English drama -- 17th century; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
_Qu._ Nay, hark you, sir; what nurses, what midwives,
what fools, what physicians, what cunning women must
be sought for (fearing sometimes she is bewitched, sometimes
in a consumption), to tell her tales, to talk bawdy
to her, to make her laugh, to give her glisters, to let her
blood under the tongue and betwixt the toes; how she
will revile and kiss you, spit in your face, and lick it off
again; how she will vaunt you are her creature; she made
you of nothing; how she could have had thousand mark
jointures; she could have been made a lady by a Scotch
knight, and never ha' married him; she could have had
ponados[52] in her bed every morning; how she set you
up, and how she will pull you down: you'll never be able
to stand of your legs to endure it. 301
_Pe._ Out of my fortune, what a death is my life bound
face to face to! The best is, a large time-fitted conscience
is bound to nothing: marriage is but a form in
the school of policy, to which scholars sit fastened only
with painted chains. Old Security's young wife is ne'er
the further off with me.
_Qu._ Thereby lies a tale, sir. The old usurer will be
here instantly, with my punk Sindefy, whom you know
your lady has promised me to entertain for her gentlewoman;
and he (with a purpose to feed on you) invites
you most solemnly by me to supper. 312
_Pe._ It falls out excellently fitly: I see desire of gain
makes jealousy venturous.
_Enter_ GERTRUDE.
See, Frank, here comes my lady. Lord! how she views
thee! she knows thee not, I think, in this bravery.
_Ge._ How now? who be you, I pray?
_Qu._ One Master Francis Quicksilver, an't please your
ladyship.
_Ge._ God's my dignity! as I am a lady, if he did not
make me blush so that mine eyes stood a-water. Would
I were unmarried again! 322
_Enter_ SECURITY _and_ SINDEFY.
Where's my woman, I pray?
_Qu._ See, madam, she now comes to attend you.
_Sec._ God save my honourable knight and his worshipful
lady.
_Ge._ Y'are very welcome; you must not put on your
hat yet.
_Sec._ No, madam; till I know your ladyship's further
pleasure, I will not presume.
_Ge._ And is this a gentleman's daughter new come out
of the country? 332
_Sec._ She is, madam; and one that her father hath a
special care to bestow in some honourable lady's service,
to put her out of her honest humours, forsooth; for she
had a great desire to be a nun, an't please you.
_Ge._ A nun? what nun? a nun substantive? or a nun
adjective?
_Sec._ A nun substantive, madam, I hope, if a nun be a
noun. But I mean, lady, a vowed maid of that order.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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