English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Suc_. Death to my reputation!
Sir, we are gent[lemen] and deserve regard:
Will you not be responsible?
_Sir Geff_. Alas, good Captaine, I was meditating how to salute my lady
this morning. You have bin a traviler: had I best do it in the _Italian_
garbe or with a _Spanish_ gravity? your _French_ mode is grown so common
every vintners boy has it as perfect as his _anon, anon, sir_. Hum, I
must consider on it.
_Crac_. Nay, but uncle, uncle, shall we have answeare concerning this
mony, uncle? You must disburse; that is the souldiers phrase. You see
this man; regard him.
_Suc_. Death of vallor! I can hold no longer; I shall rise in wroth
against him.
_Crac_. Dee heare, Uncle? you must furnish him; he wilbe irefull
presently, and then a whole bagg will not satisfie him; heele eate your
gold in anger and drinke silver in great sack glasses.
_Sir Geff_. Pox o'this Congee; 't shalbe thus, no thus;
That writhing of my body does become me
Infinitly. Now to begett an active
Complement that, like a matins sung
By virgins, may enchant her amorous ear.
The _Spanish Basolas[63] manos_ sounds, methinks,
As harsh as a Morisco kettledrum;
The _French boniour_ is ordinary as their
Disease: hees not a gent that cannot parlee.
I must invent some new and polite phrases.
_Crac_. Shall I have answeare yet, sir.
_Sir Geff_. Pish, you disturbe me.--Gratulate her rest,
Force an encomium on her huswifry
For being up so early.--_Bunch_, where is my nephew?
_Crac_. I have bin here this halfe hower and could not get answere.
_Sir Geff_, To what, good nephew?--I was meditating a little seriously.
_Crac_. Concerning this white earth.
_Sir Geff_. Youde know the nature of it? If it be marle 'tis good to
manure land; if clay, to make tobacco pipes.
_Crac_. I meane mony.
_Sir Geff_. O mony, Nephew: Ide thought youde learnd ith Citty
How to use mony: here we do imploy it
To purchase land and other necessaries.
_Suc_. Infamy to fame and noble reputation!
Old man, dost thou disdaine valour? I tell thee, Catterpillar,
I must have mony.
_Sir Geff_. 'Tis reason good you should; it is fitting to cherish men
of armes. There is a treasurer in the county, Captaine, pays souldiers
pensions: if any be due to you Ile write my letter, you shall receive
it.
_Bun_. Faith, there he mett with you.
_Crac_. I see a storme a coming. Uncle, I wilbe answerable upon account:
my souldier must have mettall.
_Sir Geff_. Iron and Steele is most convenient for Souldiers; but, since
you say it, Nephew, he shall have it: how much must it be?
_Suc_. A score of Angells shall satisfie for the confrontment you have
offred me in being dilatory.
_Sir Geff_. _Bunch_, deliver him ten pounds;--but, dee heare.
_Bunch_, let be in light gold; 'twill serve his turn as well as heavier:
it may be he is one of those projectors transports it beyond sea.
_Enter Magdalen_.
_Mag_. Sir, I come to give you notice my ladyes walkd into the garden.
_Sir Geff_. Life! is she upp so early?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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