Yet they should not relieve him. This is A withe had serv'd my turn to hang myself. I am zealous in your cause, pray you hang yourself;

Right honourable, Marrall; my right honour-Will not persuade me or to give or lend

Allo. When I have given you reasons for
my late harshness,

You'll pardon and excuse me; for, believe me,
Though now I part abruptly, in my service
I will deserve it.

Mar. Service! with a vengeance!
Well. I am satisfied; farewell, Tom.
Allw. All joy stay with you.

Re-enter AMBLE.

Well. I shall receive it

As a most high favour.

I

[Aside.

Lady A. Sir, your friends are welcome to me. Well. Run backward from a lady! and such a lady?

Mar. To kiss her foot, is to poor me a favour am unworthy of [Offers to kiss her Foot. Lady A. Nay, pray you rise;

And since you are so humble, I'll exalt you; [Aside. You shall dine with me to-day at mine own table. Mar. Your ladyship's table? I am not good enough

[Exit.

To sit at your steward's board.
Lady A. You are too modest;

Amble. You are happily encounter'd; II will not be denied.

never yet

Presented one so welcome, as I know

You will be to my lady.

Mar. This is some vision;

Or sure these men are mad, to worship a

dunghill;

It cannot be a truth.
Well. Be still a pagan,

[Aside.

An unbelieving infidel; be so, miscreant!
And meditate on blankets, and on dog-whips.
[To Marrall.
Re-enter FURNACE.
Fur. I am glad you are come; until I know
your pleasure,

I knew not how to serve up my lady's dinner.
Mar. His pleasure! is it possible? [Aside.
Well. What's thy will?
Fur. Marry, sir, I have some grouse and
turkey-chicken,

Some rails and quails; and my lady will'd me
to ask you
What kind of sauces best affect your palate,
That I may use my utmost skill to please it.
Mar. The devil's enter'd this cook: sauce
for his palate,

The roasting of his heart that cheated him,
And forces the poor gentleman to these shifts.
By fire! (for cooks are Persians, and swear by it)
Of all the griping and extorting tyrants
I ever heard or read of, I never met
A match to sir Giles Overreach.
Order. What will you take
To tell him so, fellow Furnace?
Fur. Just as much

As my throat is worth, for that would be the
price on't.

To have a usurer that starves himself, That on my knowledge, for almost this twelve-To grow rich, is too common:

month,

Durst wish but cheese-parings and brown bread on Sundays.

But this sir Giles feeds high, keeps many servants,

[Aside. Rich in his habit; vast in his expenses; Well. That way I like them best. Yet he to admiration still increases Fur. It shall be done, sir. [Exit. In wealth and lordships. Well. What think you of the hedge we shall dine under?

Shall we feed gratis?

[To Marrall. Mar. I know not what to think: Pray you make me not mad.

Re-enter Order.

Order. This place becomes you not;

Order. He frights men out of their estates; And breaks through all law-nets, made to curb ill men, As they were cobwebs. No man dares reprove him.

Such a spirit to dare, and power to do, were

never

Lodg'd so unluckily.

Re-enter LADY ALLWORTH, WELLBORN, and Of this lady's manor (as I know you will be),

Mar. Sir.

Sir G. How succeed we

In our plot on Wellborn?
Mar. Never better, sir.

Sir G. Has he hang'd or drown'd himself?
Mar. No, sir, he lives;

Lives once more to be made a prey to you;
And greater prey than ever.

Sir G. Art thou in thy wits?

If thou art, reveal this miracle, and briefly.
Mar. A lady, sir, is fall'n in love with him.
Sir G. With him? What lady?

Mar. The rich lady Allworth.

SCENE I. The same.

Enter LORD LOVELL and ALLWORTH. Lord L. Drive the carriage down the hill; something in private

I must impart to Allworth.
Allow. O, my lord!

