Scene II.—_A street in Madrid. Night. Enter Chispa, followed by

musicians, with a bag-pipe, guitars, and other instruments._

_Chispa._ Abernuncio Satanas! and a plague on all lovers who ramble about at night, drinking the elements instead of sleeping quietly in their beds. Every dead man to his cemetery, say I; and every friar to his monastery. Now, here’s my master, Victorian, yesterday a cow-keeper and to-day a gentleman; yesterday a student and to-day a lover; and I must be up later than the nightingale, for as the abbot sings so must the sacristan respond. God grant he may soon be married, for then shall all this serenading cease. Man is fire, and woman is tow, and the devil comes and blows; and, therefore, I have heard my grandmother say, that if your neighbor has a son, wipe his nose and marry him to your daughter. Aye! marry! marry! marry! Mother, what does marry mean? It means to spin, to bear children, and to weep, my daughter! And of a truth there is something more in matrimony than cake and kid gloves. (_To the musicians._) And now, gentlemen, Pax vobiscum! as the ass said to the cabbages. Pray walk this way; and don’t hang down your heads. It is no disgrace to have an old father and a ragged shirt. Now, look you, you are gentlemen who lead the life of crickets; you enjoy hunger by day and noise by night. Yet, I beseech you, for this once be not loud, but pathetic; for it is a serenade to a damsel in bed, and not to the man in the moon. Your object is not to arouse and terrify, but to soothe and bring lulling dreams. Therefore, each shall not play upon his instrument as if it were the only one in the universe, but gently, and with a certain modesty, according with the others. Pray, how may I call thy name, friend?

_First Musician._ Geronimo Gil, at your service.

_Chispa._ Every tub smells of the wine that is in it. Pray, Geronimo, is not Saturday an unpleasant day with thee?

_First M._ Why so?

_Chispa._ Because I have heard it said that Saturday is an unpleasant day for those who have but one shirt. Moreover, I have seen thee at the tavern, and if thou canst run as fast as thou canst drink, I should like to hunt hares with thee. What instrument is that?

_First M._ An Aragonese bag-pipe.

_Chispa._ Pray, art thou related to the bag-piper of Bujalance, who asked a maravedi for playing and ten for leaving off?

_First M._ No, your honor.

_Chispa._ I am glad of it. What other instruments have we?

_Second and Third M._ We play the bandurria.

_Chispa._ A pleasing instrument. And thou?

_Fourth M._ The fife.

_Chispa._ I like it; it has a cheerful, soul-stirring sound, that soars up to my lady’s window like the song of a swallow. And you others?

_Other Musicians._ We are the singers, please your honor.

_Chispa._ You are too many. Do you think we are going to sing mass in the Cathedral of Cordova? Four men can make but little use of one shoe, and I see not how you can all sing in one song. But follow me along the garden wall. That is the way my master climbs to the lady’s window. It is by the vicar’s skirts that the devil climbs into the belfry. Come, follow me and make no noise. [_Exeunt._