[Exeunt Jup. and Alcm. severally; Phæd. follows her.
Merc. [Alone.] Now I should follow him; but love has laid a lime-twig for me, and made a lame god of me. Yet why should I love this Phædra? She's interested, and a jilt into the bargain. Three thousand years hence, there will be a whole nation of such women, in a certain country, that will be called France; and there's a neighbour island, too, where the men of that country will be all interest. O what a precious generation will that be, which the men of the island shall propagate out of the women of the continent!—
Phædra re-enters.
And so much for prophecy; for she's here again, and I must love her, in spite of me. And since I must, I have this comfort, that the greatest wits are commonly the greatest cullies; because neither of the sexes can be wiser than some certain parts about them will give them leave.
Phæd. Well, Sosia, and how go matters?
Merc. Our army is victorious.
Phæd. And my servant, judge Gripus?
Merc. A voluptuous gormand.
Phæd. But has he gotten wherewithal to be voluptuous; is he wealthy?