The Alchemist
epub:type="z3998:persona">KastrilNay, that look you to,
I am aforehand.Subtle O, this is no true grammar,
And as ill logic! You must render causes, child,
Your first and second intentions, know your canons
And your divisions, moods, degrees, and differences,
Your predicaments, substance, and accident,
Series, extern and intern, with their causes,
Efficient, material, formal, final,
And have your elements perfect.Kastril Aside. What is this?
The angry tongue he talks in?Subtle That false precept,
Of being aforehand, has deceived a number,
And made them enter quarrels, oftentimes,
Before they were aware; and afterward,
Against their wills.Kastril How must I do then, sir?
Subtle I cry this lady mercy: she should first
Have been saluted.
Kisses her.
I do call you lady,
Because you are to be one, ere’t be long,
My soft and buxom widow.Kastril Is she, i’faith?
Subtle Yes, or my art is an egregious liar.
Kastril How know you?
Subtle By inspection on her forehead,
And subtlety of her lip, which must be tasted
Often to make a judgment.
Kisses her again.
’Slight, she melts
Like a myrobolane:—here is yet a line,
In rivo frontis, tells me he is no knight.Dame Pliant What is he then, sir?
Subtle Let me see your hand.
O, your linea fortunae makes it plain;
And stella here in monte Veneris.
But, most of all, junctura annularis.
He is a soldier, or a man of art, lady,
But shall have some great honour shortly.Dame Pliant Brother,
He’s a rare man, believe me!Re-enter Face, in his uniform. Kastril Hold your peace.
Here comes the t’other rare man.—’Save you, Captain.Face Good master Kastril! Is this your sister?
Kastril Ay, sir.
Please you to kiss her, and be proud to know her.Face I shall be proud to know you, lady.
Kisses her. Dame Pliant Brother,
He calls me lady too.Kastril Ay, peace: I heard it.
Takes her aside. Face The count is come.
Subtle Where is he?
Face At the door.
Subtle Why, you must entertain him.
Face What will you do
With these the while?Subtle Why, have them up, and show them
Some fustian book, or the dark glass.Face ’Fore God,
She is a delicate dabchick! I must have her.Exit. Subtle Must you! Ay, if your fortune will, you must.—
Come, sir, the Captain will come to us presently:
I’ll have you to my chamber of demonstrations,
Where I will show you both the grammar and logic,
And rhetoric of quarrelling; my whole method
Drawn out in tables; and my instrument,
That hath the several scales upon’t, shall make you
Able to quarrel at a straw’s-breadth by moonlight.
And, lady, I’ll have you look in a glass,
Some half an hour, but to clear your eyesight,
Against you see your fortune; which is greater,
Than I may judge upon the sudden, trust me.Exit, followed by Kastril and Dame Pliant. Re-enter Face. Face Where are you, Doctor?
Subtle Within. I’ll come to you presently.
Face I will have this same widow, now I have seen her,
On any composition.Re-enter Subtle. Subtle What do you say?
Face Have you disposed of them?
Subtle I have sent them up.
Face Subtle, in troth, I needs must have this widow.
Subtle Is that the matter?
Face Nay, but hear me.
Subtle Go to.
If you rebel once, Dol shall know it all:
Therefore be quiet, and obey your chance.Face Nay, thou art so violent now—Do but conceive,
Thou art old, and canst not serve—Subtle Who cannot? I?
’Slight, I will serve her with thee, for a—Face Nay,
But understand: I’ll give you composition.Subtle I will not treat with thee; what! Sell my fortune?
’Tis better than my birthright. Do not murmur:
Win her, and carry her. If you grumble, Dol
Knows it directly.Face Well, sir, I am silent.
Will you go help to fetch in Don in state?Exit. Subtle I follow you, sir. We must keep Face in awe,
Or he will overlook us like a tyrant.Re-enter Face, introducing Surly disguised as a Spaniard. Brain of a tailor! Who comes here? Don John!
Pertinax Surly Señores, beso las manos a vuestras mercedes.
Subtle Would you had stooped a little, and kissed our anos!
Face Peace, Subtle.
Subtle Stab me; I shall never hold, man.
He looks in that deep ruff like a head in a platter,
Served in by a short cloak upon two trestles.Face Or, what do you say to a collar of brawn, cut down
Beneath the souse, and wriggled with a knife?Subtle ’Slud, he does look too fat to be a Spaniard.
Face Perhaps some Fleming or some Hollander got him
In d’Alva’s time; Count Egmont’s bastard.Subtle Don,
Your scurvy, yellow, Madrid face is welcome.Pertinax Surly Gratia.
Subtle He speaks out of a fortification.
Pray God he have no squibs in those deep sets.Pertinax Surly Por dios, señores, muy linda casa!
Subtle What says he?
Face Praises the house, I think;
I know no more but’s action.Subtle Yes, the casa,
My precious Diego, will prove fair enough
To cozen you in. Do you mark? You shall
Be cozened, Diego.Face Cozened, do you see,
My worthy Donzel, cozened.Pertinax Surly Entiendo.
Subtle Do you intend it? So do we, dear Don.
Have you brought pistolets, or portagues,
My solemn Don?—Dost thou feel any?Face Feels his pockets. Full.
Subtle You shall be emptied, Don, pumped and drawn
Dry, as they say.Face Milked, in troth, sweet Don.
Subtle See all the monsters; the great lion of all, Don.
Pertinax Surly Con licencia, se puede ver a esta señora?
Subtle What talks he now?
Face Of the Señora.
Subtle O, Don,
This is the lioness, which you shall see
Also, my Don.Face ’Slid, Subtle, how shall we do?
Subtle For what?
Face Why Dol’s employed, you know.
Subtle That’s true.
’Fore heaven, I know not: he must stay, that’s all.Face Stay! That he must not by no means.
Subtle No! Why?
Face Unless you’ll mar all. ’Slight, he will suspect it:
And then he will not pay, not half so well.
This is a travelled punk-master, and does know
All the delays; a notable hot rascal,
And looks already rampant.Subtle ’Sdeath, and Mammon
Must not be troubled.Face Mammon! In no case.
Subtle What shall we do then?
Face Think: you must be sudden.
Pertinax Surly