Comedy plays; Florence (Italy) -- Drama; Married women -- Drama; Runaway husbands -- Drama
Lady. To the Court, why what place make you speciall,
when you put off that with such contempt, but to
the Court?
Clo. Truly Madam, if God haue lent a man any manners,
hee may easilie put it off at Court: hee that cannot
make a legge, put off's cap, kisse his hand, and say nothing,
has neither legge, hands, lippe, nor cap; and indeed
such a fellow, to say precisely, were not for the
Court, but for me, I haue an answere will serue all men
Lady. Marry that's a bountifull answere that fits all
questions
Clo. It is like a Barbers chaire that fits all buttockes,
the pin buttocke, the quatch-buttocke, the brawn buttocke,
or any buttocke
Lady. Will your answere serue fit to all questions?
Clo. As fit as ten groats is for the hand of an Atturney,
as your French Crowne for your taffety punke, as
Tibs rush for Toms fore-finger, as a pancake for Shroue-tuesday,
a Morris for May-day, as the naile to his hole,
the Cuckold to his horne, as a scolding queane to a
wrangling knaue, as the Nuns lip to the Friers mouth,
nay as the pudding to his skin
Lady. Haue you, I say, an answere of such fitnesse for
all questions?
Clo. From below your Duke, to beneath your Constable,
it will fit any question
Lady. It must be an answere of most monstrous size,
that must fit all demands
Clo. But a triflle neither in good faith, if the learned
should speake truth of it: heere it is, and all that belongs
to't. Aske mee if I am a Courtier, it shall doe you no
harme to learne
Lady. To be young againe if we could: I will bee a
foole in question, hoping to bee the wiser by your answer
La. I pray you sir, are you a Courtier?
Clo. O Lord sir theres a simple putting off: more,
more, a hundred of them
La. Sir I am a poore freind of yours, that loues you
Clo. O Lord sir, thicke, thicke, spare not me
La. I thinke sir, you can eate none of this homely
meate
Clo. O Lord sir; nay put me too't, I warrant you
La. You were lately whipt sir as I thinke
Clo. O Lord sir, spare not me
La. Doe you crie O Lord sir at your whipping, and
spare not me? Indeed your O Lord sir, is very sequent
to your whipping: you would answere very well to a
whipping if you were but bound too't
Clo. I nere had worse lucke in my life in my O Lord
sir: I see things may serue long, but not serue euer
La. I play the noble huswife with the time, to entertaine
it so merrily with a foole
Clo. O Lord sir, why there't serues well agen
La. And end sir to your businesse: giue Hellen this,
And vrge her to a present answer backe,
Commend me to my kinsmen, and my sonne,
This is not much
Clo. Not much commendation to them
La. Not much imployement for you, you vnderstand
me
Clo. Most fruitfully, I am there, before my legges
La. Hast you agen.
Exeunt.
Enter Count, Lafew, and Parolles.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account