Bel. She takes me for a rogue!—You may do well, madam,
To stay this wanderer, and set him at work,
forsooth;
He can do something that may please your ladyship;
I have heard of women that desire good
breedings,
Two at a birth, or so.
Ros. The fellow’s impudent.
Ori. Sure, he is crazed.
Ros. I have heard of men too that have had good manners;
Sure, this is want of grace; Indeed, ’tis great
pity
The young man has been bred so ill; but this lewd age
Is full of such examples.
Bel. I am founder’d,
And some shall rue the setting of me on!
Mir. Ha! so bookish, lady? is it possible?
Turn’d holy at the heart too? I’ll be hang’d then.
Why, this is
such a feat, such an activity.
Such fast and loose—
Enter Servant, with a veil. A veil too for your knavery?
O Dio, Dio!
Ros. What do you take me for, sir?
Mir. An hypocrite, a wanton, a dissembler,
Howe’er you seem, and thus you are to be handled;
(Mark me,
Belleur) and this you love, I know it.
Ros. Stand off, bold sir!
Mir. You wear good clothes to this end,
Jewels; love feasts, and masques.
Ros. Ye are monstrous saucy!
Mir. All this to draw on fools; and thus, thus, lady,
[Takes hold of her.
Bel. Let her alone, I’ll swinge ye else,
I will, i’ faith! for though I cannot skill o’ this matter
Myself, I will not
see another do it before me,
And do it worse.
Ros. Away! you are a vain thing!
You have travell’d far, sir, to return again
A windy and poor bladder!
You talk of women,
That are not worth the favour of a common one,
The grace of her grew in an hospital!
Against
a thousand such blown fooleries,
I am able to maintain good women’s honours,
Their freedoms, and their
fames, and I will do it—
Mir. She has almost struck me dumb too.
Ros. And declaim
Against your base malicious tongues, your noises,
For they are nothing else. You teach
behaviours?
Or touch us for our freedoms? Teach yourselves manners,
Truth and sobriety, and live so
clearly
That our lives may shine in ye; and then task us.
It seems, ye are hot; the suburbs will supply ye:
Good
women scorn such gamesters; so I’ll leave ye!
I am sorry to see this: ’Faith, sir, live fairly.
[Exit.
Mir. This woman, if she hold on, may be virtuous;
’Tis almost possible: We’ll have a new day.