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A scholar, as you are, I know them diamonds,
By your sole industry, patience, and labour,
Forc'd from steep rocks, and with much toil
attain'd,

[ed;
And but to few, that prize their value, grant-
And therefore, without rival, freely wear
them.
[inform me,

Char. These not repin'd at, as you seem t' The motion must be of a strange condition, If I refuse to yield to't; therefore, Eustace, Without this tempest in your looks, propound And fear not a denial.

50

[it,

Eust. I require then,

(As from an eneiny, and not a brother)
The reputation of a man, the honour,
Not by a fair war won when I was waking,
But in my sleep of folly ravish'd from me!
With these, the restitution of my sword,
With large acknowledgement of satisfaction,
My coach, my horses; I will part with life,
Ere lose one hair of them; and, what con-
cludes all,

My mistress Angellina, as she was
Before the musical magic of thy tongue
Enchanted and seduc'd her. These perform'd,
And with submission, and done publicly,
At my father's and my uncle's intercession,
(That I put in too) I, perhaps, may listen
To terms of reconcilement; but if these
In every circumstance are not subscrib'd to,
To th' last gasp I defy thee.

Char. These are strict
Conditions to a brother.
Enst. My rest is up,50
Nor will I give less.

Char. I'm no gamester, Eustace;
Yet I can guess, your resolution stands
To win or lose all; I rejoice to find you
Thus tender of your honour, and that at
length

You understand what a wretched thing you
were;

How deeply wounded by yourself, and made
Almost incurable in your own hopes;
The dead flesh of pale cowardice grown over
Your fester'd reputation, which no balm
Or gentle unguent ever could make way to.
And I am happy, that I was the surgcon,
That did apply those burning corrosives,
That render you already sensible

[you,

O' th' danger you were plung'd in; teaching
And by a fair gradation, how far,

And with what curious respect and care
The peace and credit of a man within
(Which you ne'er thought 'till now) should
be preferr'd

Before a gaudy outside. Pray you, fix here;
For so far I go with you.

Eust. This discourse

Is from the subject.

Char. I'll come to it, brother;

But if you think to build upon my ruins,
You'll find a false foundation: Your high

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59 My rest is up.] The word rest is frequently employed by the old dramatic writers, and is commonly an allusion to the manner of firing the harquebus. This, says Mr. Steevens, was so heavy a gun, that the soldiers were obliged to carry a supporter, called a rest, which they fixed on the ground before they levelled to take aim. Decker uses it in his comedy of Old Fortunatus, 1600. Set your heart at rest; for I have set up my rest, that unless you run swifter ⚫ than a hart, home you go not.' See also Romeo and Juliet, act iv. sc. v.

R.

Rest, in this place, seems to allude to some game, like the modern hazard. The speech of Eustace and answer of Charles cannot well bear any other sense: Nor will I give less-I'm no gamester-Your resolution stands to win or lose all. Some copies read, Nor will I go less. 31 Taught by the masters of dependencies.] Mr. Whalley, in his notes on Ben Jonson, says, dependance, when the fighting system was in vogue, signified the ground or cause of

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[me;

The lofty noise your Greek made, only pleas'd But, now he's turn'd an Oliver and a Rowland[in him) (Nay, the whole dozen of peers are bound up Let me remember! when I was of his years, I did look very like him; and, did you see My picture as I was then, you would swear That gallant Eustace (I mean, now he dares fight)

Was the true substance and the perfect figure.
Nay, nay, no anger; you shall have enough,
Charles.
[from him.
Char. Sure, Sir, I shall not need addition
Eust. Nor I from any; this shall decide
my interest!

Though I am lost to all deserving men,
To all that men call good, for suff'ring tamely
Insuflerable wrongs, and justly slighted,
By yielding to a minute of delay

In my revenge, and from that made a stranger
Unto my father's house and favour, o'erwhelm'd
With all disgraces; yet I will mount upward,
And force myself a fortune, though my birth
And breeding do deny it!

