English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Spurious and doubtful works
[Enter the Gentleman.]
RAVEN.
Oh, here comes the Gentleman. By your leave, sir.
GENTLEMAN.
God you god den, sirs,—would you speak with me?
PUT.
No, not with your worship, sir; only we are bold to stay for
a friend of ours that went in with your worship.
GENTLEMAN.
Who? not the scholar?
PUT.
Yes, e’en he, and it please your worship.
GENTLEMAN.
Did he make you stay for him? he did you wrong, then: why,
I can assure you he’s gone above an hour ago.
RAVEN.
How, sir?
GENTLEMAN.
I paid him his money, and my man told me he went out at
back-door.
PUT.
Back-door?
GENTLEMAN.
Why, what’s the matter?
PUT.
He was our prisoner, sir; we did arrest him.
GENTLEMAN.
What! he was not! you the Sheriff’s Officers! You were to
blame then. Why did you no make known to me as much? I
could have kept him for you: I protest he received all of
me in Britain Gold of the last coining.
RAVEN.
Vengeance dog him with’t!
PUT.
Sfott, has he guiled us so?
DOGSON.
Where shall we sup now Sergeant?
PUT.
Sup, Simon, now! eat Porridge for a month. Well, we cannot
impute it to any lack of good-will in your Worship,—you did
but as another would have done: twas our hard fortunes to
miss the purchase, but if e’er we clutch him again, the
Counter shall charm him.
RAVEN.
The hole shall rot him.
DOGSON.
Amen
[Exeunt.]
GENTLEMAN.
So,
Vex out your Lungs without doors. I am proud,
It was my hap to help him; it fell fit.
He went not empty neither for his wit.
Alas, poor wretch, I could not blame his brain
To labour his delivery, to be free
From their unpitying fangs—I’m glad it stood
Within my power to do a Scholar good.
[Exit.]
SCENE V. A room in the Marshalsea prison.
[Enter in the Prison, meeting, George and Captain, George
coming in muffled.]
CAPTAIN.
How now, who’s that? what are you?
PYE.
The same that I should be, Captain.
CAPTAIN.
George Pye-board, honest George? why camst thou in half
fac’d, muffled so?
PYE.
Oh, Captain, I thought we should ne’er ha laught again,
never spent frolick hour again.
CAPTAIN.
Why? why?
PYE.
I coming to prepare thee, and with news
As happy as thy quick delivery,
Was trac’d out by the sent, arrested, Captain.
CAPTAIN.
Arrested, George!
PYE.
Arrested: gesse, gesse; how many Dogs do you think I’d
upon me?
CAPTAIN.
Dogs? I say? I know not.
PYE.
Almost as many as George Stone the Bear:
Three at once, three at once.
CAPTAIN.
How didst thou shake ’em off, then?
PYE.
The time is busy, and calls upon out wits.
Let it suffice,
Here I stand safe, and scapt by miracle.
Some other hour shall tell thee, when we’ll steep
Our eyes in laughter. Captain, my device
Leans to thy happiness, for ere the day
Be spent toth’ Girdle, thou shalt be set free.
The Corporal’s in his first sleep, the Chain is missed,
Thy Kinsman has exprest thee, and the old Knight
With Palsey-hams now labours thy release:
What rests is all in thee, to Conjure, Captain.
CAPTAIN.
Conjure! sfoot, George, you know the devil a conjuring I
can conjure.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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