Volume Ix Part 56 (1/2)
Well, trust him not: the tiger hides his claws, When oft he doth pretend[152] the greatest guiles.
But stay: here comes Lelia's nurse.
_Enter_ NURSE.
SOPHOS.
Nurse, what news? How fares my love?
NURSE.
How fares she, quotha? marry, she may fare how she will for you. Neither come to her nor send to her of a whole fortnight! Now I swear to you by my maidenhead, if my husband should have served me so when he came a wooing me, I would never have looked on him with a good face, as long as I had lived. But he was as kind a wretch as ever laid lips of a woman: he would a'come through the windows, or doors, or walls, or anything, but he would have come to me. Marry, after we had been married a while, his kindness began to slack, for I'll tell you what he did: he made me believe he would go to Green-goose fair; and I'll be sworn he took his legs, and ran clean away. And I am afraid you'll prove e'en such another kind piece to my mistress; for she sits at home in a corner weeping for you: and, I'll be sworn, she's ready to die upward for you. And her father o' the other side, he yawls at her, and jawls at her; and she leads such a life for you, it pa.s.ses: and you'll neither come to her, nor send to her. Why, she thinks you have forgotten her.
SOPHOS.
Nay, then let heav'ns in sorrow end my days, And fatal fortune never cease to frown: And heav'n and earth, and all conspire to pull me down, If black oblivion seize upon my heart, Once to estrange my thoughts from Lelia's love.
FORTUNATUS.
Why, nurse, I am sure that Lelia hears From Sophos once a day at least by Churms The lawyer, who is his only friend.
NURSE.
What, young master! G.o.d bless mine eyesight. Now, by my maidenhead, y'are welcome home: I am sure my mistress will be glad to see you. But what said you of Master Churms?
FORTUNATUS.
Marry, I say he's a well-wisher to my sister Lelia, And a secret friend to Sophos.
NURSE.
Marry, the devil he is! trust him, and hang him. Why, he cannot speak a good word on him to my old master; and he does so ruffle before my mistress with his barbarian eloquence,[153] and strut before her in a pair of Polonian legs, as if he were a gentleman-usher to the great Turk or to the devil of Dowgate. And if my mistress would be ruled by him, Sophos might go snick-up: but he has such a b.u.t.ter-milk face, that she'll never have him.
SOPHOS.
Can falsehood lurk in those enticing looks!
And deep dissemblance lie, where truth appears?
FORTUNATUS.
Injurious villain, to betray his friend!
NURSE.
Sir, do you know the gentleman?
FORTUNATUS.
Faith, not well.
NURSE.
Why, sir, he looks like a red herring at a n.o.bleman's table on Easter-day, and he speaks nothing but almond-b.u.t.ter and sugarcandy.
FORTUNATUS.
That's excellent.
SOPHOS.
This world's the chaos of confusion; No world at all, but ma.s.s of open wrongs, Wherein a man, as in a map, may see The highroad way from woe to misery.
FORTUNATUS.
Content yourself, and leave these pa.s.sions: Now do I sound the depth of all their drifts, The devil's[154] device and Churms his knavery; On whom this heart hath vow'd to be reveng'd.
I'll scatter them: the plot's already in my head.