English drama -- 17th century; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
_Qu._ With all festination; I have broken the ice to it
already; and will presently to the knight's house, whither,
my good old dad, let me pray thee, with all formality to
man her.
_Sec._ Command me, Master Francis, I do hunger and
thirst to do thee service. Come, sweet Mistress Sin,
take leave of my Winifred, and we will instantly meet
Frank, Master Francis, at your lady's.
_Enter_ WINIFRED _above_.
_Wi._ Where is my Cu there? Cu?
_Sec._ Ay, Winnie. 196
_Wi._ Wilt thou come in, sweet Cu?
_Sec._ Ay, Winnie, presently.
[_Exeunt_ SECURITY _and_ SINDEFY.
_Qu._ Ay, Winnie, quod he, that's all he can do, poor
man, he may well cut off her name at Winnie. O, 'tis
an egregious pander! What will not an usurous knave
be, so he may be rich? O, 'tis a notable Jew's trump!
I hope to live to see dogs' meat made of the old usurer's
flesh, dice of his bones, and indentures of his skin; and
yet his skin is too thick to make parchment, 'twould
make good boots for a peter-man[46] to catch salmon in.
Your only smooth skin to make fine vellum is your
Puritan's skin; they be the smoothest and slickest knaves
in a country. 209
_Enter_ Sir PETRONEL _in boots, with a riding-wand_.[47]
_Pe._ I'll out of this wicked town as fast as my horse
can trot! Here's now no good action for a man to
spend his time in. Taverns grow dead; ordinaries are
blown up; plays are at a stand; houses of hospitality
at a fall; not a feather waving, nor a spur jingling anywhere.
I'll away instantly.
_Qu._ Y'ad best take some crowns in your purse, knight,
or else your Eastward Castle will smoke but miserably.
_Pe._ O, Frank! my castle? Alas! all the castles I
have are built with air, thou know'st. 219
_Qu._ I know it, knight, and therefore wonder whither
your lady is going.
_Pe._ 'Faith, to seek her fortune, I think. I said I had
a castle and land eastward, and eastward she will, without
contradiction; her coach and the coach of the sun
must meet full butt. And the sun being outshined with
her ladyship's glory, she fears he goes westward to hang
himself.
_Qu._ And I fear, when her enchanted castle becomes
invisible, her ladyship will return and follow his example.
_Pe._ Oh, that she would have the grace! for I shall
never be able to pacify her, when she sees herself deceived
so. 232
_Qu._ As easily as can be. Tell her she mistook your
directions, and that shortly yourself will down with her
to approve it; and then clothe but her crouper in a new
gown, and you may drive her any way you list. For
these women, sir, are like Essex calves, you must wriggle
'hem on by the tail still, or they will never drive orderly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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