POMPEY.
Nine, sir; Overdone by the last.
ESCALUS.
Nine?—Come hither to me, Master Froth. Master Froth, I would not have
you acquainted with tapsters; they will draw you, Master Froth, and you
will hang them. Get you gone, and let me hear no more of you.
FROTH.
I thank your worship. For mine own part, I never come into any room in
a taphouse but I am drawn in.
ESCALUS.
Well, no more of it, Master Froth. Farewell.
[_Exit Froth._]
Come you hither to me, Master tapster. What’s your name, Master
tapster?
POMPEY.
Pompey.
ESCALUS.
What else?
POMPEY.
Bum, sir.
ESCALUS.
Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing about you; so that, in the
beastliest sense, you are Pompey the great. Pompey, you are partly a
bawd, Pompey, howsoever you colour it in being a tapster, are you not?
Come, tell me true, it shall be the better for you.
POMPEY.
Truly, sir, I am a poor fellow that would live.
ESCALUS.
How would you live, Pompey? By being a bawd? What do you think of the
trade, Pompey? Is it a lawful trade?
POMPEY.
If the law would allow it, sir.
ESCALUS.
But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor it shall not be allowed in
Vienna.
POMPEY.
Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth of the city?
ESCALUS.
No, Pompey.
POMPEY.
Truly, sir, in my poor opinion, they will to’t then. If your worship
will take order for the drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the
bawds.
ESCALUS.
There is pretty orders beginning, I can tell you. It is but heading and
hanging.
POMPEY.
If you head and hang all that offend that way but for ten year
together, you’ll be glad to give out a commission for more heads. If
this law hold in Vienna ten year, I’ll rent the fairest house in it
after threepence a bay. If you live to see this come to pass, say
Pompey told you so.
ESCALUS.
Thank you, good Pompey; and, in requital of your prophecy, hark you: I
advise you, let me not find you before me again upon any complaint
whatsoever; no, not for dwelling where you do. If I do, Pompey, I shall
beat you to your tent, and prove a shrewd Caesar to you. In plain
dealing, Pompey, I shall have you whipped. So for this time, Pompey,
fare you well.
POMPEY.
I thank your worship for your good counsel. [_Aside_.] But I shall
follow it as the flesh and fortune shall better determine.
Whip me? No, no; let carman whip his jade;
The valiant heart’s not whipped out of his trade.
[_Exit._]
ESCALUS.
Come hither to me, Master Elbow. Come hither, Master Constable. How
long have you been in this place of constable?
ELBOW.
Seven year and a half, sir.
ESCALUS.
I thought, by the readiness in the office, you had continued in it
sometime. You say seven years together?
ELBOW.
And a half, sir.
ESCALUS.
Alas, it hath been great pains to you. They do you wrong to put you so
oft upon’t. Are there not men in your ward sufficient to serve it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account