Ven. You have fairly ta'en that fear off; pray, proceed.
Lod. Your kindest men——
Clown. Your kindest men most cuckolds are, O pity!
And where have women most their will? i'th'[156] city!
Seek[157] for a nightcap, go to cuckolds' luck;
Who thrives like him who hath the daintiest duck
To deck his stall? nay, at the time of rapping,
When you may take the watch at corners napping;
Take it, forsooth—it is a wondrous hap,
If you find master constable without his cap:
So a city nightcap, for whilst he doth roam
And fights abroad, his wife commits at home.
Ven. A Verona constable.
Clown. A constable of Verona; we will not meddle with your city of Venice, sir.
Therefore 'tis fit the city, wise men say,
Should have a cap called Cornucopia.
Lod. To con——
Clown. To conclude our cap, and stretch it on the tenter,
'Tis known a city is the whole land's centre:
So that a city nightcap ours we call
By a conclusion philosophical.
Heavy bodies tend to th' centre, so (the more the pity)
The heaviest heads do butt upon the city:
And to our dance this title doth redound,
A city nightcap, alias, cuckolds' round.
Dor. Cuckolds' round! and my sweet bird leads the dance!