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Enter Wife, and a Servant.

Ser. 'Faith, miftrefs, if it might not be prefumption

In me to tell you fo, for his excufe

You had fmall reafon, knowing his abuse.
Wife. I grant I had; but alas,

Why fhould our faults at home be spread abroad?
'Tis grief enough within doors. At first fight
Mine uncle could run o'er his prodigal life
As perfectly as if his ferious eye

Had number'd all his follies:

Knew of his mortgag'd lands, his friends in bonds, Himself wither'd with debts 9; and in that minute Had I added his ufage and unkindness,

"Twould have confounded every thought of good : Where now, fathering his riots on his youth, Which time and tame experience will shake off,Gueffing his kindnefs to me, (as I fmooth'd him' With all the skill I had, though his deferts

*Enter Wife-] The quarto adds-in a riding fuit, the lady being fuppofed to have juft returned from London. MALONE. • Himself wither'd with debts;] So in A Midsummer Night's Dream:

"Like to, a stepdame, or a dowager,

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Long withering out a young man's revenue.”

- as I fmooth'd him] So in King Richard II:

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Had it been a stranger, not my child,

MALONE.

"To Smooth his fault I would have been more mild."

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STEEVENS,

Seem'd not to ftrike, but smooth." MALONE.

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Are in form uglier than an unfhap'd bear',)
He's ready to prefer him to fome office
And place at court; a good and fure relief
To all his stooping fortunes. 'Twill be a means, I
hope,

To make new league between us, and redeem
His virtues with his lands.

Ser. I fhould think fo, miftrefs. If he fhould not now be kind to you, and love you, and cherish you up, I fhould think the devil himself kept open house in him.

Wife. I doubt not but he will. Now pr'ythee leave me; I think I hear him coming.

Ser. I am gone.

[Exit. Wife. By this good means I fhall preferve my lands, And free my husband out of ufurers' hands. Now there's no need of fale; my uncle's kind: I hope, if aught, this will content his mind. Here comes my husband.

Enter Hufband.

Huf. Now, are you come? Where's the money? Let's fee the money. Is the rubbish fold? those wife-acres, your lands? Why when? The money? Where is it? Pour it down; down with it, down with it: I fay pour't on the ground; let's fee it, let's fee it.

Wife. Good fir, keep but in patience, and I hope my words fhall like you well. I bring you better comfort than the fale of my dowry.

Huf Ha! What's that?

Wife. Pray do not fright me, fir, but vouchsafe me hearing. My uncle, glad of your kindnefs to me

Are in form uglier than an unfhap'd bear,] So the duke of Glofter fpeaking of himself in one of our author's hiftorical plays; To difproportion me in every part,

"Like to a chaos, or unlich'd bear-whelp." STEEVENS. my words shall like you well.] Shall pleafe you. MALONE,

and

and mild ufage (for fo I made it to him), hath in pity of your declining fortunes, provided a place for you at court, of worth and credit; which fo much overjoy'd me

Huf. Out on thee, filth! over and overjoy'd, when I'm in torment? [Spurns her.] Thou politick whore*, fubtiler than nine devils, was this thy journey to nunck? to fet down the hiftory of me, of my state and fortunes? Shall I that dedicated myfelf to pleafure, be now confin'd in fervice? to crouch and ftand s like an old man i'the hams, my hat off? I that could never abide to uncover mv.head i'the church? Base flut! this fruit bear thy complaints.

Wife. O, heaven knows

That my complaints were praifes, and beft words,
Of you and your eftate. Only, my friends
Knew of your mortgag'd lands, and were poffefs'd
Of every accident before I came.

If you fufpect it but a plot in me,

To keep my dowry, or for mine own good,
Or my poor children's, (though it fuits a mother
To fhow a natural care in their reliefs,)
Yet I'll forget myfelf to calm your blood:
Confume it, as your pleafure counfels you.

-thou politick whore,-] Thus Othello:

"I took you for the cunning whore of Venice," &c. STEEVENS.

