt keep't no longer, I'll give 't him for thee. Doctor, Nab prays your worship to drink this, and swears He will appear more grateful as your skill Does raise him in the world. Drug. I would entreat Another favour of his worship. Face. What is't, Nab? Drug. But to look over, sir, my almanac, And cross out my ill days, that I may neither Bargain nor trust upon them. Face. That he shall, Nab; Leave it, it shall be done 'gainst afternoon. Sub. And a direction for his shelves. Face. Now, Nab, Art thou well pleased, Nab? Drug. Thank, sir, both your worships. Why, now, you smoky persecutor of nature! Now do you see that something's to be done [Exit DRUGGER. Besides your beech-coal and your corsive waters, You must have stuff brought home to you, to work on: And yet you think I am at no expense In searching out these veins, then following them, Sub. You are pleasant, sir. Re-enter DOL. What says my Dainty Dolkin? Dol. Yonder fishwife How now! Will not away. And there's your giantess, Sub. Heart, I can not speak with them. Dol. Not afore night, I have told them in a voice, Sub. Where? Dol. Coming along, at far end of the lane, Sub. Face, go you, and shift. Dol, you must presently make ready too. Sub. Oh, I did look for him With the sun's rising: marvel he could sleep; : [Exit FACE. [Exeunt. ACT II SCENE I.- AN OUTER ROOM IN LOVEWIT'S HOUSE M Enter SIR EPICURE MAMMON and SURLY. AM. Come on, sir. Now, you set your foot on shore And there within, sir, are the golden mines, Great Solomon's Ophir! he was sailing to 't, Three years, but we have reach'd it in ten months. I will pronounce the happy word, BE RICH; You shall no more deal with the hollow die Or the frail card. No more be at charge of keeping The golden calf, and on their knees, whole nights, Or go a feasting, after drum and ensign. No more of this. You shall start up young viceroys, Where is my Subtle, there? Within, ho! Face. [Within.] Sir, he'll come to you by and by. His Lungs, his Zephyrus, he that puffs his coals, Till he firk nature up, in her own centre. You are not faithful, sir. This night I'll change And early in the morning will I send To all the plumbers and the pewterers, And buy their tin and lead up; and to Lothbury For all the copper. Sur. What, and turn that too? Mam. Yes, and I'll purchase Devonshire and Cornwall, And make them perfect Indies! You admire now? Sur. No, faith. Mam. But when you see th' effects of the Great Medicine, Of which one part projected on a hundred Of Mercury, or Venus, or the moon, Shall turn it to as many of the sun; Sur. Yes, when I see't I will. But if my eyes do cozen me so, and I Do you think I fable with you? I assure you, The perfect ruby, which we call elixir, I'll make an old man of fourscore a child. Mam. Nay, I mean, Restore his years, renew him, like an eagle, To the fifth age; make him get sons and daughters, Young giants; as our philosophers have done, The ancient patriarchs, afore the flood, But taking, once a week, on a knife's point, The quantity of a grain of mustard of it; Become stout Marses, and beget young Cupids. Sur. The decay'd vestals of Pict-hatch would thank you, That keep the fire alive there. Mam. 'Tis the secret Of nature naturized 'gainst all infections, Cures all diseases coming of all causes ; A month's grief in a day, a year's in twelve ; And of what age soever, in a month: Out of the kingdom in three months. Sur. And I'll Be bound the players shall sing your praises then Mam. Sir, I'll do 't. Meantime, I'll give away so much unto my man Shall serve the whole city with preservative Weekly; each house his dose, and at the rate Sur. As he that built the waterwork does with water? Mam. You are incredulous. Sur. Faith, I have a humour I would not willingly be gull'd. Your stone Mam. Pertinax, Surly, Will you believe antiquity? records? I'll show you a book where Moses and his sister, And Solomon have written of the art; Ay, and a treatise penn'd by Adam Sur. How! Mam. Of the philosopher's stone, and in High Dutch. Sur. Did Adam write, sir, in High Dutch? Mam. He did! Which proves it was the primitive tongue. Sur. What paper? Mam. On cedar board. Sur. Oh, that indeed, they say Will last 'gainst worms. Mam, 'Tis like your Irish wood 'Gainst cobwebs. I have a piece of Jason's fleece too, Which was no other than a book of alchemy, Writ in large sheepskin, a good fat ram-vellum. The manner of our work; the bulls, our furnace, That keeps the whiteness, hardness, and the biting; Do we succeed? Enter FACE as a Servant. How now! Is our day come? and holds it? Face. The evening will set red upon you, sir; You have colour for it, crimson: the red ferment Mam. Pertinax, my Surly, Again I say to thee aloud, Be rich. This day thou shalt have ingots; and to-morrow |