EDWARD KNOWELL

That scarce contents me. What countenance (pr'y thee) made he, in the reading of it? was he angry, or pleased? No? how knowest thou, then, that he did either? That's true: well I thank thee, BLAIN-WORM. Would, would, would! Here was a letter, indeed, to be intercepted by a men father, and do him good with him! He cannot but think most virtuously, both of me, and the sender, sure; that make the careful Costar'-monger of him in our familiar Epistles. Well, if he read this with patience, I'll be gelded, and troll ballads for M r . JOHN TRUNDLE, yonder, the rest of my mor talitie. It is true, and likely, my father may have as much patience as and other man; for he takes much physic: and, oft taking physic makes a man very patient. But would your packet, master WELLBRED, had ar rived at him, in such a minute of his patience; then, we had known the end of it, which now is doubtful, and threatens—What! my wise Cos sen! Nay, then, Ill efurnish our feast with one gull more to'ard the mess. He writes to me of a brace, and here's one, that's three: Oh, for a fourth; Fortune, if ever thou'lt use thine eyes, I entreat thee— How now, coussen STEPHEN, melancholy'? Why, what and I had cousse, what would you have done? Nay, if you would ha'told your uncle, I did laugh at you, cousse. Yes, indeed. What then? Why, be so gentle cousse. And, I pray you let me entreat a courtesy of you. I am sent for, this morning, by a friend in the old Jewry to come to him; It's but crossing over the fields to More-gate : Will you bear me company? I protest, it is not to draw you into bound, or any plot against the state, cousse. No, no, you shall not protest, cousse. You speak very well, cousse. So sir, and how then, couss? How? lost your purse? where? when had you it? What? have you it? Nay, do not weep the lose, hang it, let it go. A jet ring? o, the poesy , the poesy? Most excellent! How, by S to . PETER? I do not conceive that! Well, there the Saint was your good patron, he helped you at your needs: thank him, thank him. Where hast thou served? I, with a velvet scabbard, I think. Come, come, you shall not buy it; hold, there's a shilling fell low, take thy rapier. You may buy one in the city. You shall not buy it, I say. Come away, you are a fool. O, you are a fine gallant, you sent me a rare letter! Yes, I'll be sworn, I was never guilty of reading the Like; match it in all PLINY, or SYMMACHUS epistles, and I'll have my judge meant burned in the ear for a rogue: make much of thy vain, for it is in imitable. But I marl what camel it was, that had the carriage of it? for doubtless, he was no ordinary beast, that brought it! Why, faiest thou? why dost thou think that any reasonable creature, especially in the morning (the sober time of the day too) could have mis-tane my father for me? Indeed, the best use we can turn it too, is to make a jest on't, now: but I'll assure you, my father had the full view of your flourishing style, some hour before I saw it. Nay, I know not what he said: but I have a shrewd guess what he thought. Marry, that thou art some strange dissolute young fellow, and I a grain or two better, for keeping thee company. O, sir, a kinsman of mine, one that may make your music the fuller, and he please, he has his humour, sir. Nay, I'll neither do your judgement, nor his folly that wrong, as to prepare your apprehension: I'll leave him to the mercy of your search, if you can take him, so. And I fewer, sir. I have scarce enough, to thank you. I faith, better then in measure, I'll undertake. O I, excellent! He is melancholy, too. In what place, Captain? Then, you were a servitor, at both it seems! at Strigonium ? and what do you call't? 'Twas pity, you had not ten; a cats, and your own, i'faith. But, was it possible? You must bring me to the rack, first. O, it was a good figure observed, sir! but did you all this, Cap taine, without hurting your blade. How say you, cousin? I told you thus much? Nay, the longer you look on't, the worse. Put it up, put it up. A sign of good digestion! you have and ostrich stomach, cousin. O cousin, forbear, forbear. I, by his leave, he is, and under savour: a pretty piece of civi litie! Sirrah, how dost thou Like him? No, no, a child's whistle were far the fitter. With me, sir? you have not another Toledo to fell, have you? You are, in the right? you mean not to proceed in the cate chisme, do you? Of as bore a coat, though? well, say sir. BRAINWORM! 'Slight, what breath of a conjurer, hath blown thee hither in this shape. My father? Sirrah, WELLBRED, what shall we do, sirrah? my father is come over, after me. Before God, not I, and I might have been joined patten with one of the seven wise Master's, for knowing him. He had so writhen himself, into the habit of one of your poor Infantry , your decayed, ruinous, wormeaten gentlemen of the round: such as have vowed to fit on the skirts of the city, let your Provost, and his half-dozen of halberdeirs do what they can; and have translated begging out of the old hackney pace, to a fine easy amble, and made it run as smooth, of the tongue, as a shove-groat shilling. Into the likeness of one of these Reformado's had he moulded himself so perfectly, observing every trick of their Actium, as varying the accent, swearing with and emphasis , indeed all, with so spe ciall, and exquisite a grace, that (hadst thou seen