Char. Seek not, Eustace,

By violence, what will be offer'd to you
On easier composition. Though I was not
Allied unto your weakness, you shall find me
A brother to your bravery of spirit;

And one that, not compell'd to't by your
sword,
[you
(Which I must never fear) will share with
In all but Angellina.

Mir. Nobly said, Charles; [reason, And learn from my experience, you may hear And never maim your fighting. For your credit, [and swinge me, Which you think you have lost, spare Charles; And soundly, three or four walking velvet [serve it,

cloaks, That wear not swords to guard 'em,53 yet deThou art made up again.

quarrel. The reader may see the doctrine humourously explained in the Devil is an Ass, act iii.' It is also mentioned in the New Inn, and Every Man in his Humour, by the same author; and is fully explained by Caranza, in his Treatise on Duelling.

R.

52 I'd dance a mattachin with you.] This was a dance, as Skinner tells us in his Etymologicum, of great rapidity, so called from the Italian word matto, a fool or madman: because the performers used many frantic gesticulations: And Ferrarius, in his Origines Linguæ Italicæ, gives us much the same description of it. Theobald.

53

spare Charles; and swinge me,'

And soundly, three or four walking relvet cloaks,

That wear no swords to guard 'em.] How would Eustace give proof of his valour, by

beating

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And. Yes, by my life, Sir; and if now you And speedily, by force or by persuasion, My good old master (for now I pity him) Is ruin'd for ever.

Char. Ha! my father?

And. He, Sir.

Mir. By what ineans? speak.

And. At the suit of Monsieur Lewis,
His house is seiz'd upon, and he in person
Is under guard (I saw it with these eyes, Sir)
To be convey'd to Paris, and there sentenc'd.
Mir. Nay, then there is no jesting.
Char. Do I live,

And know my father injur❜d?
And. And what's worse, Sir,

My lady Angellina

Eust. What of her?

And. She's carried away too.
Mir. How?

And. While you were absent,

[men

A crew of monsieur Lewis's friends and kinsBy force brake in at th' back part of the house, And took her away by violence. Faithful Andrew

(As this can witness for him) did his best In her defence; but 'twould not do.

Mir. Away,

And see our horses saddled! 'tis no time
To talk, but do. Eustace, you now are offer'd
A spacious field, and in a pious war,
To exercise your valour; here's a cause,
And such a one, in which to fall is honourable,
Your duty and reverence due to a father's name
Commanding it: But these unnatural jars,

Arising between brothers, should you prosper, Would shame your victory.

Eust. I would do much, Sir; But still, my reputation

Mir. Charles shall give you

All decent satisfaction; nay, join hands,
And heartily. Why, this is done like brothers;
And old as I am, in this cause that concerns
The honour of our family, monsieur Lewis,
If reason cannot work, shall find and feel
There's hot blood in this arm; I'll lead you
bravely.

Eust. And if I follow not, a coward's name Be branded on my forehead!

Char. This spirit makes you

A sharer in my fortunes.

Mir. And in mine;

Of which (Brisac once freed, and Angellina Again in our possession) you shall know My heart speaks in my tongue.

Eust. I dare not doubt it, Sir. [Exeunt.

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falsely

Your malice hath inform'd him, he in justice Must set me right again.

Ang. Sir, let not passion

So far transport you as to think in reason,
This violent course repairs, but rather ruins,
That honour you would build up: You destroy
What you would seem to nourish. If respect
Of
iny preferment, or my reputation,
May challenge your paternal love and care,
Why do you, now good fortune has provided
A better husband for me than your hopes
Could ever fancy, strive to rob me of him?
In what is my love Charles defective, Sir?
Unless deep learning be a blemish in him,
Or well-proportion'd limbs be mulcts in na-

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beating three or four beaux who had no swords to defend themselves with? The meaning undoubtedly is, who wear swords for ornament, and not for use, as Cowsy above says, he does; and that the court allows it. Put not for no, and it will give this sense: Only it will still remain capable of the former. I would therefore read,

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We believe Mr. Seward perfectly right in altering no to not; but why transpose? He seems desirous of establishing a double entendre; which his transposition entirely destroys. Our reading is nearer the old text; while, taken in either sense, the meaning may be said to be void of ambiguity:

That wear not swords to guard them.

