FATHER

Brother from Venice, being thus disguised, I come to prove the humours of my son: How hath he born himself since my departure, I leaving you his patron and his guide? Why how is't brother? what does he spend Beyond the allowance I left him? By my faith this is none of the worst neither, for if he Brawl and be beaten for it, it will in time make him shun it: For what brings man or child, more to virtue, then correctio ̄ ? What reigns over him else? Oh best of all, vice should be forgotten: let him drink on, So he drink not churches. Nay and this be the worst, I hold it rather a happiness in him, Then any iniquity. Hath he any more attendants? Why you see so does the sea, it borrows of all the small Currents in the world, to increase himself. No more would the sea neither, if it were as dry as my son. Nay mistake me not brother, for though I slur them oh ver now, As things slight and nothing, his crimes being in the bud, It would gall my heart, they should ever reign in him. For Godsake give it out I am dead, see how he'll take it, Say I have brought you news from his father. I have here drawn a formal will, as it were from my self, Which I'll deliver him. I am a Sailor come from Venice, and my name is Christopher. Yes truly sir, your father is dead, these hands of mine ho pe to wind him. I sir dead. I'faith sir according to the old Proverb, The child was born: and cried, became man, After fell sick, and died. Very well sir, and set down every thing in good or der, And the Katherine and Hue you talked of, I came over in: And I saw all the bills of lading, and the vellet That you talked of, there is no such aboard. I'll be sworn of that: ther's knavery abroad, Although there were never a piece of vellet in V nice. To the report of the world he did, and made his will, Of which I am and unworthy bearer. Yes sir, and in the presence of your Uncle, I was willed to deliver it. Not directly sir. This he made sir with his own hands. I'faith lend it him sir; I my self have and estate in the City worth twenty pound, all that isle engage for him, he says it concerns him in a marriage. I will sir, willingly. By my troath, would I were your worships man. Very willingly sir. I thank you sir, I will attend you. I sir. I'faith brother, Like a mad unbridled colt, Or as a Hawk, that never stooped to lure: The one must be tamde with and iron bit, The other must be watched, or still she is wild, Such is my son, awhile let him be so: For counsel still is follies deadly foe. I'll serve his youth, for youth must have his course, For being restrainde, it makes him ten times worse: His pride, his riot, all that may be nam, Time may recall, and all his madness tamed. Do but say he shall hear from you. I do not mean that you shall meet with him, But presently weel go and draw a will; Where weel set down land, that we never saw, And we will have it of so large a sum, Sir Lancelot shall entreat you take his daughter: This being formed, give it master Weathercock, And make sir Lancelots daughter heir of all: And make him swear, never to show the will To any one, until that you be dead, This done, the foolish changing Weathercock, Will straight discourse unto sir Lancelot, The form and tenor of your Testament, Nor stand to pause of it, be ruled by me: What will inshue, that shall you quickly see. God save you good sir Lancelot. To you and yours my master wishes health, But unto you sir this, and this he sends: There is the length sir of his rapier, And in that paper shall you know his mind. The letter shows both the time and place, And if you be a man, then keep your word. Why let him choose, heel be the better known For a base rascal, and reputed so. You seem a man, stout and resolute, And I will so report, what ere befall. My master sir, deserves not this of you, And that yowl shortly find. Well sir, my Master deserves not this of you, And that yowl shortly find. I'll warrant you, go get you in. I do sir. No sir he is not within. Sir to tell you true, my master is within, but indeed would not be spoke withal: there be some terms that stands upon his , therefore he will not admit any confe rence till he hath shook them off. For my master sir hath set down his resolution, Either to his honour, or leave his life behind him For howsoever the Devenshireman is, my masters Mind is bloody: thats a round Oh. And therefore sir, intreaty is : I will then so signify to him. They sir? heigh are good friends as can be. Now sir, how shall we do for wedding apparel? Well no more, prepare you for your bride, We will not want for clothes, what so ere betide. Is't possible, he hath his second living Forsaking God, himself to the devil giving But that I knew his mother firm and chased My heart would say, my head she had disgraced: Else would I swear, he never was my son, But her fair mind so fowl a deed did shun, Oh brother, heedless as a libertine, Even grown a master in the school of vice, One that does nothing, but in ent defcei : For all the day he humours up and down, How he the next day his friend, He thinks of nothing but the present time: For one groat down, heel pay a shilling, But then the must needs stay for it. When I was young, I had the scope of youth, Both wild, and wanton, careless and desperate: But such mad strains, as he's possessed withal, I thought it wonder for to dream upon. Well I have found it, but one thing comforts me. Brother, to morrow he's to be married To beauteous L ce, sir Lancelots Spurcocks daughter. 