him) thou wouldst have sworn, he might have been Sergeant- Mayor , if not Lieutenant- Coronel to the regiment. And artificer? And architect! except a man had studied begging all his lifetime, and been a weaver of language, from his infancy, for the clothing of it! I never saw his rival. Tut, he ha more of these shifts. Justice CLEMENT, what's he? O, is that he? I remember him now. Good faith, and he ha a very strange presence, me thinks; it shows as if he stood out of the rank, from other men: I have herd many of his jests in university. They say, he will commit a man, for taking the wall, of his horse. This speech would have done dece ̄ tly in a tobacco -traders mouth! Nay, good Captain, will you regard the humour of a fool? away, knave. Cousin, will you any tobacco ? How now, cousin! O yes, that you may. It's all you have for your money. I, cousin, no words of it, upon your gentility. It's larded with them. A kind of french dressing, if you love it. WOULD? how many are there, sayest thou? What ails thy brother? can he not hold his water, at reading of a ballad? Not I, so long as he do's not for swear himself. How! Insipere dulce ? a sweet thing to be a fool, indeed. You do not? you? This was your villainy, to gull him with a more to. This is in HERO and LEANDER? 'Slight, he shakes his head Like a bottle, to feel and there be a nigh brain in it! Well, I'll have him free of the wit-brokers, for he utters no thing, but stolen remnants. Troth, well, howsoever: but, it will come excellent, if it take. Friend, am I worth belief? Nay, that I am afraid will be a question yet, whither I shall have her, or no? Nay, do not swear. Hold, hold, be temperate. pray thee, be at peace, I am satisfied: and do believe, thou wilt omit no offered occasion, to make my desires complete. We were now speaking of him: Captain BOBADIL tells me, he is fallen foul o'you too. Captain, did you ever prove your self, upon any of our ma sters of defence, here? So, sir, then you tried their skill? This is strange, and barbarous! as ever I herd! I, believe me, may you sir: and (in my conceit) our whole nation should sustain the lose by it, if it were so. Oh, but your skill, sir! Nay, I know not, nor can I conceive. Why, are you so sure of your hand, Captain, at all times? I would not stand in DOWN-RIGHTS state, then, and you meet him, for the wealth of any one street in London. Gods So, look, where he is: yonder he goes. Yes faith, it is he? Sir, keep your hanging good, for some greater matter, for I assure you, that was he. That I think, sir. But see, he is come again! No faith, it's and ill day, Captain, never reckon it other: but, say you were bound to the peace, the law allows you, to defend your self: that'll prove but a poor excuse. I, Like enough, I have herd of many that have been beaten under a planet: go, get you to a surgean. 'slid, and these be your tricks, your passada's , and your mountanto's , I'll none of them. Oh, manners! that this age should bring forth such creatures! that Nature should be at lei sure to make hem! Come, cousse. Gods will, it's DOWN-RIGHT'S. How, and he see it? hee'll challenge it, assure your self. Take heed, you buy it not, too deer, cousse. Now, trust me brother, you were much to blame, T'incense his anger, and disturb the peace, Of my poor house, where there are sentinels, That every minute watch, to give alarms, Of civil war, without adjection Of your assistance, or occasion. A Parody ! a parody ! with a kind of miraculous gift, to make it ab urder then it was. Sir, you have saved me the labour of a defence. Your turn, couss? Do you know, what you say? A gentle man of your sort, parts, carriage, and estimation, to talk of your turn in this company, and to me, alone, Like a tankard-bearer, at a conduit! Fie. A wight, that (hitherto) his every step hath left the stamp of a great foot behind him, as every word the favour of a strong spirit! and he! this man! so graced, guilded, or (to use a more fit metaphor ) so tin-foild by nam ture, as not ten housewives pewter (again a good time) shew's more bright to the world then he! and he (as I said last, so I say again, and still shall say it) this man! to conceal such real ornaments as these, and shad dow their glory, as a Millaners wife do's her wrought stomacher, with a smoky lawn, or a black cypress? Oh couss! It cannot be answered, go not about it. DRAKES old ship, at Detford , may sooner circle the world a gain. Come, wrong not the quality of your desert, with looking down ward, couz; but hold up your head, so: and let the Idea of what you are, be portrayed in your face, that men may read in your physiognomy, ( Here, within this place, is to be seen the true, rare, and accomplished monster, or miracle of nature , which is all one.) What think you of this, couss? Why, that's resolute master STEPHEN! Now, if I can but hold him up to his height, as it is happily begun, it will do well for a suburb-humor: we may hap have a match with the city, and play him for forty pound. Come, couss. Follow me? you must go before. A filching rogue? hang him. And, from the dead? it's worse then sacrilege. Faith, his are even with him: they have cursed him enough already. Oh, admirable! the best that ever I herd, cousse! Gentlemen, forbear, I pray you. Sure, he utters them then, by the gross.) I, and our ignorance maintained it as well, did it not?