A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
English drama
SPEND. A lord? by this light, I do not think but to be Lord Mayor of
London before I die, and have three pageants carried before me, besides
a ship and an unicorn. 'Prentices may pray for that time; for whenever
it happens, I will make another Shrove Tuesday[162] for them.
_Enter_ DRAWER.
DRAWER. Young Master Rash has sent you a quart of Malaga[163].
SPEND. Master Rash! zounds! how does he know that I am here?
DRAWER. Nay, I know not, sir.
SPEND. Know not! it comes through you and your rascally glib-tongued
companions. 'Tis my master's son: a fine gentleman he is, and a boon
companion: I must go see him.
[_Exit_ SPENDALL.
SWEAT. Boy, fill us a cup of your malaga, we'll drink to Master Spendall
in his absence: there's not a finer spirit of a citizen within the
walls. Here, Master Pursenet, you shall pledge him.
PURSE. I'll not refuse it, were it puddle: by Styx, he is a bountiful
gentleman, and I shall report him so. Here, Mistress Tickleman, shall I
charge you?
TICKLE. Do your worst, serjeant: I'll pledge my young Spendall a whole
sea, as they say: fa, la, la, la, la! Would the music were here again; I
do begin to be wanton. Ipocras, sirrah, and a dry biscuit! Here, bawd, a
carouse!
SWEAT. Bawd, i' faith! you begin to grow light i' the head. I pray no
more such words; for, if you do, I shall grow into distempers.
TICKLE. Distempers! hang your distempers; be angry with me, and thou
dar'st. I pray, who feeds you, but I? who keeps thy feather-beds from
the brokers, but I? 'tis not your sausage-face, thick, clouted[164]
cream-rampallion[165] at home, that snuffles in the nose like a decayed
bagpipe.
PURSE. Nay, sweet Mistress Tickleman, be concordant; reverence
antiquity.
_Enter_ RASH, LONGFIELD, _and_ SPENDALL.
RASH. Save you, sweet creatures of beauty, save you: how now, old
Beelzebub, how dost thou?
SWEAT. Beelzebub! Beelzebub in thy face!
SPEND. Nay, good words, Mistress Sweatman: he's a young gallant; you
must not weigh what he says.
RASH. I would my lamentable complaining lover had been here: here had
been a supersedeas for his melancholy; and, i' faith, Frank, I am glad
my father has turned over his shop to thee. I hope I, or any friend of
mine, shall have so much credit with thee, as to stand in thy books for
a suit of satin.
SPEND. For a whole piece, if you please; any friend of yours shall
command me to the last remnant.
RASH. Why, God-a-mercy, Frank; what, shall's to dice?
SPEND. Dice or drink: here's forty crowns: as long as that will
last--anything.
RASH. Why, there spoke a gingling boy.
SPEND. A pox of money! 'tis but rubbish; and he that hoards it up is but
a scavenger. If there be cards i' the house, let's go to primero.
RASH. Primero! why, I thought thou hadst not been so much gamester as to
play at it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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