Caca. I'll talk with you another time.

Alon. This is miraculous.

San. Is this the fellow

That had the patience to become a fool.

I am astonished!

Mar. I'll be divorced immediately!

Leon. You shall not,

You shall not have so much will to be wicked.

I am more tender of your honour, lady, and of

age,

You took me for a shadow,

You took me to gloss over your discredit,

[Exit.

your

To be your fool, you thought you had found a coxcomb,

I'm innocent of any foul dishonour I mean to ye.
Only I will be known to be your lord now,

And be a fair one too, or I will fall for't.

Mar. I do command ye from me, thou poor fellow, Thou cozen'd fool.

Leon. Thou cozen'd fool!

I will not be commanded: I'm above ye:
You may divorce me from your favour, lady,
But from your estate you never shall. I'll hold that,
And hold it to my use, the law allows it.

And then maintain your wantonness, I'll wink at it.
Mar. Am I brav'd thus in mine own house?
Leon. "Tis mine, madam,

You are deceiv'd, I am lord of it, I rule it,

And all that's in't; you've nothing to do here, madam,.
But as my servant, to sweep clean the lodgings,
And at my farther will to do me service,

And so I'll keep it.

Mar. "Tis well.

Leon. It shall be better.

Mar. As you love me, give way.

Leon. I will give none, madam.

I stand upon the ground of mine own honour,
And will maintain it; you shall know me now

To be an understanding, feeling, man,

And sensible of what a woman aims at.

A young proud woman, that has will to sail with,
A wanton woman, that her blood provokes too.
I cast my cloud off, and appear myself,
The master of this little piece of mischief,
And I will put a spell about your feet, lady,
They shall not wander but where I give way now.
Duke. Is this the fellow that the people pointed at,
For the mere sign of man, the walking image?
He speaks wondrous highly.

Leon. As a husband ought, sir,

In his own house, and it becomes me well too;
I think your grace would grieve if you were put to it.
To have a wife or servant of your own,

(For wives are reckon'd in the rank of servants,)
Under
your own roof to command ye.

Duke. Is there no difference betwixt her and you,
sir?

Leon. Not now, my lord, my fortune makes me ev'n,

And as I am an honest man, I'm nobler.

Mar. I'll hear no more of this.

Get me my coach.

Leon. Let me see who dares get it

Till I command, I'll make him draw your coach
And eat your coach too, (which will be hard diet)
That executes your will; or take your coach, lady,
I give you liberty; and take your people,

Which I turn off, and take your will abroad with ye,
Take all these freely, but take me no more,
And so farewel.

Duke. Nay, sir, you shall not carry it

So bravely off, you shall not wrong a lady
In a high huffing strain, and think to bear it.
We shall not stand by as bawds to your brave fury,
To see a lady weep; draw, sir.

Leon. Put up, my lord, this is oppression,

And calls the sword of justice to relieve me,
The law to lend her hand, the king to right me,
All which shall understand how you provoke me;
In mine own house to brave me, is this princely?
Then to my guard, and if I spare your grace,
And do not make this place your monument,
Too rich a tomb for such a rude behaviour,
Mercy forsake me.

I have a cause will kill a thousand of ye.
Juan. Hold, fair sir, I beseech ye,

The gentleman but pleads his own right nobly.
Leon. He that dares strike against the husband's
freedom,

The husband's curse stick to him, a tam'd cuckold,
His wife be fair and young, but most dishonest,
Most impudent, and he have no feeling of it,
Let her lie by him like a flattering ruin,
And at one instant kill both name and honour:
Let him be lost, no eye to weep his end,

Nor find no earth that's base enough to bury him.
Now, sir, fall on, I'm ready enough to oppose ye.
Duke. I've better thought, I pray, sir, use your wife

well.

Leon. Mine own humanity will teach me that, sir, And now you're welcome all, and we'll to dinner, This is my wedding-day.

Duke. I'll cross your joy yet.

[Aside.

Juan. I've seen a miracle, hold thine own, soldier, Sure they dare fight in fire, that conquer women.

Enter PEREZ.

Per. 'Save ye, which is the lady of the house? Leon. That's she, sir, that good-natur'd pretty lady, If you'd speak with her.

Juan. Don Michael!

Per. Pray do not know me, I am full of business, When I have more time I'll be merry with ye. It is the woman. Good madain, tell me truly,

Had you a maid call'd Estifania ?
Mar. Yes, truly, had I.

Per. Was she a maid, do you

Mar. I dare not swear for her. For she had but a scant fame.

Per. Was she your

think?

kinswoman?

Mar. Not that I ever knew; now I look better,
I think you married her, give you joy, sir.
Per. Give me a halter.

Mar. You may reclaim her, 'twas a wild young girl.

Per. Is not this house mine, madam?

Was not she owner of it?

Mar. No, certainly, I'm sure my money paid for it, And I ne'er remember yet I gave it you, sir.

Per. The hangings and the plate too?

Mar. All are mine, sir.

And every thing you see about the building,
She only kept my house when I was absent;
And so ill kept it, I was weary of her.

Per. Where is your maid ?

Mar. Do not you know, that have her? She's yours now, why shou'd I look after her? Since that first hour I came I never saw her..

Per. I saw her later, wou'd the devil had had her. It is all true I find, a wild-fire take her.

Juan. Is thy wife with child, Don Michael? Thy excellent wife.

Art thou a man yet?

Alon. When shall we come and visit thee?

San. And eat some rare fruit? thou hast admira

ble orchards,

You are so jealous now, pox o' your jealousy,
How scurvily you look!

Per. Pr'ythee leave fooling,

I'm in no humour now to fool and prattle;
Did she ne'er play the wag with you?
Mar. Yes, many times,

So often that I was asham'd to keep her.

But I forgave her, sir, in hopes she'd mend still,
And had not you o'the instant married her,
I'd put her off.

Per. I thank ye, I am blest still,

Which way soe'er I turn I'm a made man.
Miserably gull'd beyond recovery.

Juan. You'll stay and dine, Captain ?
Per. Certain I cannot, Captain:

Hark in thine ear, I am the arrant'st puppy,
The miserablest ass, but I must leave ye;

I am in haste, in haste, bless you, good madam,

And may you prove as good as my

Leon. What then, sir?

wife.

Per. No matter if the devil had one to fetch the

other.

[Exit. Leon. Will you walk in, sir, will your grace but

honour me

And taste our dinner? You are nobly welcome,
All anger's past I hope, and I shall serve ye.

[Exeunt.

ACT THE FOURTH.

SCENE I.

A Street.

Enter PEREZ.

Per. I'll to a conjurer, but I'll find this pole-cat, This pilfering whore: a plague of veils, I cry,

F