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Pope, Alexander, 1688-1744

"A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2"

[422]
WIT.
God's fish-hooks?[423] and know you not me?
SCIENCE.
I had been well at ease indeed to be acquainted with thee!
WIT.
Hop haliday![424] marry, this is pretty cheer,
I have lost myself, I cannot tell where!
An old-said saw it is, and too true, I find,
Soon hot, soon cold: out of sight, out of mind.
What, madam, what meaneth this sudden change?
What means this scornful look, this countenance so strange?
Is it[425] your fashion so to use your lovers at the first:
Or have all women this delight to scold and to be curs'd?
REASON.
Good fellow, whence art thou? what is thy name?
WIT.
I ween ye are disposed to make at me some game.
I am the son of lady Nature; my name is Wit.
REASON.
Thou shalt say so long enough, ere we believe it.
SCIENCE.
Thou Wit? nay, thou art some mad-brain out of thy wit.
WIT.
Unto yourselves this trial I remit.
Look on me better, and mark my person well.
SCIENCE.
Thy look is like to one, that came out of hell.
REASON.
If thou be Wit, let see, what tokens thou canst tell.
How cam'st thou first acquainted here? what said we?
How did we like thy suit, what entertainment made we?
WIT.
What tokens?
SCIENCE.
Yea, what tokens? speak, and let us know.
WIT.
Tokens good store I can rehearse a-row:
First, as I was advised by my mother Nature,
My lackey Will presented you with my picture.
SCIENCE.
Stay there, now look, how these two faces agree!
WIT.


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