Aut. If they have over-heard me now: why, hanging. Cam. How now, good fellow, [Afide. Cam. Why, be fo ftill; here's no body will fteal That from thee; yet for the outfide of thy poverty, we must make an exchange; therefore difcafe thee inftantly: (thou must think, there's a neceffity in't) and change garments with this gentleman: tho' the pennyworth, on his fide, be the worft, yet hold thee, there's fome boot. Aut. I am a poor fellow, Sir; (I know ye well enough.) Cam. Nay, pr'ythee, dispatch: the gentleman is half flead already. Aut. Are you in carneft, Sir? (I fmell the trick on't.) Flo. Difpatch, I pr'ythee. Aut. Indeed, I have had Earneft, but I cannot with confcience take it. Cam. Unbuckle, unbuckle. Fortunate Miftrefs! (let my Prophecy Come home to ye,) you must retire your felf Per. I fee, the Play fo lyes, That I must bear a Part. Cam. No remedy Have you done there? Flo. Should I now meet my father, He would not call me fon. Cam. Nay, you shall have no hat: Come, lady, come: farewel, my friend. Aut. Adieu, Sir. Flo. Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot? Pray you, a word. Cam. What I do next, fhall be to tell the King Of this Escape, and whither they are bound: Thus we fet on, Camillo, to th' fea fide. [Afide. [Exit Flor. with Per. Cam. The fwifter speed, the better. [Exit. Aut. I understand the bufinefs, I hear it: to have an open ear, a quick eye, and a nimble hand, is neceffary for a cut-purfe; a good nofe is requifite alfo, to fmell out work for th' other fenfes. I fee, this is the time that the unjuft man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been, without boot? what a boot is here, with this exchange? fure, the Gods do this year connive at us, and we may do any thing extempore. The Prince himself is about a piece of iniquity; ftealing away from his father, with his clog at his heels. If I thought it were a piece of honefty to acquaint the King withal, I would not do't; I hold it the more knavery to conceal it; and therein am I conftant to my Profeffion. Afide, afide, Enter Clown and Shepherd. here's more matter for a hot brain; every lane's end, every fhop, church, feffion, hanging, yields a careful man work. Clo. See, fee; what a man you are now! there is no other way, but to tell the King fhe's a Changling, and none of your flesh and blood. Shep. Nay, but hear me. Clo. Nay, but hear me. Shep. Go to then. Clo. She being none of your flesh and blood, your flesh and blood has not offended the King; and, fo, your your flesh and blood is not to be punish'd by him. Shew these things you found about her, those secret things, all but what the has with her; this being done, let the law go whistle; I warrant you. Shep. I will tell the King all, every word, yea, and his fon's pranks too; who, I may fay, is no honeft man neither to his father, nor to me, to go about to make me the King's brother-in-law. Clo. Indeed, brother-in-law was the fartheft off you could have been to him; and then your blood had been the dearer by I know how much an ounce. Aut. Very wifely, puppies! [Afide. Shep. Well, let us to the King; there is That in this Farthel will make him fcratch his beard. Aut. I know not, what impediment this Complaint may be to the flight of my mafter. Clo. 'Pray heartily, he be at the Palace. Aut. Tho' I am not naturally honeft, I am fo fometimes by chance: let me pocket up my Pedler's excrement. How now, ruftiques, whither are you bound? Shep. To th' Palace, and it like your Worship. Aut. Your affairs there, what, with whom, the condition of that farthel, the place of your dwelling, your names, your age, of what having, breeding, and any thing that is fitting for to be known, difcover. Clo. We are but plain fellows, Sir. Aut. A lie; you are rough and hairy; let me have no lying; it becomes none but tradefmen, and they often give us foldiers the lie; but we pay them for it with ftamped coin, not stabbing steel, therefore they do not give us the lie. Cle. Your Worship had like to have given us one, if you had not taken your felf with the manner. Shep. Are you a Courtier, an like you, Sir? Aut. Whether it like me, or no, I am a Courtier. Seeft thou not the air of the Court in thefe enfoldings? hath not my gate in it the measure of the Court? receives not thy nofe court-odour from me? reflect 1 not, on thy bafenefs, court-contempt? think'ft thou, for that I infinuate, or toze from thee thy business, I am there therefore no Courtier? I am courtier, Cap-a-pè; and one that will either push on, or pluck back thy bufinefs there, whereupon I command thee to open thy affair. Shep. My business, Sir, is to the King. Aut. What Advocate haft thou to him? Clo. Advocate's the court-word for a pheafant; fay, you have none. Shep. None, Sir; I have no pheasant cock, nor hen. Aut. How blefs'd are we, that are not fimple men! Yet Nature might have made me as these are, Therefore I will not difdain. Clo. This cannot be but a great Courtier. Shep. His garments are rich, but he wears them not handfomly. Clo. He feems to be the more noble in being fantaf tical; a Great man, I'll warrant; I know, by the picking on's teeth. Aut. The farthel there? what's i'th' farthel? Wherefore that box? Shep. Sir, there lyes fuch fecrets in this farthel and box, which none must know but the King; and which he fhall know within this hour, if I may come to th' fpeech of him. Aut. Age, thou haft loft thy labour. Aut. The King is not at the Palace; he is gone aboard a new fhip, to purge melancholy and air himfelf; for if thou be'ft capable of things ferious, thou muft know, the King is full of grief. Shep. So 'tis faid, Sir, about his fon that fhould have married a fhepherd's daughter. Aut. If that shepherd be not in hand-faft, let him fly; the curfes he thall have, the tortures he fhall feel, will break the back of man, the heart of monster. Clo. Think you fo, Sir? Aut. Not he alone fhall fuffer what wit can make heavy, and vengeance bitter; but those that are germane to him, tho' remov'd fifty times, fhall all come under under the hangman; which tho' it be great pity, yet it is neceffary. An old fheep-whistling rogue, a ramtender, to offer to have his daughter come into grace! fome fay, he shall be fton'd; but that death is too foft for him, fay I: draw our throne into a fheep-coat! all deaths are too few, the sharpest too eafie. Clo. Has the old man e'er a fon, Sir, do you hear, and't like you, Sir? Aut. He has a fon, who fhall be flay'd alive, then 'nointed over with honey, fet on the head of a wafp's neft, then ftand 'till he be three quarters and a dram dead; then recover'd again with Aqua-vita, or fome other hot infufion; then raw as he is, (and in the hottest day prognoftication proclaims) fhall he be fet against a brick-wall, the Sun looking with a fouthward eye upon him, where he is to behold him, with flies blown to death. But what talk we of thefe traitorly rafcals, whose miseries are to be fmil'd at, their of fences being fo capital? Tell me, (for you feem to be honeft plain men) what you have to the King; being fomething gently confider'd, I'll bring you where he is aboard, tender your perfons to his prefence, whisper him in your behalf, and if it be in man, befides the King, to effect your fuits, here is a man fhall do it. Clo. He feems to be of great authority; close with him, give him gold; and though authority be a ftubborn Bear, yet he is oft led by the nose with gold; fhew the infide of your purfe to the outfide of his hand, and no more ado. Remember, ston'd, and flay'd alive. Shep. And't please you, Sir, to undertake the business for us, here is that gold I have; I'll make it as much more, and leave this young man in pawn 'till I bring it you. Aut. After I have done what I promised? Shep. Ay, Sir. Aut. Well, give me the moiety. Are you a party in this bufinefs? Clo. In fome fort, Sir; but tho' my cafe be a pitiful one, I hope, I thall not be flay'd out of it. Aut. |