The Case is Altered/Act I Scene II

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1211047The Case is Altered — Act I Scene IIBen Jonson

SCENE II.

Enter the sewer, pass by with service again, the serving-men take knowledge of Valentine as they go. Juniper salutes him.

Junip. What, Valentine! fellow Onion,

take my dish, I prithee. You rogue, sirrah,

tell me how thou dost, sweet Ingle.

Val. Faith, Juniper, the better to see thee

thus folick.

[Exit Onion.]

Junip. Nay, slid I am no changling, I am

Juniper still. I keep the pristinate1 ; ha,

you mad hieroglyphick, when shall we

swagger?

Val. Hieroglyphick? what meanest thou

by that?

Junip. Mean! Godso, is't not a good

word, man? what, stand upon the meaning

with your friends. Puh, abscond.

Val. Why but stay, stay; how long has

this sprightly humour haunted thee?

Junip. Foh, humour, a foolish natural

gift we have in the Æquinoxial.

Val. Natural, 'slid it may be supernatural

all this.

Junip. Valentine, I prithee ruminate thyself welcome. What fortuna de la guerra.

Val. O how pitifully are these words forc'd,

As though they were pumpt out on's belly.

Junip. Sirrah, Ingle, I think thou hast

seen all the strange countries in Christendom

since thou went'st.

Val. I have seen some, Juniper.

Junip. You have seen Constantinople?

Val. I, that I have.

Junip. And Jerusalem, and the Indies,

and Goodwin-sands, and the tower of Babylon, and Venice, and all?

Val. I, all: no, marle, and he have a

nimble tongue, if he practise to vault thus

from one side of the world to another.

Junip. O it's a most heavenly thing to

travel, and see countries, especially at sea,

and a man had a patent not to be sick.

Val. O sea-sick jest, and full of the

scurvey.