 | The Lots |  |
SCENE III.
Enter STALINO.Stal.
In my opinion love's to be preferr'd
To all things; and of every excellency
'Tis the most excellent. Nor is there aught
That can be mention'd, has a higher relish,
Or more of sweetness in it. I much wonder,
Your cooks, who use so many different sorts
Of seasoning, should never in their sauces
Put some of this, which so excells them all.
The sauce that has the seasoning of love
Must please all palates. And without a mixture,
A little dash of love, no sauce will have
A relish, nor taste sweet upon the palate.
Love changes gall to honey, to sweet, bitter;
Clears up the gloom, and renders strait the man
Agreeable and pleasant. This opinion,
I from my own experience rather form
Than what I hear without doors. For, e'er since
I've been in love with Casina, I surpass
Neatness itself in neatness. Now I visit
All the perfumers; and where'er I meet
A perfume that is excellent, I use it,
That I may please her. And it seems to me
That I succeed—But there's one thing torments me,
My wife's alive—I see her standing there,
And gloomy too. However disagreeable,
293
My wife! my joy, how do'st thou?
[to Cle.
Cle.
Get you gone,
And touch me not.
Sta.
O fie! O fie! my Juno,
It don't become thee to behave so peevishly
To thine own Jupiter—Where art going now?
Cle.
Let me alone.
Sta.
Nay stay.
Cle.
I will not stay.
Sta.
By Pollux! then I'll follow thee.
Cle.
I prithee!
Have you your wits?
Sta.
Yes sure, when I love thee.
Cle.
I do not want your love.
Sta.
You'll have it tho'.
Cle.
I'm plagu'd to death w'you.
Sta.
Would that you spoke truth.
Cle.
There I believe you—
Sta.
But look back upon me,
My sweeting—
Cle.
Yes, as much as you are mine.
But whence this stink of perfumes?
Sta.
I'm undone!
Plainly discover'd. Why not with my cloak
Strait wipe them of? May Mercury confound thee,
Thou vile perfumer, that hast given them me!
Cle.
Thou good for nothing grey old gnat; I scarce
Refrain from calling you what you deserve.
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Sta.
By Pollux! I was only with a friend
Who bought some.
Cle.
See, how soon he has hammer'd out
An answer! Are you then asham'd of nothing?
Sta.
Yes, I'm asham'd of ev'ry thing you'd have.
Cle.
What brothel, say, have you been lying in?
Sta.
I, in a brothel!
Cle.
Yes, I know more of you
Than you imagine.
Stal.
Well, what is't you know?
Cle.
That you're of all old fellows the most sneaking.
Thou thing of nothing, whence art thou now come?
Where hast thou been? What whore hast thou been lying with?
Where is it thou'st been drinking? Yes, 'tis so,
By Castor's temple! look but at his cloak,
How wrinkled 'tis.
Sta.
The gods confound us both!
If I have touch'd a drop of wine to-day.
Cle.
Well, well, do what you like: drink, eat, consume
Your substance.
Sta.
Hold, wife, now there is enough.
Restrain your tongue, you din my ears too much.
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To scold at me to-morrow. But what say you?
Has't so far got the better of thy temper,
To do the thing thy husband has desir'd,
Rather than contradict him?
Cle.
About what?
Sta.
A pretty question that? why touching Casina
Your handmaid, to bestow her as a wife
On our Olympio here, an honest servant;
With him all will be well: she'll have her wood,
Bath, food, and cloathing; she will have wherewith
To bring up any children she may have;
Rather than give her to that armour-bearer,
That good for nothing sorry fellow there,
Who is not worth a single doit; unless
It is a leaden one.
Cle.
By Castor's temple!
I wonder much, that at your time of life
You should not know your duty.
Sta.
How! Why so?
Cle.
For if you did what's right and reasonable,
You'd leave to me the care of my maid-servants;
It is my proper business.
Sta.
So you'd give her,
(A mischief on you!) to that 'squire at armes?
Cle.
We should do something for our only son.
Sta.
Tho' he's my only son, he is not more
My only son, than I'm his only father.
And 'tis more just that to my will he should
Conform himself, than I to his.—
Cle.
Good man,
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By Castor's temple!
Sta.
Yes, she smells a rat,
[aside.
I find 'tis so— [to her]
What! I, do you say?
Cle.
Yes, you.
Why that impatient air else? why desire
This thing so vehemently?
Sta.
Because I'd rather
She should be given to an honest servant
Than a dishonest one.
Cle.
Suppose I should
Intreat, nay more, engage Olympio,
On my account, to give her up to him?
Sta.
Suppose I from Chalinus should obtain
His free consent to take her? Why, then I
Should gain my point.
Cle.
We stand on even ground then.
Shall I, in your name, call Chalinus hither?
You'll talk with him, as I will with Olympio.
Sta.
With all my heart.
Cle.
He'll soon be here—And now
Let's try, which of us two can best persuade.
[Exit.
Sta.
May Hercules! and all the gods confound her!
Now I'm at liberty to say as much.
This love torments me, and in my opinion
My wife makes it a point to make me angry.
She has some mistrust of what I am contriving,
And for that reason she assists Chalinus.
| The Lots | |