 | The Strange Discovery |  |
Scena sexta.
Enter Nebulo and Nebulona.Nebulo.
Nebulona my pretty chickin, how faires thy body?
didst thou not thinke me lost long agoe?
Nebulona.
I gave you for dead in good faith, and was in the
humour once to marry another man?
Nebulo.
Why sure thou wert not, thou dost but jest I know.
Nebulona.
Truely I was, nor could you blame me for it if I
had; is it not a torture, thinke you, for a woman, to stay seven
yeeres without her husbands company?
Nebulo.
Methinkes my browes begin Acteon-like to bud
already, they are very knotty, I pray God thou hast not graft
something there, I begin to suspect it shrewdly by diverse
signes and tokens, how comes your belly so high wife?
Nebulona.
'Tis nothing but a timpany I am sometimes troubled
with.
Nebulo.
I do believe thee, how long is it since you perceiv'd
it to grow upon you?
Nebulona.
About two moneths since, the Doctor tells me I
Nebulo.
He is a foole, I am a better Doctor then he, thou shalt
goe with it this foureteene weekes yet or thereabouts; come
you are a whore, and have abus'd my honest bed; Ile have you
before the Justices to be punish'd for thy offence.
Nebulona.
Spare me prethee gentle Nebulo, and hearken to
my counsell a little, since thou art a cuckold (as I doe not deny
it) choose whether thou wilt weare the hornes in thy forehead,
and so all men see them, or put them into thy pocket, and
no man see them, I leave it to thy owne discretion.
Nebulo.
Why then I am a cuckold it seemes?
Nebulona.
I cannot say against it truely, and speake the truth,
if I should, this marke of thy fortune here deepely stamped
would bewray me, be not so foolish now as Vulcan was, to
make a proclamation of thy forked order.
Nebulo.
Did Uulcan do so?
[Nebulona.]
Yes, but afterwards he repented it for he forg'd an
artificiall net, with which he caught his wife Venus and Mars
a bed together in carnall copulation, then called all the gods
and goddesses to be spectators of his owne shame.
Nebul.
But what said they when they saw it?
Nebulona.
They commended Mars, but condemned Uulcan
for being the publisher of his owne disgrace.
Nebul.
But twas a shame for Mars to be caught so.
Nebulona.
The gods wish'd every one of them if that were a
shame, to be shamed in the same manner.
Nebulo.
but how did Venus take this?
Nebulona.
In scorne of the smith, and in revenge of this trick
hath made his head as hard as his anvile.
Nebulo.
Thou hast devis'd a pretty story in thy owne defence,
i'st best to follow thy counsell, and say nothing, or stirre
this bad thing and make it stinke the more?
Nebulona.
You may do what you please, but I have told you
the best course.
Nebulo.
Let it be so then; I have travelled well I trow, and
to good purpose, at my returne home to father a child, of
which I did not beget so much as the least finger or the least
toe; if this be the fruits of travelling, God keepe me from it
are friends, do so no more, and all is forgotten.
Nebulona.
Not, if you stay at home and warme my bed,
But if you leave me, then have at your head.
Exeunt.
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