What danger, though in ne'er so horrid shapes,
Nay death itself, though I should run to meet it,

Sir G. Thou dolt, how dar'st thou speak this? Can I, and with a thankful willingness suffer;
Mar. I speak truth;

And I do so but once a year, unless

It be to you, sir. We din'd with her ladyship,
I thank his worship:

Sir G. His worship!

Mar. As I live, sir,

I din'd with him at the great lady's table,
Simple as I stand here; and saw when she
kiss'd him;

And would, at his request, have kiss'd me too.
Sir G. Why, thou rascal,
To tell me these impossibilities;
Dine at her table! and kiss him, or thee!
Impudent varlet. Have not I myself,

To whom great countesses' doors have oft

flown open,

Ten times attempted, since her husband's death,

But still the retribution will fall short
Of your bounties shower'd upon me.
Lord L. Nay, good youth,
Till what I purpose be put
Do not o'er-prize it; since you have trust-

ed me

into act,

With your soul's nearest, nay, her dearest
secret,

Rest confident, 'tis in a cabinet lock'd
Treachery shall never open. I have found you
More zealous in your love and service to me,
Than I have been in my rewards.

Allw. Still great ones,

Above my merit. You have been
More like a father to me than a master.
Pray you pardon the comparison.
Lord L. I allow it;

In vain to see her, though I came a suitor? And give you assurance I'm pleas'd in't,
And yet your good solicitorship, and rogue, My carriage and demeanour to your mistress,
Fair Margaret, shall truly witness for me,
can command my passion.
Allw. 'Tis a conquest

Wellborn,

Were brought into her presence, feasted with her.
But that I know thee a dog that cannot blush,
This most incredible lie would call up one
On thy buttermilk cheeks.

Mar. Shall I not trust my eyes, sir?
Or taste? I feel her good cheer in my belly.
Sir G. You shall feel me, if you give not
over, sirrah;

I

Recover your brains again, and be no more I
gull'd

With a beggar's plot, assisted by the aids
Of serving men and chambermaids (for beyond
these,

Thou never saw'st a woman), or I'll quit you
From my employments.

Mar. Will you credit this yet?

Few lords can boast of when they are temp-
ted.-Oh!

Lord L. Why do you sigh? can you be
doubtful of me?

By that fair name I in the wars have purchas'd,
And all my actions hitherto untainted,
will not be more true to mine own honour,
Than to thee, Allworth.

Allw. Were you to encounter with a single
foe,

The victory were certain: but to stand
The charge of two such potent enemies,
At once assaulting you, as wealth and beauty,
And those two seconded with power, is odds

On my confidence of their marriage, I offered Too great for Hercules.

Wellborn

Lord L. Speak your doubts and fears, Since you will nourish 'em, in plainer language, [Aside. That I may understand 'em.

(I would give a crown now, I durst say his

worship)

My nag, and twenty pounds.

Sir G. Did you so, idiot? [Strikes him down. Was this the way to work him to despair, Or rather to cross me?

Mar. Will your worship kill me?

Allw. What's your will,

Though I lend arms against myself (provided
They may advantage you) must be obey'd.
My much-lov'd lord, were Margaret only fair,
You might command your passion;

Sir G. No, no; but drive the lying spirit But when you feel her touch, cr hear her talk!

Hypolitus himself would leave Diana,
To follow such a Venus.

Lord L. Love hath made you
Poetical, Allworth.

Allw. Grant all these beat off
(Which if it be in man to do, you'll do it)
Mammon, in sir Giles Overreach, steps in
With heaps of ill-got gold and so much land,
To make her more remarkable, as would tire
A falcon's wings, in one day to fly over.
I here release your trust,

[Aside. 'Tis happiness enough for me to serve you;

1

And sometimes, with chaste eyes, to look on her.
Lord L. Why, shall I swear?

Allw. Oh, by no means, my lord!
Lord L. Suspend

Your judgment till the trial. How far is it
To Overreach's house?

Allo. At the most, some half hour's riding;
You'll soon be there.

Lord L. And you the sooner freed From your jealous fears.

