Ros. It will be hard to do, sir.

Bel. Cry now instantly;
Cry monstrously, that all the town may hear thee;
Cry seriously, as if thou hadst lost thy monkey;
And, as I like thy tears—

Ros. Now!

Enter Lillia, and four Women laughing.

Bel. How! how! do you jeer me?
Have you broke your bounds again, dame?

Ros. Yes, and laugh at you,
And laugh most heartily.

Bel. What are these? whirlwinds?
Is hell broke loose, and all the furies flutter’d?
Am I greased once again?

Ros. Yes, indeed are you;
And once again you shall be, if you quarrel!
Do you come to vent your fury on a virgin?
Is this your manhood, sir?

1 Wom. Let him do his best;
Let’s see the utmost of his indignation;
I long to see him angry. Come; proceed, sir.
Hang him, he dares not stir; a man of timber!

2 Wom. Come hither to fright maids with thy bull-faces?
To threaten gentlewomen! Thou a man? a maypole!
A great dry pudding!

3 Wom. Come, come, do your worst, sir;
Be angry if thou darest.

Bel. The Lord deliver me!

4 Wom. Do but look scurvily upon this lady,
Or give us one foul word—We are all mistaken;
This is some mighty dairy-maid in man’s clothes.

Lil. I am of that mind too.

Bel. What will they do to me?

Lil. And hired to come and abuse us: A man has manners;
A gentleman, civility and breeding.
Some tinker’s trull, with a beard glew’d on.

1 Wom. Let’s search him,
And as we find him—

Bel. Let me but depart from ye,
Sweet Christian women!

Lil. Hear the thing speak, neighbours.

Bel. ’Tis but a small request: If e’er I trouble ye,
If e’er I talk again of beating women,
Or beating anything that can but turn to me;
Of ever thinking of a handsome lady
But virtuously and well, of ever speaking
But to her honour—This I’ll promise ye,
I will take rhubarb, and purge choler mainly.
Abundantly I’ll purge.

Lil. I’ll send you broths, sir.

Bel. I will be laugh’d at, and endure it patiently;
I will do anything!

Ros. I’ll be your bail then.
When you come next to woo, pray you come not boisterously,
And furnish’d like a bear-ward.

Bel. No, in truth, forsooth.