A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 10
English drama
HAR. Goes the case so well, Signer Bottle-nose?
It may be we shall overreach your drift.
This is the time the wenches sent us word
Our bombast Dutchman and his mates will come.
Well, neat Italian, you must don my shape:
Play your part well, or I may 'haps pay you.
What, speechless, Ned? faith, whereon musest thou?
'Tis on your French corrival, for my life.
He comes _et vostre_, and so forth,
Till he hath foisted in a brat or two.
How then, how then?
WAL. Nay, I'll geld him first,
Ere that infestious losel revel there.
Well, Mat, I think thou know'st what Ned can do:
Shouldst thou change Ned for Noddy, me for him,
Thou didst not know thy loss, i' faith thou didst not.
HEIGH. Come, leave this idle chat, and let provide
Which of us shall be scarecrow to these fools,
And set them out the way?
WAL. Why, that will I.
HAR. Then put a sword into a madman's hand.
Thou art so hasty that, but cross thy humour,
And thou'lt be ready cross them o'er the pates:
Therefore, for this time, I'll supply the room.
HEIGH. And so we shall be sure of chat enough.
You'll hold them with your flouts and gulls so long,
That all the night will scarcely be enough
To put in practice what we have devised:
Come, come, I'll be the man shall do the deed.
HAR. Well, I am content to save your longing.
But soft, where are we? Ha! here's the house.
Come, let us take our stands: Frank, stand you there,
And Ned and I will cross [to] t'other side.
HEIGH. Do so; but hush! I hear one passing hither.
_Enter_ ALVARO.
ALV. O de favourable aspect of de heaven! 'tis so obscure, so
dark, so black, dat no mortal creature can know me: I pray a
Dio I sal have de right wench. Ah si, I be recht: here be de
huis of Signer Pisaro; I sal have de Madonna Marina, and darvor
I sal knock to de door. [_He knocks._
HEIGH. What a pox! are you mad or drunk?
What do you mean to break my glasses?[524]
ALV. Wat be dar glasses? What drunk? what mad?
HEIGH. What glasses, sir? why, my glasses: and if you be so
crank, I'll call the constable. You will not enter into a man's
house, I hope, in spite of him?
HAR. Nor durst you be so bold as to stand there,
If once the master of the house did know it.
ALV. Is dis your house? be you de signor of dis casa?
HEIGH. Signor me no signors, nor casa me no casas: but get you
hence, or you are like to taste of the bastinado.
HAR. Do, do, good Ferdinand; pummell the loggerhead.
ALV. Is this neit the house of Mester Pisaro?
HEIGH. Yes, marry, when? can you tell? how do you? I thank you
heartily, my finger in your mouth.
ALV. What be dat?
HEIGH. Marry, that you are an ass and a loggerhead, to seek
Master Pisaro's house here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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