KNOCK. Yes, and wear a dressing, top and top-gallant, to compare with
e'er a husband on 'em all, for a foretop: it is the vapour of spirit
in the wife to cuckold now a days, as it is the vapour of fashion in
the husband not to suspect. Your prying cat-eyed citizen is an
abominable vapour.
MRS. LIT. Lord, what a fool have I been!
WHIT. Mend then, and do every ting like a lady hereafter; never know
ty husband from another man.
KNOCK. Nor any one man from another, but in the dark.
WHIT. Ay, and then it ish no disgrash to know any man.
URS. [_within._] Help, help here!
KNOCK. How now? what vapour's there?
_Re-enter URSULA._
URS. O, you are a sweet ranger, and look well to your walks! Yonder is
your punk of Turnbull, ramping Alice, has fallen upon the poor
gentlewoman within, and pull'd her hood over her ears, and her hair
through it.
_Enter ALICE, beating and driving in MRS. OVERDO._
MRS. OVER. Help, help, in the king's name!
ALICE. A mischief on you, they are such as you are that undo us and
take our trade from us, with your tuft-taffata haunches.
KNOCK. How now, Alice!
ALICE. The poor common whores can have no traffic for the privy rich
ones; your caps and hoods of velvet call away our customers, and lick
the fat from us.
URS. Peace, you foul ramping jade, you--
ALICE. Od's foot, you bawd in grease, are you talking?
KNOCK. Why, Alice, I say.
ALICE. Thou sow of Smithfield, thou!
URS. Thou tripe of Turnbull!
KNOCK. Cat-a-mountain vapours, ha!
URS. You know where you were taw'd lately; both lash'd and slash'd you
were in Bridewell.
ALICE. Ay, by the same token you rid that week, and broke out the
bottom of the cart, night-tub.
KNOCK. Why, lion face, ha! do you know who I am? shall I tear ruff,
slit waistcoat, make rags of petticoat, ha! go to, vanish for fear of
vapours. Whit, a kick, Whit, in the parting vapour. [_They kick out
Alice._] Come, brave woman, take a good heart, thou shalt be a lady
too.
WHIT. Yes fait, dey shall all both be ladies, and write madam: I vill
do't myself for dem. Do is the word, and D is the middle letter of
madam, D D, put 'em together, and make deeds, without which all words
are alike, la.
KNOCK. 'Tis true: Ursula, take them in, open thy wardrobe, and fit
them to their calling. Green gowns, crimson petticoats, green women,
my lord mayor's green women! guests o' the game, true bred. I'll
provide you a coach to take the air in.
MRS. LIT. But do you think you can get one?
KNOCK. O, they are common as wheelbarrows where there are great
dunghills. Every pettifogger's wife has 'em; for first he buys a coach
that he may marry, and then he marries that he may be made cuckold
in't: for if their wives ride not to their cuckolding, they do them no
credit. [_Exeunt Ursula, Mrs. Littlewit, and Mrs. Overdo._]--_Hide,
and be hidden, ride and be ridden,_ says the vapour of experience.
_Enter TROUBLEALL._
TRO. By what warrant does it say so?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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