A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
English drama
DEL. Par ma foi, madame, she does tink dare is no wench so dure
as you: for de fille was créé dolce, tendre, and amorous for
me to love her. Now me tink dat I, being such a fine man, you
should lova me.
MATH. So think not I, sir.
DEL. But so tink esh oder demoisella.
MATH. Nay, I'll lay my love to your command,
That my sisters think not so. How say you, sister Mall?
Why how now, gentlemen, is this your talk?
What, beaten in plain field! Where be your maids?
Nay, then I see their loving humour fades,
And they resign their interest up to me;
And yet I cannot serve for all you three:
But lest two should be mad, that I love one,
You shall be all alike, and I'll love none.
The world is scant, when so many jackdaws
Hover about one corse with greedy paws.
If needs you'll have me, stay till I am dead;
Carrion for crows, Mathea for her Ned;
And so farewell. We sisters do agree
To have our wills, but ne'er to have you three. [_Exeunt._
DEL. Madame, attendez, madame--is she allé?
Do she mocque de vous in such sort?
VAN. O de pestilence! O, if dat io can neit de se Englese sprek
vel, ic sel her fader seg how is to pass gecomen.
_Enter_ PISARO.
ALV. Ne parlate: see here, signors, de father.
PIS. Now, friends, now, gentlemen, how speeds your work?
Have you not found them shrewd, unhappy girls?
VAN. Master Pisaro, de dochter Maistris Laurentia, call de
dyel, den ass, for dat ic can neit English spreken.
ALV. And dat we sal no parlar, dat we sal no havar dem for de
wive.
PIS. Are they so lusty? Dare they be so proud?
Well, I shall find a time to meet with them:[516]
In the mean season, pray, frequent my house.
_Enter_ FRISCO, _running_.
Ho! now, sirrah, whither are you running?
FRIS. About a little tiny business.
PIS. What business, ass?
FRIS. Indeed I was not sent to you, and yet I was sent after
the three gen'men that dined here, to bid them come to our
house at ten o'clock at night, when you were abed.
PIS, Ha! what is this I Can this be true? What, art thou sure
the wenches bad them come?
FRIS. So they said, unless their minds be changed since; for
a woman is like a weathercock, they say, and I am sure of no
more than I am certain of. But I'll go in and bid them send you
word, whether they shall come or no.
PIS. No, sirrah, stay you here. But one word more:
Did they appoint them come one by one, or else
Altogether?
FRIS. Altogether! Lord, that such a young man as you should
have no more wit! Why, if they should come together, one could
not make room for them; but coming one by one, they'll stand
there, if there were twenty of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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