I

Act IIII. Scene I.

POLITIQVE, PEREGRINE.

Told you, fir, it was a plot: you fee

What obferuation is. You mention'd mee,
For some instructions: I will tell you, fir,

(Since we are met, here in this height of Venice)
Some few particulars, I haue fet downe,

Onely for this meridian; fit to be knowne

Of your crude traueller, and they are these.

I will not touch, fir, at your phrase, or clothes,

For they are old. PER. Sir, I haue better. POL.
Pardon

5

I meant, as they are theames. PER. O, fir, proceed: 10 I'le flander you no more of wit, good fir.

POL. First, for your garbe, it must be graue, and ferious;

Very referu'd, and lock't; not tell a fecret,

On any termes, not to your father; scarfe

A fable, but with caution; make fure choise

Both of your company, and discourse; beware,

You neuer spake a truth- PER. HOW! POL. Not
to strangers,

For those be they you must conuerfe with, most;
Others I would not know, fir, but, at diftance,

So as I ftill might be a fauer, in 'hem:

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Were of this minde. Then, must you learne the vse,
And handling of your filuer forke, at meales;

The mettall of your glaffe: (these are maine matters,
With your Italian) and to know the houre,

When you must eat your melons, and your figges.

30

PER. Is that a point of state, too? PoL. Here it is. For your Venetian, if he fee a man

Prepofterous, in the least, he has him straight;

He has he strippes him. I'le acquaint you, fir, 35 [495] I now haue liu'd here ('tis fome fourteene monthes)

Within the first weeke, of my landing here,

All tooke me for a citizen of Venice:

I knew the formes, fo well

else.

PER.

PER. And nothing

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POL. I had read CONTARENE, tooke me a house,
Dealt with my lewes, to furnish it with moueables-
Well, if I could but finde one man, one man,
To mine owne heart, whom I durft trust, I would-
PER. What? what, fir? POL. Make him rich;
make him a fortune:

He should not thinke, againe. I would command it. 45
PER. As how? POL. With certaine proiects, that

I haue:

Which, I may not discouer. PER. If I had
But one to wager with, I would lay odds, now,
He tels me, instantly. POL. One is, (and that
I care not greatly, who knowes) to ferue the state
Of Venice, with red herrings, for three yeeres,
And at a certaine rate, from Roterdam,
Where I haue correspondence. There's a letter,
Sent me from one o' th' States, and to that purpose;
He cannot write his name, but that's his marke.

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There are some other too, with whom I treate,

About the fame negotiation;

And, I will vndertake it: For, 'tis thus,

I'le do't with ease, I' haue cast it all. Your hoigh

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Carries but three men in her, and a boy;

And she shall make me three returnes, a yeare:

So, if there come but one of three, I faue,

If two, I can defalke. But, this is now,

If my mayne proiect faile. PER. Then, you haue

others?

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POL: I fhould be loath to draw the fubtill ayre

Of fuch a place, without my thousand aymes.
Ile not diffemble, fir, where ere I come,
I loue to be confideratiue; and, 'tis true,
I haue, at my free houres, thought vpon
Some certaine goods, vnto the state of Venice,
Which I doe call my cautions: and, fir, which
I meane (in hope of pension) to propound
To the great councell, then vnto the forty,
So to the ten. My meanes are made already-

.

PER. By whom? PoL. Sir, one, that though his place b'obscure,

Yet, he can fway, and they will heare him. H'is

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A commandadore. PER. What, a common fergeant?
POL. Sir, fuch, as they are, put it in their mouthes, [496]
What they should say, fometimes: as well as greater.

I thinke I haue my notes, to fhew you- PER.
Good, fir,

POL. But, you shall sweare vnto me, on your gentry,
Not to anticipate- PER. I, fir? POL. Nor

reueale

A circumftance- My paper is not with mee. PER. O, but, you can remember, fir. POL. first is,

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My

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Concerning tinder-boxes. You must know,
No family is, here, without it's boxe.
Now fir, it being fo portable a thing,
Put cafe, that you, or I were ill affected
Vnto the state; fir, with it in our pockets,

Might not I goe into the arsenale?

Or you? come out againe? and none the wifer?

PER. Except your felfe, fir. POL. Goe too, then.

I, therefore,

Aduertise to the state, how fit it were,

That none, but fuch as were knowne patriots,
Sound louers of their countrey, fhould be fufferd
T'enioy them in their houses: and, euen those,
Seal'd, at some office, and, at such a bignesse,
As might not lurke in pockets. PER. Admirable !
POL. My next is, how t'enquire, and be refolu'd,
By present demonstration, whether a ship,
Newly arriued from Soría, or from

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Any suspected part of all the leuant,

Be guilty of the plague: And, where they vie,
To lie out fortie, fifty daies, fometimes,

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About the Lazaretto, for their triall;

Ile faue that charge, and loffe vnto the merchant,

And, in an houre, cleare the doubt. PER. Indeede,

fir?

POL. Or I will loose my labour. PER. 'My faith, that's much.

POL. Nay, fir, conceiue me.

onions,

Some thirtie liu'res

fterling.

'Twill coft me, in

IIO

PER. Which is one pound

POL. Befide my water-workes: for this I doe, fir.
First, I bring in your ship, 'twixt two brickwalles;
(But those the state fhall venter) on the one
I ftraine me a faire tarre-paulin; and, in that,

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I ftick my onions, cut in halfes: the other
Is full of loope-holes, out at which, I thrust
The noses of my bellowes; and, those bellowes
I keepe, with water-workes, in perpetuall motion,
(Which is the eafi'ft matter of a hundred)
Now, fir, your onion, which doth naturally
Attract th' infection, and your bellowes, blowing
The ayre vpon him, will fhew (instantly)

By his chang'd colour, if there be contagion,
Or elfe, remaine as faire, as at the first.

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125 [497]

Now 'tis knowne, 'tis nothing. PER. You are right, fir.

POL. I would, I had my note. PER. 'Faith, fo would I:

But, you ha' done well, for once, fir. PoL. Were I

false,

Or would be made fo, I could fhew you reasons,

130

PER. Pray you,

How I could fell this ftate, now, to the Turke;
Spight of their galleis, or their

fir POLL.

POL. I haue 'hem not, about me. PER. That I
fear'd.

They' are there, fir? POL. No, this is my diary,
Wherein I note my actions of the day.

PER. 'Pray you, let's fee, fir. What is here? notandum,

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A rat had gnawne my spurre-lethers; notwithstanding,
I put on new, and did goe forth: but, first,

I threw three beanes ouer the threshold. Item,

I went, and bought two tooth-pickes, whereof one

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I burst, immediatly, in a discourse