Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 04 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 04 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Laun._ He went far else,
I will assure your worship on my credit
By the faith of a Travellor, and a Gentleman,
Your son is found again, the son, the _Tom_.
_Seb._ Is he the old _Tom_?
_Laun._ The old _Tom_.
_Seb._ Go forward.
_Laun._ Next, to consider how he is the old _Tom_.
_Seb._ Handle me that.
_Laun._ I would ye had seen it handled
Last night Sir, as we handled it: _cap à pe_,
Footra for leers, and learings; O the noise,
The noise we made.
_Seb._ Good, good.
_Lan._ The windows clattering
And all the Chambermaids in such a whobub,
One with her smock half off, another in hast
With a serving-mans hose upon her head.
_Seb._ Good still.
_Lan._ A fellow railing out of a loop-hole there,
And his mouth stopt with durt.
_Seb._ I' faith a fine Boy.
_Lan._ Here one of our heads broke.
_Seb._ Excellent good still.
_Lan._ The Gentleman himself, young M. _Thomas_,
Inviron'd with his furious Myrmidons
The fiery Fidler, and my self; now singing,
Now beating at the door, there parlying,
Courting at that window, at the other scalling
And all these several noises to two Trenchers,
Strung with a bottom of brown thred, which show'd admirable.
_Seb._ There eat, and grow again, I am pleas'd.
_Lan._ Nor here Sir,
Gave we the frolick over: though at length
We quit the Ladies Skonce on composition;
But to the silent streets we turn'd our furies:
A sleeping watchman here we stole the shooes from,
There made a noise, at which he wakes, and follows:
The streets are durty, takes a queen-hith cold,
Hard cheese, and that choaks him o' Munday next:
Windows, and signs we sent to _Erebus_;
A crue of bawling curs we entertain'd last,
When having let the pigs loose in out parishes,
O the brave cry we made as high as _Algate_!
Down comes a Constable, and the Sow his Sister
Most traiterously tramples upon Authority,
There a whole stand of rug gowns rowted manly
And the Kings peace put to flight: a purblind pig here
Runs me his head into the Admirable Lanthorn,
Out goes the light, and all turns to confusion:
A potter rises, to enquire this passion,
A Boar imbost takes sanctuary in his shop,
When twenty dogs rush after, we still cheering,
Down goe the pots, and pipkins, down the pudding pans,
The cream-bolls cry revenge here, there the candlesticks.
_Seb._ If this be true, thou little tyney page,
This tale that thou tell'st me,
Then on thy back will I presently hang
A handsom new Livery:
But if this be false, thou little tyney page
As false it well may be,
Then with a cudgel of four foot long
I'le beat thee from head to toe.
_Enter_ Servant.
_Seb._ Will the boy come?
_Ser._ He will Sir.
_Enter_ Thomas.
_Seb._ Time tries all then.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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