Actus tertius.
Came you from him?
Yes if it please your Maidenship; my Master sends you word he is the old man, and his suite is the old suite still,
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Came you from him?
Yes if it please your Maidenship; my Master sends you word he is the old man, and his suite is the old suite still,
and his cloaths the old cloaths: He scornes to be a change ling, or a shifter; he feares nothing but this, that hee shall fall into the Lord your fathers hands for want of repara∣tions.
That was out of my Commission Lady, Gold tempts, I have commandment not to touch it; 'tis another thing he aymes at: it is a thing, but I know not what man∣ner of thing; but something it is, and he vowes not to shift a shirt till he be further resolv'd: hee onely sends you Com∣mendations, and withall to know if you would stand to your word.
We want Madam? you are deceiv'd, wee have store, of ragges; plenty, of tatters; abo••ndance, of jagges; huge rents, witnesse our breeches; ground enough to com∣mand, for we can walke where we will, none will bid us to Dinner; houses rent-free, and goodly ones to chuse where we will; the Martialsie, the Counter, Newgate, Bridewell; and would a man desire to dwell in stronger buil∣dings? and can you say that we are in want? No Lady, my Captaine wants nothing but your love, and that he intreats you to send by me the bearer.
I dare sweare he is an honest man, but I dare not say he is a true man.
How, not a true man?
No; for hee hath sworne to steale you away,
and thus I prove it: if he steale you away, I am sure you wil not goe naked; he cannot steale you, but hee must steale the cloaths you have on; and he that steales apparrell, what is he but a Theefe? and hee that is a Theefe cannot be a true man Ergo.
I shall beare this with as good will as you would beare him, Vtcung volumus.
The humours of Court, Citty, Campe, and Country I have trac't, and in them can finde no man, but money; all subscribe to this Motto, Malo pecuniam viro. Oh poverty, thou are esteem'd a sinne worse than whoredome, gluttony, extortion, or usury:
And earthy gold, thou art preferr'd 'fore Heaven. Let but a poore man in a thred-bare suite,Come to the Citty, the Habberdasher will sooner call us block heads, than blocke us; come to the Sempsters, unlesse we will give them money, we cannot enter into their bands: though we have the Law of our sides, yet wee may walke through Burchin-lane and be non-suited: come bare∣foot to a Shooe-maker, though he be a Constable, he will not put us into his Stocks; though the Girdler be my brother, yet he will not let his leather imbrace me; come to the Glover, his gloves are either so little that I cannot plucke them on, or so great that I cannot compasse. And for the Campe, there's honour cut out of the whole peece, but not a ragge of mo∣ney.
The Contrey hath alliance with the rest: my pur∣pose is now I have so thorowly made proofe of the humours of men, I will next assay the dispositions of women, not of the choicest, but of those whom wee call good wen∣ches.
Pray Master if you goe to a house of good fel∣lowship, give me something to spend upon my Cockatrice; if I have nothing about me, I shall never get in.
Ther's for you sirrah; doth not the world wonder I should be so flush of money, and so bare in cloaths? the rea∣son of this I shall give account for hereafter: But to our pur∣pose, here they say dwels my Lady Bawdy-face, here will we knock.
Who's there? what would you have? ha?
Sweet Lady we would enter; nay by your leave.
Enter? where? here be no breaches for you to en∣ter truely.
And yet we are souldiers, and have venter'd upon as hot service as this place affords any.
Away you base companions, we have no breaches
for such tatter'd breeches, we have no patches to suite with your ragges.
Nay, pray give way.
Away you rogues, doe you come to shake your ragges here? doe you thinke we can vent our ware without money you rascals? get you from my doore you beggerly companions, or I'le wash you hence with hot scalding wa∣ter.
Nay I warrant her, wenches can afford her that at all times.
Doe I keepe house to entertaine Tatterdemaleans with a Poxe, you will be gone?
We must forbeare, the gallants are out of patience, stand aside.
I would faine goe in, but I have spent all my mony.
No matter, they shall not know so much till we get in, and then let me alone, I'le not out till I be fir'd out.
Then let's set a good face of the matter, By your leave Lady.
You're welcome Gentlemen.
What fellows be yon?
Two poore souldiers that came for an almes and please you, that stay for some reversions; there's none such come into my house I warrant you.
Save you sweet Lady.
Where be those kitchinstuffes here, shall we have no attendants? shew these Gentlemen into a close roome, with a standing bed in't, and a truckle too; you are welcome Gentlemen.
'Tis generall thorow the world, each state esteemes A man not what he is, but what he seemes:
The purest flesh rag'd can no entrance have, But It'ch and all disease if it come brave, Wide open stand the gates of lust and sin, And those at which the wide world enters in.Madam, to be short, I must have a wench, though I am rag∣ged outward, I am rich inward: here's a brace of Angels for
you, let me have a pritty wench, I'le be as bountifull to her.
Your Worsh p's very heartily welcome: wher's Sis? Where's Ioyce? the best roome in the house for the Gentleman: call Mistris Priscilla, and bid her keepe the Gentleman company.
