First Suit. Jest? no, a' my troth, sir: such was his insolent answer.

Fal. And do you think it stood with my credit to put up such an abuse? Will he not appear, says he? I'll make him appear with a vengeance. Latronello! (Enter Latronello.)

Lat. Does your worship call?

Fal. Draw me a strong-limbed warrant for the gentleman speedily: he will be bountiful to thee. Go and thank him within.

First Suit. I shall know your worship hereafter.

Fal. Ay, I pray thee do. (Exeunt Suitors with Latronello.) Two angels, one party, four another; and I think it a great spark of wisdom and policy, if a man come to me for justice, first, to know his griefs by his fees, which be light, and which be heavy: he may counterfeit else, and make me do justice for nothing; I like not that; for where I mean to be just, let me be paid well for it: the deed so rare purges the bribe."

A fencing-match ensues between Falso and Tangle, introductory to which the latter describes the weap

ons:

66

Tang. Your longsword, that's a writ of delay.

Fal. Mass, that sword's long enough, indeed: I ha' known it to reach the length of fifteen terms.

Tang.

Fifteen terms? that's but a short sword.

Fal. Methinks 'tis long enough: proceed, sir. Tang. A writ of delay, longsword; scandala magnatum, backsword.

Fal. Scandals are backswords, indeed.
Tang. Capias cominus, case of rapiers.
Fal. O desperate !

Tang. A latitat, sword and dagger; a writ of execu tion, rapier and dagger.

Fal. Thou art come to our present weapon; but what call you sword and buckler, then?

Tang. Oh, that's out of use now! Sword and buckler was called a good conscience, but that weapon's left long ago that was too manly a fight, too sound a weapon, for these our days."

Tangle's suits go against him; and he raves, pronouncing "a terrible, terrible curse upon you all, I wish you to my attorney. See where a præmunire comes, a dedimus potestatem, and that most dreadful execution, excommunicato capiendo! There's no bail to be taken: I shall rot in fifteen jails, make dice of my bones, and let my counsellor's son play away his money with 'em." Phoenix declares that "who so loves law dies either mad or poor," and pronounces him mad; to which Fidelo excepts, saying, "If he be any way altered from what he was, 'tis for the better." Tangle says he will set himself "free with a deliberandum;" prays for "an audita querela or a testificandum;""an extent, a proclamation, a summons, a recognisance, attachment, and injunction; a writ, a seizure, a writ of 'praisement, an absolution, a quietus est!" His distemper is exorcised by Quieto in the following formula :

:

"The balsam of a temperate brain

I pour into this thirsty vein,

And with this blessed oil of quiet,
Which is so cheap that few men buy it,
Thy stormy temples I allay;

Thou shalt give up the Devil, and pray;

Forsake his works, they're foul and black,

And keep thee bare in purse and back.
No more shalt thou in paper quarrel,
To dress up apes in good apparel.
He throws his stock and all his flock
Into a swallowing gulf,

That sends his goose unto his fox,

His lamb unto his wolf.

Keep thy increase,

And live at peace,

For war's not equal to this battle;

That eats but men; this men and cattle:
Therefore no more this combat choose,
Where he that wins does always lose;

And those that gain all with this curse receive it,
From fools they get it, to their sons they leave it."

The following deed by the "Captain," who sells his wife just as he is going a voyage, might be a useful precedent to those on whom the obligations of matrimony rest lightly, and save them the expense and annoyance of several weeks' residence in some western State:

"To all good and honest Christian people, to whom this present writing shall come, know you for a certain, that I, captain, for and in the consideration of five hundred crowns, have clearly bargained, sold, given, granted, assigned, and set over, and by these presents do clearly bargain, sell, give, grant, assign, and set over, all the right, estate, title, interest, demand, possession, and term of years to come, which I, the said captain, have, or ought to have, in and to Madonna Castiza, my most virtuous, modest, loving, and obedient wife, together with all and singular those admirable qualities with which her

noble breast is furnished; imprimis, the beauties of her mind, chastity, temperance, and above all, patience, excellent in the best of music, in voice delicious, in conference wise and pleasing, of age contentful, neither too young to be apish, nor too old to be sottish, and which is the best of a wife, a most comfortable, sweet companion, which said Madonna Castiza, lying and yet being in the occupation of the said captain, to have and to hold, use, and to be acquitted of and from all former bargains, former sales, gifts, grants, surrenders, re-entries; and furthermore, I, the said, of and for the consideration of five hundred crowns to set me aboard, before these presents, do utterly disclaim forever any estate, title, right, interest, demand, or possession of, in, or to the said Madonna Castiza, my late virtuous and unfortunate wife, as also neither to touch, attempt, molest, or incumber any part or parts whatsoever, either to be named or not to be named, either hidden or unhidden, either those that boldly look abroad, or those that dare not shew their faces," etc.

MASSINGER.

Massinger's drama, "The Old Law," derives its title from the edict "that every man living to fourscore years, and woman to threescore, shall then be cut off as fruitless to the republic; and law shall finish what nature lingers at." The justice of this enactment is gravely discussed by the lawyers in the piece, described as first and second. Cleanthes insists that the law is unjust, because it kills innocents. Number one replies that he understands conscience, but not law, and when asked if there is any "main difference,” answers that the inquirer “will never be good lawyer if he understands not that." Be

sides, he argues that it does not take the lives of the innocent; because people cannot live to such an age and be innocent. Cleanthes evidently was a woman's rights advocate; for he comments on the unjust discrimination between the sexes, and infers that "there was no woman in this senate, certain." Cleanthes then fees number one for advice as to some plan to evade the law; and the counsellor is delivered of this sage opinion:

“We say, man is not at age

Till he be one and twenty; before, it's infancy
And adolescency; now, by that addition,

Fourscore he cannot be till a hundred and one.”

The client, not regarding the jest as a good one, demands the fee, but is told "there is no law for the restitution of fees.”

Through the enforcement of this law arise many touching scenes of filial affection, and many horrible instances of filial ingratitude and marital infidelity. But it turns out that the law was only a trick to test the morals of the young people of the realm: nobody was put to death, and the supposed victims are produced at the close to confront their putative unkind survivors. The bad sons are deprived of their inheritance, and the incontinent women are forbidden to marry for ten years. The faithful are suitably rewarded. There seems no defect of strict poetic justice, save some punishment on the counsellors for their bad law. Perhaps the poet considered the sarcasm of making them defend such an unjust enactment a sufficient retribution. The piece winds up with, –

"The good needs fear no law: It is his safety, and the bad man's awe."