English drama -- 17th century; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700
_Go._ Go, ye are a prodigal coxcomb! I a cowherd's
son, because I turn not a drunken whore-hunting rake-hell
like thyself!
_Qu._ Rake-hell! rake-hell!
[_Offers to draw, and_ GOLDING _trips up
his heels and holds him_.
_Go._ Pish, in soft terms, ye are a cowardly bragging
boy. I'll ha' you whipt.
_Qu._ Whipt?--that's good, i'faith! untruss me? 140
_Go._ No, thou wilt undo thyself. Alas! I behold
thee with pity, not with anger: thou common shot-clog,[14]
gull of all companies; methinks I see thee already walk-in
Moorfields[15] without a cloak, with half a hat, without
a band, a doublet with three buttons, without a girdle, a
hose with one point, and no garter, with a cudgel under
thine arm, borrowing and begging threepence.
_Qu._ Nay, 'slife! take this and take all; as I am a
gentleman born, I'll be drunk, grow valiant, and beat
thee.
[_Exit._
_Go._ Go, thou most madly vain, whom nothing can
recover but that which reclaims atheists, and makes
great persons sometimes religious--calamity. As for
my place and life, thus I have read:-- 154
_Whate'er some vainer youth may term disgrace,
The gain of honest pains is never base;
From trades, from arts, from valour, honour springs,
These three are founts of gentry, yea, of kings._
_Enter_ GERTRUDE, MILDRED, BETTRICE, _and_ POLDAVY, _a tailor_;
POLDAVY _with a fair gown, Scotch farthingale and French-fall in
his arms_; GERTRUDE _in a French head-attire, and citizen's
gown_; MILDRED _sewing and_ BETTRICE _leading a monkey after
her_.[16]
_Ge._ For the passion of patience, look if Sir Petronel
approach--that sweet, that fine, that delicate, that--for
love's sake tell me if he come. O sister Mill, though my
father be a low-capped tradesman, yet I must be a lady;
and I praise God my mother must call me madam. Does
he come? Off with this gown, for shame's sake, off with
this gown: let not my knight take me in the city-cut in
any hand: tear't, pax on't (does he come?) tear't off.
"Thus whilst she sleeps, I sorrow for her sake," &c.[17] 167
_Mi._ Lord, sister, with what an immodest impatiency
and disgraceful scorn do you put off your city 'tire; I am
sorry to think you imagine to right yourself in wronging
that which hath made both you and us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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