Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Host._ I do not like his visits, commonly
He comes by Owl-light, both the time and manner
Is suspitious; I do not like it.
_Bian._ Sir, the Gentleman
Is every way so noble, that you need not
Question his intent of coming, though you did;
Pray Sir preserve that good opinion of me,
That though the custome of the place I was born in,
Makes me familiar to every guest,
I shall in all things keep my self a stranger
To the vices they bring with them.
_Hostis._ Right my daughter:
She has the right strain of her Mother.
_Host._ Of her Mother?
And I would speak, I know from whence she took it;
When I was as young, I was as honest.
_Hostess._ Leave your prating.
And study to be drunk; and abuse your guests over and over.
_Enter_ Forobosco, _and_ Clown.
_Host._ Peace Wife. My honorable guest.
_Foro._ My indear'd Landlord?
And the rest o'th' complements o'th' house.
_Host._ Breakfast is ready Sir;
It waites only the tide of your stomach.
_Clow._ And mine gapes for't like a stale Oyster.
Ere you go to bed, fail not of that I pray.
[--_Exeunt all but_ Forobosco, _and_ Clown.
_Foro._ We will instantly be with you;
Now we are all fellows.
Nine a Clock, and no Clyents come
Yet, sure thou do'st not set up bills enough.
_Clow._ I have set up bills in abundance.
_Foro._ What Bills?
_Clow._ Marry for curing of all diseases,
Recovery of stoln goods,
And a thousand such impossibilities.
_Foro._ The place is unlucky.
_Clow._ No certain, 'tis scarcity of mony; do not you hear
the Lawyers complain of it? Men have as much Malice as
ever they had to wrangle, but they have no Mony: Whither
should this Mony be travell'd?
_Foro._ To the Devil I think.
_Clow._ 'Tis with his Cofferer I am certain, that's the Usurer.
_Foro._ Our cheating does not prosper so well as it was wont to
do.
_Clow._ No sure, why in _England_ we coo'd cozen 'em as
familiarly, as if we had travell'd with a Brief, or a Lottery.
_Foro._ I'th' Low-countries we did pretty well.
_Clow._ So so: as long as we kept the Mop-headed butter-boxes
sober; marry when they were drunk, then they grew buzards: You
should have them reel their heads together, and deliberate;
your _Dutchman_ indeed, when he is foxt, is like a Fox; for
when he's sunk in drink, quite earth to a Mans thinking, 'tis
full Exchange time with him, then he's subtlest; but your
_Switzer_, 'twas nothing to cheat him.
_Foro._ Nothing?
_Clow._ No, nor conscience to be made of it; for since nature
afore-hand cozen'd him of his wit, 'twas the less sin for us to
cozen him of his Mony.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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