5 to crouch and ftand, &c.] So in Julius Cæfar: "Muft I obferve you? Must I ftand and crouch "Under your tefty humour ?"

The conftruction, I think, is- to fland, and crouch in the hams, like an old man, &c. MALONE.

-in fervice to crouch-] So in the Prologue to K. Henry V: "Crouch for employment." STEEVENS.

like an old man i'the hams,-] I would read,

like a man old i'the hams.

i. e, with his knees bent. Hamlet, among other marks of age takes notice of most weak hams.

"my hat off.

So in Antony and Cleopatra:

I have ever held my cap off to thy fortunes." STEEVENS.

And

And all I wish even clemency affords ;

Give me but pleafant looks, and modeft words.
Huf. Money, whore, money, or I'll-

Enter a Servant haftily.

[Draws a dagger.

What the devil! How now! thy hafty news??
Ser. May it please you, fir--

Huf. What may I not look upon my dagger? Speak, villain, or I will execute the point on thee: Quick, fhort.

Ser. Why, fir, a gentleman from the univerfity ftays below to fpeak with you.

Huf. From the university? fo; university :—that

[Exit.

long word runs through me.

[Exit.

Wife. Was ever wife fo wretchedly befet?

Had not this news ftepp'd in between, the point
Had offer'd violence unto my breaft.

That which fome women call great mifery,

Would fhow but little here; would fcarce be feen

Among my miferies. I may compare

For wretched fortunes, with all wives that are.
Nothing will pleafe him, until all be nothing.
He calls it flavery to be preferr'd;

A place of credit, a base servitude.

What fhall become of me, and my poor children, Two here, and one at nurfe? my pretty beggars! 1 fee how Ruin with a palfied hand

Begins to shake this ancient feat to duft?:

The

Give me but pleafant looks,-] Thus the folio. The quarto, 1608, has comely. MALONE.

What the devil-How now! thy bafty news?] In Macbeth we meet with the fame abruption :

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"And falls on the other-How now! What news ?" STEEVENS,

- or I will execute the point on thee:-] Thus in Othello;

"with determin'd fword

"To execute upon him." STEEVENS.

9

I fee how ruin with a pally hand

Begins to Shake the ancient feat to duft:] These two pic

tureique

The heavy weight of forrow draws my lids
Over my dankifh cyes': I can fcarce fee;

Thus grief will laft ;-it wakes and fleeps with me.

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Another apartment in the fame.

Enter Husband and the Mafter of a College.

[Exit.

Huf. Please you draw near, fir; you're exceeding

welcome.

Maft. That's my doubt; I fear I come not to be

welcome.

Huf. Yes, how foever.

Maft. "Tis not my fafhion, fir, to dwell in long circumftance, but to be plain and effectual; therefore to the purpose. The caufe of my fetting forth was piteous and lamentable. That hopeful young gentleman your brother, whofe virtues we all love dearly, through your default and unnatural neglituresque lines have been preferved in a play called the Fatal Extravagance, (written by one Mitchel, with the affistance of Aaron Hill,) which appeared in the year 1721. It was first exhibited as a piece of one act, and afterwards was enlarged to five. The author profeffes to have taken the hint of his tragedy from the drama now before us. MALONE.

I would read,-a palsied hand. STEEVENS.

This flight change has been adopted in the text, Shakspeare having ufed this word in Meafure for Meafure:

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The heavy weight of lorrow draws my lids
Over my dankifh eyes:] So in K. Richard III:
"My foul is heavy and I fain would fleep-
"Sorrow breaks feafons." STEEVENS.

my dankish eyes:] i. e. eyes moistened with tears. PERCY. *Thus grief will laft ;-] I believe we ought to read-This grief will last MALONE.

2 'Tis not my fashion, fir, to dwell in long circumfiance, but to be plain, &c.] So in King Lear:

66

Sir, 'tis my occupation to be plain." STEEVENS.

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