English drama -- 17th century; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
_Qu._ 'Sfoot; lend me some money; _hast thou not
Hiren here?_[33]
_To._ Why, how now, sirrah? what vein's this, ha?
_Qu._ _Who cries on murther? Lady, was it you?_[34] how
does our master? pray thee cry Eastward-ho!
_To._ Sirrah, sirrah, y'are past your hiccup now; I see
y'are drunk. 121
_Qu._ 'Tis for your credit, master.
_To._ And hear you keep a whore in town.
_Qu._ 'Tis for your credit, master.
_To._ And what you are out in cash, I know.
_Qu._ So do I; my father's a gentleman. Work upon
that now. Eastward-ho!
_To._ Sir, Eastward-ho will make you go Westward-ho:[35]
I will no longer dishonest my house, nor endanger my
stock, with your licence. There, sir, there's your indenture;
all your apparel (that I must know) is on your
back, and from this time my door is shut to you: from
me be free; but for other freedom, and the moneys you
have wasted, Eastward-ho shall not serve you. 134
_Qu._ Am I free o' my fetters? Rent, fly with a duck
in thy mouth, and now I tell thee, Touchstone----
_To._ Good sir----
_Qu._ _When_[36] _this eternal substance of my soul_--
_To._ Well said; change your gold-ends[37] for your
play-ends. 140
_Qu._ _Did live imprison'd in my wanton flesh_--
_To._ What then, sir?
_Qu._ _I was a courtier in the Spanish Court, and Don
Andrea was my name._
_To._ Good master Don Andrea, will you march?
_Qu._ Sweet Touchstone, will you lend me two shillings?
_To._ Not a penny.
_Qu._ Not a penny? I have friends, and I have
acquaintance; I will piss at thy shop-posts, and throw
rotten eggs at thy sign. Work upon that now. 150
[_Exit staggering._
_To._ Now, sirrah, you! hear you? you shall serve me
no more neither--not an hour longer.
_Go._ What mean you, sir?
_To._ I mean to give thee thy freedom, and with thy
freedom my daughter, and with my daughter a father's
love. And with all these such a portion as shall make
Knight Petronel himself envy thee! Y'are both agreed,
are ye not?
_Am._ With all submission, both of thanks and duty.
_To._ Well then, the great Power of heaven bless and
confirm you. And, Golding, that my love to thee may
not show less than my wife's love to my eldest daughter,
thy marriage feast shall equal the knight's and hers. 163
_Go._ Let me beseech you, no, sir; the superfluity and
cold meat left at their nuptials will with bounty furnish
ours. The grossest prodigality is superfluous cost of
the belly; nor would I wish any invitement of states or
friends, only your reverent[38] presence and witness shall
sufficiently grace and confirm us. 169
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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