Act 4 — ACT IV. SCENE I.
Reading edition
A Street; before Imperia’s House; a cord hanging from the window.
Enter Curvetto, with a lantern.
Cur. Just ten? ’tis ten just: that’s the fixed hour
For payment of my love’s due fees; that broke,
I forfeit a huge sum of joys: ho, love,
I’ll keep time just to a minute, I;
A sweet guide’s[701] loss is a deep penalty:
Would make a lover bankrupt, break his back.
No, if to sit up late, early to rise,
Or if this goldfinch,[704] that with sweet notes flies,
And wakes the dull eye even of a puritan,
Can work, then, wenches, Curvetto is the man.
I am not young, yet have I youthful tricks,
Which peering day must not see; no, close, close,
Old courtier, perilous[705] fellow, I can lie;
Hug in your bosom, close, yet none shall spy.
Stay, here’s the door, the window; hah, this, this!
Cord?—umph!—dear cord, thy blessed knot I kiss.
None peeps, I hope. Night, clap thy velvet hand
Upon all eyes! if now my friend thou stand,
I’ll hang a jewel at thine ear, sweet night;
And here it is, lantern and candle-light.[706]
A peal, a lusty peal, set, ring love’s knell
I’ll sweat, but thus I’ll bear away the bell.
[Pulls the cord hanging from the window, and is drenched with water.
Enter Simperina above.
Sim. Signior,—who’s there? signior Curvetto?
Cur. Umph, drown’d! Noah’s flood! duck’d over head and ears!
O sconce, and O sconce![707] an old soaker, O!
I sweat now till I drop: what, villains, O!
284Punks, punkateroes, nags, hags! I will ban:[708]
I’ve[709] catch’d my bane.
Sim. Who’s there?
Cur. A water-man.
Sim. Who rings that scolding peal?
Cur. I am wringing wet,
I’m[710] wash’d: foh, here’s rose-water sold by th’ ounce!
This sconce shall batter down those windows—bounce!
Sim. What do you mean? why do you beat our doors?
What do you take us for?
Cur. You’re all damn’d whores.
Sim. Signior Curvetto!
Cur. Signior coxcomb, no.
Sim. What makes you be so hot?
Cur. You lie, I’m[711] cool;
I’m an old courtier, but stinking fool.
Foh!
Sim. God’s my life! what have you done? you are in a sweet pickle if you pulled at this rope.
Cur. Hang thyself in’t, and I’ll pull once again.
Sim. Marry muff,[712] will you up and ride? you’re mine elder. By my pure maidenhead, here’s a jest! why, this was a water-work to drown a rat that uses to creep in at this window.
Cur. Fire on your water-works! catch a drown’d rat?
That’s me, I have it, God a-mercy, head!
Rat? me; I smell a rat, I strike it dead.
Sim. You smell a sodden sheep’s-head: a rat? ay, a rat: and[713] you will not believe me, marry, foh! I have been believed of your betters, marry, snick up!
285Cur. Simp, nay, sweet Simp, open again; why, Simperina!
Sim. Go from my window, go, go from, &c.,[714] away; go by, old Jeronimo:[715] nay, and[716] you shrink i’ th’ wetting, walk, walk, walk.
Cur. I cry thee mercy; if the bowl were set
To drown a rat, I shrink not, am not wet.
Sim. A rat by this hemp, and[717] you could ha’ smelt. Hark you; here’s the bell, ting, ting, ting: would the clapper were in my belly, if I am not mad at your foppery; I could scratch, fie, fie, fie, fie, fie, as my mistress says. But go, hie you home, shift you, come back presently: here you shall find a ladder of cords; climb up; I’ll receive you: my mistress lies alone; she’s yours: away.
Cur. O Simp!
Sim. Nay, scud: you know what you promised me: I shall have simple yawling for this: begone, and mum.[718]
Cur. Thanks, mum, dear girl; I’m gone: ’twas for a rat,
A rat upon my life: thou shalt have gifts;
I love thee, though thou puts[t] me to my shifts.
286I knew[719] I could be over-reach’d by none;