Alle. Oh that I durst but hope it! [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A Hall in SIR GILES OVERREACH's House. Enter SIR GILES OVERREACH, JUSTICE GREEDY, and MARRALL.

Sir G. Spare for no cost, let my crack with the weight

Of curious viands.

Just. G. Store indeed's no sore, sir.

dressers

The gown affects me not; it should have been
Embroider'd o'er and o'er with flowers of gold;
But these rich jewels and quaint fashion help it.
How like you your new woman, the lady
Downfall'n?

Marg. Well, for a companion:
Not as a servant.

Sir G. Is she humble, Meg?
And careful too, her ladyship forgotten?
Marg. I pity her fortune.

Sir G. Pity her, trample on her.

I took her up in an old tatter'd gown
(E'en starv'd for want of food) to serve thee;
And if I understand she but repines

Sir G. That proverb fits your stomach, Mr. To do thee any duty, though ne'er so servile,

Greedy.

Just. G. It does indeed, sir Giles;

I do not like to see a table ill spread,
Poor, meagre, just sprinkled o'er with sallads
Slic'd beef, giblets, and pig's pettitoes,

But the substantials- Oh! sir Giles, the sub-
stantials!

The state of a fat turkey now,
The decorum, the grandeur he marches in with.
O, I declare, I do much honour a chine of
beef!

O, Lord! I do reverence a loin of veal!
Sir G. And let no plate be seen but what's
pure gold,

Or such whose workmanship exceeds the matter
That it is made of; lay my choicest linen;
Perfume the room; and when we wash, the

water

With precious powders mix, to please my lord,
That he may with envy wish to bathe so ever.
Mar. "Twill be very chargeable:
Sir G. Avaunt, you drudge.
Now all my labour'd ends are at the stake,
Is't time to think of thrift? Call in my daughter.
[Exit Marrall.
And, master justice, since you love choice
dishes,

And plenty of 'em

Just. G. As I do indeed, sir,

I'll pack her to her knight, where I have

lodg'd him,

Into the Counter, and there let them howl
together.
Marg. You know your own ways; but for
me, I blush

When I command her, that was once attended
With persons not inferior to myself
In birth.

Sir G. In birth! Why art thou not my
daughter,

The blest child of my industry and wealth?
Part with these humble thoughts, and apt thyself
To the noble state I labour to advance thee;
Or, by my hopes to see thee honourable,
I will adopt a stranger to my heir,
And throw thee from my care; do not pro-
voke me.

Marg. I will not, sir; mould me which way
you please.

Re-enter JUSTICE GREEDY.

Sir G. How, interrupted?

Just. G. 'Tis matter of importance.
The cook, sir, is self-will'd, and will not learn
From my experience. There's a fawn brought
in, sir,

And for my life I cannot make him roast it
With a Norfolk dumpling in the belly of it;

Almost as much as to give thanks for 'em-And, sir, we wise men know, without the

Sir G. I do confer that province, with my

power

Of absolute command to have abundance,
To your best care.

Just. G. I'll punctually discharge it,
And give the best directions. [Sir Giles Over-
reach retires] Now am I,
In mine own conceit a monarch, at the least
Arch-president of the boil'd, the roast, the
baked:

I would not change my empire for the great
mogul's.

I will eat often and give thanks,
When my belly's brac'd up like a drum, and
that's pure justice. [Exit.
Sir G. It must be so. Should the foolish
girl prove modest,

She may spoil all; she had it not from me,
Bnt from her mother: I was ever forward,
As she must be, and therefore I'll prepare her.

dumpling

Tis not worth threepence.

Sir G. Would it were whole in thy belly, To stuff it out; cook it any way, pr'ythee, leave me.

Just. G. Without order for the dumpling?
Sir G. Let it be dumpled

Which way thou wilt; or, tell him I will
scald him

Sir G. "Tis an honourable man;
A lord, Meg, and commands a regiment
Of soldiers; and what's rare, is one himself;
A bold and understanding one; and to be
A lord and a good leader in one volume,