A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
English drama
_Troll the bowl and drink to me, and troll the bowl again,
And put a brown toast in [the] pot for Philip Fleming's brain.
And I shall toss it to and fro, even round about the house-a:
Good hostess, now let it be so, I brink them all carouse-a._
PHILIP. Marry, here is a pot of noppy good ale.
As clear as crystal pure and stale.
Now a crab in the fire were worth a good groat,
That I might quass with my captain Tom Tosspot.
What? I can no sooner wish, but by and by I have!
God save mine eyesight, methink I see a knave.
What, captain! how goeth the world with you?
Why, now I see the old proverb to be true;
Like will to like, both with Christian, Turk, and Jew.
Marry, Philip, even as I was wont to do:
PHILIP. Ralph Roister told me that I should find Hance here,
Where is he, that he doth not appear?
NEW. I hold twenty pound the knave is blind.
Turn about, Philip Fleming, and look behind.
Hast thou drunk so much that thy eyes be out?
Lo, how he snoreth like a lazy lout.
Go to him, for he sleepeth sound:
Two such paunches in all England can scant be found.
PHILIP. Why, Hance, art thou in thy prayers so devoutly?
Awake, man, and we two will quass together stoutly.
HANCE. _Domine, dominus noster_;
Me-think ich a spied three knaves on a cluster.
NEW. Stay a while, for he sayeth his _pater noster_.
HANCE. _Sanctum benedictum_, what have I dreamed?
By Gog's nowns, chad thought ich had been in my bed.
Chad dreamed such a dream, as thou wilt marvel to hear,
Me-thought I was drowned in a barrel of beer.
And by and by the barrel was turned to a ship,
Which me-thought the wind made nicely to skip.
And I did sail therein from Flanders to France:
At last ich was brought hither among a sort of knaves by chance.
NEW. Lo, Hance, here is Philip Fleming come now,
We will go drink together now, how say'st thou?
HANCE. I pray thee, good Vilip, now lead me away:
PHILIP. Give me thy hand, and I will thee stay.
HANCE. How say you, Master Nichol, will you keep us company?
NEW. Go before, Master Lick-hole,[348] and I will come by and by.
Mates matched together, depart you three;
I will come after, you may believe me.
[_They three are gone together, and_ NICHOL
NEWFANGLE _remaineth behind, but he
must not speak till they be within_.]
NEW. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
_He sings._
_Now three knaves are gone, and I am left alone,
Myself here to solace;
Well done, gentle Jone, why begin you to moan?
Though they be gone, I am in place._
_And now will I dance, and now will I prance,
For why I have none other work:
Snip snap, butter is no bone meat:
Knave's flesh is no pork._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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