SCENE II.--_A Public Place in Nineveh.

_Enter, brought in by an_ Angel, OSEAS, _the Prophet, and let down over the stage in a throne._

_Angel._ Amaze not, man of God, if in the spirit Thou'rt brought from Jewry unto Nineveh; So was Elias wrapt within a storm, And set upon Mount Carmel by the Lord: For thou hast preach'd long to the stubborn Jews, Whose flinty hearts have felt no sweet remorse, But lightly valuing all the threats of God, Have still perséver'd in their wickedness. Lo, I have brought thee unto Nineveh, The rich and royal city of the world, Pamper'd in wealth, and overgrown with pride, As Sodom and Gomorrah full of sin. The Lord looks down, and cannot see one good, Not one that covets to obey His will; But wicked all, from cradle to the crutch. Note, then, Oseas, all their grievous sins, And see the wrath of God that pays revenge; And when the ripeness of their sin is full, And thou hast written all their wicked thoughts, I'll carry thee to Jewry back again, And seat thee in the great Jerusalem; There shalt thou publish in her open streets That God sends down His hateful wrath for sin On such as never heard His prophets speak: Much more will He inflict a world of plagues On such as hear the sweetness of His voice, And yet obey not what His prophets speak. Sit thee, Oseas, pondering in the spirit The mightiness of these fond people's[63] sins.

_Oseas._ The will of the Lord be done! [_Exit_ Angel.

_Enter_ ADAM[64] _and his crew of_ Ruffians, _to go to drink._

_Ruffian._ Come on, smith, thou shalt be one of the crew, because thou knowest where the best ale in the town is.

_Adam._ Come on, in faith, my colts; I have left my master striking of a heat, and stole away because I would keep you company.

_First Ruf._ Why, what, shall we have this paltry smith with us?

_Adam._ "Paltry smith"! why, you incarnative knave, what are you that you speak petty treason against the smith's trade?

_First Ruf._ Why, slave, I am a gentleman of Nineveh.

_Adam._ A gentleman! good sir, I remember you well, and all your progenitors: your father bare office in our town; an honest man he was, and in great discredit in the parish, for they bestowed two squires' livings on him, the one was on working-days, and then he kept the town stage, and on holidays they made him the sexton's man, for he whipped dogs out of the church. Alas, sir, your father,--why, sir, methinks I see the gentleman still: a proper youth he was, faith, aged some forty and ten; his beard rat's colour, half black, half white; his nose was in the highest degree of noses, it was nose _autem glorificam_,[65] so set with rubies that after his death it should have been nailed up in Copper-smiths-hall for a monument. Well, sir, I was beholding to your good father, for he was the first man that ever instructed me in the mystery of a pot of ale.

_Second Ruf._ Well said, smith; that crossed him over the thumbs.

_First Ruf._ Villain, were it not that we go to be merry, my rapier should presently quit[66] thy opproprious terms.

_Adam._ O Peter, Peter, put up thy sword, I prithee heartily, into thy scabbard; hold in your rapier; for though I have not a long reacher, I have a short hitter.--Nay then, gentlemen, stay me, for my choler begins to rise against him; for mark the words, "a paltry smith"! O horrible sentence! thou hast in these words, I will stand to it, libelled against all the sound horses, whole horses, sore horses, coursers, curtals, jades, cuts, hackneys and mares: whereupon, my friend, in their defence, I give thee this curse,--thou shalt not be worth a horse of thine own this seven year.

_First Ruf._ I prithee, smith, is your occupation so excellent?

_Adam._ "A paltry smith"! Why, I'll stand to it, a smith is lord of the four elements; for our iron is made of the earth, our bellows blow out air, our floor holds fire, and our forge water. Nay, sir, we read in the Chronicles that there was a god of our occupation.

_First Ruf._ Ay, but he was a cuckold.

_Adam._ That was the reason, sir, he call'd your father cousin. "Paltry smith"! Why, in this one word thou hast defaced their worshipful occupation.

_First Ruf._ As how?

_Adam._ Marry, sir, I will stand to it, that a smith in his kind is a physician, a surgeon and a barber. For let a horse take a cold, or be troubled with the bots, and we straight give him a potion or a purgation, in such physical manner that he mends straight: if he have outward diseases, as the spavin, splent, ringbone, windgall or fashion,[67] or, sir, a galled back, we let him blood and clap a plaster to him with a pestilence, that mends him with a very vengeance: now, if his mane grow out of order, and he have any rebellious hairs, we straight to our shears and trim him with what cut it please us, pick his ears and make him neat. Marry, ay, indeed, sir, we are slovens for one thing; we never use musk-balls to wash him with, and the reason is, sir, because he can woo without kissing.

_First Ruf._ Well, sirrah, leave off these praises of a smith, and bring us to the best ale in the town.

_Adam._ Now, sir, I have a feat above all the smiths in Nineveh; for, sir, I am a philosopher that can dispute of the nature of ale; for mark you, sir, a pot of ale consists of four parts,--imprimus the ale, the toast, the ginger, and the nutmeg.

_First Ruf._ Excellent!

_Adam._ The ale is a restorative, bread is a binder: mark you, sir, two excellent points in physic; the ginger, O, ware of that! the philosophers have written of the nature of ginger, 'tis expulsitive in two degrees; you shall hear the sentence of Galen,

"It will make a man belch, cough, and fart, And is a great comfort to the heart,"--

a proper posy, I promise you; but now to the noble virtue of the nutmeg; it is, saith one ballad (I think an English Roman was the author), an underlayer to the brains, for when the ale gives a buffet to the head, O the nutmeg! that keeps him for a while in temper. Thus you see the description of the virtue of a pot of ale; now, sir, to put my physical precepts in practice, follow me: but afore I step any further--

_First Ruf._ What's the matter now?

_Adam._ Why, seeing I have provided the ale, who is the purveyor for the wenches? for, masters, take this of me, a cup of ale without a wench, why, alas, 'tis like an egg without salt, or a red-herring without mustard!

_First Ruf._ Lead us to the ale; we'll have wenches enough, I warrant thee. [_Exeunt._

_Oseas._ Iniquity seeks out companions still, And mortal men are armèd to do ill. London, look on, this matter nips thee near: Leave off thy riot, pride, and sumptuous cheer; Spend less at board, and spare not at the door, But aid the infant, and relieve the poor; Else seeking mercy, being merciless, Thou be adjudg'd to endless heaviness.