_Ferd._ Why do you laugh? methinks you that are courtiers should be my touchwood, take fire when I give fire; that is, laugh but when I laugh, were the subject never so witty. _Cast._ True, my lord: I myself have heard a very good jest, and have scorned to seem to have so silly a wit as to understand it. _Ferd._ But I can laugh at your fool, my lord. _Cast._ He cannot speak, you know, but he makes faces: my lady cannot abide him. _Ferd._ No? _Cast._ Nor endure to be in merry company; for she says too much laughing, and too much company, fills her too full of the wrinkle. _Ferd._ I would, then, have a mathematical instrument made for her face, that she might not laugh out of compass.--I shall shortly visit you at Milan, Lord Silvio. _Silvio._ Your grace shall arrive most welcome. _Ferd._ You are a good horseman, Antonio: you have excellent riders in France: what do you think of good horsemanship? _Ant._ Nobly, my lord: as out of the Grecian horse issued many famous princes, so out of brave horsemanship arise the first sparks of growing resolution, that raise the mind to noble action. _Ferd._ You have bespoke it worthily. _Silvio._ Your brother, the lord cardinal, and sister duchess. _Re-enter_ Cardinal, _with_ DUCHESS, CARIOLA, _and_ JULIA. _Card._ Are the galleys come about? _Gris._ They are, my lord. _Ferd._ Here's the Lord Silvio is come to take his leave. _Delio._ Now, sir, your promise; what's that cardinal? I mean his temper? they say he's a brave fellow, Will play his five thousand crowns at tennis, dance, Court ladies, and one that hath fought single combats. _Ant._ Some such flashes superficially hang on him for form; but observe his inward character: he is a melancholy churchman; the spring in his face is nothing but the engendering of toads; where he is jealous of any man, he lays worse plots for them than ever was imposed on Hercules, for he strews in his way flatterers, panders, intelligencers, atheists, and a thousand such political monsters. He should have been Pope; but instead of coming to it by the primitive decency of the church, he did bestow bribes so largely and so impudently as if he would have carried it away without Heaven's knowledge. Some good he hath done-- _Delio._ You have given too much of him. What's his brother? _Ant._ The duke there? a most perverse and turbulent nature: What appears in him mirth is merely outside; If he laugh heartily, it is to laugh All honesty out of fashion. _Delio._ Twins? _Ant._ In quality. He speaks with others' tongues, and hears men's suits With others' ears; will seem to sleep o' the bench Only to entrap offenders in their answers; Dooms men to death by information; Rewards by hearsay. _Delio._ Then the law to him Is like a foul black cobweb to a spider,-- He makes it his dwelling and a prison To entangle those shall feed him.