A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
English drama
PAR. Are not you married too? take care that yours does not wear
the breeches, another kind of danger, but as troublesome as that,
or sore eyes; and if she get but a trick of taking as readily as
she's persuaded to give, you may find a horn at home. I have seen
a cuckold of your complexion; if he had had as much hoof as horn,
you might have hunted the beast by his slot.[277]
PLEA. How fine she is! and, by this light, a handsome wench.
Master Jolly, I am easier persuaded to be reconciled to your
fault than any man's I have seen of this kind: her eyes have more
arguments in 'em than a thousand of those that seduce the world;
hang me, if those quivers be not full of darts; I could kiss that
mouth myself. Is this she my aunt quarrelled with you for?
JOLLY. The same, selfsame: and, by this hand, I was barbarous to
her, for your aunt's sake; and had I not 'scaped that mischief of
matrimony, by this light, I had never seen her again. But I was
resolved not to quit her till I was sure of a wife, for fear of
what has followed. Had I been such an ass to have left her upon
the airy hopes of a widow's oaths, what a case had I been in now!
You see your aunt's provided of a man. Bless him, and send him
patience! 'Twould have been fine to have seen me walking, and
sighing upon cold hunting, seeking my whore again, or forced to
make use of some common mercenary thing, that sells sin and
diseases, crimes, penance, and sad repentance together! Here's
consolation and satisfaction in Wanton, though a man lose his
meal with the widow. And faith, be free--how do you like my girl?
Rid thee of her! What does she want now, pray, but a jointure, to
satisfy any honest man? Speak your conscience, ladies: don't you
think a little repentance hereafter will serve for all the small
sins that good-nature can act with such a sinner?
PAR. Pray, sir, remember she's my wife, and be so civil to us
both, as to forget these things.
JOLLY. For that, Jack, we'll understand hereafter. 'Tis but a
trick of youth, man, and her jest will make us both merry, I
warrant thee.
PAR. Pray, sir, no more of your jests, nor your Jack. Remember my
coat and calling. This familiarity, both with my wife and myself,
is not decent: your clergy with Christian names are scarce held
good Christians.
WID. I wonder at nothing so much as Master Jolly's mirth to-day!
Where lies his part of the jest? Cosened or refused by all, not a
fish that stays in's net.
JOLLY. No; what's this? [JOLLY _hugs_ WANTON.] Show me a fairer
in all your streams. Nor is this my single joy, who am pleased to
find you may be cosened; rejoice to see you may be brought to lie
with a man for a jest. Let me alone to fit you with a trick too.
CARE. Faith, it must be some new trick; for thou art so beaten at
the old one, 'twill neither please thee nor her; besides, I mean
to teach her that myself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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