A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 13Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 13
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
+Blood.+ Nay, nay, now his great oath's pass'd, there's no talk on't.
I like him ne'er the worse; there's an old saw for't--
_A kiss first, next the feeling sense,
Crack say the purse-strings, out fly the pence._
But he can talk, though: whose boy are you, Tim?
+Tim.+ Your boy, forsooth, father.
+Blood.+ Can you turn and wind a penny, Tim?
+Tim.+ Better than yourself, forsooth, father.
+Blood.+ You have looked in the church-book of late; how old
are you, Tim?
+Tim.+ Two and twenty years, three months, three days, and
three quarters of an hour, forsooth, father.
+Wid.+ He has arithmetic.
+Blood.+ And grammar too: what's Latin for your head, Tim?
+Tim.+ _Caput._
+Wid.+ But what for the head of a block?
+Tim.+ _Caput_ blockhead.
+Blood.+ Do you hear; your ear?
+Tim.+ _Aura._
+Blood.+ Your eye?
+Tim.+ _Oculus._
+Blood.+ That's for one eye; what's Latin for two?
+Tim.+ _Oculus-Oculus._[11]
+Widow.+ An admirable accidental grammarian, I protest, sir.
+Blood.+ This boy shall have all: I have an elder rogue that
sucks and draws me; a tavern academian; one that protests to
whores, and shares with highway lawyers; an arrant unclarified
rogue, that drinks nothing but wicked sack.
_Enter +Sim+ and +Alexander+ drunk._
+Sim.+ Here's a gentleman would speak with you.
+Blood.+ Look, look; now he's come for more money.
+Wid.+ A very hopeful house to match into, wench; the father a
knave, one son a drunkard, and t'other a fool. [_Aside._
+Tim.+ O monster, father! Look if he be not drunk; the very
sight of him makes me long for a cup of six.[12]
+Alex.+ Pray, father, pray to God to bless me. [_To +Tim+._
+Blood.+ Look, look! takes his brother for his father!
+Sim.+ Alas, sir! when the drink's in, the wit's out? and none
but wise children know their own fathers.
+Tim.+ Why, I am none of your father, brother; I am Tim; do you
know Tim?
+Alex.+ Yes, umph--for a coxcomb.
+Wid.+ How wild he looks! Good sir, we'll take our leaves.
+Blood.+ Shalt not go, faith, widow: you cheater, rogue;
must I have my friends frighted out of my house by you? Look
he[13] steal nothing to feast his bawds. Get you out, sirrah!
there are constables, beadles, whips, and the college of
extravagants, yclept Bridewell, you rogue; you rogue, there is,
there is, mark that.
+Alex.+ Can you lend me a mark upon this ring, sir? and there
set it down in your book, and, umph--mark that.
+Blood.+ I'll have no stolen rings picked out of pockets, or
taken upon the way,[14] not I.
+Alex.+ I'll give you an old saw for't.
+Blood.+ There's a rogue mocks his father: sirrah, get you
gone. Sim, go let loose the mastiff.
+Sim.+ Alas, sir! he'll tear and pull out your son's throat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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