Syl. Her lust! You are her father. Lew. And you her bawd.

Syl. Were you ten lords, 'tis false; The pureness of her chaste thoughts enterSuch spotted instruments. [tains not

Ang. As I have a soul, Sir

Lew. I am not to be alter'd: To sit down With this disgrace would argue me a peasant, And not born noble: All rigour that the law, And that encrease of pow'r by favour yields, Shall be with all severity inflicted; [serve, You have the king's hand for't; no bail will And therefore at your perils, officers, away Bri. This is madness. [with 'em.

Lew. Tell me so in open court,

And there I'll answer you.

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ment,

That is not tender'd to you; rather than
Be cross'd in what you purpos'd, you'll undo
Your daughter's fame, the credit of your judg-
[states,
And your old foolish neighbour! make your
And in a suit not worth a cardecue, 54
A prey to advocates, and their buckram scribes;
And after they have plum'd ye, return home,
Like a couple of naked fowls, without a fea-
ther.

Char. This is a most strong truth, Sir.
Mir. No, no, monsieur,

Let us be right Frenchmen; violent to charge,
But, when our follies are repell'd by reason,
"Tis fit that we retreat, and ne'er come on more.
Observe my learn'd Charles; he'll get thee a
nephew

On Angellina, shall dispute in her belly,
And suck the nurse by logick. And here's
Eustace;

He was an ass, but now is grown an Amadis;
Nor shall he want a wife, if all my land
For a jointure can effect it. You're a good
And of a gentle nature; in your looks [lord,
I see a kind consent, and it shews lovely.
And, do you hear, old fool?

Bri. Your brother, Sir.
Mir. But I'll not chide;

Hereafter, like me, ever dote on learning;
The mere belief is excellent, 'twill save you.
And next, love valour; though you dare not
fight
[stace
Yourself, or fright a foolish officer, young Eu-
Can do it to a hair. And to conclude,
Let Andrew's farm b' increas'd, that is your
penance,

You know for what; and see you rut no more, You understand me. So, embrace on all sides. I'll pay those billmen, and make large amends; Provided we preserve you still our friends. [Exeunt omnes.

THE EPILOGUE.

'Tis not the hands, or smiles, or common way
Of approbation to a well-lik'd play,
We only hope; but that you freely would,
To th' Author's memory, so far unfold,

54

And shew your loves and liking to his wit,
Not in your praise, but often seeing it;
That being the grand assurance, that can give
The poet and the player means to live.

———not worth a cardecue.] We have made an English word of this from a corruption of the French, un quart d'écu, i.e. the fourth part of a French crown. Theobald.

THE SPANISH CURATE.

A COMEDY.

The Commendatory Verses by Gardiner and Lovelace attribute this Comedy wholly to Fletcher; but we see no more reason for assigning this Play to him exclusively, than any other published in the joint names of him and Beaumont. The folio of 1647 contains the first printed copy. The Spanish Curate was revived at Drury-Lane Theatre in 1749; but it has not been performed for many years past. Dryden (in his Spanish Fryar) and Congreve (in his Old Batchelor) are greatly indebted to the Comedy now before us; and it seems very evident, that it afforded some material hints towards framing a musical entertainment, of a modern date, called the Padlock.

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Angelo.] This character, Mr. Theobald, with a freedom unknown to any Editors but those of Beaumont and Fletcher's Works in 1750, expunges from the drama; and yet he suffers the name Angelo to remain to those speeches which are allotted to him in the play.

VOL. I.

2 F

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