y: here comes Lelia's nurse.
_Enter_ NURSE.
SOPHOS.
Nurse, what news? How fares my love?
NURSE.
How fares she, quotha? marry, she may fare how she will for you. Neither
come to her nor send to her of a whole fortnight! Now I swear to you by
my maidenhead, if my husband should have served me so when he came a
wooing me, I would never have looked on him with a good face, as long as
I had lived. But he was as kind a wretch as ever laid lips of a woman:
he would a'come through the windows, or doors, or walls, or anything,
but he would have come to me. Marry, after we had been married a while,
his kindness began to slack, for I'll tell you what he did: he made me
believe he would go to Green-goose fair; and I'll be sworn he took his
legs, and ran clean away. And I am afraid you'll prove e'en such another
kind piece to my mistress; for she sits at home in a corner weeping for
you: and, I'll be sworn, she's ready to die upward for you. And her
father o' the other side, he yawls at her, and jawls at her; and she
leads such a life for you, it passes: and you'll neither come to her,
nor send to her. Why, she thinks you have forgotten her.
SOPHOS.
Nay, then let heav'ns in sorrow end my days,
And fatal fortune never cease to frown:
And heav'n and earth, and all conspire to pull me down,
If black oblivion seize upon my heart,
Once to estrange my thoughts from Lelia's love.
FORTUNATUS.
Why, nurse, I am sure that Lelia hears
From Sophos once a day at least by Churms
The lawyer, who is his only friend.
NURSE.
What, young master! God bless mine eyesight. Now, by my maidenhead,
y'are welcome home: I am sure my mistress will be glad to see you. But
what said you of Master Churms?
FORTUNATUS.
Marry, I say he's a well-wisher to my sister Lelia,
And a secret friend to Sophos.
NURSE.
Marry, the devil he is! trust him, and hang him. Why, he cannot speak a
good word on him to my old master; and he does so ruffle before my
mistress with his barbarian eloquence,[153] and strut before her in a
pair of Polonian legs, as if he were a gentleman-usher to the great Turk
or to the devil of Dowgate. And if my mistress would be ruled by him,
Sophos might go snick-up: but he has such a butter-milk face, that
she'll never have him.
SOPHOS.
Can falsehood lurk in those enticing looks!
And deep dissemblance lie, where truth appears?
FORTUNATUS.
Injurious villain, to betray his friend!
NURSE.
Sir, do you know the gentlema
|