Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 10 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 10 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Lap._ I'll lose my new place else,
What e'er it be; I know not what 'tis yet.
_1 Gent._ And now you put me in mind, I could employ it well,
For your grace, specially: For the Dukes Cosin
Is by this time in's violent fit of mirth,
And a device must be sought out for suddainly,
To over-cloy the passion.
_Lap._ Say no more, Sir,
I'll fit you with my Scholars, new practitioners,
Endurers of the time.
_Clow._ Whereof I am one Sir.
_1 Gent._ You carry it away smooth; give me thy hand, Sir. [_Exeunt._
_Actus Quintus. Scæna Prima._
_Enter the two Brothers._
_Pas._ Ha, ha, ha. [_Within._
_2 Bro._ Hark, hark, how loud his fit's grown.
_Pas._ Ha, ha, ha.
_1 Bro._ Now let our Sister lose no time, but ply it
With all the power she has.
_2 Bro._ Her shame grows big, brother;
The _Cupid_'s shape will hardly hold it longer,
'Twould take up half an Ell of _China_ Damask more,
And all too little: it struts per'lously:
There is no tamp'ring with these _Cupids_ longer,
The meer conceit with Woman-kind works strong.
_Pas._ Ha, ha, ha.
_2 Bro._ The laugh comes nearer now,
'Twere good we were not seen yet. [_Ex. Bro._
_Enter Passion, and Base, his jester._
_Pas._ Ha, ha, ha,
And was he bastinado'd to the life? ha, ha, ha.
I prethee say, Lord General, how did the rascals
Entrench themselves?
_Base._ Most deeply, politickly, all in ditches.
_Pas._ Ha, ha, ha.
_Bas._ 'Tis thought he'll ne'r bear Arms [ith'] field agen,
Has much ado to lift 'em to his head, Sir.
_Pas._ I would he had.
_Bas._ On either side round Truncheons plaid so thick,
That Shoulders, Chines, nay Flanks were paid to th' quick.
_Pas._ Well said Lord-General: ha, ha, ha.
_Bas._ But pray how grew the diff'rence first betwixt you?
_Pas._ There was never any, Sir; there lies the jest man;
Only because he was taller than his brother;
There's all my quarrel, to him; and methought
He should be beaten for't, my mind so gave me, Sir,
I could not sleep for't: Ha, ha, ha, ha.
Another good jest quickly, while 'tis hot now;
Let me not laugh in vain: ply me, oh ply me,
As you will answer't to my cosin Duke.
_Bas._ Alas, who has a good jest?
_Pas._ I fall, I dwindle in't.
_Bas._ Ten Crowns for a go[o]d jest: ha' you a good jest, Sir?
_Enter Servant._
_Serv._ A pretty moral one.
_Bas._ Let's ha't, what e'er it be.
_Serv._ There comes a _Cupid_
Drawn by six fools.
_Bas._ That's nothing.
_Pas._ Help it, help it then.
_Bas._ I ha' known six hundred fools drawn by a _Cupid_.
_Pas._ I that, that, that's the smarter Moral: ha, ha, ha.
Now I begin to be Song-ripe methinks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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