LUDIO

ONe tells me I must study next my heart. That troubles my br ne too much. Another tells me it's good to e to bred and butter next my heart. That sumes sumes into my head too much. And to say the true h, my stomach is not yet up. For I'm but new up my self, and I hope that will not be so saucy as to tread on his Master's heals. But I say still, it's best playing next ones heart. That is to me both study and breakfast. Once again cross and pile, handy dandy, which hand will you have? Oh for some Companions. Oh for some ood play fellows! Gingl he's grown so proud, he tells me he's not for boys play now. And Slug I could not get him up. I boune'd with my bag of counters against his door. And he answered me nothing but whough, pugh: He outsnorts nine horses, and outsleeps ten dormise. I will go find out Novice. He's a young fat gosling to pull. Exit. I Think I rose not on the right side today. I have rambled up and down, and can get no playfellows. WHere are they, than ay that Iudio is the Canker of the school? I have pro nounced a knocking Apology before Apollo and all his Court. Unto thee, Oh Thur er, I am the Nuntio, to tell thee, that Apollo and his Actors are by this time come to Actus quintus, Scenam quam a. Pr oh told me they will all come down hither to Act Scen ima. She neue said crying out to Apollo, Oh the e nerous Captain Compliment! Oh that he may bold is e nement. Apollo himself was feign to command her silence. My friend Siren slid on smoothly, Like my feet upon the ice. I think she has unbent Apollos bow. She will have a good day of it, I hope. Young Jingle in his trial stood much upon his gentry, and carried himself Like a fine dancing Courtier. When I herd Slug called, I thought we should tarry long, and so away came peelegarlicke Ludio, to get him a room before hand here. I have a end in a corner, I teach him the knacks of gaining, how to cut a bum carded, how to help a die, and such Like, and he in kind requi all has drawn and Apology for me in form of Law, ac cording to the style or Apollos Court. So, oh: As we do our lessons, with a casting a leere eye sometime upon my paper. I tell thee here be above a dozen of points. You sh l have a touch of the fore-point thus. First, I look't gravely Like Cato, and withal, cheerfully Like Pu rilis And then to show what con fidence I had in my cause, I stroked up my foretop with the comb of my finders thus. My sister had sprinkled it with rose water, and my lips too, to make my Rhetoric the sweeter. Then I made ob ysance thrice, with a nimble low stoop which I learnt when we played at Duck Fryer. Then m, em to clear my voice, and to provoke the Auditory to answer me with their gentle expectation. Then displaying my naked protesting hands, I said. Oh thou lovely Lord of learning, beauteous, bounteous Apollo. Oh thou ever moving Phœbus, Whose golden locks and silver bow, Embellish heaven and earth below. Oh ye assistant sisters ne, Attend this joust de ence of mine. What law, what justice, what reason can pronounce a gainst Ludio the sentence of expulsion? Is not Apollos School styled ladus literarius. Is it not Sc ola from in non-Latin alphabet otium, remedy, play, relaxation? What talk we of Apollos Court. The whole world is made free of Ludios Trade, and dances after his pipe. What is our life but a game, wherein some win, some loose, some idly look on, some have good fortune, and will not be known of their winnings, others have bade luck, and curse their stars and fates; Some cheat and ke, and others are befooled? All Dame Nature's lump is a true Ludio. If you banish Ludio, you must banish the heavens and elements. Now a pace forward, now retiring backward. What sayest thou Thuriger? did not I play the A stronomer well? But now sir here was I put to my trumps, when I came to bring in our Lord Phœbus himself for and example, in my own defence, in his own presence. That before I begun with c auing pardon. Oh May S Lord of the day, Moderator of the year, R ng-leader of all the glittering lamps; give poor Ludio leave to show that in the work oh thy bright Regiment, thou canst not be without him. Dost thou not all the year long recreate thy self by taking the air about the hill of heaven in thy guilded Caroch, drawn with four prancing horses? In this thy yearly journey thou art so frolic e very spring, that thou givest our mother earth a green own. And in thy journal circle when thou comest and goest, every day and night, me thinks thou playest at peep, and Hide and seek. All night it our all hid. But in the day We seek about. For what, say I, but play? The truth is, one of Apollos learned Council had Like to pulled me down, when he told me that it was against law to produce the Judge for a witness. Else I had gone on to allege his playing at Quoits with Cy parissus. Me thought he put his hand towards his quiver, and withal, shaked his golden locks. Then thought I, 'twas time for me to glide down lower, and talk of Lady Lu a. Mistress Moon (quoth I) what is her monthly task, but to run a gossipping through out all the twelve signs in the high street of the So diacke?. She knocks at every door, & tarries two days at the least in each of those houses. And as the Sun courts her, she makes cur es in her round walk, sometime ba fully putting on her Mask. Otherwhile she shows her half face very de murely. And after that appears her broad Owls face, to allure Endymion to be in love with her. The waves in the sea, what do they, but play at truss and leapsrogge on one another's back? The winds in the are perform one perpetual exercise, and that is blowpoint. They play very merrily: and therefore we often hear them g and whis le. Yes undoubtedly, the Nine Muses play at Nine holes: every Muse hath her hold That's a great one Apollo their Master and ours. Do u think that I will suck their eggs? Do I look Like a sum ? I am sure the Auditory did entertain speech that si ne of approba cion hum, hum, hum. I am much aken if Apollo himself did not in the end hum and . I'll tell thee, honest Thuriger, While I was in the hear of my pleading, some Villain, born under the Planet Mercury, nims away my satchel that lay behind me. The Shipwreck of all my best