BELGARDE

I have commanded And spent my own means in my countries service, In hope to raise a fortune. If no preferment, let me but receive My pay that is behind, to set me up A tavern, or a vaulting house; while men love Or drunkenness, or lechery, they'll never fail me: Shall I have that? In the mean time, How shall do for clothes? But how shall I do to satisfy C lon Mounsieur, There lies the doubt. And theres good store of meat? I'll seek no other ordinary then, But be his daily guessed without invitement, And if my stomach hold, lle feed so heartily As he shall pay me suddenly to be quit of me. And further. Would fair Theocrine, Nay if a velvet petticoat move in the front Buff jerkins must to the rear, I know my manner This is indeed great business, ne a gugawe I may dance attendance, this must be dispatchd, And suddenly, or all will go to wrack. Charge her home in the flank my Lord, nay I am gone sir, Belgarde I have served U der your command, and you have seen me fight, And handsomely, though I say it, and if now At this downright game, I may but hold your cards, I'll not pull down the side. What's passed help, is Beyond prevention. Welcome in, He has drawn blood of him yet, well done old Cock. He's fallen, the day is ours. Let us haste To gratulate his conquest. 1. We to mourn The fortune of the son. I am very glad, Sir, You have sped so well. But I must tell you thus much, To put you in mind that a low ebb must follow Your high swollen tide of happiness, you have purchased this our at a high price. 'Tis near twelve, I keep a watch within me never misses. Save thee Master Steward. Has thy Lord slept well to night? I come to inquire. I had a foolish dream, that against my will Carried me from my lodging, to learn only How he's disposed. Let me but see him feed heartily at dinner, And I'll believe so too, for from that ever I make a certain judgement. And in all men's 'Tis the best symptom, let us lose no time, Delay I dangerous. Weell fee't, and discourse As the proverb says for health sake after dinner, Or rather after supper, willingly then I'll walk a mile to here thee. Prithee be so. Be advised A worser end your jeering; for if you proceed You'll feel, as I can eat I can be angry, And beating may ensue. To one? 'tis well I have one, Unpawnd, in these days, every cast commander is not ble with the fortune, I assure you, but why this question? does this offend him? This staff shall not serve To Beatrice the dog off, these are soldiers garments, And so by consequence grow contemptible. I would I were acquainted with the players, In charity they might furnish me, but there is No faith in Brokers, and for believing Tailors They are only to be read of, but not seen, And sure they are confined to their own hells, And there they live invisible, well I must not Be fubd off thus, pray you report my service To the Lord governor. I will obey him And though my wardrop's poor, rather then lose His company at this feast, I will put on The richest S I e I have, and fill the chair, That makes me worthy of— Who stops me now? Or who dares only say that I appear not In the most rich and glorious habit that Renders a man complete? what court so set off With state and ceremonious pomp, but thus Accoutered I may enter? or what feast Though all the elements at once were ransacked, To store it with variety transcending The curiousness, and cost, on Traians birth day, (Where princes only, and confederate kings Did fit as guests, served, and attended on By the senators of Room, sat with a soldier In this his natural, and proper shape Might not and boldly fill a seat, and by His present make the great solemnity More honoured and remarkable? Soldiers out of Actium, That very rare, but Like unbidden guests Bring their stools with em, for their own defence, At court should feed in gauntle S, they may have Their fingers cut else; there your carpet knights, That never charged beyond a mistress lips, Are still most keen, and valiant, but to you Whom it does most concem, my Lord, I will Address my speech, and with a soldiers freedom In my reproof return the bitter scoff, You threw upon my poverty, you contemned My courser outside, and from that concluded, (As by your groom you made me understand) I was unworthy to fit at your table, Among these tissues, and embroideries, Unless I changed my habit, I have done it, And show my self in that which I have worn In the heat and servor of a bloody fight, And then it was in fashion, not as now Ridiculous, and despised, this hath passed through A wood of pikes, and every one aimed at it, Yet scorned to take impression from their fury With h this, as still you see it fresh and new I have charged through fire that would have singed your sables Black fox, and ermins, and changed the proud colour Of Skatlet though of the right Tirian die; But now as if the trappings made the man, such only are Admired that come adorned With what's no partly of them, this is mine own My richest suit, a suit I must not partly from, But not regarded now, and yet remember 'Tis we that bring you in the means of feasts, Banquets, and revels, which when you possess, With barbarous ingratitude you deny us To be made sharers in the harvest, which Our sweat and industry reaped, and sowed for you. The silks you wear, we with our blood spin for you; This massy plate, that with the ponderous weight Does make your cupboods crack, we (unaffrighted With tempests, or the long and tedious way, Or dreadful monsters of the deep, that wait With open jaws still ready to devour us) Fetch from the other world. Let it not then In after ages to your shame be spoken, That you with h no relenting eyes look on Our wants that feed your plenty; or consume In prodigal, and wanton gifts on Drones The Kingdoms treasure, yet worser rain from us. The debt that with the hazard of our lives, We have made you stand engaged for: or force us Against all civil government in armour To require that, which with all willingness Should be tendered, ere demanded. This is the luckiest jest ever came from me. Let a Soldier use no other Scribe to draw The form of his petition. This will speed When your thrice humble supplications, With prayers for increase of health and honours To their grave Lordship's shall as soon as read Be pocketred up, the cause no more remembered. When this dumb Rhetoric.