A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
English drama
ODOUR. I do, my lord, and have at my command
The smell of flowers and odoriferous drugs,
Of ointments sweet and excellent perfumes,
And courtlike waters, which if once you smell,
You in your heart would wish, as I suppose,
That all your body were transform'd to nose.
PHA. Olfactus, of all the Senses, your objects have the worst luck; they
are always jarring with their contraries; for none can wear civet, but
they are suspected of a proper bad scent[290]; whence the proverb
springs, He smelleth best, that doth of nothing smell.
SCAENA QUARTA.
_The Bench and_ OLFACTUS, _as before_. TOBACCO, _apparelled in a
taffeta mantle, his arms brown and naked, buskins made of the
peeling of osiers, his neck bare, hung with Indian leaves, his
face brown, painted with blue stripes, in his nose swines' teeth,
on his head a painted wicker crown with tobacco-pipes set in it,
plumes of tobacco leaves, led by two Indian boys naked, with
tapers in their hands, tobacco-boxes, and pipes lighted_.
PHA. Foh, foh, what a smell is here! Is this one of your delightful
objects?
OLF. It is your only scent in request, sir.
COM. SEN. What fiery fellow is that, which smokes so much in the mouth?
OLF. It is the great and puissant God of Tobacco.
TOB. _Ladoch guevarroh pufuer shelvaro baggon,
Olfia di quanon, Indi cortilo vraggon_.
PHA. Ha, ha, ha, ha! this, in my opinion, is the tongue of the
Antipodes.
MEM. No, I remember it very well, it was the language the Arcadians
spake that lived long before the moon.
COM. SEN. What signifies it, Olfactus?
OLF. This is the mighty Emperor Tobacco, king of Trinidado, that, in
being conquered, conquered all Europe, in making them pay tribute for
their smoke.
TOB. _Erfronge inglues conde hesingo,
Develin floscoth ma pu cocthingo_.
OLF. Expeller of catarrhs, banisher of all agues, your guts' only salve
for the green wounds of a _non-plus_.
TOB. _All vulcam vercu, I parda pora si de gratam, ka famala mora, che
Bauho respartera, quirara_.
OLF. Son to the god Vulcan and Tellus, kin to the father of mirth,
called Bacchus.
TOB. _Viscardonok, pillostuphe, pascano tinaromagas,
Pagi dagon stollisinfe, carocibato scribas_.
OLF. Genius of all swaggerers, professed enemy to physicians, sweet
ointment for sour teeth, firm knot of good fellowship, adamant of
company, swift wind to spread the wings of time, hated of none but
those that know him not, and of so great deserts that, whoso is
acquainted with him can hardly forsake him.
PHA. It seems these last words were very significant. I promise you,
a god of great denomination; he may be my Lord Tappes for his large
titles[291].
COM. SEN. But forward, Olfactus, as they have done before you, with your
description?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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