Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 09 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Tay._ He has fisht fair believe me.
_Mule._ See, see, he sweats and trembles.
_Foro._ Are you come to your quavers?
_Clow._ Oh, ho, ho.
_Foro._ I'll make you run division on that o'r ere I leave you;
looke you, here are the playfellowes that are so indear'd to
you; come sir, first uncase, and then dance, nay I'll make him
dance stark naked.
_Host._ Oh let him have his shirt on and his _Mogols_ breeches,
here are Women ith' house.
_Foro._ Well for their sakes he shall.
[_Clown teares off his doublet, making strange faces as_
_if compel'd to it, falls into the Dance._
_Tay._ He dances, what a lying rogue was this to say the
gentleman could not conjure!
_Foro._ He does prettily well, but 'tis voluntary, I assure
you, I have no hand in't.
_Clow._ As you are a Counjurer, and a rare Artist, free me from
these couplets; of all creatures I cannot endure a Frog.
_Foro._ But your dancing is voluntary, I can compell you to
nothing.
_Hostes._ O me, daughter, lets take heed of this fellow, he'll
make us dance naked, an' we vex him. [--_Exeunt Hostess and
Bianca._
_Foro._ Now cut capers sirra, I'll plague that chine of yours.
_Clow._ Ho, ho, ho, my kidneys are rosted. I drop away like a
pound of butter rosted.
_Tayl._ He will dance himself to death.
_Foro._ No matter I'll sell his fat to the Pothecaries, and
repair my injury that way.
_Host._ Enough in conscience.
_Foro._ Well, at your entreaty vanish. And now I wil only make
him break his neck in doing a _sommerset_, and that's all the
revenge I mean to take of him.
_Clow._ O gentlemen, what a rogue was I to belye so an approved
Master in the noble dark science? you can witness, this I did
only to spoyle his practise and deprive you of the happyness of
injoying his worthy labors; rogue that I was to do it, pray sir
forgive me.
_Foro._ With what face canst thou ask it?
_Clow._ With such a face as I deserve, with a hanging look, as
all here can testifie.
_Foro._ Well gentlemen, that you may perceive the goodness
of my temper, I will entertain this rogue againe in hope of
amendment, for should I turn him off, he would be hang'd.
_Clow._ You may read that in this foul coppy.
_Foro._ Only with this promise, you shall never cozen any of my
patients.
_Clow._ Never.
_Foro._ And remember hence forward, that though I cannot
conjure, I can make you dance sirra, go get your self into the
cottage again.
_Enter Cæsario._
_Clow._ I will never more dance leap-Frog: now I have got you
into credit, hold it up, and cozen them in abundance.
_Foro._ Oh rare rascall. [--_Exit Clown._
_Cesar._ How now, a _Frankford_ mart here, a Mountebank, and
his worshipfull auditory?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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