Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 10 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 10 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Long._ Thus the bauds would all turn witches to revenge
Themselves upon us, and the women that
Come to us, for disguises must wear beards,
And that's they say, a token of a witch.
_Dub._ What shall we then do.
_Long._ We must study on't
With more consideration; stay _Duboyes_
Are not the Lord of _Orleans_ and the Lord
Of _Amiens_ enemies?
_Dub._ Yes, what of that.
_Long._ Methinks the factions of two such great men.
Should give a promise of advancement now
To us that want it.
_Dub._ Let the plot be thine, and in the enterprize I'll second thee.
_Long._ I have it, we will first set down our selves
The Method of a quarrell; and make choyce
Of some frequented Tavern; or such a place
Of common notice, to perform it in
By way of undertaking to maintain
The severall honors of those enemies.
Thou for the Lord of _Orleans_; I for _Amiens_.
_Dub._ I like the project, and I think 'twill take
The better, since their difference first did rise
From his occasion whom we followed once.
_Long._ We cannot hope less after the report,
Than entertainment or gratuity,
Yet those are ends, I do not aim at most;
Great spirits that are needy, and will thrive,
Must labour whiles such troubles are alive. [_Exeunt._
_Enter Laverdine and La-poope._
_La-p._ Slander is sharper than the sword. I have fed this three
dayes upon leaf _Tobacco_, for want of other Victuals.
_Lav._ You have liv'd the honester Captain; but be not so dejected,
but hold up thy head, and meat will sooner fall i'thy mouth.
_La-p._ I care not so much for meat, so I had but good liquor, for
which my guts croak like so many Frogs for rain.
_Lav._ It seems, you are troubled with the wind-Collick, Captain,
swallow a bullet: 'tis present remedy I'll assure you.
_La-p._ A bullet? I'll tell you Sir, my panch is nothing but a pile
of bullets; when I was in any service I stood between my Generall
and the shot, like a mud-wall; I am all lead, from the crown of the
head to the soal of the foot, not a sound bone about me.
_La[v]._ It seems you have bin in terrible hot service Captain.
_La-p._ It has ever bin the fate of the low Country wars to spoil
many a man, I ha' not bin the first nor shall not be the last: but
I'll tell you Sir, (hunger has brought it in to mind) I served once
at the Siege of _Braste_, 'tis memorable to this day, where we were
in great distress for victuals, whole troops fainted more for want
of food then for blood, and died, yet we were resolved to stand it
out; I my self was but then Gentleman of a Company, and had as much
need as any man, and indeed I had perished had not a miraculous
providence preserved me.
_Lav._ As how good Captain?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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