A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 14
English drama
CARE. Hark, if he be not fallen into a fit of his cousin! these
names of places he has stolen out of her receipt-book: amongst
all whose diseases find me any so dangerous, troublesome, or
incurable as a fool; a lean, pale, sighing, coughing fool, that's
rich and poor both; being born to an estate, without a mind or
heart capable to use it; of a nature so miserable, he grudges
himself meat; nay, they say, he eats his meals twice: a fellow
whose breath smells of yesterday's dinner, and stinks as if he
had eat all our suppers over again. I would advise you, Master
Sad, to sleep with your mouth open to air it, or get the brewer
to tun it. Foh! an empty justice, that stinks of the lees and
casks, and belches Littleton and Plowden's cases! Dost thou think
any woman, that has wit or honour, would kiss that bung-hole? By
this light, his head and belly look as blue and lank as French
rabbits or stale poultry! Alas, sir! my lady would have a husband
to rejoice with; no green-tailed lecturer, to stand sentry at his
bedside, while his nasty soul scours through him, sneaking out at
the back-door! These, sir, are diseases which neither the Spaw or
Bath can cure: your garters and willow are a more certain remedy.
CON. Well, sir, I find our plot's betrayed, and we have patience
left. 'Tis that damned captain has informed.
SAD. Yet 'tis one comfort, madam, that you have missed that man
of war, that knight of Finsbury. His dowager, with ale and
switches, would ha' bred a ballad.
PLEA. Faith, sir, you see what a difficulty it is in this age for
a woman to live honest, though she have a proper man for her
husband; therefore, it behoves us to consider whom we choose.
JOLLY. The lady has reason: for, being allowed but one, who would
choose such weasels as we see daily married? that are all head
and tail, crooked, dirty, sordid vermin, predestined for
cuckolds, painted snails, with houses on their backs, and horns
as big as Dutch cows! Would any woman marry such? Nay, can any
woman be honest that let's such hodmandods crawl o'er her virgin
breast and belly, or suffer 'em to leave their slimy paths upon
their bodies only for jointures? Out! 'tis mercenary and base!
The generous heart has only the laws of nature and kindness in
her view, and when she will oblige, Friend is all the ties that
Nature seeks; who can both bear and excuse those kind crimes.
And, I believe, one as poor as the despised captain and neglected
courtier may make a woman as happy in a friendship as Master Sad,
who has as many faults as we have debts: one whose father had no
more credit with Nature than ours had with Fortune; whose soul
wears rags as well as the captain's body.
SAD. Nay, then, I'll laugh; for I perceive y' are angrier than
we. Alas! h' has lost both ventures--Wanton and the widow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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