SCENE IV.--_A Public Place in Nineveh.

_Enter one clad in_ Devil's _attire._

_Devil._ Longer lives a merry man than a sad; and because I mean to make myself pleasant this night, I have put myself into this attire, to make a clown afraid that passeth this way: for of late there have appeared many strange apparitions, to the great fear and terror of the citizens.--O, here my young master comes.

_Enter_ ADAM _and the_ Smith's Wife.

_Adam._ Fear not, mistress, I'll bring you safe home: if my master frown, then will I stamp and stare; and if all be not well then, why then to-morrow morn put out mine eyes clean with forty pound.

_S. Wife._ O, but, Adam, I am afraid to walk so late, because of the spirits that appear in the city.

_Adam._ What, are you afraid of spirits? Armed as I am, with ale and nutmegs, turn me loose to all the devils in hell.

_S. Wife._ Alas, Adam, Adam! the devil, the devil!

_Adam._ The devil, mistress! fly you for your safeguard; [_Exit_ S. Wife.] let me alone; the devil and I will deal well enough, if he have any honesty at all in him: I'll either win him with a smooth tale, or else with a toast and a cup of ale.

_Devil_ [_singing_]. _O, O, O, O, fain would I be,_ _If that my kingdom fulfill'd I might see!_ _O, O, O, O!_

_Adam._ Surely this is a merry devil, and I believe he is one of Lucifer's minstrels; hath a sweet voice; now surely, surely, he may sing to a pair of tongs and a bagpipe.

_Devil._ O, thou art he that I seek for.

_Adam. Spritus santus_!--Away from me, Satan! I have nothing to do with thee.

_Devil._ O villain, thou art mine!

_Adam. Nominus patrus_!--I bless me from thee, and I conjure thee to tell me who thou art!

_Devil._ I am the spirit of the dead man that was slain in thy company when we were drunk together at the ale.[113]

_Adam._ By my troth, sir, I cry you mercy; your face is so changed that I had quite forgotten you: well, master devil, we have tossed over many a pot of ale together.

_Devil._ And therefore must thou go with me to hell.

_Adam_ [_aside_]. I have a policy to shift him, for I know he comes out of a hot place, and I know myself, the smith and the devil hath a dry tooth in his head: therefore will I leave him asleep and run my way.

_Devil._ Come, art thou ready?

_Adam._ Faith, sir, my old friend, and now goodman devil, you know you and I have been tossing many a good cup of ale: your nose is grown very rich: what say you, will you take a pot of ale now at my hands? Hell is like a smith's forge, full of water, and yet ever athirst.

_Devil._ No ale, villain; spirits cannot drink; come, get upon my back, that I may carry thee.[114]

_Adam._ You know I am a smith, sir: let me look whether you be well shod or no; for if you want a shoe, a remove, or the clinching of a nail, I am at your command.

_Devil._ Thou hast never a shoe fit for me.

_Adam,_ Why, sir, we shoe horned beasts, as well as you,--[_Aside._] O good Lord! let me sit down and laugh; hath never a cloven foot; a devil, quoth he! I'll use _Spritus santus_ nor _Nominus patrus_ no more to him, I warrant you; I'll do more good upon him with my cudgel: now will I sit me down, and become justice of peace to the devil.

_Devil._ Come, art thou ready?

_Adam._ I am ready, and with this cudgel I will conjure thee. [_Beats him._

_Devil._ O, hold thy hand! thou killest me, thou killest me! [_Exit._

_Adam._ Then may I count myself, I think, a tall[115] man, that am able to kill a devil. Now who dare deal with me in the parish? or what wench in Nineveh will not love me, when they say, "There goes he that beat the devil?" [_Exit._