Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Foro._ No, I do mean in the new world,
In the world that's in the Moon yonder.
_Tay._ How? a new world 'ith' moon?
_Foro._ Yes I assure you.
_Tay._ And peopled?
_Foro._ O most fantastically peopled.
_Tay._ Nay certain then there's work for taylors?
_Foro._ That there is I assure you.
_Tay._ Yet I have talked with a Scotch taylor
That never discover'd so much to me,
Though he has travell'd far, and was a pedlar in _Poland_.
_Foro._ That was out of his way,
This lies beyond _China_:
You would study new fashions you say?
Take my councell, make a voyage,
And discover that new world.
_Tay._ Shall I be a moon-man?
_Foro._ I am of opinion, the people of that world
(If they be like the nature of that climate they live in)
Do vary the fashion of their cloaths oftener than any
Quick-silver'd nation in Europe.
_Tay._ Not unlikely, but what should that be we call
The man in the moon then?
_Foro._ Why 'tis nothing but an Englishman
That stands there stark naked,
With a pair of sheers in one hand,
And a great bundle of broad cloath in the other
(Which resembles the bush of thorns)
Cutting out of new fashions.
_Taylor._ I have heard somewhat like this,
But how shall I get thither?
_Foro._ I'll make a new compass shall direct you.
_Tay._ Certain?
_Foro._ Count me else for no man of direction.
_Tay._ There's 20 duckats in hand, at my return
I'll give you a 100.
_Foro._ A new voyage to discover new fashions.
_Mul._ I have been a traveller too sir,
That have shewed strange beasts in Christendome,
And got money by them, but I find the trade to decay.
Your Camelion, or East-Indian hedg-hog
Gets very little mony, and your Elephant devours
So much bread, brings in so little profit,
His keeper were better every morning
Cram 15 Taylors with white manchet:
I would have some new spectacle,
And one that might be more attractive.
_Foro._ Let me see, were you ever in _Spain_?
_Mule._ Not yet Sir.
_Foro._ I would have you go to _Madrill_, and against some
great festivall, when the court lies there, provide a great and
spacious Eng[li]sh Oxe, and rost him whole, with a pudding in's
bely; that would be the eighth wonder of the world in those
parts I assure you.
_Mule._ A rare project without question.
_Foro._ Goe beyond all their garlike _olle padridoes_, though
you sod one in _Garguentuas_ couldron, bring in more money,
then all the monsters of _Affrick_.
_Host._ Good Sir do your best for him; he's of my acquaintance,
and one if ye knew him--
_Foro._ What is he?
_Host._ He was once a man of infinite letters.
_Foro._ A Scholar?
_Host._ No sir, a packet carrier, which is alwaies a man of
many letters, you know: then he was Mule-driver, now he's a
gentleman, and feeds monsters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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