Colax. Sir, we strive To please you, but you still misconstrue us. Dysc. I must be pleas'd, a very babe, an infant! To still me, do! be pleas'd; wouldst have me get Colax. How, a parasite? A cogging, flattering, slavish parasite? Qualities, humours, appetites, desires, Nay wishes, vows and prayers, discourse and thoughts, At the Turks' gallies; be eternally Damn'd to a quarry: in this state, my mind At such whose servile nature strives to please you. Dysc. Ha! what's that? Colax. A feather stuck upon your cloak. And what have you to do with my feathers? Colax. Pray be pleas'd. I brush'd it off for mere respect I bare to you. hatch worms We have next the extremes of Fortitude," which steer an even course between over-much daring, and over-much fearing," represented by Aphobus and Deilius. "Deil. Is it possible, did you not fear it, say you? To me the mere relation is an ague. Good Aphobus, no more such terrible stories; I would not for a world lie alone to night: Apho. What can there be That I should fear?-The gods? if they be good, Deil. Devils! where, good Aphobus? I thought there was some conjuring abroad, Deil. Still it follows me! The thing in black, behind; soon as the sun But shines, it haunts me! Gentle spirit, leave me; Than barbers' basons! Apho. "Tis nothing, Deilus, But your weak fancy, that from every object Deil. Where is it, Aphobus? Apho. Is but your shadow, Deilus. Deil. And should we not fear shadows? Apho. No, why should we? Deil. Who knows but they come leering after us To steal away the substance; watch him, Aphobus. Apho. I nothing fear. Colax. I do commend your valour, That fixes your great soul fast as a center, Not to be mov'd with dangers; let slight cock-boats Like an undaunted rock, whose constant hardness Dashing it into froth. Base fear doth argue A low degenerate soul. Deil. Now I fear every thing. Colax. "Tis your discretion. Every thing has danger, And therefore every thing is to be fear'd; I do applaud this wisdom: 'tis a symptom Of wary providence. His too confident rashness A blind and senseless judgement: give me fear VOL. VI. PART I. G And wary sentinel. But daring valor, Uncapable of danger, sleeps securely, And leaves an open entrance to his enemies. Deil. What, are they landed? Deil. The enemies That Colax talks of. Apho. If they be, I care not; Though they be giants all, and arm'd with thunder. Apho. Thunder! no; No more than squibs and crackers. Deil. Squibs and crackers, I hope there be none here! s'lid, squibs and crackers! Apho. Let fools gaze At bearded stars, it is all one to me As if they had been shav'd-thus, thus would I Deil. Is there a comet, say you? Nay, I saw it, Colax. Will that serve?-I fear It threatens general ruin to the kingdom. Colax. There's danger to cross the seas. To cross the sea by land? O the situation, The horrible situation of an island! Colax. You, sir,. are far above such frivolous thoughts. You fear not death. Apho. Not I. Colax. Not sudden death. Apho. No more than sudden sleep: Sir, I dare die. Deil. I dare not; death to me is terrible : I will not die. Apho. How can you, Sir, prevent it? Colax. A valiant course, And the right way to prevent death, indeed. Your spirit is true Roman!-But your's greater Of the characters equidistant from Temperance, the Epicure and the Anchorite, we can afford to give but one, which is only inferior, if at all, to the Sir Epicure Mammon of Randolph's father-in-poetry," Old Ben." "O now for an eternity of eating! Fool was he that wish'd but a crane's short neck; Fresh, plump, and active; she that Mars enjoy'd Colax still continues through the play to prove each party in the right. He thus answers the Epicure. "It shows you a man of soft moving clay, When Nature thought the earth alone too little Doth nurse some curious dainty for man's food; To have us deaf? or when she plac'd us here, All pleasures, and at full, were to make Nature A vanity in her works." We shall quote next the extremes of Meekness. The quarrelsome Orgilus, and the patient Aorgus. "Org. Persuade me not, he has awak'd a fury Aor. Why should not any man Bite his own thumb? Org. At me! wear I a sword To see men bite their thumbs-Rapiers and daggers- Aor. That hurts not you. Had he bit your's, it had been some pretence |