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Jonson, Ben, 1573-1637

"The Alchemist"

"For after Alexander's death" --
MAM. Good lady --
DOL. "That Perdiccas and Antigonus, were slain,
The two that stood, Seleuc', and Ptolomee" --
MAM. Madam --
DOL. "Made up the two legs, and the fourth beast,
That was Gog-north, and Egypt-south: which after
Was call'd Gog-iron-leg and South-iron-leg" --
MAM. Lady --
DOL. "And then Gog-horned. So was Egypt, too:
Then Egypt-clay-leg, and Gog-clay-leg" --
MAM. Sweet madam --
DOL. "And last Gog-dust, and Egypt-dust, which fall
In the last link of the fourth chain. And these
Be stars in story, which none see, or look at" --
MAM. What shall I do?
DOL. "For," as he says, "except
We call the rabbins, and the heathen Greeks" --
MAM. Dear lady --
DOL. "To come from Salem, and from Athens,
And teach the people of Great Britain" --
[ENTER FACE, HASTILY, IN HIS SERVANT'S DRESS.]
FACE. What's the matter, sir?
DOL. "To speak the tongue of Eber, and Javan" --
MAM. O,
She's in her fit.
DOL. "We shall know nothing" --
FACE. Death, sir,
We are undone!
DOL. "Where then a learned linguist
Shall see the ancient used communion
Of vowels and consonants" --
FACE. My master will hear!
DOL. "A wisdom, which Pythagoras held most high" --
MAM. Sweet honourable lady!
DOL. "To comprise
All sounds of voices, in few marks of letters" --
FACE. Nay, you must never hope to lay her now.
[THEY ALL SPEAK TOGETHER.]
DOL. "And so we may arrive by Talmud skill,
And profane Greek, to raise the building up
Of Helen's house against the Ismaelite,
King of Thogarma, and his habergions
Brimstony, blue, and fiery; and the force
Of king Abaddon, and the beast of Cittim:
Which rabbi David Kimchi, Onkelos,
And Aben Ezra do interpret Rome.


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