'Tis true, and thus I mean to curb him, This day brother, I will you shall arrest him: If any thing will him, it must be that, For he is rank in mischief, chamed to a life, That will increase his shame, and kill his wife. Y faith no where sir, for he hath none at all. Nay by my faith sir, you shall pardon me. If you be so content, with all my heart. Sir she hath forsook her father, and all her friends for you. Yet partly with something to provide her lodging. Nay then I will be plain degenerate boy, Thou hadst a Father would have been a shamed. father? proud licentious villain: What are you at your foils, isle foil with you. Did not this whining woman hang on me, Idem teach thee what it was to abuse thy father: Go hang, beg, starve, dice, game, that when all is gone Thou mayest after despair and hang thy self. I do not curse him, and to pray for him were vain, It grieves me that he bears his father name. Pay me the twenty pound then, that I lent you, Or give me security, when I may have it. Sweet mistress do not weep, isle stick to you. It grieves me at the soul, to see her tears Thus stain the crimson roses of her cheeks: Lady take comfort, do not mourn in vain, I have a little living in this town, The which I think comes to a hundred pound, All that and more shall be at your dispose, I'll strait go help you to some strange disguise, And place you in a service in this town: Where you shall know all, yet your self unknown: Come grieve no more, where no help can be had, Weep not for him, that is more worse then bade. A dutch woman sir. I Sir she is. Cheeks and ears, why mistress Frances, want you Cheeks and ears? me thinks you have very fair ones. I will sir, come . Robbed by whom? Syrrha come hither, would Flowerdale, ee that was my master, a robbed you, I prithee tell me true? Hold thee, there is a French crown, and speak no more of this. Why God a mercy. Sir, I would e to say to you, Open the door to my kin, thou hadst best Locked fast, sor theres a false knave without. If he have any grace, heel now repent He is turned more devil then he was before. It beastly. Oh master Flowerdale, Have you no fear of God, nor conscience: What do you mean, by this vild course you take? To live in this sort, fie upon the course, Your life does show, you are a very coward. Why you will borrow sixpence of a boy. It was not want of will, but cowardice, There is none that lends to you, but know they gain: And what is that but only stealth in you, De In might hang you now, did not her heart Take pity of you for her sisters sake. Go get you hence, least lingering here you stay, You fallen into their hands you look not for. If he hath any grace heel now repent. Sir, you are misinformed. Sir, what is your daughters dower worth? Pay it him, and isle give you my bound, To make her jointure better worth then three One whose word in ho I say it, Will pass there for as much as yours. Look on me better, now my scar is off. Near muse man at this metamorphosy. I caused that rumour to be spread my self Because idem see the humours of my son, Which to relate the circumstance is needless And sirrah see you run no more into that same disease: For he thats once cured of that malady, Of Riot, Swearing, Drunkenness, and Pride , And falls again into the Like distress, That feuor is deadly, does till death endure: Such men die mad as of a callenture. Brother, what is the manner of his life? how is the name of his offences? if they do not relish altogether of dam dation, his youth may p iuiledge his wantonness: I my self ran and unbridled course till thirty, nay almost till forty, well, you see how I am: for vice once looked into with the eyes of discretion, and well balanced with the waits of reason, the course passed, seems so abominable, that the Landlord of him self, which is the heart of his body, will rather entomb him self in the earth, or seek a new Tena ̄ to to remain in him, which once settled, how much better are they that in their youth have known all these vices, and left it, then those that knew little, and in their age runs into it? Believe me brother, they that die most virtuous, hath in their youth, lived most vicious, and none knows the danger of the fire, more then he that falls into I : But say, how is the course of his life? lets hear his particulars. I wronged him then: and towards my M. stock, The 20. Nobles for to make amends. Son, son I do, and joy at this thy change, And applaud thy fortune in this virtuous maid, Whom heaven hath sent to thee to save thy soul. To morrow I crave your companies in Mark lane: To night weel frolic in M. house, And to each health, drink down a full carouse. By my troath sir, if you come to take up the matter between my master and the Deuen shire man, you do but beguiley , and lose your . Brother isle would it done this very day, And in the all, as he comes from Church that he will take, Upon my he will for swear the debt: And for weel have the sum shall not be slight, Say that he owes you three thousand pound: Good be done immediately: So brother, by this means shall we perceive What sir in this pinch will do: And how his wife does stand affected too him Her love will then be tried to the uttermost: And all the rest of them Brother what I will do, Shall harm him much, and much him too.