PROL. Did you! I appeal to all these gentlemen, whether you did or no.
Come, come, it pleases you to cast a strange look on't now; but 'twill not
serve.
COR. 'Fore me, but it must serve; and therefore speak your prologue.
PROL. An I do, let me die poisoned with some venomous hiss, and never live
to look as high as the two-penny room again.
[EXIT.
MIT. He has put you to it, sir.
COR. 'Sdeath, what a humorous fellow is this! Gentlemen, good faith I can
speak no prologue, howsoever his weak wit has had the fortune to make this
strong use of me here before you: but I protest --
[ENTER CARLO BUFFONE, FOLLOWED BY A BOY WITH WINE.
CAR. Come, come, leave these fustian protestations; away, come, I cannot
abide these grey-headed ceremonies. Boy, fetch me a glass quickly, I may
bid these gentlemen welcome; give them a health here. [EXIT BOY.] I
mar'le whose wit it was to put a prologue in yond' sackbut's mouth; they
might well think he'd be out of tune, and yet you'd play upon him too.
COR. Hang him, dull block!
CAR. O, good words, good words; a well-timber'd fellow, he would have made
a good column, an he had been thought on, when the house was a building --
[RE-ENTER BOY WITH GLASSES..
O, art thou come? Well said; give me, boy; fill so! Here's a cup of wine
sparkles like a diamond. Gentlewomen (I am sworn to put them in first) and
gentlemen, around, in place of a bad prologue, I drink this good draught to
your health here, Canary, the very elixir and spirit of wine. [DRINKS.]
This is that our poet calls Castalian liquor, when he comes abroad now and
then, once in a fortnight, and makes a good meal among players, where he
has 'caninum appetitum'; marry, at home he keeps a good philosophical diet,
beans and butter-milk; an honest pure rogue, he will take you off three,
four, five of these, one after another, and look villainously when he has
done, like a one-headed Cerberus. -- He does not hear me, I hope. -- And
then, when his belly is well ballaced, and his brain rigged a little, he
snails away withal, as though he would work wonders when he comes home. He
has made a play here, and he calls it, 'Every Man out of his Humour': but
an he get me out of the humour he has put me in, I'll trust none of his
tribe again while I live. Gentles, all I can say for him is, you are
welcome. I could wish my bottle here amongst you; but there's an old rule,
No pledging your own health. Marry, if any here be thirsty for it, their
best way (that I know) is, sit still, seal up their lips, and drink so much
of the play in at their ears.
[EXIT.
MIT. What may this fellow be, Cordatus?
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