[_Discovers Mrs. Littlewit._
LIT. O my wife, my wife, my wife!
OVER. Is she your wife? _Redde te Harpocratem!_
_Enter TROUBLEALL, with a dripping-pan, followed by URSULA and
NIGHTINGALE._
TRO. By your leave, stand by, my masters, be uncover'd.
URS. O stay him, stay him, help to cry, Nightingale; my pan, my pan!
OVER. What's the matter?
NIGHT. He has stolen gammar Ursula's pan.
TRO. Yes, and I fear no man but justice Overdo.
OVER. Ursula! where is she? O the sow of enormity, this! welcome,
stand you there; you, songster, there.
URS. An't please your worship, I am in no fault: a gentleman stripped
him in my booth, and borrowed his gown, and his hat; and he ran away
with my goods here for it.
OVER. [_to Quarlous._] Then this is the true madman, and you are the
enormity!
QUAR. You are in the right: I am mad but from the gown outward.
OVER. Stand you there.
QUAR. Where you please, sir.
MRS. OVER. [_waking_] O, lend me a bason, I am sick, I am sick!
where's master Overdo? Bridget, call hither my Adam.
OVER. How!
[_He is shamed and silenced._
WHIT. Dy very own wife, i'fait, worshipful Adam.
MRS. OVER. Will not my Adam come at me? shall I see him no more then?
QUAR. Sir, why do you not go on with the enormity? are you oppressed
with it? I'll help you: hark you, sir, in your ear--Your innocent
young man, you have ta'en such care of all this day, is a cut-purse,
that hath got all your brother Cokes' things, and helped you to your
beating and the stocks; if you have a mind to hang him now, and shew
him your magistrate's wit, you may: but I should think it were better
recovering the goods, and to save your estimation in him. I thank you,
sir, for the gift of your ward, mistress Grace; look you, here is your
hand and seal, by the way. Master Winwife, give you joy, you are
_Palemon_, you are possessed of the gentlewoman, but she must pay me
value, here's warrant for it. And, honest madman, there's thy gown and
cap again; I thank thee for my wife. Nay, I can be mad, sweet-heart,
[_to Mrs. Purecraft_] when I please still; never fear me; and careful
Numps, where's he? I thank him for my license.
WASPE. How!
QUAR. 'Tis true, Numps.
WASPE. I'll be hang'd then.
QUAR. Look in your box, Numps.--Nay, sir, [_to Overdo._] stand not you
fix'd here, like a stake in Finsbury, to be shot at, or the
whipping-post in the Fair, but get your wife out o' the air, it will
make her worse else; and remember you are but Adam, flesh and blood!
you have your frailty, forget your other name of Overdo, and invite us
all to supper. There you and I will compare our discoveries; and drown
the memory of all enormity in your biggest bowl at home.
COKES. How now, Numps, have you lost it? I warrant 'twas when thou
wert in the stocks: Why dost not speak!
WASPE. I will never speak while I live again, for aught I know.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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