English drama -- 17th century; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Spurious and doubtful works
WEATHERCOCK.
Marry, I’ll tell you: by promising young Flowerdale the
red lipped Lucy.
LANCELOT.
I’ll rather follow her unto her grave.
WEATHERCOCK.
Aye, Sir Lancelot, I would have thought so too, but you
and I have been deceived in him: come read this will, or
deed, or what you call it, I know not. Come, come, your
spectacles I pray.
LANCELOT.
Nay, I thank God, I see very well.
WEATHERCOCK.
Marry, bless your eyes, mine hath been dim almost this
thirty years.
LANCELOT.
Ha, what is this? what is this?
WEATHERCOCK.
Nay, there is true love, indeed:
He gave it to me but this very morn,
And bid me keep it unseen from any one.
Good youth, to see how men may be deceived!
LANCELOT.
Passion of me, what a wretch am I
To hate this loving youth: he hath made me,
Together with my Lucy he loves so dear,
Executors of all his wealth.
WEATHERCOCK.
All, all, good man; he hath given you all.
LANCELOT.
Three ships now in the straits & homeward bound,
Two Lordships of two hundred pound a year,
The one in Wales, the other in Glostershire:
Debts and accounts are thirty thousand pound;
Plate, money, jewels, 16 thousand more;
Two housen furnished well in Cole-man street:
Beside whatsoever his Uncle leaves to him,
Being of great demeans and wealth at Peckham.
WEATHERCOCK.
How like you this, good knight? how like you this?
LANCELOT.
I have done him wrong, but now I’ll make amends,
The Devonshire man shall whistle for a wife:
He marry Lucy! Lucy shall be Flowerdale’s.
WEATHERCOCK.
Why, that is friendly said.
Let’s ride to London and prevent their match,
By promising your daughter to that lovely lad.
LANCELOT.
We’ll ride to London:—or it shall not need,
We’ll cross to Dedfort-strand, and take a boat.
Where be these knaves? what, Artichoke? what, Fop?
[Enter Artichoke.]
ARTICHOKE.
Here be the very knaves, but not the merry knaves.
LANCELOT.
Here, take my cloak, I’ll have a walk to Dedford.
ARTICHOKE.
Sir, we have been scouring of our swords and bucklers
in your defence.
LANCELOT.
Defence me no defence! let your swords rust, I’ll have no
fighting: Aye, let blows alone; bid Delia see all things be
in readiness against the wedding. We’ll have two at once,
and that will save charges, Master Weathercock.
ARTICHOKE.
Well, we will do it, sir.
[Exit Omnes.]
ACT III.
SCENE I. A walk before Sir Lancelot’s house.
[Enter Civet, Frances, and Delia.]
CIVET.
By my truth, this is good luck, I thank God for this. In
good sooth, I have even my heart’s desire: sister Delia,
now I may boldly call you so, for your father hath frank
and freely given me his daughter Frances.
FRANCES.
Aye, by my troth, Tom; thou hast my good will too, for
I thank God I longed for a husband, and, would I might
never stir, for one his name was Tom.
DELIA.
Why, sister, now you have your wish.
CIVET.
You say very true, sister Delia: and I prithee call me
nothing but Tom and I’ll call thee sweetheart, and Frances:
will it not do well, sister Delia?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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