CLEANDER

Was my Polynesta here? alas I knew his not. In good say and I thank God I have mine eye sight good and perfect, little worse than when I was but twenty years old. I am fifty years old. What sayest thou of ten less? I am no less than I tell. Why is Pasiphilo a Chiromancer? Here it is. Thou wouldst say, Methusalem. I perceive you are no very good Bibler Pasiphilo. You shall do me great pleasure: but tell me, I pray the Pasiphilo, whom dost thou think Polynesta liketh better, Erostrato or me? Yet he takes it upon him bravely in the country. It becomes not a man to praise himself: but in deed I may say, and say truly, that my knowledge hath stood me in better steed at a pinch, than could all the goods in the world. I came out of Otranto when the Turks won it, and first I came to Padua, after hither; where by reading, counselling, and pleading, within twen tie years I have gathered and gained as good as ten thou sand Ducats. But pyckling in deed, whereof we have a verse: The trade of Law does fill the boisterous bags, They swim in silk, when others roist in rags. Virgil? tush it is written in one of our gloss. I think I have doubled it, or rather made it four times as much: but in deed, I lost mine only son there, a child of five years old. Yea, I had rather lost all the goods in the world. I know not whither he were slayue, or the Turks took him and kept him as a bound slave. Yea, if I get his. Why, his father holds me off with delays, so that I must needs doubt. And hast thou not told him that I would make his Daughter a dower of two thousand Ducats? What said he? Erostrato? how can he make any dower, and his fa there yet alive? Well gentle Pasiphilo; go thy ways and tell Dam mon I require nothing but his daughter, I will none of his goods: I shall enrich his of mine own: & if this dower of two thousand Ducats seem not sufficie ̄ to, I will make it five hun dreth more, yea a thousand, or what so ever he will dema ̄ and rather the ̄ fail: go to Pasiphilo, show thy self from ̄ dly in wor king this feat for me, spare for no cost, since I have gone thus far, I will be loath to be out idden. Go At my house. When thou Wilt. Hark. Thou hearest me not. I dare say thou art angry I bid Thee not to dinner, but come if thou Wilt, thou shalt take such as thou findest. Yes Pasiphilo thou art not to seek. That I know well enough Pasiphilo, but thou canst not be better welcome in any place than to me, I will tarry for Thee. Dispatch then, and bring no news but good. I come to seek Pasiphilo, to the end he may dine with me. Ah greedy gut, art thou afeard thou shalt want? Thou art afeard belike that he will eat Thee and the rest. Hear and hide? and why not flesh and all? She may thank you then, for your good attendance. Hold thy peace drunken knave, and espy me Pa siphilo. Hold thy peace, here is one of Damons servants, of him I shall understand where he is: good fellow art not thou one of Damons servants? Gramercy, tell me then, hath Pasiphilo be there this day or no? What laughest thou? What? What talk I pray Thee? Does it concern me? Tell me. I would but know if it concern me, I pray Thee tell me. Believe me I will keep it close: Carrion give us leave a little, go aside. He shall never know it, say on. I lay Thee my faith and honesty in panem. Yea, but amongst honest men it is more worth than gold. Yea I pray Thee if it any thing appertain to me. I pray Thee tell me then. I think I have a book here. Here is a letter will serve the turn: I swear to Thee by the contents hereof never to disclose it to any man. And thou recknest it as madly: is it not Erostrato? To whom? Is it possible, Ah slave, and what says he? Sayeth Pasiphilo so by me? That the devil take him else. Oh devilish tonge. I never spit nor cough more than thus, who, who, and that but since I caught this murre, but who is free from it? If I quite him not for this gear. Oh villain, he lies, and if I were not in the street thou shouldst see them. What means he by that? Young men? to what purpose? Is it possible that Pasiphilo speaks thus of me? And does Damon believe him? How for his advantage? He shall have a rope, and yet that is more than he deserves: I had thought to have given him these hose when I had worn them a little nearer, but he shall have a. &c. Nay, I have herd to much of Thee already. Farewell, but tell me, may I