English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600; Heywood, Thomas, approximately 1574-1641
Serving-man.
I wonder the prince would ha’ none of us stay in his chamber and
help him to bed.
Clown.
What an ass art thou to wonder! there may be many causes: thou
know’st the prince is a soldier, and soldiers many times want
shift: who can say whether he have a clean shirt on or no? for any
thing that we know he hath used staves-acre[5.57] o’ late, or
hath ta’en a medicine to kill the itch. What’s that to us? we
did our duty to proffer our service.
Serving-man.
And what should we enter farther into his thoughts? Come, shall’s
to bed? I am as drowsy as a dormouse, and my head is as heavy as
though I had a night-cap of lead on.
Clown.
And my eyes begin to glue themselves together. I was till supper was
done altogether for your repast, and now after supper I am only for
your repose: I think, for the two virtues of eating and sleeping,
there’s never a Roman spirit under the cope of Heaven can put me
down.
_Enter_ Mirable.
Mirable.
For shame! what a conjuring and caterwauling keep you here, that my
lady cannot sleep! you shall have her call by and by, and send you
all to bed with a witness.
Clown.
Sweet Mistress Mirable, we are going.
Mirable.
You are too loud; come, every man dispose him to his rest, and I’ll
to mine.
Serving-man.
Out with your torches.
Clown.
Come, then, and every man sneak into his kennel.
[_Exeunt_.
SCENE III.--Lucrece’s _Bedchamber_.
_Enter_ Sextus, _with a drawn sword and a lighted taper_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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