English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Onae_. Thou villaine, leave thy hold! Ile follow him:
Like a rais'd ghost I'le haunt him, breake his sleepe,
Fright him as hee's embracing his new Leman
Till want of rest bids him runne mad and dye,
For making oathes Bawds to his perjury.
_Corn_. Pray be more reason'd: if he made any Bawdes he did ill, for
there is enough of that fly-blowne flesh already.
_Onae_. I'me now left naked quite:
All's gone, all, all!
_Corn_. No, Madam, not all; for you cannot be rid of me.--Here comes
your Uncle.
_Enter Medina_.
_Onae_. Attir'd in robes of vengeance are you, Uncle?
_Med_. More horrors yet?
_Onae_. 'Twas never full till now:
And in this torrent all my hopes lye drown'd.
_Med_. Instruct me in this cause.
_Onae_. The King! the Contract!
[_Exit_.
_Corn_. There's cud enough for you to chew upon.
[_Exit_.
_Med_. What's this? a riddle? how? the King, the Contract?
The mischiefe I divine which, proving true,
Shall kindle fires in Spaine to melt his Crowne
Even from his head: here's the decree of fate,--
A blacke deed must a blacke deed expiate.
[_Exit_.
_Actus Secundus_.
SCAENA PRIMA[186].
_Enter Baltazar, slighted by Dons_.
_Bal_. Thou god of good Apparell, what strange fellowes
Are bound to do thee honour! Mercers books
Shew mens devotions to thee; heaven cannot hold
A Saint so stately. Do not my Dons know
Because I'me poor in clothes? stood my beaten Taylor
Playting my rich hose, my silke stocking-man
Drawing upon my Lordships Courtly calfe
Payres of Imbroydered things whose golden clockes
Strike deeper to the faithfull shop-keepers heart
Than into mine to pay him;--had my Barbour
Perfum'd my louzy thatch here and poak'd out
My Tuskes more stiffe than are a cats muschatoes--
These pide-winged Butterflyes had known me then.
Another flye-boat?[187] save thee, Illustrious Don.
_Enter Don Roderigo_.
Sir, is the king at leisure to speake Spanish
With a poore Souldier?
_Ro_. No.
_Bal_. No! sirrah you, no;
You Don with th'oaker face, I wish to ha thee
But on a Breach, stifling with smoke and fire,
And for thy 'No' but whiffing Gunpowder
Out of an Iron pipe, I woo'd but ask thee
If thou wood'st on, and if thou didst cry No
Thou shudst read Canon-Law; I'de make thee roare
And weare cut-beaten-sattyn: I woo'd pay thee
Though thou payst not thy mercer,--meere Spanish Jennets!
_Enter Cockadillio_.
Signeor, is the king at leisure?
_Cock_. To doe what?
_Balt_. To heare a Souldier speake.
_Cock_. I am no eare-picker
To sound his hearing that way.
_Bal_. Are you of Court, Sir?
_Cock_. Yes, the kings Barber.
_Bal_. That's his eare picker.--Your name, I pray?
_Cock_. Don _Cockadillio_.
If, Souldier, thou hast suits to begge at Court
I shall descend so low as to betray
Thy paper to the hand Royall.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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