AMIN. O tace, quaeso; do not name
This frantic deed of mine for shame. 
My sweet magister, not a word;
I’ll neither drown me in a ford,
Nor give my neck such a scope,
T’embrace it with a hempen rope;
I’ll die no way, till nature will me,
And death come with his dart, and kill me,
If what is pass’d you will conceal,
And nothing to the world reveal;
Nay, as Quintillian said of yore,
I’ll strive to kill myself no more.

Y. ART.  On that condition I’ll conceal this deed: 
To-morrow, pray, come and dine with me;
For I have many strangers; ’mongst the rest,
Some are desirous of your company. 
You will not fail me?

AMIN.  No, in sooth;
I’ll try the sharpness of my tooth;
Instead of poison, I will eat
Rabbits, capons, and such meat;
And so, as Pythagoras says,
With wholesome fare prolong my days. 
But, sir, will Mistress Mall be there?

Y. ART.  She shall, she shall; man, never fear.

AMIN.  Then my spirit becomes stronger,
And I will live and stretch longer;
For Ovid said, and did not lie,
That poison’d men do often die: 
But poison henceforth I’ll not eat,
Whilst I can other victuals get. 
To-morrow, if you make a feast,
Be sure, sir, I will be your guest. 
But keep my counsel, vale tu! 
And, till to-morrow, sir, adieu! 
At your table I will prove,
If I can eat away my love. [Exit.

Y. ART.  O, I am glad I have thee; now devise
A way how to bestow it cunningly;
It shall be thus:  to-morrow I’ll pretend
A reconcilement ’twixt my wife and me,
And to that end I will invite thus many—­
First Justice Reason, as the chief man there;
My father Arthur, old Lusam, young Lusam. 
Master Fuller and Master Anselm I have bid already;
Then will I have my lovely Mary too,
Be it but to spite my wife, before she die;
For die she shall before to-morrow night. 
The operation of this poison is
Not suddenly to kill; they that take it
Fall in a sleep, and then ’tis past recure,
And this will I put in her cup to-morrow.

    Enter PIPKIN, running.

PIP.  This ’tis to have such a master!  I have sought him at the ’Change,
at the school, at every place, but I cannot find him nowhere.
                                             [Sees M. ART.]
O, cry mercy! my mistress would entreat you to come home.

Y. ART.  I cannot come to-night; some urgent business
Will all this night employ me otherwise.

PIP.  I believe my mistress would con you as much thank to do that business at home as abroad.

Y. ART.  Here, take my purse, and bid my wife provide
Good cheer against to-morrow; there will be
Two or three strangers of my late acquaintance. 
Sirrah, go you to Justice Reason’s house;
Invite him first with all solemnity;
Go to my father’s and my father-in-law’s;
Here, take this note—­
The rest that come I will invite myself: 
About it with what quick despatch thou can’st.