not know thy name? And ill favoured name by my truth, art thou this country man? Farewell, o God how have I be abused? what a spokesman? what a messenger had I provided? Trouble me not, that the devil take you both. Art thou so hungry yet? I pray to God thou he ne ver satisfied. Go with mischance. It will ask great labour & great expenses to prove it this way, but it is the best remedy that I can see. And reward you as you have deserved. He shall give you a halter, knave and villain that thou art. I neither take Thee for my serva ̄ to, nor for my friend. Hence to the gallows knave. I will be even with you, be you sure, honest man. Well, I will teach you: out of my sighed knave. Pratest thou yet villain? I will make Thee. A villain, if it were not for this gentlema ̄ , I would tell you what I. Thou liest in thy throat knave. Well knave, I will meet with you another time, go your way. And if I be not even with Thee, call me cut. This villeine: but let him go, I will see him puni shed as he hath deserved. Now to the matter, how said you? Not a whit, say on, and let him go with a ven geance. Yea I remember that well, and it is the surest way as this case requires: but tell me, how is he your sir vaunt? and how come you by him? inform me fully in the matter. O, you put me in remembrance of my mishaps. For I was driven among the rest out of the town (it is my native country) and there I lost more than ever I shall recover again while I live. Well, proceed. And peradventure most of mine. Alas I lost one of that same age there. What? was the child a Turk? or had the Turks brought him from Otranto? Alas, I speak it not for that sir, I would it were he whom I mean. Was his name Dulippo then? or had he not and other name? Oh Lord, if it be as I think, how happy were I? and why did you change his name then? Well, then I see well it is my own only Child, whom I lost, when I lost my country: he was nam Carino after his grandfather, and this Dulippo whom he always remembered in his lamenting, was his foster fa there that nourished him and brought him up. Well goodfellow, I have not used to lie. Fie, Philogano have you not the least suspect that may be of me. Well, hold thou thy peace a little good fellow. I pray you tell me Philogano had y child any remembrance of his father's name, his mother's name or y e name of his family? Well, I will tell you then, my name you know all ready my wife his mother's name was Sophronia, the house that I came of, they call Spiagia. What needeth me more evident tokens? this is my son out of doubt whom I lost eighteen years since, and a thousand thousand times have I lamented for him: he should have also a mould on his left shoulder. Fair words fellow Litio: o I pray you let us go talk with him, Oh fortune, how much am I bound to thee if I find my son? Sir, let us first go find mine: and I warrant you yours will be found also ere it be long. Since the door is open, I will neither knock nor call, but we will be bold to go in. Gentleman, you have reason, and be you sure, that as many as hear it, will take great pleasure in it, and you Philogano may think, that God in heaven above, hath or dained your coming hither at this present, to the end I might rcouer my lost son, whom by no other means I could ever have found out. I cannot blame you, go we then, Carino take you that gentleman home in the mean time, the fewer the bet ter to be present at such affairs. Gentle Pasiphilo, I must needs confess I have done Thee wrong, and that I believed tales of Thee, which in deed I find now contrary. Yea believe me Pasiphilo. Well, content thy self Pasiphilo, I am thy friend as I have always be: for proof whereof, come sup with me to Night, and from day to day this seven night be thou my guest: but behold, her comes Damon out of his house. And I sir, who have hitherto so earnestly desired your daughter in marriage, do now willingly yield up and quite claim to this young man, who both for his years, and for the love he bears his, is most meetest to be his husba ̄ worser: for where I was desirous of a wife by whom I might have issue, to leave that little which God hath sent me, now have I little need, that (thanks be to God) have found my dear lie beloved son, whom I lost of a child at the siege of Otranto. I would bid Thee to dinner, but it is a Saints even which I have ever fasted.