English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Tim_. Gent[lemen], _Grimes_, away, away! I watcht him into t[he Cellar]
when I saw him chose forthe one of the b[ottles] of sacke, and hether is
retyringe with all exp[edition]. Close, close, and be not seene.
_Crac_. Oh, my fine steward!
[_Exeunt_.
_Enter Alexander Lovell with a Bottle of Sacke and a Cup_.
_Lov_. Soe here I may be private, and privacie is best. I am the Steward
and to be druncke in publicke, I say and I sayt, were to give ill
examples. Goe to, I, and goe to; tis good to be merry and wise; an inch
in quietness is better than an ell of sorrow. Goe to and goe to agen,
for I say and I sayt, there is no reason but that the parson may forget
that ere he was clerke[71]. My lady has got a cast of her eye since she
tooke a survey of my good parts. Goe to and goe to, for I say and I
sayt, they are signes of a rising; flesh is frayle and women are but
women, more then men but men. I am puft up like a bladder, sweld with
the wind[72] of love; for go to and go to, I say and I sayt, this love
is a greife, and greife a sorrowe, and sorrows dry. Therefore come
forth, thou bottle of affection[73]; I create thee my companion, and
thou, cup, shalt be my freind. Why, so now,--goe to and goe to: lets
have a health to our Mrss, and first to myne; sweet companion, fill to
my kind freind; by thy leave, freind, Ile begin to my companion: health
to my Mrs! Soe, now my hands in: companion, fill, and heres a health to
my freinds Mrs. Very good, and now I will conclude with yours, my deare
companion: stay, you shall pledge me presently, tis yet in a good hand;
I will pledge both your Mrss first. Goe to and go to,[74] freind; thou
alwayes lookst on me like a dry rascall; give him his liquor; and soe
with my Mrs I conclude. What say you, Companion? ha, do you compare
your Mrs with myne? howes that? such another word and thou darst,
Sirrah! off with your Capp and doe her Reverence! wilt tell me soe? goe
to, I say and I sayt; Ile make better languadge come out of that mouth
of thine, thou wicked Carkasse. Freind, heres to thee:[75] Ile shake
thee, thou empty Rascall, to peeces, and as _Hector_ drew _Achilles_
bout the walls of Troy at his horse tayle, so shalt thou at a doggs
tayle be dragd in vild disgrace throughout the towne. Goe to and goe to,
I say and I sayt; Ile have the dragd, sirr, ah I[le] have the dragd;
perswade me not, good friend; let him yeild me a reason[76] if he can.
I, I, he had need to be squeezd; why tis true, this is one, but not to
purpose. Oh, would you whisper with me? umh, umh, umh, away, Ile heare
no more: why, how now frend? ha, ha, ha, you have got a Cup to much;
umh, goe to and goe to, you can hold no more, I see that, at this time;
let me ene bring you to your chambers.
[_Flings away the bottle and sleeps_.
_Enter Timothy, Grimes, Sucket, Crackby, with flaggons of wine.
Suc_. 'Tis well don, cherish valour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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