Herc. Words fit acquaintance, but full actions friends.
Nym. Thou shalt not want, Faunus.
Herc. You promise well.
Herod. Be thou but firm, that old doting iniquity of age—that horny-eyed[155] lecherous duke, thy lord—shall be baffled to extremest derision; his son prove his fool father’s own issue. 312
Nym. And we, and thou with us, blessed and enriched past all misery of possible contempt, and above the hopes of greatest conjectures.
Herc. Nay, as for wealth, vilia miretur vulgus.[156] I know by his physiognomy, for wealth he is of my addiction, and bids a fico[157] for’t.
Nym. Why, thou art but a younger brother: but poor Baldazozo. 320
Herod. Faith, to speak truth, my means are written in the book of fate, as yet unknown: and yet[158] I am at my fool, and my hunting gelding. Come, Via,[159] to this feastful entertainment.
[Exeunt. Remanet Hercules.
Herc. I never knew till now how old I was.
By Him by whom we are, I think a prince,
Whose tender sufferance never felt a gust
Of bolder breathings, but still lived gently fann’d
With the soft gales of his own flatterers’ lips,
Shall never know his own complexion. 330
Dear sleep and lust, I thank you; but for you,
Mortal till now I scarce had known myself.
Thou grateful poison, sleek mischief, flattery,
Thou dreamful slumber (that doth fall on kings
As soft and soon[160] as their first holy oil),
Be thou for ever damn’d; I now repent
Severe indictions to some sharp styles;
Freeness, so’t grow not to licentiousness,