And that which fills up all your bracks, good stones. Mel. Stones, trees, and beasts in love still firmer prove Than man; I'll none; no holdfast's in your loves. Lav. Since not the mistress, come on faith the maid. Alb. Ten thousand duckets too to boot are laid. Lav. Why then wind cornets, lead on, jolly lad. Alb. Excuse me, gallants, though my legs lead wrong; 'Tis my first footing, wind out nimble tongue. Duke. 'Tis well, 'tis well, how shall we spend this night? Quad. Gulp Rhenish wine, my liege, let our paunch rent, Suck merry jellies; perview, but not prevent Alb. I home invite you all; come sweet, sweet wife, My liege vouchsafe thy presence, drink till the ground look blue, boy. Quad. Live still in springing hopes, in fresh new joys; May your loves happy hit in fair cheek'd wives, That's all my honest frolic heart can wish; Till night, I wish good food, and pleasing day, [Exeunt. * Perhaps the first line of this speech was addressed to Albano and Celia, and the remainder to the audience. FINIS. THE name of this play is found in the "Adelphi" of Terence, and is the diminutive of Parasitus, a parasite or flatterer; a character personated in it by the Duke of Ferrara (in disguise). It was acted, as is mentioned in the original title-page, at the Black Friars, by the Children of the Revels. "The plot of Dulcimel, her cozening the duke by a pretended discovery of Tiberio's love to her, is borrowed," says Langbaine, "from Boccace's Novels, Day 3, Nov. 3. This novel is made use of as an incident in several other plays; as, Flora's Vagaries;' Soldier's Fortune;' and Nymphadoro's humour of loving the whole sex, Act III. Scene I. is copied from Ovid Amor, Lib. 2, Eleg. 4." The incident from Boccace was introduced by Moliere on the French stage, admirably connected with the best part of the "Adelphi" of Terence, in "L'Ecole des Maris:" if Marston has not equalled him in the conducting the plot, it must be remembered in his favour he was the first to adopt it, and that Moliere might not have been unacquainted with his labours. TO MY EQUAL READER. I HAVE evermore endeavoured to know myself, than to be known of others: and rather to be unpartially beloved of all, than factiously to be admired of a few yet so powerfully have I been enticed with the delights of poetry, and (I must ingenuously confess) above better desert so fortunate in these stage-pleasings, that (let my resolutions be never so fixed to call mine eyes into myself), I much fear that most lamentable death of him, But since the over-vehement pursuit of these delights hath been the sickness of my youth, and now is grown to be the vice of my firmer age, since to satisfy others I neglect myself, let it be the curtesy of my peruser, rather to pity my selfhindering labours than to malice me, and let him be pleased to be my reader, and not my interpreter, since I would fain reserve that office in my own hands, it being my daily prayer, Absit à jocorum nostrorum simplicitate malignus interpres. MARTIAL. If any shall wonder why I print a comedy, whose life rests much in the actors' voice; let |