MEAN. Your worship speaks Just like yourself: methinks he's noble That's truly rich. Men may talk much of lines, Of arms, of blood, of race, of pedigree: Houses, descents and families; they are But empty noise, God knows; the idle breath Of that puff nothing, honour; formal words, Fit for the tongues of men that ne'er knew yet What stem, what gentry, nay, what virtue lies In great revenues. SIR T. Well and pithy said! You may work on my daughter, and prevail For that young stripling. 'Tis a foolish wench, An unexperienc'd girl; she'd like to have been Caught by Sir Robert Littleworth's son, if that I had not banish'd him my house; a youth Honest enough, I think, but that he's poor; Born to more name than fortune. CRE. He is safe For ever wooing. I have laid his father Out of harm's way; there's picking meat for him, And God knows where he's gone: he hath not been Seen this long while; he's, sure, turn'd vagabond; No sight of him since the arrest of his father. Andrew, address yourself to good Sir Thomas. AND. 'Slid, father, you're the strangest man--I won't. CRE. As God shall mend me, thou'rt the proudest thing---- Thou can'st not compliment, but in caparisons. AND. What's that to you? I'd fain say something yet, But that I can't, my losses do so vex me. CRE. Come, think not on't, my boy; I'll furnish thee. AND. Sir, though---- CRE. Nay, to't, I say: help him, sir, help him. AND. Sir, though without my cloak at this time-- To-morrow I shall have one--give me leave Barely to say I am your servant, sir---- In hose and doublet. CRE. I'll do what you told me. HEAR. Take heed: if that you do't, he'll guess you're given To idle spendings, and so cross the match. I will invite him as to myself. CRE. Do so. HEAR. Sir Thomas, if you'll please so far to grace us, As be a guest to-morrow here, we shall Study hereafter to deserve the favour. SIR T. Although I do not use to eat at ordinaries; Yet to accept your courtesy, good friends, I'll break my wonted custom. HEAR. You shall have it With a free heart. SIR T. If I thought otherwise, I do assure you, I'd not venture hither. [_Exeunt._ FOOTNOTES: [137] _i.e._, Prize [or acquisition.]--_Collier._ [138] _March-pane_ was a confection made of pistachio nuts, almonds, sugar, &c., formerly in high esteem, and a constant article in the deserts of our ancestors. See the notes of Dr Gray, Mr Hawkins, and Mr Steevens, to "Romeo and Juliet," act i. sc. 5. [139] This is called a St Stephen's pudding: it used formerly to be provided at St John's College, Cambridge, uniformly on St Stephen's day.--_Pegge._ [140] See [Suckling's Works, by Hazlitt, ii. 33.]