English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Bos_. Heeres stronger proofe: drunkennes ingenders with two of the
morrall vertues, and sixe of the lyberall sciences.
_Gra_. Let him proove that and Ile yeeld.
_Host_. A mad spirit, yfaith.
_Bos_. A drunkard is valiant and lyberall; heele outface _Mars_, brave
_Hercules_, and feares not the Devill; then for the most part hee's
liberal, for heele give all the cloathes off his back, though hee weepe
like a Widowe all the day following; nay for the sciences, hee's a good
phisitian, hee vomits himself rarelie and will giue any man else a
vomit, that lookes on him (if he have not a verie good stomacke);
perfect in Geomitrie, for he hangs in the aire by his own conceite, and
feeles no ground; and hee's all musicall, the world turns round with
him, everie face in the painted cloath, shewes like a Fairie dauncing
about him, and everie spar in the house a minstrell.
_Grac_. Good: forward.
_Bos_. Then hee's a good Lawyer, for hees never without a _fierie
facies_, & the least _Capias_ will take his _habeas Corpus_:
besides, another point of a Lawyere, heele raile and rave against his
dearest friends and make the world think they are enemies, when the next
day theile laugh, bee fat and drunk together: and a rare Astronomer, for
he has starres twinckling in his eyes in the darkest night when a wise
man discernes none in the firmament, and will take great paines in the
practise, for lay him on his backe in the open fields over night, and
you shal be sure to finde him there in the morning. Have I sed well or
shall I give you a stronger proofe? An honest man will be as good as his
word: Signior _Graccus_ is an honest man, _Ergo_, I must have a new
suite.
_Accu_. The moderator concludes so, _Graccus_ is overthrown so far as
the damage of the suite, so away with him; come, our fire will out strip
us; mine Host and you wee expect your companies; we must crave absence
awhile better to furnishe our purposes: the time of day to ye.
_Host_. Farwel, my good bullies, mine Host has sed and the mouse is dun.
[_Exeunt_.
[ACT THE FIFTH.
_Scene_ 1.]
_Enter the dumb shew of the marriage, Lentulus, Tully, and the rest.
Enter Hostis in Getticaes apparel, Getic. in hers, & Mistris Dama_.
_Hostis_. Come, Gossip, by my troth, I cannot keepe my hood in frame.
_Cittie wife_. Let me helpe ye, woman.
_Get_. Sir, we shall be troublesome to ye.
_Gra_. Oh urge not that I pray ye.
_Get_. I pray ye what shewe will be heere to night? I have seen the
_Babones_ already, the _Cittie of new Ninivie_[320] and _Julius Caesar_,
acted by the Mammets.
_Grac_. Oh, gentlewoman, those are showes for those places they are used
in; marry, heere you must expect some rare device, as _Diana_ bathing
herself, being discovered or occulated by _Acteon_, he was tranfigured
to a hart, & werried to death with his own dogs.
_Cit. W_. Thats prettie in good truth; & must _Diana_, be naked?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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