And thence, did it enter the Sophift of Greece.

From PYTHAGORE, shee went into a beautifull peece, Hight ASPASIA, the meretrix; and the next toffe of her Was, againe, of a whore, shee became a Philosopher, 20 CRATES the Cynick: (as it felfe doth relate it)

Since, Kings, Knights, and Beggers, Knaues, Lords
and Fooles gat it,

Besides, oxe, and affe, cammell, mule, goat, and brock,
In all which it hath spoke, as in the Coblers cock.
But I come not here, to difcourse of that matter,

25

Or his one, two, or three, or his great oath, by quater, His musicks, his trigon, his golden thigh, Or his telling how elements shift: but I Would aske, how of late, thou hast suffered tranflation, And shifted thy coat, in these dayes of reformation? 30 AND. Like one of the reformed, a Foole, as you see, Counting all old doctrine herefie.

NAN. But not on thine owne forbid meates haft thou venter'd?

AND. On fish, when first, a carthufian I enter'd. NAN. Why, then thy dogmaticall filence hath left thee?

AND. Of that an obstreperous Lawyer bereft mee. NAN. O wonderfull change! when Sir Lawyer for

fooke thee,

For PYTHAGORE'S fake, what body then tooke thee? AND. A good dull moyle. NAN. And how! by that

meanes,

35

Thou wert brought to allow of the eating of beanes? 40

AND. Yes. NAN. But, from the moyle, into whom

did'st thou paffe?

AND. Into a very strange beast, by some writers cal'd an affe;

By others, a precife, pure, illuminate brother,

Of those deuoure flesh, and sometimes one another:

39 how? Q

:

And will drop you forth a libell, or a fanctified
Betwixt euery spoonefull of a natiuitie-pie.
NAN. Now quit thee, for heaven, of that f
nation;

And gently, report thy next tranfmigration.
AND. To the same that I am. NAN. A crea

delight?

And (what is more then a Foole) an hermaph Now'pray thee, Sweet Soule, in all thy variation Which body would'st thou choose, to take station?

AND. Troth, this I am in, euen here would I t
NAN. 'Cause here, the delight of each sex
canst vary?

AND. Alas, those pleasures be stale, and forfal
No, 'tis your Foole, wherewith I am so taken
The onely one creature, that I can call bleffed:
For all other formes I haue prou'd most distre
NAN. Spoke true, as thou wert in PYTHAGORAS
This learned opinion we celebrate will,
Fellow eunuch (as behooues vs) with all our e
art,

To dignifie that, whereof our selues are so gre
fpeciall a part.

VOL. Now very, very pretty: Mosca, this Was thy inuention? Mos. If it please my patr Not else. VOL. It doth, good MOSCA. Mos.

it was, fir.

F

SONG.

Ooles, they are the onely nation
Worth mens enuy, or admiration;
Free from care, or forrow-taking,

Selues, and others merry-making:

51 pray thee] prithee G 52 take] keep G 66 and CASTRONE sing. G

All they speake, or doe, is sterling.

Your Foole, he is your great mans dearling,

VOL. Who's that? away, looke Mosca.

Foole, be gone,

'Tis fignior VOLTORE, the Aduocate,

Mos.

I know him, by his knock. VOL. Fetch me my gowne, 85

My furres, and night-caps; say, my couch is changing:

And let him entertayne himselfe, awhile,

Without i' th' gallerie. Now, now, my clients

Beginne their visitation! vulture, kite,

Rauen, and gor-crow, all my birds of prey,

90

That thinke me turning carcasse, now they come:
I am not for 'hem yet. How now? the newes?

Mos. A piece of plate, fir. VoL. Of what bignesse? Mos. Huge,

Massie, and antique, with your name inscrib'd,
And armes ingrauen. VoL. Good! and not a foxe 95
Stretch'd on the earth, with fine delufiue sleights,

Mocking a gaping crow? ha, Mosca? Mos. Sharpe,

fir.

VOL. Giue me my furres.. Why dost thou laugh
so, man?

83 [Exeunt Nano and CASTRONE. G
88 [Exit MOSCA. G
98 [Puts on his sick

82 [Knocking without. G Mos.] om. G [Exit ANDROGYNO. G 92 Re-enter Mosca with the gown, &c. G dress. G

:

i

Mos. I cannot choose, fir, when I apprehend
What thoughts he has (without) now, as he w
That this might be the last gift, he should giue;
- That this would fetch you; if you dyed to day,
And gaue him all, what he should be to morrow
What large returne would come of all his vente
How he should worship'd be, and reuerenc'd;
Ride, with his furres, and foot-clothes; waited
By herds of fooles, and clients; haue cleere wa
Made for his moyle, as letter'd as himselfe;
Be cald the great, and learned Aduocate:
And then concludes, there's nought impossible.
VOL. Yes, to be learned, Mosca. Mos.
rich

Implies it. Hood an asse, with reuerend purple
So you can hide his two ambitious eares,
And, he shall passe for a cathedrall Doctor.

VOL. My caps, my caps, good Mosca, fetch
Mos. Stay, fir, your ointment for your eyes
That's true;

Dispatch, dispatch: I long to haue possession
Of my new present. Mos. That, and thousand
I hope, to fee you lord of. VoL. Thanke

MOSCA.

Mos. And that, when I am lost in blended d
And hundred such, as I am, in succession

VOL. Nay, that were too much, MOSCA.
You shall liue,

Still, to delude these harpyies. VoL. Louing
'Tis well, my pillow now, and let him enter.
Now, my fain'd cough, my phthisick, and my
My apoplexie, palsie, and catarrhes,
Helpe, with your forced functions, this my poft

100 without] within Q 124 Exit Mosca. G I

Wherein, this three yeere, I haue milk'd their hopes.
He comes, I heare him (vh, vh, vh, vh) Ô.

Y

Αθ 1. Scene III.

MOSCA, VOLTORE, VOLPONE.

Ou still are, what you were, fir. Onely you
(Of all the rest) are he, commands his loue:

And you doe wisely, to preferue it, thus,

With early visitation, and kind notes

Of your good meaning to him, which, I know,
Cannot but come most gratefull. Patron, fir.
Here's fignior VOLTORE is come

say you?

5

VOLP. What

Mos. Sir, signior VOLTORE is come, this morning, To visit you. VOLP. I thanke him. Mos. And hath brought

A piece of antique plate, bought of S. MARKE,
With which he here presents you. VOLP. He is wel-

come.

Pray him, to come more often. Mos. Yes. VOLT.
What sayes he?

Mos. He thanks you, and defires you see him often.
VOLP. MOSCA. Mos. My patron? VOLP. Bring
him neere, where is he?

[456]

I long to feele his hand. Mos. The plate is here, fir. 15 VOLT. How fare you, fir? VOLP. I thanke you,

fignior VOLTORE.

Where is the plate? mine eyes are bad. VOLT. I'm forry,

To fee you still thus weake. Mos. That he is not weaker.

129 [coughing. G Act I. introducing VOLTORE, with a piece of Plate. G

VOLPONE.] Re-enter MoscA, 7 [faintly. G

17 [putting it into his hands. G 18 [Aside. G