The stewed Cock shall Crow, Cock-a-loodle-loo,A loud Cock-a-loodle shall he Crow;The Duck and the Drake, shall swim in a lakeOf Onions and Claret below.
4
Our Wives shall be neat, to bring in our meat;To thee our most noble adviser,Our pains shall be great, and Bottles shall sweat,And we our selves will be wiser.
5
We'll labour and swinck, we'll kiss and we'll drink,And Tithes shall come thicker and thicker;We'll fall to our Plow, and get Children enough,And thou shalt be learned old Vicar.
EnterArsenioandMilanes.
Ars.
What ails this Priest? how highly the thing takes it!
Mil.
Lord how it looks! has he not bought some Prebend?
Leandro'smony makes the Rascal merry,
Merry at heart; he spies us.
Lop.
Be gone Neighbours,
Here are some Gentlemen: be gone good Neighbours,
Be gone, and labour to redeem my favour,
No more words, but be gone: these two are Gentlemen,
No company for crusty-handed fellows.
Die.
We will stay for a year or two, and try ye.
Lop.
Fill all your hearts with joy, we will stay with ye,
Be gone, no more; I take your pastimes graciously.
[Exeunt Parishioners.
Would ye with me, my friends?
Ars.
We would look upon ye,
For me thinks ye look lovely.
Lop.
Ye have no Letters?
Nor any kind Remembrances?
Mil.
Remembrances?
Lop.
FromNova Hispania, or some part remote, Sir,
You look like Travel'd men: may be some old friends
That happily I have forgot; some Signiours
InChinaorCataya; some Companions—
Die.
In theMogulsCourt, or else-where.
Ars.
They are mad sure.
Lop.
Ye came not fromPeru? do they look,Diego,
As if they had some mystery about 'em?
AnotherDon Alonzonow?
Die.
I marry,
And so much mony, Sir, from one you know not,
Let it be who it will.
Lop.
They have gracious favours.
Would ye be private?
Mil. There's no need on't, Sir,
We come to bring ye a Remembrance from a Merchant.
Lop.
'Tis very well, 'tis like I know him.
Ars.
No, Sir,
I do not think ye do.
Lop.
A new mistake,Diego,
Let's carry it decently.
Ars.
We come to tell ye,
You have received great sums from a young Factor
They callLeandro, that has rob'd his Master,
Rob'd him, and run away.
Die.
Let's keep close, Master;
This news comes from a cold Country.
Lop.
By my faith it freezes.
Mil.
Is not this true? do you shrink now good-man Curat?
Do I not touch ye?
Lop.
We have a hundred Duckets
Yet left, we do beseech ye, Sir—
Mil.
You'll hang both.
Lop.
One may suffice.
Die.
I will not hang alone, Master,
I had the least part, you shall hang the highest.
Plague o' thisTiveria, and the Letter,
The Devil sent it post, to pepper us,
FromNova Hispania, we shall hang at home now.
Ars.
I see ye are penitent, and I have compassion:
Ye are secure both; do but what we charge ye,
Ye shall have more gold too, and he shall give it,
Yet ne're indanger ye.
Lop.
Command us, Master,
Command us presently, and see how nimbly—
Die.
And if we do not handsomely endeavour—
Ars.
Go home, and till ye hear more, keep private,
Till we appear again, no words, Vicar,
There's something added.
Mil.
For you too.
Lop.
We are ready.
Mil.
Go and expect us hourly, if ye falter,
Though ye had twenty lives—
Die.
We are fit to lose 'em.
Lop.
'Tis most expedient that we should hang both.
Die.
If we be hang'd, we cannot blame our fortune.
Mil.
Farewel, and be your own friends.
Lop.
We expect ye.—
[Exeunt.
SCENA III.
EnterOctavio, Jacintha,andAscanio.
Octa.
We cited to the Court!
{A Bar, Table-book, 2 Chairs, and Paper, standish set out.
Jac.
It is my wonder.
Octa.
But not our fear,Jacintha; wealthy men,
That have Estates to lose; whose conscious thoughts
Are full of inward guilt, may shake with horrour
To have their Actions sifted, or appear
Before the Judge. But we that know our selves
As innocent, as poor, that have no Fleece
On which the Talons of the griping Law
Can take sure hold, may smile with scorn on all
That can be urg'd against us.
Jac.
I am confident
There is no man so covetous, that desires
To ravish our wants from us, and less hope
There can be so much Justice left on earth,
(T[h]ough sued, and call'd upon) to ease us of
The burthen of our wrongs.
Octa.
What thinksAscanio?
Should we be call'd in question, or accus'd
Unjustly, what would you do to redeem us
From tyrannous oppression?
Asc.
I could pray
To him that ever has an open ear,
To hear the innocent, and right their wrongs;
Nay, by my troth, I think I could out-plead
An Advocate, and sweat as much as he
Do's for a double Fee, ere you should suffer
In an honest cause.
EnterJamieandBartolus.
Octa.
Happy simplicitie!
Jac.
My dearest and my best one,Don Jamie.
Octa.
And the Advocate, that caus'd us to be summon'd.
Asc.
My Lord is mov'd, I see it in his looks,
And that man, in the Gown, in my opinion
Looks like a proguing Knave.
Jac.
Peace, give them leave.
Jam.
Serve me with Process?
Bar.
My Lord, you are not lawless.
Jam.
Nor thou honest;
One, that not long since was the buckram Scribe,
That would run on mens errands for an Asper,
And from such baseness, having rais'd a Stock
To bribe the covetous Judge, call'd to the Bar.
So poor in practice too, that you would plead
A needy Clyents Cause, for a starv'd Hen,
Or half a little Loin of Veal, though fly-blown,
And these, the greatest Fees you could arrive at
For just proceedings; but since you turn'd Rascal—