English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Mop_. Terlitelo,[110] Terlitelo, tertitelee, terlo.
So merrily this sheapheards Boy
His home that he can blow,
Early in a morning, late, late in an euening;
And euer sat this little Boy
So merrily piping.
_Enter at the other doore Frisco singing_.
_Fris_. Can you blow the little home?
Weell, weell and very weell;
And can you blow the little home
Amongst the leaues greene?
_Enter Ioculo in the midst singing_.
_Io_. Fortune,[111] my foe, why doest thou frowne on mee?
And will my fortune neuer better bee?
Wilt thou, I say, for euer breed my paine,
And wilt thou not restore my Ioyes againe?
_Frisco_. Cannot a man be merry in his owne walke
But a must be thus encombred?
_Io_. I am disposed to be melancholly,
And I cannot be priuate for one villaine or other.
_Mop_. How the deuel stumbled this case of rope-ripes[112] into my way?
_Fris_. Sirrha what art thou? and thou?
_Io_. I am a page to a Courtier.
_Mop_. And I a Boy to a Shepheard.
_Fris_. Thou art the Apple-Squier[113] to an Eawe,
And thou sworne brother to a bale[114] of false dice.
_Io_. What art thou?
_Fris_. I am Boy to a Raunger.
_Io_. An Out-lawe by authoritie, one that neuer sets marke of his own
goods nor neuer knowes how he comes by other mens.
_Mop_. That neuer knowes his cattell but by their hornes.
_Fris_. Sirrha, so you might haue said of your maister sheep.
_Io_. I, marry, this takes fier like touch powder, and goes off with
a huffe.
_Fris_. They come of crick-cracks, and shake their tayles like a squib.
_Io_. Ha, you Rogues, the very steele of my wit shall strike fier from
the flint of your vnderstandings; haue you not heard of me?
_Mop_. Yes, if you be the _Ioculo_ that I take you for, we haue heard
of your exployts for cosoning of some seuen and thirtie Alewiues in the
Villages here about.
_Io_. A wit as nimble as a Sempsters needle or a girles finger at her
Buske poynt.
_Mop_. Your iest goes too low, sir.
_Fris_. O but tis a tickling iest.
_Io_. Who wold haue thought to haue found this in a plaine villaine
that neuer woare better garment than a greene Ierkin?
_Fris_. O Sir, though you Courtiers haue all the honour you haue not
all the wit.
_Mop_. Soft sir, tis not your witte can carry it away in this company.
_Io_. Sweet Rogues, your companie to me is like musick to a wench at
midnight when she lies alone and could wish,--yea, marry could she.
_Fris_. And thou art as welcome to me as a new poking stick to a
Chamber mayd.
_Mop_. But, soft; who comes here?
_Enter the Faieries, singing and dauncing_.
By the moone we sport and play,
With the night begins our day;
As we daunce, the deaw doth fall;
Trip it little vrchins all,
Lightly as the little Bee,
Two by two and three by three:
And about go wee, and about go wee.[115]
_Io_. What Mawmets[116] are these?
_Fris_. O they be the Fayries that haunt these woods.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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