A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
English drama
PAGE.
No marvel my master be against the grammar; for he hath always made
false Latin in the genders. [_Aside_.
RECORDER.
What university are you of?
IMMERITO.
Of none.
SIR RADERIC.
He tells truth; to tell truth is an excellent virtue. Boy, make two
heads, one for his learning, another for his virtues; and refer this to
the head of his virtues, not of his learning.
PAGE.
What, half a mess of good qualities referred to an ass' head?
[_Aside_.
SIR RADERIC.
Now, Master Recorder, if it please you, I will examine him in an author
that will sound him to the depth--a book of astronomy, otherwise called
an almanac.
RECORDER.
Very good, Sir Raderic; it were to be wished that there were no other
book of humanity, then there would not be such busy, state-frying
fellows as are nowadays. Proceed, good sir.
SIR RADERIC.
What is the dominical letter?
IMMERITO.
C, sir, and please your worship.
SIR RADERIC.
A very good answer, a very good answer, the very answer of the book.
Write down that, and refer it to his skill in philosophy.
PAGE.
C the dominical letter? It is true: Craft and Cunning do so domineer;
yet, rather C and D are dominical letters, that is, crafty duncery.
[_Aside_.
SIR RADERIC.
How many days hath September?
IMMERITO.
April, June, and November, February hath twenty-eight alone; and all
the rest hath thirty and one.
SIR RADERIC.
Very learnedly, in good faith, he hath also a smack in poetry. Write
down that, boy, to show his learning in poetry. How many miles from
Waltham to London?
IMMERITO.
Twelve, sir.
SIR RADERIC,
How many from Newmarket to Grantham?
IMMERITO.
Ten, sir.
PAGE.
Without doubt, he hath been some carrier's horse. [_Aside_.
SIR RADERIC.
How call you him that is cunning in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and the cypher?
IMMERITO.
A good arithmetician.
SIR RADERIC.
Write down that answer of his, to show his learning in arithmetic.
PAGE.
He must needs be a good arithmetician, that counted money so lately.
[_Aside_.
SIR RADERIC.
When is the new moon?
IMMERITO.
The last quarter the fifth day, at two of the clock and thirty-eight
minutes in the morning.
SIR RADERIC.
Write that down. How call you him that is weatherwise?
IMMERITO.
A good astronomer.
SIR RADERIC.
Sirrah boy, write him down for a good astronomer.
PAGE.
Ass colit ass-tra. [_Aside_.
SIR RADERIC.
What day of the month lights the Queen's day on?
IMMERITO.
The seventeenth of November.[94]
SIR RADERIC.
Boy, refer this to his virtues, and write him down a good subject.
PAGE.
Faith, he were an excellent subject for two or three good wits: he would
make a fine ass for an ape to ride upon. [_Aside_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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