FRAUD. It is true in a sort, my lord. I thought to be pleasant with him, being my old acquain'ce, and disguis'd myself like an old French artificer; and having a few copper knacks, I sold them to him, to make sport, for ten shillings, which money I am content to pay him again: so shall he have no loss, though we have made a little sport. PLEASURE. First, give him an angel before my face. Simplicity, art thou pleased? SIMPLICITY. Truly I am pleas'd to take a good angel for ten shillings, speciously of such a debtor as Master Fraud; but now I am to be pleas'd otherwise, that is, to see him punished. I promise ye the people love him well, for they would leave work and make half-holiday to see him hanged. PLEASURE. That his punishment may please thee the better, thou shalt punish him thyself: he shall be bound fast to yon post, and thou shalt be blindfold, and with thy torch shalt run, as it were, at tilt, charging thy light against his lips, and so (if thou canst) burn out his tongue, that it never speak more guile. SIMPLICITY. O, _singulariter nominativo_, wise Lord Pleasure: _genitivo_, bind him to that post: _dativo_, give me my torch: _accusativo_, for I say he's a cosener: _vocativo_, O, give me room to run at him: _ablativo_, take and blind me. _Pluraliter per omnes casus_, Laugh all you to see me, in my choler adust, To burn and to broil that false Fraud to dust. [_Bind_ FRAUD, _blind_ SIMPLICITY: _turn him thrice about; set his face towards the contrary post, at which he runs, and all-to burns it_. DISSIMULATION, _standing behind_ FRAUD, _unbinds him, and while all the rest behold_ SIMPLICITY, _they two slip away_; PLEASURE, _missing_ FRAUD, _saith_-- PLEASURE. Wisely perform'd! but soft, sirs, where is Fraud? O notable[287] villain! gone, whiles we beheld The other. Who loos'd him? Who let him slip? Well, one day he will pay for all. Unblind Simplicity. SIMPLICITY. How now! Have I heated his lips? Have I warm'd his nose, and scorched his face? Let me see: how looks the villain? Have I burned him? DILIGENCE. Thou hast done more; for thou hast quite consumed him into nothing. Look, here is no sign of him; no, not so much as his ashes. SIMPLICITY. Very few ashes, if there be any. Ye may see what a hot thing anger is: I think that the torch did not waste him so much as my wrath. Well, all London, nay, all England, is beholding to me for putting Fraud out of this world. I have consumed him and brought him to nothing, and I'll tread his ashes under my feet, that no more Frauds shall ever spring of them. But let me see: I shall have much anger; for the tanners will miss him in their leather, the tailors in their cutting out of garments, the shoemaker in closing, the tapsters in filling pots, and the very oystermen to mingle their oysters at Billingsgate: yet it is no matter; the world is well-rid of such a crafty knave.