ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

Sub. He's a fortunate fellow, that I am sure

on

Face. Already, sir, have you found it! Look thee, Abel!

Sub. And in right way towards riches—
Face. Sir?

Sub. This summer

He will be of the clothing of his company,

And next spring called to the scarlet, spend what he can.

Face. What, and so little beard?
Sub. You must think,

He may have a receipt to make hair come :

But he'll be wise, preserve his youth, and fine for it;

His fortune looks for him another way.

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 arsnike,
Vitriol, salt-tartre, argale, alkaly,
Cinoper: I know all. This fellow, captain,
Will come, in time, to be a distiller,
And give a say (I will not say directly,
But very fair) at the Philosopher's Stone.
Face. Why, how now, Abel! is this true?
Drug. Good captain,

What must I give?

Face. Nay, I'll not counsel thee.

Face. 'Slid, dostor, how canst thou know this Thou hear'st what wealth (he says spend what

so soon?

I am amazed at that!

Sub. By a rule, captain,

In metaposcopy, which I do work by;

A certain star in the forehead, which you see not. Your chesnut, or your olive-coloured face,

Does never fail: and your long ear doth promise.

I knew it, by certain spots too, in his teeth,
And on the nail of his mercurial finger.
Face. What finger's that?

Sub. His little finger. Look,

You were born upon a Wednesday?

Drug. Yes, indeed sir, and so I was.

Sub. The thumb, in chiromancy, we give Ve

nus;

The fore-finger, to Jove; the midst to Saturn;
The ring, to Sol; the least, to Mercury;
Who was the lord, sir, of his horoscope,
His house of life being Libra; which foreshewed
He should be a merchant, and should trade with
balance.

[blocks in formation]

'Shalt keep it no longer, I'll gi' it him for thee. Drug. Will ye?

Face. 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 intreat

Another favour of

your worship.

Face. What is it, Nab?

Drug. But to look over, sir, my almanack,
And cross out my ill days, that I may neither

Face. Why this is strange? Is it not, honest Bargain nor trust upon them.
Nab?

Drug. Yes, very strange.

Sub. There is a ship now, coming from Ormus, That shall yield him such a commodity Of drugs- -Come hither, Abel; This is the west, and this is the south.

Drug. Yes, sir.

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.

[Looking at the plan. I am a made man.

Sub. And those are your two sides?
Drug. Aye, sir.

Sub. Make me your door, then, south; your broadside, west:

And, on the east side of your shop, aloft,
Write Mathlai, Tarmael, and Baraborat:
Upon the north-part, Rael, Velel, Thiel.
They are the names of those mercurial spirits,
That do fright flies from boxes.
Drug. Yes, sir.

Sub. And

Beneath your threshold, bury me a loadstone, To draw in gallants, that wear spurs; the rest They'll seem to follow.

Face. Away.

[Exit.

Why, now you smoaky prosecutor of nature! Now do you see, that something's to be done, Beside your beech-coal, and your cor'sive wa

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

To one, that's with him.

Sub. Face, go you, and shift.
Dol, you must presently make ready too-
Dol. Why, what's the matter?

Sub. Oh, I did look for him

With the sun's rising: marvel, he could sleep!
This is the day I am to perfect for him
The Magisterium, our great-work, the stone;
And yield it, made, into his hands; of which
He has this month talked, as he were possessed.
He's in belief of chemistry so bold,

If his dream last, he'll turn the age to gold.

[Exeunt.

[blocks in formation]

This is the day, wherein, to all my friends,
I will pronounce the happy word, Be rich.
This day you shall be spectatissimi,
And have your punques, and punquetees,
Surly,

my

Face,

And unto thee, I speak it first, Be rich.
Where is my Subtle, there! Within, ho!
Face. [Within.] Sir, he'll come to you, by
and by.

Mam. That's his fire-drake,

His lungs, his Zephirus; he, that puffs his coals,
Till he firk Nature up in her own centre.

You are doubtful, sir. This night, I'll change
All that is metal, in my house, to gold.
And, early in the morning, will I send
To all the plumbers, and the pewterers,

Give safety, valour, yea, and victory,

To whom he will. În eight and twenty days,
I'll make an old man of fourscore a child.
Sur. No doubt; he's that already.
Mam. Nay, I mean,

Restore his years, renew him, like an eagle,
To the fifth age; make him get sons and daugh-

ters,

Become stout Marses, and beget young cupids. Sur. The decayed vestals of Drury-Lane 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.
Past all the dozes of your drugging doctors.
You're still incredulous?

