Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 07 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 07 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Lur._ Let me alone, when I but give the watch-word
We will have men enough to surprize an Army.
_Ju._ I begin to be sleepy; what, hast a chair?
_Enter another with a chair._
_Lur._ They do not dream of us, 'tis early rising;
Care, care, and early rising, Common-wealths men
Are ever subject to the nods; sit down, Sir,
A short nap is not much amiss; so, so, he's fast;
Fast as a fish i'th' net, he has winking powder
Shall work upon him to our wish, remove him,
Nay, we may cut him into collops now
And he ne'r feel; have you prepar'd the vault, sirrah?
_Boy._ Yes, yes, Sir, every thing in's place.
_Lur._ When [we] have plac'd him, you and I boy
Must about another project hard by, his potion
Will bind him sure enough till we return,
This villany weighs mainly, But we'll purge ye. [_Exit._
[_Bells ring._
_Enter Sexton._
_Sex._ Now for mine ears, mine ears be constant to me;
They ring a wager, and I must deal justly, ha boys.
_Enter Lurcher and Boy._
_Lur._ Dost hear 'em, hark, these be the Ringers?
_Boy._ Are you sure the same?
_Lur._ Or my directions fail;
The coast is clear:
How the bells go! how daintily they tumble!
And methinks they seem to say; Fine fools I'll fit you.
_Sex._ Excellent agen, good boys--oh that was nought.
_Lur._ Who's that?
_Boy._ Be you conceal'd by any means yet, hark,
They stop, I hope they'll to't agen, close Sir.
_Enter_ Wildbrain, Toby, _Ringers_.
_Wild._ A palpable knock.
_Ring._ 'Twas none.
_To._ Be judg'd by the Sexton then,
If I have ears.
_Sex._ A knock, a knock, a gross one.
_To._ Carman, your gallon of wine, you ring most impiously,
Art thou o'th' worshipful company of the Knights o'th West,
And handle a bell with no more dexterity?
You think you are in _Thames-street_
Justling the Carts: oh a clean hand's a Jewel.
_Boy._ Good speed to your good exercise.
_To._ Y' are welcome.
_Boy._ I come, Sir, from a Gentleman, and neighbor hard by,
One that loves your Musick well.
_To._ He may have more on't,
Handle a bell, as you were haling timber;
Gross, gross, and base, absurd.
_Ring._ I'll mend it next peal.
_Boy._ To intreat a knowledge of you, whether it be
By the Ear you ring thus cunningly, or by the Eye;
For to be plain, he has laid ten pounds upon't.
_Wild._ But which way has he laid?
_Boy._ That your Ear guides you,
And not your Eye.
_To._ Has won, has won, the Ear's our only instrument:
_Boy._ But how shall we be sure on't.
_To._ Put all the lights out, to what end serve our eyes then?
_Wild._ A plain Case.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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