The divell is an asse a comedie acted in the yeare 1616, by His Majesties servants / the author, Ben. Iohnson.

Act. V. Scene. VI.

Shakles. Pug. Iniquity. Divell.

HEre you are lodg'd, Sir, you must send your garnish, If you'll be privat.

Pug.

There it is, Sir, leave me. To New-Gate, brought? How is the name of Divell Discredited in me! What a lost fiend Shall I be, on returne? My Chiefe will roare In triumph, now, that I have beene on earth, A day, and done no noted thing, but brought That body back here, was hang'd out this morning. Well! would it once were midnight, that I knew My utmost. I thinke Time be drunke, and sleepes: He is so still, and moves not! I do glory Now i'my torment. Neither can I expect it, I have it with my fact.

Ini.

Child of hell, be thou merry▪ Put a looke on, as round, boy, and red as a cherry. Cast care at thy posternes; and firke in thy fetters, They are ornaments, Baby, have graced thy betters▪ Looke upon me, and hearken. Our Chiefe doth salute thee,

And least the could yron should chance to confu••e thee, H'hath sent thee, grant-paroll by me to stay longer A moneth here on earth, against cold Child, or honger

Pug.

How? longer here a moneth?

Ini.

Yes, boy, till the Session, That so thou maiest have a triumphall egression.

Pug.

In a cart, to be hang'd.

Ini.

No, Child, in a Ca••te, The charriot of Triumph, which most of them are. And in the meane time, to be greazy, and bouzy, And nasty, and filthy, and ragged and louzy, With dam'n me, renounce me, and all the fine phrases; That bring, unto Tiborne, the plentifull gazes.

Pug.

He is a Divell! and may be our Chiefe! The great superior Divell! for his malice: Arch-divel! I acknowledge him. He knew What I would suffer, when he tie'd me up thus In a rogues body: and he has (I thanke him) His tirannous pleasure on me, to confine me To the unlucky carcasse of a Cutpurse Wherin I could do nothing.

Div.

Impudent fiend, Stop thy lewd mouth. Doest thou not shame and tremble To lay thine owne dull damn'd defects upon An innocent case, there? Why thou heavy slave! The spirit, that did possesse that flesh before Put more true life, in a finger, and a thumbe. Then thou in the whole Masse. Yet thou rebell'st And murmurst? What one proffer hast thou made, Wicked inough, this day, that might be call'd Worthy thine owne, much lesse the name that sent thee? First, thou did'st helpe thy selfe into a beating Promptly, and with't endangerdd'st too thy tongue: A Divell, and could not keepe a body intire One day! That, for our credit. And to vindicate it, H••nderd'st (for ought thou know'st) a deed of darknesse: Which was an act of that egregious folly, As no one, to'ard the Divell, could ha'thought on. This for your acting! but for suffering! why Thou hast beene cheated on, with a false beard, And a turn'd cloake. Faith would your predecessour The Cutpurse, thinke you, ha' been so? Out upon thee, The hurt th'hast don, to let men know their strength, And that they are able to out-doe a divel Put in a body, will for ever be A scarre upon our Name! whom hast thou dealt with, Woman or man, this day, but have out-gone thee Some way, and most have prov'd the better fiends? Yet, you would be imploy'd▪ Yes, hell shall make you Provinciall o'the heaters! or Baud-ledger, For this side o'the towne! No doubt you'll render A rare account of things. Bane o'your itch, And scratching for imployme••t. I'll ha'brimstone

To allay it sure, and fire to singe your nailes off, But, that I would not such a damn'd dishonor Sticke on our state, as that the divell were hang'd; And could not save a body, that he tooke From Tiborne, but it must come thither againe: You should e'en ride. But up away with him—

Ini.

Mount, dearling of darknesse, my shoulders are broad: He that caries the fiend, is sure of his loade. The Divell was wont to carry away the evill; But, now, the Evill out-carries the Divell.

Notes

• Pug is brought to New-gate.
• Enter Iniquity the Vice.
• The great Divell en∣ters, and up∣braids him with all his daies work.
• Iniquity takes him on his back.