Lawyer. As to that, my lord, I always fetch’d my dear home in her coach from her gallant, who had pawn’d her in a tavern.——
Luc. Away with them I say; what, am I not obey’d!
As they are carry’d off, they cry, O tempora! O mores!
Luc. Who art thou, with so precise a grimace?
A Parson’s Ghost. I was in the world above, most mighty king, of the reverend crew, and having a handsom wife, as most of us love, who was proud, as they generally are, my benefice (tho’ good) was too small to maintain the grandeur she affected; but I being of a good comely port, with a pair of broad shoulders, and sufficient abilities, and the man of God too boot, (which made an easy and open way for all the rest) I ventur’d to crack a commandment with some of my wealthy parishioners wives, that they being so oblig’d, (according to my text) might prevail with their husbands to be the more generous to me in supererrogatory offerings, which flow’d all into the bottomless bag of my spouse’s pride and lust; for that too, must be supply’d.
[They are carry’d off.
Luc. You, the rest of this mad foolish crew, what are you? And what the cause of your damnation?
Poet’s Ghost. Quis Talia fando
Myrmidonum, Dolopúmve, aut duri Miles Ulyssi
Temperet à Lacrymis?
Ha! brothers of the quill, what fate for us remains!
But death, or worse than death, inglorious chains.
Luc. What ragged regiment are you that lag behind your fellows? what are you the black-guard of the cuckolds?