A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
English drama
ALV. Signor Pisaro, nè soit so malcontento: de gentlewoman
your figliola dit parla but a litella to de gentlehomo our
grande amico.
PIS. But that grande amico is your grande inimico:
One, if they be suffered to parlar,
Will poll you, ay, and pill you of your wife.
They love together, and the other two
Love her two sisters: but 'tis only you
Shall crop the flower that they esteem so much.
ALV. Do dey so? Vel let me lone, sal see me give dem de such,
grand mock, sal be shame of demselves.
PIS. Do, sir,
I pray you do: set lustily upon them,
And I'll be ready still to second you.
WAL. But, Mat, art thou so mad as to turn French?
MATH. Yes, marry, when two Sundays come together.
Think you I'll learn to speak this gibberish[504],
Or the pig's language? Why, if I fall sick,
They'll say the French _et coetera_ infected me.
PIS. Why, how now, minion! what, is this your service?
Your other sisters busy are employ'd,
And you stand idle: get you in, or--
WAL. If you chide her, chide me, Master Pisaro;
For but for me she had gone in long since.
PIS. I think she had; for ye[505] are sprites to scare her;
But, ere't be long, I'll drive that humour from her.
ALV. Signor, me thincks you soud no make de wench so hardy, so
disobedient, to de padre as dit madonna Mat.
WAL. Signor, methinks you should learn to speak before you
should be so foolhardy, as to woo such a maiden as that Madonna
Mat.
DEL. Warrant you, monsieur, he sal parle, wen you sal stand out
de door.
HAR. Hark you, monsieur, you would wish yourself half-hanged,
you were as sure to be let in as he.
VAN. Mack no doubt, de Signer Alvaro sal do vel enough.
HEIGH. Perhaps so; but methinks your best way were to ship
yourself for Stoade, and there to barter yourself for a
commodity, for I can tell you, you are here out of liking.
PIS. The worst perhaps dislike him, but the best Esteem him
best.
HAR. But by your patience, sir,
Methinks none should know better who is lord,
Than the lady.
ALV. Den de lady? vat lady?
HAR. Marry, sir, the lady Let-her-alone: one that means
To let you alone for fear of trouble.
PIS. Every man as he may: yet sometimes the blind may catch a
hare.
HEIGH. Ay, sir, but he will first eat many a fly[506]. You know
it must be a wonder if a crab catch a fowl.
VAN. Maer hort ens; if he and ic and Monsieur Delion be de
crab, we sal kash de fowl well genough, I warrant you.
WAL. Ay, and the fowl well enough, I warrant you; and much good
may it do ye.
ALV. Me dinck such a picolo man as you be sal have no de such
grande luck, ma dere.
DEL. Non da monsieur, and he be so granda amorous op de
damosella, hec sal have Maudlin, de wit wench in de kichin, by
Maitre Pisaro's leave.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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