SCENE VI.[1633

CORVINO. _Enter_ MOSCA.

_Corv._ Let him come in. His master’s dead; there ’s yet Some good to help the bad.——My Mosca, welcome! I guess your news.

_Mos._ I fear you cannot, sir.

_Corv._ Is ’t not his death?

_Mos._ Rather the contrary.

_Corv._ Not his recovery?

_Mos._ Yes, sir.

_Corv._ I am curs’d, 5 I am bewitch’d, my crosses meet to vex me. How? how? how? how?

_Mos._ Why, sir, with Scoto’s oil; Corbaccio and Voltore brought of it, Whilst I was busy in an inner room——

_Corv._ Death! that damn’d mountebank! but for the law 10 Now, I could kill the rascal: it cannot be His oil should have that virtue. Ha’ not I Known him a common rogue, come fiddling in To the _osteria_,[1634] with a tumbling whore, And, when he has done all his forc’d tricks, been glad 15 Of a poor spoonful of dead wine, with flies in ’t? It cannot be. All his ingredients Are a sheep’s gall, a roasted bitch’s marrow, Some few sod[1635] earwigs, pounded caterpillars, A little capon’s grease, and fasting spittle: 20 I know them to a dram.

_Mos._ I know not, sir; But some on ’t, there, they pour’d into his ears, Some in his nostrils, and recover’d him; Applying but the fricace.

_Corv._ Pox o’ that fricace!

_Mos._ And since, to seem the more officious 25 And flatt’ring of his health, there, they have had, At extreme fees, the college of physicians Consulting on him, how they might restore him; Where one would have a cataplasm[1636] of spices, Another a flay’d ape clapp’d to his breast, 30 A third would have it a dog, a fourth an oil, With wild cats’ skins: at last, they all resolv’d That to preserve him, was no other means But some young woman must be straight sought out, Lusty, and full of juice, to sleep by him; 35 And to this service most unhappily, And most unwillingly, am I now employ’d, Which here I thought to pre-acquaint you with, For your advice, since it concerns you most; Because I would not do that thing might cross Your ends, on whom I have my whole dependence, sir; 41 Yet, if I do it not they may delate[1637] My slackness to my patron, work me out Of his opinion; and there all your hopes, Ventures, or whatsoever, are all frustrate! 45 I do but tell you, sir. Besides, they are all Now striving who shall first present him; therefore—— I could entreat you, briefly conclude somewhat; Prevent ’em if you can.

_Corv._ Death to my hopes. This is my villanous fortune! Best to hire 50 Some common courtesan.

_Mos._ Ay, I thought on that, sir; But they are all so subtle, full of art— And age again doting and flexible, So as—I cannot tell—we may, perchance, Light on a quean may cheat us all.

_Corv._ ’T is true. 55

_Mos._ No, no: it must be one that has no tricks, sir, Some simple thing, a creature made[1638] unto it; Some wench you may command. Ha’ you no kinswoman? Gods so—Think, think, think, think, think, think, think, sir. One o’ the doctors offer’d there his daughter.

_Corv._ How!

_Mos._ Yes, Signior Lupo, the physician. 61

_Corv._ His daughter!

_Mos._ And a virgin, sir. Why, alas, He knows the state of ’s body, what it is: That nought can warm his blood, sir, but a fever; Nor any incantation raise his spirit: 65 A long forgetfulness hath seiz’d that part. Besides, sir, who shall know it’! Some one or two—

_Corv._ I pray thee give me leave. [_Walks aside._] If any man But I had had this luck—The thing in ’t self, I know, is nothing.—Wherefore should not I 70 As well command my blood and my affections As this dull doctor? In the point of honour, The cases are all one of wife and daughter.

_Mos._ [_Aside._] I hear him coming.[1639]

_Corv._ She shall do ’t: ’t is done. Slight! if this doctor, who is not engag’d, 75 Unless ’t be for his counsel, which is nothing, Offer his daughter, what should I, that am So deeply in? I will prevent him: Wretch! Covetous wretch!—Mosca, I have determin’d.

_Mos._ How, sir? 80

_Corv._ We’ll make all sure. The party you wot of Shall be mine own wife, Mosca.

_Mos._ Sir, the thing, But that I would not seem to counsel you, I should have motion’d[1640] to you, at the first: And make your count,[1641] you have cut all their throats.[1642] Why, ’t is directly taking a possession! 85 And in his next fit, we may let him go. ’T is but to pull the pillow from his head, And he is throttled: it had been done before But for your scrupulous doubts.

_Corv._ Ay, a plague on ’t. My conscience fools my wit! Well, I’ll be brief, 90 And so be thou, lest they should be before us. Go home, prepare him, tell him with what zeal And willingness I do it: swear it was On the first hearing, as thou mayst do, truly, Mine own free motion.

_Mos._ Sir, I warrant you, 95 I’ll so possess him with it, that the rest Of his starv’d clients shall be banish’d all; And only you receiv’d. But come not, sir, Until I send, for I have something else To ripen for your good, you must not know ’t.

_Corv._ But do not you forget to send now.

_Mos._ Fear not. [_Exit._] 101

[SCENE VII.][1643]

CORVINO.

_Corv._ Where are you, wife? My Celia! wife! [_Enter_ CELIA.] —What, blubb’ring? Come, dry those tears. I think thou thought’st me in earnest; Ha! by this light I talk’d so but to try thee: Methinks, the lightness of the occasion Should have confirm’d thee. Come, I am not jealous. 5

_Cel._ No?

_Corv._ Faith I am not, I, nor never was; It is a poor unprofitable humour. Do not I know, if women have a will, They’ll do ’gainst all the watches o’ the world, And that the fiercest spies are tam’d with gold? Tut, I am confident in thee, thou shalt see’t; 11 And see I ’ll give thee cause too, to believe it. Come kiss me. Go, and make thee ready straight, In all thy best attire, thy choicest jewels, Put ’em all on, and, with ’em, thy best looks: 15 We are invited to a solemn feast, At old Volpone’s, where it shall appear How far I am free from jealousy or fear. [_Exeunt._]