Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/197

BEN JONSON go back to Act iii., Sc. 3 — An apartment at court : Enter Macilente (who does not concern us), Fasti- dious, and Cinedo (his page) with tobacco. For what has our gay Brisk come? He has come to lay his homage at the feet of Saviolina, " a court-lady, whose weightiest praise is a light wit, admired by herself, and one more, her servant Brisk." Now we learn what the author meant when he said of this gallant, he "speaks good remnants notwithstanding the base viol and tobacco ; " for with those two sweet instruments, the pipe and the viol de gambo, our enamoured courtier courts his mistress — alas ! in vain, for poetical wooings are rarely successful in this gross world. At first euphuism is intermitted for puff, puff ; then for hum, hum ; then again for puff, puff. Here is a fragment from the close : she has taken the viol to tune it : — ' ' Fast. You see the subject of her sweet fingers there — Oh, she tickles it so, that — She makes it laugh most divinely ; I'll tell you a good jest now, and yourself shall say it's a good one : I have wished myself to be that instrument, I think, a thousand times, and not so few, by heaven. . . Sav. Here, servant, if you will play, come. FasL Instantly, sweet lady. — In good faith, here's most divine tobacco ! Sav. Nay, I cannot stay to dance after your pipe. Fas/. Good ! nay, dear lady, stay ; by this sweet smoke, I think your wit be all fire. . . Sav. Is your tobacco perfumed, servant, that you swear by the sweet smoke ? FasL Still more excellent ! Before heaven, and these bright lights, I think — you are made of ingenuity, I — Will your lady- ship take any ? .S'av. O, peace, I pray you ; I love not the breath of a wood- cock's head. Fast. Meaning my head, lady ?