JACK

Marry that you shall not speak the Prologue , sir. I, and I think I have most right to it: I am sure I studied it first. Faith, I dare tempt my fortune in a greater venture then this. Which cut shall speak it? A spite of all mischievous luck! I was once plucking at the other. By no means. Come, leave at last, yet. Come, we'll have no more of this anticipation: to give them the inventory of their cates aforehand, were the discipline of a tavern, and not fitting this presence. Lend it him, lend it him. Yes: and I step forth Like one of the children, and ask you, Would you have a stool, sir? I, sir, if yowl give me six pence, I'll fetch you one. Oh lord, sir! will you betray your ignorance so much? why throne your self in state on the stage, as other gentlemen use, sir. T'is a sign, sir, you put not that confidence in your good clothes, and your better face, that a gentleman should do, sir. But I pray you sir, let me be a suitor to you, that you will quit our stage then, and take a place, the play is instantly to begin. Not this way, I assure you, sir: we are not so officiously befrien dead by him, as to have his presence in the tiring house, to prompt us a loud, stamp at the book-holder, swear for our properties, curse the poor tireman, rail the music out of tune, and sweat for every veni all trespass we commit, as some Author would, if he had such fine en gles as we. Well, 'tis but our hard fortune. Not I, sir, but if you please to confer with our Author, by attur ney, you may, sir: our proper self here, stands for him. So, sir, this is all the reformation you seek? Yes, where any such ill-habited custom is received. Good, sir, but what will you say now, if a Poet (untouched with any breath of this disease) find the tokens upon you, that are of the auditory? As some one ciuet-wit among you, that knows no other learning, then the price of satin and vellets; nor other perfection, then the wearing of a neat suit; and yet will censure as desperately as the most professed cri tique in the house: presuming, his clothes should bear him out in't. Anon there (whom it hath pleased nature to furnish with more beard, then brain) prunes his mustaccio, lisps, and (with some score of affected oaths) swears down all that fit about him; That the old Hieronimo, (as it was first acted) was the only best, and judiciously pend play of Europe. A third great bellied juggler talks of twenty years since, and when MONSIEUR was here, and would enforce all wits to be of that fashion, because his dou blet is still so. A fourth miscalls all by the name of fustian, that his groun dead capacity cannot aspire to. A fifth, only shakes his bottlehead, and out of his corky brain, squeezeth out a pitiful-learned face, and is silent. Tut, fear not, child, this will never distaste a true sense: Be not out, and good enough. I would thou hadst some sugar-candied, to sweeten thy mouth. Who goes there?