I••le make bold to enter.
Your Worship's most lovingly welcome: let the Gentleman have attendance, and cleane linnen it he need any; whither would you, you rogue?
Marry I would after my Master.
Thy Master? why is yon raggamuffin able to keep a man?
Ey that he is able to keepe a man, and himselfe too.
Then that man must be able to pay for himselfe too, or else he may coole his heeles without if his appetite be hot.
Then shall I not goe in?
No by my Mayden-head shal you not, nor any such beggerly companion shall enter here, but he shall come tho∣row me too.
No? what remedy? ha, ha; hee that rings at a doore with such a Bell, and cannot enter? Well, if there be no remedy, I'le even stay without.
Oh me! is it you Sir? and are so strong to stand at the doore? Pray will you come neare? your Master is new gone in afore: Lord, Lord, that you would not enter with∣out trusting! you were even as farre out of my remembrance as one that I had never seene afore.
I cannot blame you to forget me, for I thinke this be the first time of ••ur meeting.
What would you have Sir?
Nothing as they say, but a congratulation for our first acquaintance. I have it here old bully bottom, I have it here.
I have it here too: nay, pray sir come in, I am loath to kisse at doore, for feare my neighbours should see.
Nay, I beseech you sir, come in: a Gentleman, and stand at doore? I'le lead the way, and you shal come behind.
No, no; I will not salute you after the Italian fa∣shion: I'le enter before.
Most lovingly, pray draw the latch sir.
Nay faith sweet rogue thou shalt trust me for once.
Trust you? come up, can'••t thou pay the hackny for the hire of a horse, and think'st thou to breath me upon trust?
Thou bid'st me come up, and shal I not ride?
Yes the gallows as soone.
A Gentleman, and have no money? marry you make a most knightly offer.
How? to offer thee no money?
How can they offer that have none?
I'le either give thee ware or money, that's as good.
Ey but sir, I'le deale with no such chapmen.
What's the matter here? ha? can you not agree a∣bout the bargaine?
Here's Gallants would have us breath'd, and for∣sooth they have no money.
They thinke belike, dyet, lodging, ruffes, cloaths, and holland-smocks can ••••l be had without money, and a disease, if wee should catch it, Heaven blesse us, can be cur'd without money.
That's fine yfaith: if my beds be shaken out of their ••o••nts, or my cords broken, must not the Ioyner and the Rope-maker both have money? if my ragges be rub'd out with your toes, can they be repair'd without money? if my linnenbe foul'd, can I pay my landresse without money? be∣sides, we must have so ••thing to maintaine our broken win∣dows I hope; the Glazier wil not mend thē without mony.
Come, come let's run a score for once.
You shall not score of my tally, out of my doores.
Why shall we not be bosom'd? have we paid, and must we not have wenches?
You shal have the choicest of my house gentlemen.
Who, those Rascalls?
They be Rascalls that have no money; those be Gentlemen that have Crownes; these are they that pay the Ioyner, the rope-maker, the Vpholster, the Laundrer, the Glazier; will you get you out of my doores, or shall wee scold you hence?
That you shall never by thrusting them out of doores.
Who but a mad man would be so base as to be hir'd, much more to hire one of those bruitists, that make no dif∣ference betwixt a Gentleman and a begger, nay, I have seene enough to be soone intreated.
You shall not need to feare me, I am gone:
Hee's past before, nor will I stay behinde; I have seene enough to loath all your sisterhood.Marry farewell frost. Now Sir, will you make your choice, and your man after?
I'le have both, these are mine.
Goe you then with your paire of Whores, I'le goe with this old skuller that first ply'd me.
I see thou lovest to goe by water; come, shall we dally together? sit upon my knee my sweet boy, what mo∣ney hast thou in thy purse? wilt thou bestow this upon me my sweet chicke?
I'le see what I shall have first for my money by your favour.
And shall I have this?
And I this?
Both these are mine, we are agreed then? But I am asham'd, being such a tatter'd rogue, to lye with two such fine gentlewomen; besides, to tell you truely, I am louzie.
No matter, thou shalt have a cleane shirt, and
but pay for the washing, aud thy cloaths shall in the meane time be cast into an Oven.
But I have a worse fault, my skinne's not perfect; What should I say I am?
Itchy? Oh thou shalt have Brimstone and Butter.
Worse than all these, my body is diseased, I shall infect yours.
If we come by any mischance, thou hast money to pay for the cure: come, shall's withdraw into the next chamber?
What Diogenes have we here? I warrant the Cin∣nicke himselfe sayd not so much when he was seene to come out of a Bawdy house.
Why Sir, shall I have no sport for my money, but even a snatch and away?
Then Lord have mercy upon us: where have we beene?
Hist, hist; heere's a rayling companion in∣deed.
I know not what you call a rayling companion: but such another discourse would make me goe neere to turn honest.
Nay, if you be in that minde, I'le send for your love: the plague in my house? the Pox is as soone: I am sure there was never man yet that had Lord have mercy upon us in his minde, that would ever enter here: Nay will you goe?