A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 06
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 06
English drama
SIMPLICITY.
Owe me? Tush, no, man; what do ye talk of owing? Come, and yet I must
have some certain _sigillatum_ and _deliberatum in presentia_. Do you
not understand, sir? Fortypence and furniture by my Lord Pomp's
'pointment against the wedding day, to be one of the showmakers. I do
not say shoemakers, and yet they be honest men.
DILIGENCE.
I understand thee now, and thou shalt want neither money nor furniture
for that. Sawest thou not Fraud lately?
SIMPLICITY.
No, a fox ferret him! for if I could find him, I would make him fast
enough for cosening me of ten shillings for certain copper buttons
and rings. I thought to have been a haberdasher, and he hath made me
worse than a haymaker.
DILIGENCE.
I may say to thee in counsel, but I'll have no words of it, he hath
overreach'd me too: but if thou spy him first, let me understand; and
if I see him first, thou shalt have knowledge; for I'll tell thee--but
laugh not--he showed me a purse with a hundred pound in angels, which
he would deliver me in pawn to be my true prisoner, because, for his
credit, he was loth to go with me through the streets to Newgate. I
refused it at first; but at last by his entreaty I was content to take
his pawn, and thinking he had given me the right purse of gold, he had
another like it, which he gave me with counters, and so went away. I
never did see him since; but, mum, no words of it.
SIMPLICITY.
No words, quotha! that's a stale jest; would you be cosen'd so?
DILIGENCE.
Well, so it is now. Come, follow me for thy furniture and money.
[_Exeunt_.
_Enter_ DISSIMULATION _and_ FRAUD _in caps, and as
the rest must be for the show_.
DISSIMULATION.
The coast is clear: come, follow, Fraud, and fear not, for who can
decipher us in this disguise? Thus may we shuffle into the show
with the rest, and see and not be seen, doing as they do, that are
attired like ourselves.
FRAUD.
That is, to stand amongst them, and take as they take, torches or
anything to furnish the show. Now, if we can pass but this day unseen,
let to-morrow shift for itself as it may. I promise thee, Dissimulation,
thou art very formal.
DISSIMULATION.
Not more than thyself, Fraud. I would thou sawest thy picture.
FRAUD.
Picture here, picture there! let us follow our business.
[_Exeunt_.
_Enter a Wench, singing_.
_Strew the fair flowers and herbs that be green,
To grace the gayest wedding that ever was seen.
If London list to look, the streets were ne'er so clean,
Except it was, when best it might, in welcome of our Queen.
Three lovely lords of London shall three London ladies wed:
Strew sweetest flowers upon the stones; perfume the bridal bed.
Strew the fair flowers, &c_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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