Languages & literature > Amphitryon,or, The two Sosias

82 A M P H I r R r 0 N.
* Merc. ’Tis my duty to attend on your lordfliip*
and to eafe you of that undecent burden.
Grip. Gold wjis never any burden to one of my
profeffion.
Merc. By your lordfliip’s permillion, Phaedra t
has fent me to take it from you.
Grip. What, by violence!
Merc, flill bowing.'] No; but by your honour’s l
permiffion, I am to reftore it to her, and perfuade
your lordlhip to renounce your pretenfions to her. ;
Grip. Tell her flatly, I will neither do one, nor '
t’other.
Merc. O my good lord, I dare pafs my word for
.your free confent to both. Will your honour
be pleas’d to take your choice of. one of thefe ? ‘
• Grip. Why thefe are fwords: What have I to do
with them?
Merc. Only to take your choice of one of them ;
which your lordlhip pleafes; and leave the other ‘
to ybur.moft obedient fervant.
Grip. What, one of thefe ungodly weapons ?
•take notice, I’ll lay you by the heels, firrah: this !
has the appearance of an unlawful bloody chal- I,
Jenge. #
Merc. You magiftrates are pleas’d to call it fo,
my lord ; but witn us fword-men, ’tis an honour- ‘
■able invitation to the cutting one another’s throats.
Grip. Be anfwer’d; I have no throat to cut.:
The law ihall decide our controverfy.
* Merc. By your permiflion, my lord; it muft be'
difpatch’d this way.
Grip. I’ll fee thee hang’d before I give thee a-
ny fuch permaffion, to difpatch me into another ‘
world.
Merc. At the leafl, my lord, you have no oc-:
calion to complain of my want of refpett to you :
you will neither re ft ore die goblet, nor renounce
f Phaedra* \