Lor. If you don’t, it were no matter if you did. [Aside.

Dom. Nay, if you talk of peaching, I’ll peach first, and see whose oath will be believed; I’ll trounce you for offering to corrupt my honesty, and bribe my conscience:  you shall be summoned by an host of parators; you shall be sentenced in the spiritual court; you shall be excommunicated; you shall be outlawed;—­and—­
[Here LORENZO takes a purse, and plays with it,
and at last lets the purse fall chinking on the
ground, which the Friar eyes.
[In another tone.] I say, a man might do this now, if he were maliciously disposed, and had a mind to bring matters to extremity:  but, considering that you are my friend, a person of honour, and a worthy good charitable man, I would rather die a thousand deaths than disoblige you. [LORENZO takes up the purse, and pours it into
the Friar’s sleeve.
Nay, good sir;—­nay, dear colonel;—­O lord, sir, what are you doing now!  I profess this must not be:  without this I would have served you to the utter-most; pray command me.—­A jealous, foul-mouthed rogue this Gomez is; I saw how he used you, and you marked how he used me too.  O he’s a bitter man; but we’ll join our forces; ah, shall we, colonel? we’ll be revenged on him with a witness.

Lor. But how shall I send her word to be ready at the door? for I must reveal it in confession to you, that I mean to carry her away this evening, by the help of these two soldiers.  I know Gomez suspects you, and you will hardly gain admittance.

Dom. Let me alone; I fear him not.  I am armed with the authority of my clothing:  yonder I see him keeping sentry at his door:—­have you never seen a citizen, in a cold morning, clapping his sides, and walking forward and backward, a mighty pace before his shop? but I’ll gain the pass, in spite of his suspicion; stand you aside, and do but mark how I accost him.

Lor. If he meet with a repulse, we must throw off the fox’s skin, and put on the lion’s.—­Come, gentlemen, you’ll stand by me?

Sol. Do not doubt us, colonel.
                    [They retire all three to a corner of the stage;
                     DOMINICK goes to the door where GOMEZ stands.

Dom. Good even, Gomez; how does your wife?

Gom. Just as you’d have her; thinking on nothing but her dear colonel, and conspiring cuckoldom against me.

Dom. I dare say, you wrong her; she is employing her thoughts how to cure you of your jealousy.

Gom. Yes, by certainty.

Dom. By your leave, Gomez; I have some spiritual advice to impart to her on that subject.

Gom. You may spare your instructions, if you please, father; she has no farther need of them.

Dom. How, no need of them! do you speak in riddles?