householdstuff, and tools of my trade. What think you, Thuriger, does this forebode ill luck to me?. Here appears poor banckrout Ludio. I hau suffered losses by misfo tune. I sir. Thieves, they have robbed me of all my brass coin, and unbound paper books. I must set up with a new stock. So much good company do the b tter. At dice? that's well I e I to all those fifty wenches. Oh would I had S died when I played rather then thus to play at lost labour . Exit. No ice is so taken up with the Captain, that he cannot be for me all this day. Will no body take pity on a de olate gam ster? Will you play with me? will you? Come you it'h bl w jacket, I'll try with you at this, or that, or these. At length well hit, I have found now. Ho. Sir Lau riger, I challenge you at bull, bear, and horse. I tell thee, I had rather have this then cream with sugar. I taste my play: all else is unsavoury to me. Apollo is our great Lord. And yet I have herd that loves boys play, and therefore he still conti nues a boy. What is he else? I am sure he has no beard. I, but , by your leave, I have read, that Apollo was wont to play at Quoits. I say Apolloplaid at Quoits, as we do. And his playfellow was young Cyparissus, a boy about my pitch and years, but that he had not so manly a look, as my self, but simpered somewhat womanishly. Apollo played with him, by a good token, their Quoits were knockers, heavier then horse shoes, I think. For the poor boy was brained with one of them. Does not our Ovid Naso, That never told lie, say so? Oh how it gueues n y heart to think of that honest lad. Ah p over rissus. When I learned that lesson in Ovid, I could have corn that lease out of my book, for very grief, that such a mischance should fallen out at the worthy exercise of Quo ng. Out alas, if my trade did not employ me better, I could weep my pocket full. You construe false to us, so you do. But I say still, And so I will. I gather thence and will lay ods, That sport and play beseems the gods. Else our good Master Apollo would never himself have play at Quoits in his own proper person, with a palt y boy, Like one of us. I have writ this note in the margine of my book. And I think verily if Ovid were alive again, and should see my wholesome lines, he would turn them into verse, and add them to that story. Ovid loved play well. I have herd that he played with Corynna. By your leave sir, Ovid hath honoured my exerci ses. He describes in verse our boys play. Parna tabella capit ternos utrinque lapillos, Twice three stones, set in a crossed square where he wins the game That can set his three along in a row, And that is sippeny morrell, I trow, I do not think that if he were here, he would entreat Apollo to play at Quoits with me or check stone, or spurnepoint. Good Sir Lauriger, you are better acquainted with Apollo then I. I pray you entreat him to play with me this great play day. This is his fat remedy at his shroving feast they say. I challenge him at all games from blow point upward to football, and so on to mumchance, and ticketacke. Sir, do you hear? rather than fit out, I will give Apollo three of the nine at Ticketacke. I do not think but I shall take him at a why not every other game. His mind will be so on the Muses, & upon his verses. Threaten me not. I tell thee, no torture can make me bore and ace of my play. You would not think it, but, as I am true Ludio whensoever I am trembling under the hand of the executioner, If I do but think on my play, then even then, those back blows, (which others think so rueful) seem to me nothing, but threshing hens at Shrovetide. He that spend his life in play, keeps Shrovetide all the year. I that I do: elsw why play we now in honour oh Apollo? What speak you of losses? He that loses at oh time may win at another. I can tell you of oh young Oleo, he God of Ganeo the Elder, all his poin hatband, garters, and a gold ring, and five crown in money; and yet in two hours to see to, see ho fortune came with a windlace about again. You bid me away, because you dare not play with me. I know you'll venture no money, nor points. must play with you for nothing. Come on therefore at hide and seek, oh blind man buff. Why then at bl ndman buff you shall be first blinded. Borrow one of these Gentlewomen's masks: If I once look through the holes, then say Ludio is set in the Pillo y. but rather then want ewe, here take my Gam ter, and tie my satchel about my face. It has cast calf now. You must tie me to these winckers. Talk not to me of Dick snary, nor Richard-sna ry; I care not how little I come near them. But sir you must have this Morice-bell tied to your point, that I may hear where you go. Else you will have too much odds of me. Now that is on, come and tie me. I do not hear the bell. Lauriger stands still I doubt. Nay gentle playfellow, you must stir up and down, e we shall have no sport. Oh I have him. I have him. But where is your bell? untie me now your to be blinded Oh what would worser Vndow me, undo me. I have over come it now. What now? He turned to She? Lauriger, me thinks your looks are grown very long on the sudden. Has he served me thus? It though be at my service, S ache thy silken coat, and golden and, against my garters and hat. Lift who shall deal. Both? Nay that's against law. Can any sweet Nymph be a stranger to Ludio? I have herd that Nymph's love to play at more games then I know. Gentle goldilockes. I would do so, but that I am now employed against my wont in studying n oram cion to save my head from a blow, which Apollos vi sitation may now bring upon me. Exit. I have it here grossed and recorded. The highest fixed stars, what do they all the year but dan e their measures, and kee there their stately distances, and, to show their mirth and wantonness, they with their glaring eyes twinkle on their spectators. The Planets have variety of dances, sometime graven Pavins, otherwhile mble G rds. I trow I put Apollo and all his Muses to it. There can no sentence pass against me. My defence was so strong and unanswerable. I'm glad of that A playday. I have a certain virtue called audacity. I hat did bear me our where my wit or memory failed. I think rather that Mercury frowned on me.