SIR PETRONEL

Boldness is good fashion and courtlike. Faith, I was so entertained in the Progress with one Count Epernoum a welch knight: we had a match at Baloone too, with my Lord Whachum, for four crowns. Oh sweet Lady: 'tis a strong play with the arm. I come now to consummate it; and your father may call a poor Knight, Son in Law. Sir, you mistrust not my means? I am a Knight. I'll out of this wicked town as fast as my horse can trot: Here's now no good Actium for a man to spend his time in. Taverns grow dead; Ordinaries are blown up; Plays are at a stand; Houses of Hospitality at a fallen; not a Feather waving, nor a Spur gingling any where: I'll away in stantlie. Oh Frank! my castle? Alas all the Castles I have, are built with air, thou knowest. Oh that she would have the grace, for I shall never be able to pacific her, when she sees her self deceived so. But alas sweet Frank, thou knowest my hability will not furnish her blood with those costly humours. Commodity! Alas what commodity? A plague of Figs and Raisons, and all such frail commodities, we shall make nothing of them. Out vpon't, I have less stomach to that, then to the Figs and Raisons: I'll out of Town, though I sojourn with a friend of mine, for stay here I must not; my creditors have laid to arrest me, and I have no friend under heaven but my Sword to bail me. Well Frank there is no jesting with my earnest ne cessitie; thou knowest if I make not present money to further my voyage begun all's lost, and all I have laid out about it. Slight how thou terrifiest me? Out of my fortune, what a death is my life bound face to face too? The best is, a large Time-fitted conscience is bound to nothing: Marriage is but a form in the School of Policy, to which Scholars fit fastened only with painted chains, old Securities young wife is never the further of with me. It falls out excellently fitly: I see desire of gain makes Jealousy venturous: Enter Gyrt: See Frank here comes my Lady; Lord how she views thee, she knows thee not I think in this bravery. Pray thee forbear; shall he loose his provision? What a Medicine is this? well Master Security, you are new married as well as I; I hope you are bound as well: we must honour our young wives you know. As early as you will Sir. Thanks for our feastlike Breakfast good Master See curitie, I am sorry, (by reason of my instant haste to so long a voyage as Ʋ irginia,) I am without means, by any kind amends to show how affectionately I take your kindness, and to confirm by some worthy ceremony a perpetual league of friendship betwixt us. In the highest degree of gratitude, my most wor thy Gossip; for confirmation of which friendly title, let me entreat my fair Gossip your Wife here, to accept this Diamond, and keep it as my gift to her first Child, wheresoever my Fortune in event of my Voyage shall be stow me. Good Master Bramble, I will here take my leave of you then; God send you fortunate Pleasant sir, and contentious Clients. Well met good Captain Seagull, and my Noble Gentlemen! Now the sweet hour of our freedom is at hand. Come Drawer. Fill us some carouses; and prepare us for the mirth, that will be occasioned presently: Here will be a pretty wench Gentlemen, that will bear us come pany all our voyage. Thanks kind Captain Seagull. She's one I love dearly; and must not be known till we be free from all that know us: And so Gentlemen, here's to her health. Afore heaven, you have hit the phrase of one that her presence will touch, from the foot to the forehead, if you knew it. I Like his spirit rarely, but I see no means he has to support that spirit. Slight, where learnest thou these terms, tro? Faith to seek her Fortune I think. I said I had a castle and land Eastward, and Eastward she will without contra diction; her coach, and the coach of the Sun must meet full butt: And the Sun being out shined with her Ladyships glory, she fears he goes Westward to hang him self. Long may this kind touch of our lips Print in our hearts all the forms of affection. And now my good Gos sip, if the writings be ready to which my wife should seal, let them be brought this morning, before she takes Coache into the country, and my kindness shall work her to dis patch it. What are they? Let them enter I pray you, I know they long to be gone, for their stay is dangerous. Welcome good Captain Seagull, and worthy Gentle men, if you will meet my friend Frank here, and me, at the blue Anchor Tavern by Billinsgate this Evening, we will there drink to our happy voyage, be merry, and take Boat to our Ship with all expedition. Good morrow good Captain, and my worthy asso ciates. Health and all Sovereignty to my beautiful gossip, for you sir, we shall see you presently with the writings. Wilt thou be gone, sweet Honey suckle, before I can go with thee? Was there ever such a Lady? Never stand a'your Gentry M. Bridgegrome: if your legs be no better then your Arms, you'll be able to stand up on neither shortly. What mean you Sir? Nay pray forbear Sir, and then forth with your two sorts of Gentlemen. What shall I say? I would not have thee go, If it do, canst thou tell me how I may cure it? All farewell to my sweet heart. Farewell my good Mother. Oh tedious Voyage, where of there is no end! What will they think of me? Nay, 'tis no Matter, I care little what they think; he that ways men's thoughts, has his hands full of nothing: A man in the course of this world should be Like a Surgeons instrument, work in the wounds of others, and feel no thing himself. The sharper, and subtler, the better. Thanks my deer Gossip. I must now impart To your approved love, a loving secret: As one on whom my life does more rely In friendly trust, then any man alive. Nor shall you be the chosen Secretary Of my affections, for affection only; For I protest, (if God bless my return,) To make you Partner, in my actions gain As deeply, as if you had ventured with me Half my expenses. Know then, honest