The workes of Beniamin Ionson

Act IIII. Scene VI.

FORMALL, KNO'WELL, BRAYNE-WORME.

WAs your man a souldier, sir?

KNO.

I, a knaue, I tooke him begging o' the way, This morning, as I came ouer More-fields! O, here he is! yo' haue made faire speed, beleeue me: Where, i' the name of sloth, could you be thus—

BRAY.

Mary, peace be my comfort, where I thought I should haue had little comfort of your worships seruice.

KNO.

How so?

BRAY.

O, sir! your comming to the citie, your entertainement of me, and your sending me to watch—indeed, all the circumstances either of your charge, or my imployment, are as open to your sonne, as to your selfe!

KNO.

How should that be! vnlesse that villaine, BRAYNE-WORME, Haue told him of the letter, and discouer'd All that I strictly charg'd him to conceale? 'tis so!

BRAY.

I am, partly, o' the faith, 'tis so indeed.

KNO.

But, how should he know thee to be my man?

BRAY.

Nay, sir, I cannot tell; vnlesse it bee by the black art! Is not your sonne a scholler, sir?

KNO.

Yes, but I hope his soule is not allied Vnto such hellish practise: if it were, I had iust cause to weepe my part in him, And curse the time of his creation. But, where didst thou find them, FITZ-SWORD?

BRAY.

You should rather aske, where they found me, sir, for, Ile bee sworne I was going along in the street, thinking nothing, when (of a sud∣dain) a voice calls, M^r KNO-WEL's man; another cries, souldier: and thus, halfe a dosen of 'hem, till they had cal'd me within a house where I no soo∣ner came, but thy seem'd men, and out flue al their rapiers at my bosome, with some three or foure score oathes to accompanie 'hem, & al to tel me, I was but a dead man, if I did not confesse where you were, and how I was imployed, and about what; which, when they could not get out of me (as I protest, they must ha' dissected, and made an Anatomie o'me, first, and so I told 'hem) the lockt mee vp into a roome i' the top of a high house, whence, by a great miracle (hauing a light heart) I slid downe, by a bottom of pack-thred, into the street, and so scapt. But, sir, thus much I can as∣sure you, for I heard it, while I was lockt vp, there were a great many rich merchants, and braue citizens wiues with 'hem at a feast, and your sonne, M^r. EDWARD, with-drew with one of 'hem, and has pointed to meet her anon, at one COBS house, a water-bearer, that dwells by the wall. Now, there, your worship shall be sure to take him, for there he preyes, and faile he will not.

KNO.

Nor, will I faile, to breake his match, I doubt not. Goe thou, along with Iustice CLEMENT'S man, And stay there for me. At one COBS house, sai'st thou?

BRAY.

I sir, there you shall haue him. Yes? Inuisible? Much wench, or much sonne! 'Slight, when hee has staid there, three or foure houres, trauelling with the expectation of wonders, and at length be deliuer'd of aire: ô, the sport, that I should then take, to looke on him, if I durst! But, now, I meane to appeare no more afore him in this shape. I haue another trick, to act, yet. O, that I were so happy, as to light on a nupson, now, of this Iustices nouice. Sir, I make you stay somewhat long.

FORM.

Not a whit, sir. 'Pray you, what doe you meane? sir?

BRAY.

I was putting vp some papers—

FORM.

You ha' beene lately in the warres, sir, it seemes.

BRAY.

Mary haue I, sir; to my losse: and expence of all, almosst—

FORM.

Troth sir, I would be glad to bestow a pottle of wine o'you, if it please you to accept it—

BRAY.

O, sir—

FORM.

But, to heare the manner of your seruices, and your deuices in the warres, they say they be very strange, and not like those a man reades in the Romane histories, or sees, at Mile-end.

BRAY.

No, I assure you, sir, why, at any time when it please you, I shall be readie to discourse to you, all I know: and more too, somewhat.

FORM.

No better time, then now, sir; wee'll goe to the wind-mill: there we shall haue a cup of neate grift, wee call it. I pray you, sir, let mee request you, to the wind-mill.

BRAY.

Ile follow you, sir, and make grift o'you, if I haue good lucke.