A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
English drama
WAN. When he is in his discourse, leave him, and come down into
the parlour, and steal away his box with the false rings that
stands by his bedside. I have all his little plate here already.
MAID. Make you haste. I'll warrant you, you'll dress him.
[_Exeunt._
SCENE IV.
_Enter the_ CAPTAIN, _with a letter in his hand, and his_
BOY _to him with a candle: is going to write the
superscription_.
BOY. Sir, the Lady Loveall passed by even now.
CAPT. The Lady Loveall! Which way went she?
BOY. To the rich lady, the widow, where your worship dined.
CAPT. 'Tis no matter. Here, carry this letter, and bring an
answer to the Devil quickly; and tell her we'll stay there till
the time be fit for the design.
[_Exeunt._
SCENE V.
_Enter_ CARELESS, WILD, _and a_ DRAWER, _at the Devil_.
CARE. Jack, how goes the world? Bring us some bottles of the best
wine.
DRAW. You shall, sir. Your worship is welcome into England.
CARE. Why, look you: who says a drawer can say nothing but _Anon,
anon, sir_; score a quart of sack in the half-moon?[243]
DRAW. Your worship is merry; but I'll fetch you that, sir, shall
speak Greek, and make your worship prophesy. You drank none such
in your journey.
WILD. Do it then, and make a hole in this angel thou may'st creep
through. [_Gives him an angel._] Who is't that peeps? a fiddler?
Bring him by the ears.
_Enter the_ TAILOR _that peeps_.
TAI. A tailor, an't like your worship.
CARE. A tailor! Hast thou a stout faith?
TAI. I have had, an't like your worship; but now I am in despair.
CARE. Why, then, thou art damned. Go, go home, and throw thyself
into thine own hell; it is the next way to the other.
TAI. I hope your worship is not displeased.
CARE. What dost do here? A tailor without faith! Dost come to
take measure of ours?
TAI. No; I come to speak with one Master Jolly, a courtier; a
very fine-spoken gentleman and a just counter, but one of the
worst paymasters in the world.
WILD. As thou lov'st me, let's keep him here till he comes, and
make him valiant with sack, that he may urge him till he beats
him. We shall have the sport, and be revenged upon the rogue for
dunning a gentleman in a tavern.
[_Aside_.
CARE. I'll charge him. Here, drink, poor fellow, and stay in the
next room till he comes.
TAI. I thank your worship, but I'm fasting; and if it please your
worship to call for a dozen of manchets, that I may eat a crust
first, then I'll be bold with a glass of your sack.
WILD. Here, here, drink. In the meantime, fetch him some bread.
TAI. Will your worship have me drink all this vessel of sack?
CARE. Yes, yes, off with't: 'twill do you no harm.
[_The_ Tailor _drinks_.
WILD. Why do you not take some order with that Jolly, to make him
pay thee?
TAI. I have petitioned him often, but can do no good.
CARE. A pox upon him! Petition him! his heart is hardened to ill.
Threaten to arrest him: nothing but a sergeant can touch his
conscience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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