English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Ri_. You may take
Your ease a bed still, Madam. Ile not loose
One morning that invites so pleasantly,
To heare my Doggs, for a new Maidenhead, I.
Twas for these sports and my excess of charge
I left the towne: besides the Citty foggs
And steame of Brick hills almost stifled me;
This Aire is pure and all my owne.
_Tho_. My Ladie
Meanes shee would have you gett another heire,
Sir, for your lands; though it be against my Master
The young Captaine, yet she speakes but reason.
And now I talke o'th Captaine, Sir,
Would you had given him Counsell.
_Ri_. To what?
_Tho_. Before he tooke this huffing[248] trade upon him,
To have been a man of peace, I meane a Justice.
Nature has made him fit for both alike.
Hee's now at charge to keepe a Captaine Schoolemaster;
He might have sav'd the qua[r]teridge of his Tutor
If I had been his Clarke: and then the income
That broken heads bring in, and new yeares guifts
From soder'd virgins and their shee provintialls
Whose warren must be licenc'd from our office!
_Ri_. Away you prating knave.--
[_Enter Dorothy_.
What? is he readie?
_Do_. Alas, hee's almost dead.
_Ri_. How? dead?
_Do_. He has been troubled with a fitt o'th stone,
Sir, all this night. Sweet gentleman he groanes,
And sweates, and cannot--
_Ri_. What?
_Do_. Make urine, Sir.
_Tho_. I heard my Ladie has an excellent
Receit to cure the Stone; she is a peece
Of a rare Surgeon.
_Ri_. Well, away and get the horses readie, sirra,
For I shall ride you and your witt together.
_Tho_. Alas, any foole may ride me, but I would
faine see any man ride Mistres _Dorothy_.
_Do_. How, sirra?
[_Exit Thomas_.
_Ri_. I am sorry I must leave such a Companion.
But more lament the cause. I wish him health;
My presence cannot serve him. Morrow, wife:
I cannot lose my sport. [_Exit_.
_Do_. Nor shee when you are gone.
My Lady does expect another hunt's up.
_La_. Now I must trust thy secresie.
_Do_. You shall not doubt me, Madam, and t'assure you
My faith, I have a suit to your Ladiship
Whose grant, were there no other bonds upon me,
Would tye me everlastinglie to silence.
_La_. What ist? but name, and I shall soone confirme thee.
_Do_. Our Captaine o'th traind band has been offring
To chaffer Maidenheads with me. I must
Confesse I can affect the foole upon
Good tearmes, and could devise a plott to noose
My amorous woodcock, if you privatlie
Assist me and dare trust me with some Jewell
Of price, that is not knowne, which shalbe faithfully
Restor'd Madam.
_La_. I that dare trust my honour with thee sha'not
Suspect thy faith in any treasure else.
But prethe draw the Curtains close, while I
Expect this friend: I needes must hide my blushes.
Thou maist discover from the Gallory windowe
When they are hors'd. I tremble to consider
What I have promis'd.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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