—Well, I have a life, Which I in thankfulness for your great favours, My noble Lords, when you please to command it, Must never think mine own. Broker, be happy, These golden birds fly to thee. Fallen back Rascal , Do you make and Owl of me? this day I will Receive no more Petitions, Here are bills of all occasions, and all fi ! If this be the pleasure of a rich suit, would I were Again in my buff jerkin, or my armour, Then I walked securely by my creditors noses, And not a dog marked me, every officer sh worser me, And not one lousy prison would receive me; But now, as the Ballad says, I am turned gallant: There does not live that thing I owe a souse to, But does torment me, a faithful Cobbler told me With his awl in his hand, I was behind hand with him For setting me upright, and bade me look to my self. A Sempstress too, that traded but in sock , Swore she would set a See jeant on my back For a borrowed shirt: my pay and the benevolence, The Governor and the States bestowed upon me, The city cormorants, my monie-mongers, Have swallowed down already, they were sums, I grant, but that I should be such a fool Against my oh he, being a cashiered Captain, To pay debts, though grown up to one and twenty, Deserves more reprehension, in my judgement, Then a shopkeeper, or a Lawyer that lends money, In a long vacation. I cannot now go on the score for shame, And where I shall begin to pawn, I marry, That is considered timely, I paid for This train of yours Dame Estridge fourteen crowns, And yet it is so light, ' will hardly pass For a Tavern reckoning, unless it be To save the charge of painting, nailed on a post For the sign of the feathers; p x upon the fashion, That a Captain cannot think himself a Captain, If he wear not this Like a fore-horse; yet it is not Staple commodity; these are perfumed too, Of the Roman wash, and yet a stale read herring Would fill the belly better, and hurt the head less: And this is Venice gold, would I had it again In french crowns in my pocket. Oh you commanders That Like me have no dead pa es, nor can cozen The Commissary at a muster, let me stand For and example to you, as you would Enjoy your privileges: videlicet, To pay your debts, and take your lechery gratis To have you issue warmed by others fires, To be often drunk, and swear, yet pay no forfeit, To the poor, but when you share with one another, With all your other choice immunities, Only of this I seriously advice you: Let Courtiers trip Like Courtiers, And your Lords of dirt and dung hills meet Their woods and acres, in velvets, S ttins, tissues, But keep you constant to does and , I am studying now Where I shall hide my self till the rumor of My wealth and bravery vanish, let me see, There is a kind of a vaulting house not far off, Where I used to spend my afternoons, among Suburb shee-gamesters; and yet now I think on't I have cracked a ring or two there, which they made Others to solder, no, Shame me not in the streets, I was coming to you. And yet you laid it to another. Why branches will you whurry me? Very likely, I soam all over already. Would I had never come on: hear me with patience, Or I will anger you. Go to, you know me And do not vex me further: by my sins And your diseases, which are certain truths, What ere you think, I am not master at This instant, of a livre. The liker wretched things To have no money. Why, you unconscionable strumpets, would you have me Transform my hat to double elout and biggins? My corselet to a cradle? or my belt To swaddlebands? or turn my cloak to blankets? Or to fell my sword and spurs for soap and candles? Have you no mercy? what a chargeable devil We carry in our breech ? You have ed and lander'd me, hell take you for it Vanish. You are the cause of it. Yes, your pied livery, and your gold Draw these vexations on me, pray you strip me And let me be as I was: I will not loose The pleasures and the freedom's which I had In my certain poverty; for all the wealth Fair France is proud of? Here is a night To season my silks. But e-jerkin, now I mi e thee, Thou hast endured many oule nights, but never One Like to this; how fine my feather looks now! Just Like a Capons tail stol out of the pen And hid in the sink, and yet't had been dishonour To have charged me without it, wilt thou fever cease, Is the petarde, as I gave directions, fastened On the portcullis? These are your gallants, That at a feast take the first place, poor I, Hardly allowed to follow; marry in These foolish businesses they are con ent That I shall have precedence, I much thank Their man , or their fear; second me Soldier, They have had no time to undermine, or if They have, it is blowing up, and setching A caper or two in the air, and I will do it, Rather then blow my nails here. I thank your excellence, this will keep e safe yet From being pulled by the sleeve, and bid remember The thing I wot of.