Gossip, I have enjoyed with such divine contentment, A Gentle woman's Bed, whom you well know, That I shall never enjoy this tedious Voyage, Nor live the lest partly of the time it asks, Without her presence; So I thirst and hunger To taste the deer feast of her company. And if the hunger and the thirst you vow (As my sworn Gossip) to my wished good Be (as I know it is) unfeigned and firm, Do me and easy favour in your Power. The woman is your learned Counsels wife, The Lawyer Master Bramble: whom would you, Bring out this Even, in honest Neighbourhood To take his leave with you, of me your Gossip. I, in the mean time, will send this my friend Home to his house, to bring his wife disguised Before his face, into our company: For Love hath made her look for such a wile, To free her from his tyrannous Jealousy. And I would take this course before another: In stealing her away to make us sport, And gull his circumspection the more grossly. And I am sure that no man Like your self, Hath credit with him to entice his Jealousy, To so long stay abroad, as may give time To her enlardgment, in such safe disguise. But stay Franck, lets think how we may disguise her upon this sudden. And what upon her head? Nay then, what kind of figent wit hast thou? A Sailors cap? how shall she put it off When thou presentest her to our company? Tush tush 'tis no fit sauce for such sweet mutton; I know not what t'aduise. Sownes yet again. Imary Gossip thats our present care. Oh my deer Gossip! why how now Gossip, why stay you there musing? What is it pray thee Gossip? Would I might led them to no hotter service, Till our Ʋ irginian gold were in our purses Exit. Worshipful M. Bramble, how far do you draw us into the sweet bryer of your kindness? come Captain Seagull, another health to this rare Bramble, that hath never a prick about him. Pardon me sweet Cousin, my kind desire to see you before I went, made me so importunate to entreat your pre sense here. Nay pray thee Cuz weep not; Gossip Security? A word I beseech you Sir; our friend, Mistress Bram ble here, is so dissolved in tears, that she drowns the whole mirth of our meeting: sweet Gossip, take her aside and come fort her. A Porcpisce? whats that to purpose? charge him if he love his life to attend us: can we not reach Black wall (where my ship lies) against the tide, and in spite of Tempests? Cap taines and Gentlemen, wee'll begin a new ceremony at the be ginning of our voyage, which I believe will be followed of all future adventurers. This, Captain Seaguli; wee'll have our provided Supper brought a board Sir Francis Drakes Ship, that hath compassed the world: where with full Cups, and Banquets we will do sacri fice for a prosperous voyage. My mind gives me that some good Spirits of the waters should haunt the desert ribs of her; and be auspicious to all that honour her memory, and will with Like Orgies, enter their voyages. Gossip, laugh no more at Cuckolds-haven Gossip. Captain Seagull, charge a boat. Zounds Captain, I tell thee, we are cast up o'the Coast of France, Sfoot, I am not drunk still, (I hope?) Dost remember where we were last Night? Aye me we are undone for ever: hast any money about thee? Not a penny betwixt us, and cast a shore in France? Sfoot wilt not believe me? I know't by elevation of the Pole; and by the altitude and latitude of the Climate. See! hers comes a couple of French Gentlemen I knew we were in France: dost thou think our Englishmen are so Frenchyfied, that a man knows not whither he be in France, or in England, when ̄ he sees them? What shall we do? we must cene to them, and in treat some relief of hem: Life is sweet, and we have no other means to relieve our lives now, but their Charities; Monsieur, plaist ill d'auoir pity de nostre grand infortunes? J suis un pour Chevalier D'Angloterre qui a souffris infortune de Naufrage. Oui Monsieur, ill est trop vraye; mais vousscaues bien nous so mes toutes subject a fortune. on the coast of France, sir. Sure I think now indeed, Captain Seagull, we were something overshot. Enter Quicksilver. What my sweet Franck Quicksilver! dost thou survive to re joyce me? But what no body at thy heels, Franck? Ay me, what is become of poor Mistress Security. Nay by my troth, let our clothes rot upon us. and let us rot in them: twenty to one our Ship is attached by this time? if we set her not under Sail this last Tide, I never looked for any other. Woe, woe is me, what shall become of us? the last money we could make, the greedy Thams has deuourde; and if our Ship be attached, there is no hope can relieve us. But then it will want weight? How Misfortune pursues us still in our misery! Or mine, to have famished in the Island. Will you not take security Sir. But can we not be bay'ld M. Bramble? But what said my Father in Law, M. Wolf? I, I'll be sworn for you Francis. And excellent Ditty it is, and worthy of a new tune. I thank you Francis. I thought by sea to run, But Thames, and Tempest did me stay. Fatherl Forgive me Father. Dear Lady-wife; forgive me. There spoke and Angel. To bring her to which conformity, I must feign my self extremely amorous; and alleging urgent excuses for my stay, behind, partly with her as passionately, as she would from her foisting hound. The sale (sweet heart) of the poor Tenement I told thee off, only to make a little money to send thee down furniture for my Castle, to which my hand shall led thee. Well my kind Compeer, you have now Th'as surance we both can make you; let me now entreat you, the money we agreed on may be brought to the Blew And cor, never to Billingsgate, by Six a Clock: where I and my chief friends, bound for this voyage, will with Feasts attend you. So, so, Now Frank go thou home to his house, Stead of his Lawyers, and bring his wife hither: Who joust Like to the Lawyers wife, is prisoned, With his stern usurous Jealousy; which could never Be over reacht-thus, but with overreaching. Enter Security.