so that it must turn to your advantage one way or another. LADY. I think you argue very rightly. But where is the man? I would fain see him. He must be a curiosity. VELLUM. I have already discours'd him, and he is to be with me, in my office, half an hour hence. He asks nothing for his pains, till he has done his work; no cure, no money. LADY. That circumstance, I must confess, would make one believe there is more in his art than one would imagine. Pray, Vellum, go and fetch him hither immediately. VELLUM. I am gone. He shall be forth-coming forthwith. [Exeunt. Enter BUTLER, COACHMAN, and GARDINER. BUTLER. Rare news, my lads, rare news! GARDINER. What's the matter; hast thou got any more vales for us.? BUTLER. No, 'tis better than that. COACHMAN. Is there another stranger come to the house? BUTLER. Ay, fuch a ftranger as will make all our lives easy. GARDINER. What! is he a Lord? BUTLER. A Lord! no, nothing like it, -He's a Conjurer. COACHCOACHΜΑΝ. A Conjurer! what, is he come a wooing to my Lady? BUTLER. No, no, you fool, he's come on purpose to lay the fpirit. COACΗΜΑΝ. Ay marry, that's good news indeed; but whereis he? BUTLER. He's lock'd up with the Steward in his office, they are laying their heads together very close. I fancy they are cafting a figure. GARDINER Pr'ythee, John, what fort of a creature is a Conjurer? BUTLER. Why he's made much as other men are, if it was not for his long gray beard. COACHΜΑΝ. Look ye, Peter, it stands with reason, that a Conjurer hould have a long gray beard-for did ye ever know a witch that was not an old woman? GARDINER. Why! I remember a conjurer once at a fair, that to my thinking was a very smock'd face man, and yet spew'd out fifty yards of green ferret. I fancy, John, if thoud'ft get him into the pantry and give him a cup of ale, he'd shew us a few tricks. Doft think we could not perfuade him to swallow one of thy cafe-knives for his diversion? he'll certainly bring it up again. BUTLER. Peter, thou art such a wiseacre! thou dost not know the difference between a Conjurer and a Jugler. This man must be a very great master of his trade. His beard is at least half a yard long, he's drest in a strange dark cloke, as black as a coal. Your Conjurer always goes in mourning. GAR GARDINER Is he a gentleman? had he a sword by his fide ? BUTLER. No, no, he's too grave a man for that, a conjurer is as grave as a judge-but he had a long white wand in his hand. COACHMAN. You may be fure there's a good deal of virtue in that wand-I fancy 'tis made out of witch-elm. GARDINER. I warrant you if the ghost appears, he'll whisk ye that wand before his eyes, and strike you the drumstic out of his hand. BUTLER. No; the wand, look ye, is to make a circle, and if he once gets the ghost in a circle, then he has himlet him get out again if he can. A circle, you must know, is a conjurer's trap. COACHΜΑΝ. But what will he do with him when he has him there? Why then he'll overpower him with his learning. If he can once compass him, and get him in lob's pound, he'll make nothing of him, but speak a few hard words to him, and perhaps bind him over to his good behaviour for a thousand years. COACHMAN. Ay, ay, he'll send him packing to his grave again with a flea in his ear, I'warrant him. BUTLER. No, no, I would advise Madam to spare no cost. If the conjurer be but well paid, he'll take pains upon the ghost, and lay him, look ye, in the red-fea-and then he's laid for ever. VOL. II. L COACH ؟ COACHMAN. Ay, marry, that would spoil his drum for him. GARDINER. Why John, there must be a power of spirits in that same red-fea-I warrant ye they are as plenty as fish. COACΗΜΑΝ. Well, I wish after all that he may not be too hard for the conjurer; I'm afraid he'll find a tough bit of work on't GARDINER. I wish the spirit may not carry a corner of the house off with him. BUTLER. As for that, Peter, you may be sure that the steward has made his bargain with the cunning-man beforehand, that he shall stand to all costs and damages-but hark! yonder's Mrs. Abigal, we shall have her with us immediately, if we do not get off. ARDINER. Ay lads! if we could get Mrs. Abigal well laid too -we should lead merry lives. For to a man like me that's ftout and bold, A ghost is not so dreadful as a fcold. : ACT ACT III. SCENEI. SCENE opens, and discovers Sir George in Vellum's Office. I Wonder I don't hear of Vellum yet. But I know his wisdom will do nothing rashly. The fellow has been so used to form in business, that it has infected his whole conversation. But I must not find fault with that punctual and exact behaviour, which has been of so much ufe to me, my eftate is the better for it. Enter VELLUM. Well, Vellum, I am impatient to hear your success. VELLUM. First, let me lock the door. Sir GEORGE. Will your Lady admit me? VELLUM. If this lock is not mended soon, it will be quite spoiled. Sir GEORGE. Pr'ythee let the lock alone at present, and answer me VELLUM. Delays in business are dangerous-I must send for the smith next week and in the mean time will take a Sir GEORGE. minute of it. What says your Lady? |