Sur. Faith I have a humour,

I would not willingly be gulled. Your stone Cannot transmute me.

Mam. Surly,

Will you believe antiquity? Records?

I'll show you a book, where Moses, and his sister,
And Solomon, have written of the art;

And buy their tin, and lead up; and to Loth- Aye, and a treatise penned by Adam.

bury,

[blocks in formation]

Sur. How!

[blocks in formation]

This day, thou shalt have ingots; and, to-mor- | My foot-boy shall eat pheasants, calvered sal

[blocks in formation]

Let them stand bare, as do their auditory;
Or cap them new with shingles.

Mam. No, good thatch :

Thatch will lie light upon the rafters, Lungs. Lungs, I will manumit thee from the furnace; I will restore thee thy complexion, Puffe, Lost in the embers; and repair this brain, Hurt wi' the fume o' the metals.

Face. I have blown, sir,

Hard for your worship; these bleared eyes Have waked, to read your several colours, sir; Of the pale citron, the green lion, the crow, The peacock's tail, the plumed swan.

Mam. And lastly,

Thou hast descryed the flower?
Face. Yes, sir.

Mam. Where's master?

Face. At his prayers, sir: he,

Good man, he's doing his devotions,
For the success.

Mam. Lungs, I will set a period

To all thy labours: thou shalt be the master Of my seraglio.

For I do mean

To have a list of wives and concubines,

Equal with Solomon, who had the stone Alike with me:

Thou art sure thou saw'st it, blood?

Face. Both blood and spirit, sir.

mons,

Knots, godwits, lampreys: I myself will have The beards of barbels served instead of sallads; Oiled mushrooms,

Dressed with an exquisite and poignant sauce; For which, I'll say unto my cook, there's gold, Go forth, and be a knight.

Face. Sir, I'll go look A little, how it heightens.

Mam. Do. My shirts

[Exit.

I'll have of taffata-sarsnet, soft and light
As cob-webs; and for all my other raiment,
It shall be such as might provoke the Persian,
Were he to teach the world riot anew.
My gloves of fishes and birds-skins, perfumed
With gums of paradise and eastern air-

Sur. And do you think to have the stone with this?

Mam. No, I do think to have all this with the stone.

Sur. Why, I have heard, he must be homo frugi,

A pious, holy, and religious man,

One free from mortal sin, a very virgin.

Mam. That makes it, sir; he is so. But I buy

it.

My venture brings it me. He, honest wretch,
A notable, superstitious, good soul,
Has worn his knees bare, and his slippers bald,
With prayer and fasting for it; and, sir, let him
Do it alone, for me, still. Here he comes.
Not a prophane word, afore him! 'tis poison.
Enter SUBTLE,

Good-morrow, father.

Sub. Gentle son, good-morrow!

And to your friend there. What is he is with you?

Mam. An heretic that I did bring along,

In hope, sir, to convert him.

Sub. Son, I doubt

You are covetous, that thus you meet your time

Mam. I will have all my beds blown up; not I' the just point: prevent your day, at morning! stuffed;

Down is too hard.

(Is it arrived at ruby?)

Where I spy

A wealthy citizen, or a rich lawyer,
Have a sublimed pure wife, unto that fellow
I'll send a thousand pounds, to be my cuckold.
Face. And shall I carry it?

Mam. No, I'll have no bawds,

But fathers and mothers. They will do it best,
Best of all others. And my flatterers
Shall be the pure, and gravest of divines,
That I can get for money. My meet fools,
Eloquent burgesses.

We will be brave, Puffe, now we have the medicine.

My meat shall all come in, in Indian shells.
Dishes of agate set in gold, and studded
With emeralds, saphirs, hyacinths, and rubies.

This argues something, worthy of a fear

Of importune, and carnal appetite;

Take heed, you do not cause the blessing leave

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Mam. No, he will not be gulled! let him alone.
Face. You are very right, sir; she is a most
rare scholar,

And is gone mad with studying Broughton's works.
If
you but name a word touching the Hebrew,
She falls into her fit, and will discourse
So learnedly of genealogies,

As you would run mad too, to hear her, sir.
Mam. How might one do to have conference
with her, Lungs?

Face. Oh, divers have run mad upon the con

[blocks in formation]

Mam. Drink that. [Gives him money.] What

is she, when she's out of her fit.

Face. Oh, the most affablest creature, sir, so merry!

[Exit SUBTLE. So pleasant! she'll mount you up, like quick

Face. She's mad, sir, and sent hither

Mam. Stay, man, what is she?

Face. A lord's sister, sir.

He'll be mad too.

silver,

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]
« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »