Sunday, January 17, 2010

Enter Macduff and Lenox

How many mundane notions in the morning seemed to sparkle through the wine at night? And how many of the night’s ideas were not, by morning, useless scribbles again? Enter Macduff and Lenox.

MACDUFF
Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?

PORTER
Faith, Sir, we were carousing till the second cock;
and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three things.

MACDUFF
What three things does drink especially provoke?

PORTER
Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes;it provokes the desire,
but it takes away the performance.
Therefore, much drink may be said to be
an equivocator with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him;
it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him,
and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not
stand to; in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep,
and, giving him the lie, leaves him.

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