Scene IV A Public Place in Nineveh
Enter one clad in Devil’s attire.
Devil. Longer lives a merry man than a sad; and because I mean to make myself pleasant this night, I have put myself into this attire, to make a clown afraid that passeth this way: for of late there have appeared many strange apparitions, to the great fear and terror of the citizens.—O, here my young master comes.
Enter Adam and the Smith’s Wife.
Adam. Fear not, mistress, I’ll bring you safe home: if my master frown, then will I stamp and stare; and if all be not well then, why then to-morrow morn put out mine eyes clean with forty pound.
S. Wife. O, but, Adam, I am afraid to walk so late, because of the spirits that appear in the city.
Adam. What, are you afraid of spirits? Armed as I am, with ale and nutmegs, turn me loose to all the devils in hell.
S. Wife. Alas, Adam, Adam! the devil, the devil!
Adam. The devil, mistress! fly you for your safeguard; [Exit S. Wife.] let me alone; the devil and I will deal well enough, if he have any honesty at all in him: I’ll either win him with a smooth tale, or else with a toast and a cup of ale.
Devil [singing].
O, O, O, O, fain would I be,
If that my kingdom fulfill’d I might see!
O, O, O, O!
Adam. Surely this is a merry devil, and I believe he is one of Lucifer’s minstrels; hath a sweet voice; now surely, surely, he may sing to a pair of tongs and a bagpipe.
Devil. O, thou art he that I seek for.
Adam. Spritus santus!—Away from me, Satan! I have nothing to do with thee.
Devil. O villain, thou art mine!
Adam. Nominus patrus!—I bless me from thee, and I conjure thee to tell me who thou art!
Devil. I am the spirit of the dead man that was slain in thy company when we were drunk together at the ale.113
Adam. By my troth, sir, I cry you mercy; your face is so changed that I had quite forgotten you: well, master devil, we have tossed over many a pot of ale together.
Devil. And therefore must thou go with me to hell.
Adam [aside]. I have a policy to shift him, for I know he comes out of a hot place, and I know myself, the smith and the devil hath a dry tooth in his head: therefore will I leave him asleep and run my way.
Devil. Come, art thou ready?
Adam. Faith, sir, my old friend, and now goodman devil, you know you and I have been tossing many a good cup of ale: your nose is grown very rich: what say you, will you take a pot of ale now at my hands? Hell is like a smith’s forge, full of water, and yet ever athirst.
Devil. No ale, villain; spirits cannot drink; come, get upon my back, that I may carry thee.114
Adam. You know I am a smith, sir: let me look whether you be well shod or no; for if you want a shoe, a remove, or the clinching of a nail, I am at your command.
Devil. Thou hast never a shoe fit for me.
Adam, Why, sir, we shoe horned beasts, as well as you,—[Aside.] O good Lord! let me sit down and laugh; hath never a cloven foot; a devil, quoth he! I’ll use Spritus santus nor Nominus patrus no more to him, I warrant you; I’ll do more good upon him with my cudgel: now will I sit me down, and become justice of peace to the devil.
Devil. Come, art thou ready?
Adam. I am ready, and with this cudgel I will conjure thee. [Beats him.
Devil. O, hold thy hand! thou killest me, thou killest me! [Exit.
Adam. Then may I count myself, I think, a tall115 man, that am able to kill a devil. Now who dare deal with me in the parish? or what wench in Nineveh will not love me, when they say, “There goes he that beat the devil?” [Exit.