English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Un_. And hast thou been carefull of all those things I gave charge
to be provided?
_Tho_. There is a note of the particulars.
_Un_. Tis very well done, _Thomas_.--Let me see: Imprimis--
_Tho_. The Captaine wonot faile to be w'ee, sir. He was not at his
lodging; and inquiring at the _Horne_ tavern, I heard he had been there
with two or three Cittizens that ow'd him mony.
_Un_. That he owde mony to.
_Tho_. Tis all one, I thinke, Sir; for when Captaines have not pay, the
creditors may pay themselves. Here they said he did mollifie the hart of
the haberdashers and dranke himselfe a little mellowe ere they parted,
which gave me some hope I might find him ere night at the _Divell_,
where indeed I fetcht him out of the fire and gave him your Letter.
_Un_. And the gold too?
_Tho_. That was the first word he read; if you did not write it in text
he could not have found it out so soone. His eye was no sooner in the
inside but his arme flew out with an open mouth and his very fingers
cryed "give me the gold"! which presumeing to be weight he put in his
hocas pocas, a little dormer under his right skirt; and so takeing his
word to come downe and turning over your horse to him, with caution not
to be drunk and forgett your worship, I tooke my leave and went about
my Inventorie.
_Un_. Theis things are very right, _Thomas_. Let me see now the bookes
of Martiall discipline.
_Tho_. I bought up all that I found have relation to warr and fighting.
_Un_. That was weldone.--Item: _The Sword Salve_.
_Tho_. This I conceiv'd to have the vertue of _Achilles_ speare: if you
bee hurt you need goe no further then the blade for a Surgeon.
_Un_. The _Buckler of Faith_.
_Tho_. You had the sword before, Sir.
_Un_. A _Booke of Mortification_.
_Tho_. I, Sir, that is a kind of killing which I thought very necessary
for a Captaine.
_Un_. Item: the _Gunpowder Treason_ and the _Booke of Cannons_.
_Tho_. I wod not lett any shott scape mee.
_Un_. _Shakespeares_ Workes.--Why _Shakespeares_ Workes?
_Tho_. I had nothing for the pikemen before.
_Un_. They are plays.
_Tho_. Are not all your musterings in the Countrey so, Sir? Pray,
read on.
_Un_. _Bellarmines Controversie_ in six tomes.
_Tho_. That I took upon the Stationers word, who had been a pretty
Schollar at Paules; for the word _Bellarmine_, he said, did comprehend
warr, weapons and words of defiance. Ill words provoke men to draw their
sword, and fighting makes an end of the busines; and all this is
controversy. Pray, goe on, Sir.
_Un_. Two paire of Tables.--Tables for what?
_Tho_. Oh, sir, for ticktack. You know it was in my note, which though I
doubted at first, yet considering you were newly made a Cap: I conceiv'd
it was fitt you should learne to sett and or[d]er your men.
_Un_. Tacticks, man: thou didst mistake, they are bookes of warre.
_Tho_. You cannot know these from bookes as they are painted,
I warrant you.
_Un_. Why, dost thou thinke theis will make a Souldier?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account