_Will._ Hah! cheaply purchas"d too! I languish for her.
_Beau._ Ay, there"s the Devil on"t, she is-- a Wh.o.r.e.
_Will._ Ah, what a charming Sound that mighty Word bears!
_Beau._ d.a.m.n her, she"ll be thine or any body"s.
_Will._ I die for her--
_Beau._ Then for her Qualities--
_Will._ No more-- ye G.o.ds, I ask no more, Be she but fair and much a Wh.o.r.e-- Come let"s to her.
_Beau._ Perhaps to morrow you may see this Woman.
_Will._ Death,"tis an Age.
_Feth._ Oh, Captain, the strangest News, Captain.
_Will._ Prithee what?
_Feth._ Why, Lieutenant _Shift_ here tells us of two Monsters arriv"d from _Mexico_, Jews of vast Fortunes, with an old Jew Uncle their Guardian; they are worth a hundred thousand Pounds a piece-- Marcy upon"s, why,"tis a Sum able to purchase all _Flanders_ again from his most christian Majesty.
_Will._ Ha, ha, ha, Monsters!
_Beau._ He tells you Truth, _Willmore_.
_Blunt._ But hark ye, Lieutenant, are you sure they are not married?
_Beau._ Who the Devil would venture on such formidable Ladies?
_Feth._ How, venture on "em! by the Lord _Harry_, and that would I, tho I"m a Justice of the Peace, and they be Jews, (which to a Christian is a thousand Reasons.)
_Blunt._ Is the Devil in you to declare our Designs? [Aside.
_Feth._ Mum, as close as a Jesuit.
_Beau._ I admire your Courage, Sir, but one of them is so little, and so deform"d,"tis thought she is not capable of Marriage; and the other is so huge an overgrown Giant, no Man dares venture on her.
_Will._ Prithee let"s go see "em; what do they pay for going in?
_Feth._ Pay-- I"d have you to know they are Monsters of Quality.
_Shift._ And not to be seen but by particular Favour of their Guardian, whom I am got acquainted with, from the Friendship I have with the Merchant where they lay. The Giant, Sir, is in love with me, the Dwarf with Ensign _Hunt_, and as we manage Matters we may prove lucky.
_Beau._ And didst thou see the Show? the Elephant and the Mouse.
_Shift._ Yes, and pleased them wondrously with News I brought "em of a famous Mountebank who is coming to _Madrid_, here are his Bills-- who amongst other his marvellous Cures, pretends to restore Mistakes in Nature, to new-mould a Face and Body tho never so misshapen, to exact Proportion and Beauty. This News has made me gracious to the Ladies, and I am to bring "em word of the Arrival of this famous Empirick, and to negotiate the Business of their Reformation.
_Will._ And do they think to be restor"d to moderate sizes?
_Shift._ Much pleas"d with the Hope, and are resolv"d to try at any Rate.
_Feth._ Mum, Lieutenant-- not too much of their Transformation; we shall have the Captain put in for a Share, and the Devil would not have him his Rival: _Ned_ and I are resolv"d to venture a Castfor "em as they are-- Hah, _Ned_.
[_Will._ and _Beau._ read the Bill.
_Blunt._ Yes, if there were any Hopes of your keeping a Secret.
_Feth._ Nay, nay, _Ned_, the World knows I am a plaguy Fellow at your Secrets; that, and my Share of the Charge shall be my Part, for _Shift_ says the Guardian must be brib"d for Consent: Now the other Moiety of the Mony and the Speeches shall be thy part, for thou hast a pretty Knack that way. Now _Shift_ shall bring Matters neatly about, and we"ll pay him by the Day, or in gross, when we are married-- hah, _Shift_.
_Shift._ Sir, I shall be reasonable.
_Will._ I am sure _Fetherfool_ and _Blunt_ have some wise Design upon these two Monsters-- it must be so-- and this Bill has put an extravagant Thought into my Head-- hark ye, _Shift_.
[Whispers to him.
_Blunt._ The Devil"s in"t if this will not redeem my Reputation with the Captain, and give him to understand that all the Wit does not lie in the Family of the _Willmores_, but that this Noddle of mine can be fruitful too upon Occasion.
_Feth._ Ay, and Lord, how we"ll domineer, _Ned_, hah-- over _Willmore_ and the rest of the Renegade Officers, when we have married these Lady Monsters, hah, _Ned_.
_Blunt._ --Then to return back to _Ess.e.x_ worth a Million.
_Feth._ And I to _Croyden_--
_Blunt._ --Lolling in Coach and Six--
_Feth._ --Be dub"d Right Worshipful--
_Blunt._ And stand for Knight of the Shire.
_Will._ Enough-- I must have my Share of this Jest, and for divers and sundry Reasons thereunto belonging, must be this very Mountebank expected.
_Shift._ Faith, Sir, and that were no hard matter, for a day or two the Town will believe it, the same they look for: and the Bank, Operators and Musick are all ready.
_Will._ Well enough, add but a _Harlequin_ and _Scaramouch_, and I shall mount in querpo.
_Shift._ Take no care for that, Sir, your Man, and Ensign _Hunt_, are excellent at those two; I saw "em act "em the other day to a Wonder, they"ll be glad of the Employment, my self will be an Operator.
_Will._ No more, get "em ready, and give it out, the Man of Art"s arriv"d: Be diligent and secret, for these two politick a.s.ses must be cozen"d.
_Shift._ I will about the Business instantly. [Ex. _Shift_.
_Beau._ This Fellow will do Feats if he keeps his Word.
_Will._ I"ll give you mine he shall-- But, dear _Beaumond_, where shall we meet anon?
_Beau._ I thank ye for that-- "Gad, ye shall dine with me.
_Feth._ A good Motion--