A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 12
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
[_Exeunt_ SIR THOMAS _and_ MEANWELL.
SHAPE. Discover'd all!
Religion is unlucky to me.
HEAR. Man,
Perfidious man! there is no trust in thee!
SLICER. I never lik'd this Meanwell; I did always
See treachery writ in's forehead. I well hop'd
H' had been in prison with his wench.
SHAPE. Leave railing.
Along with me. There is left one way more;
The cat may yet perhaps light on all four.[228] [_Exeunt._
SCENE IV.
SIR THOMAS BITEFIG, MEANWELL, CONSTABLE,
WATCHMEN.
SIR T. What, gone! Upon my life, they did mistrust.
MEAN. They are so beaten, that they smell an officer,
As crows do powder.
SIR T. Watchman, call you forth
The mistress of the house _imprimis_; for
[_Exit_ OFFICER.
They have their lurking-hole near hand most certain.
_Enter_ MOTH _and_ POTLUCK, _as man and wife_.
MOTH. _Denuncio vobis gaudium magnum,_
_Robertus de Tinea electus est in sedem hospitalem,_
_Et assumit sibi nomen Galfridi_.
Joy comes to our house: I, Robert Moth, am
Chesen into thylk hospital seat,
Thylk bason of Joan Potluck, vintner's widow,
And do transmue[229] my name to Geffery.
New foysons[230] byn ygraced with new titles.
Come, buss. [_Kisses her._
POT. Fie! Master Geffery, I swear
You make m' asham'd 'fore all this company.
SIR T. Sir, if you be the master of this house,
You've harbour'd here a company of cheating
Villains we are come to apprehend.
POT. Pray y', look,
Search every corner: here's no cheats. I'm sure
The house was clear before your worship enter'd.
CON. Make fast the doors, for fear they do escape.
Let's in, and ferret out these cheating rake-hells.
[_As the_ WATCHMEN _go in and out about the_
_rooms_, HEARSAY, SLICER, _and_ SHAPE,
_mingle themselves with them, being accounted_
_watchmen, and so pass without discovery_.
_Enter_ 1ST WATCHMAN _and_ HEARSAY.
1ST WATCH. 'Tis very certain they are not in the house.
SIR T. They had no time to get away.
HEAR. Why, then,
It may be, being they are such cunning fellows,
They have the trick of going invisible.
_Enter_ 2D WATCHMAN _and_ SLICER.
2D WATCH. There's no place left unsearch'd but pots and mouseholes.
SLICER. They're either gone or in the house, that's certain.
2D WATCH. That cannot be: the doors were shut, I'm sure,
And so they could not get out; the rooms then are
All search'd, and so they cannot be within.
SLICER. I'll lay my neck to a farthing, then, they're vanish'd.
HEAR. Sunk like the Queen; they'll rise at Queenhive, sure![231]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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