A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 13Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 13
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
_Did hur not see hur true loves,
As hur came from London?
O, if hur saw not hur fine prave loves,
Randall is quite undone._
Well, was never mortal man in Wales could have waged praver,
finers, and nimblers, than Randalls have done, to get service
in Londons: whoope, where was hur now? just upon a pridge of
stone, between the legs of a couple of pretty hills, but no
more near mountains in Wales, than Clim of the Clough's bow to
hur cozen David's harp. And now hur prattle of Davie, I think
yonder come prancing down the hills from Kingston a couple of
hur t'other cozens, Saint Nicholas' clerks;[22] the morning was
so red as an egg, and the place fery full of dangers, perils,
and bloody businesses by reports: augh! her swords was trawn;
Cod pless us! and hur cozen Hercules was not stand against
two. Which shall hur take? If they take Randalls, will rip
Randalls cuts out; and then Randalls shall see Paul's steeples
no more; therefore hur shall go directly under the pridge, here
was but standing to knees in little fine cool fair waters; and
by cat, if hur have Randalls out, hur shall come and fetch
Randalls, and hur will, were hur nineteen Nicholas' clerks.
[_Exit._
_Enter +Captain+ and +Lieutenant+._
+Lieut.+ Which way took he?
+Capt.+ On straight, I think.
+Lieut.+ Then we should see him, man; he was just in mine eye
when we were at foot o' th' hill, and, to my thinking, stood
here looking towards us upon the bridge.
+Capt.+ So thought I; but with the cloud of dust we raised
about us, with the speed our horses made, it seems we lost him.
Now I could stamp, and bite my horse's ears off.
+Lieut.+ Let's spur towards Coomb House:[23] he struck that
way; sure, he's not upon the road.
+Capt.+ 'Sfoot, if we miss him, how shall we keep our word
with Saunder Bloodhound in Fleet Street, after dinner, at the
Fountain? he's out of cash; and thou know'st, by Cutter's
law,[24] we are bound to relieve one another.
+Lieut.+ Let's scour towards Coomb House; but if we miss him?
+Capt.+ No matter; dost see yonder barn o' th' left hand?
+Lieut.+ What of that?
+Capt.+ At the west end I tore a piece of board out,
And stuff'd in close amongst the straw a bag
Of a hundred pound at least, all in round shillings,
Which I made my last night's purchase from a lawyer.
+Lieut.+ Dost know the place to fetch it again?
+Capt.+ The torn board is my landmark; if we miss this,
We make for that; and, whilst that lasts, O London,
Thou labyrinth that puzzlest strictest search,
Convenient inns-of-court for highway-lawyers,
How with rich wine, tobacco, and sweet wenches,
We'll canvas thy dark case!
+Lieut.+ Away, let's spur. [_Exeunt._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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