University of Virginia Library

Scen. VII.

To them Prusias.
[Phi.]
—Save you valiant Prusias.
God give you joy Sir of your handsome Widdow;
Poor Soldiers can get nothing; your three legs
And five Similitudes have done the Deed.
I'l leave you to your Beauty.
Exit Phil.

Pyl.
How now Servant,
I see y'are Constant.

Pru.
'Tis your Vertue makes me.

Pyl.
Do not you call my Gold my Vertue Sir?
Are not my Bags good Manners? and my Jewels
Cleanly Behaviour? You have laid your Trap,
Only to catch a Booty that may find you
Powders and Curling Irons

Pru.
I shall have
No need of those, for you shall be my Head—

Pyl.
—And your Brain too—

Pru.
And understand for me.

Pyl.
Whiles out of Ignorance perhaps you'l keep
Some needy Poet in a politike Pension
Not to write Satyrs on you, and so rent
His wit, and Liberty of him, that you may
Vent Verses, and sin safely.

Pru.
I will turn
Poet my self, it is in fashion, Lady:
Hee's scarce a Courtier now, that hath not writ
His brace of Plaies. It is a Quality
That works more now upon the City Dames.
Than throwing of the Sledg, or Jumping well.

Pyl.
But Poets never yet prov'd vertuous Husbands.

Pru.
To please you then, I will speak only grave
Sad Morall Sentences; cough sager Proverbs;
And live your Yoakfellow in City Prose.
You shall not shake me off, although you beat me;
Nay, that shall make me love you more. I am
Your Spaniel, Lady.

Pyl.
'Twere a good experiment
To try whe'r y' are true bred or no. Elpidia!
Bring me the holly Wand, with which I last
[Elpid. brings the Wand.
Did exercise. Come Sir, about: I'l try you.
What? shrink for this? you have no Mettle Man,
'T will be my dayly Practice, if you have me,
To keep my self in Breath: I'm us'd to do it,
I should grow Pursie else.

Pru.
No more o' your Wand!
You see my Patience Cudgell-proof: pray y'try
My sufferance, Lady, in another kind.
You shall find Prusias ha dy.

Pyl.
Think you so?
Say that I have some Project in my head,
Some grand exployt, durst you perform your Part?

Pru.
Pray y'try me Madam.

Pyl.
By my hopes o'th' Throne,
If you perform what's in this little Schedule,
Wee're Man and Wife to Morrow.

Pru.
Were it to
Encounter with a Fury, I would do it.
Exit Prus.