Consider my necessity, why art sad?
I must tell you a tale in your ear anon.
I believe that will prove your stiffest story.
Give him another cup.
A tun of sack wonot set him high enough.
Will ye to bed?
And win him like a bowle to lye close to you,
Make your best use.
I'll dance a Jig or two to warm my body.
Enter Wildbrain.
And leave her to her thoughts a while, there must be
A time of taking leave of these same fooleries
Bewailling others maiden-heads.
We'll wait in the next room.
For if thou dost, by my troth I shall fall asleep Mall. [Ex.
And let us ha'no more stir, come now, no crying,
'Tis too late now, carry your sel[fe] discreetly.
The old thief loves thee dearly, that's the benefit.
For the rest you must make your own play, Nay not that way,
They'll pull ye all to pieces, for your whim-whams,
Your garters and your gloves, go modestly,
And privately steal to bed, 'tis very late Mall,
For if you go by them such a new larum.
This through the Cloysters: and so steal to bed,
When you are there once, all will separate
And give ye rest, I came out of my pitty
To shew you this.
Go presently and lock the doors fast after ye,
That none shall follow.
A good, and sweet night, or I'll curse thee Frank. [Exit.
Enter Frank Hartlove
He has made sport wi'me, I may yet get out again,
And I may see his face once more, I ha'foul intentions,
But they are drawn on by a fouler dealing
Enter Maria.
Something comes this way, wondrous still and stealing
May be some walking spirit to affright me.
Bless me you better powers.
Fye noble Sir.
You know my fair affection.
You know I am married now, for shame be civiller,
Not all the earth shall make me.
And if you ever lov'd me.
How you divert that love to hate, go home prethee.
Talk but a minute.
And my untainted honor suffer not,
I'll walk a turn or two.
Enter Wildbrain, Justice, Lady, Nurse, Gent. Women, Newlove.
For if my dream be true he must be speedy,
He will be trickt, and blaz'd else.
I cannot blame her if she take her liberty,
Would she would make thee Cuckold, thou old bully,
A notorious cuckold for tormenting her.
Is this old stinking dogs-flesh for her dyet?
For fear I dream you'll hang your self too.
Nor do I bid you be too confident.
Enter [Ser]vant.
If you be not mad, I'll do my best to m[ake y]e.
Quick as you can, this may be your case Gentlemen.
And bring some light[s], some lights. [Exit.
I'll stay behind and pray for ye, I had rather she were dishonest
Than thou shouldst have her.
Enter Maria, and Franke.
And this steel to defend me, come [not] near me,
For if you offer but another violence,
As I have life I'll kill you, if I miss that,
Upon my own heart will I execute,
And let that fair belief out, I had of you.
Pardon, O pardon, I now see my wickedness,
And what a monstrous shape it puts upon me,
On your fair hand I seal.
Enter Ju.
Rather than you shall suffer, I'll— [Enter all.
Enter sweet Gentlemen, mine eyes, mine eyes,
Oh how my head [a]kes.
To poyson my fair name, a studied villany,
Farewell, as I have hope of peace, I am honest.
Would I could as easily lose her memory.
For this reward?
To the next Sessions, and if I can, I'll hang him.
Sweet Virgin Rose farewell: heaven has thy beauty,
That's only fit for heaven. I'll live a little
To find the Villain out that wrought this injury,
And then most blessed soul, I'll climb up to thee.
Farewell, I feel my self another creature. [Exit.
And I'll condition wi'ye.
Her grave must be her Bridal bed: oh Mall,
Would I had wed thee to thy own content,
Then I had had thee still.
Another wanton wife will prove a hell. [Exeunt.
Actus Secundus.
Enter Tom. Lurch, and his Boy.
A silence as if death dwelt there inhabits.
Every thing left in such a loose disorder
That were there twenty theeves, they would be laden.
A wedding night should be so solitary.
Is faln suddenly upon some friend,
Or some strange news is come.
Some women that keep watch in a low parlor,
And drink, and weep, I know not to what end.
I saw the old Lady, ere she went to bed
Put up her plate, and some of the rich hangings
In a small long chest, and chains and rings are there too,
It stands close by the Table on a form.
But what they said I was too far to hear Sir.
Have a most prosperous night, which way?
A back door, that the women have left open,
To go in and out to fetch necessaries,
Close on the Garden side.
Wert thou not fearful?
To have cry'd down right too, and have kept 'em company,
As one that had an interest in their sadness,
Or made an errand to I know not whom Sir.
Makes a perpetual motion in my fingers,
Till I have fast hold of it.
Lets handle it with such an excellence
As if we would bring thieving into honor:
We must disguise, to fright these reverend wat[ch]es.
The chest is of some weight, and we may make
Such noise [ith] carriage we may be snap'd.
We will not do the devil so much pleasure,
To have him face our plot.
I would not wear the reward of my wickedness,
I wonder you are an old thief, and no cunninger,
Where's the long Cloak?
And the false beard, I hear some coming this way,
Stoop, stoop, and let me sit upon your shoulders,
And now as I direct, stay, let them enter,
And when I touch move forward, make no noise.
Enter Nurse and Tobie.
No substance for a sorrowful mind to work upon,
I cannot mourn in beer, if she should walk now
As discontented spirits are wont to do.
What heart can we defie the Devil with?
I must confess 'tis a most mighty Armor,
For I presume I cannot pray.
Can go an even pace.
For my young Mistriss, that is mortified,
That if I have not more sack to support me,
I shall even sleep: heiho, for another flagon;
These Burials, and Christnings are the mournful[st] matters,
And they ask more drink.
There's a thief in't I think.
That thing that walks.
Mercy upon me, the Ghost of one oth'Guard sure,
'Tis the devil by his clawes, he smels of Brimstone,
Sure he farts fire, what an Earth-quake I have in me;
Out with thy Prayer-book Nurse.
'Tis Steeple high now, and it sayls away Nurse.
Lets call the butler up, for he speaks Latine,
And that will daunt the devil: I am blasted,
My belly's grown to nothing.
Let us presently upon the rest now suddenly.
I can go to't.
Enter Tobie.
Now can I out-do any Button-maker, at his own trade,
I have fifteen fits of an Ague, Nurse, 'tis gone I hope,
The hard-hearted woman has left me alone. Nurse—
And she knows too I ha but a lean conscience to keep me company.
[Noise within.
The Ghost three stories high, he has the Nurse sure,
He is boyling of her bones now, hark how she whistles:
There's Gentlewomen within too, how will they do?
I'll to the Cook, for he was drunk last night,
And now he is valiant, he is a kin to th'devil too,
And fears no fire.
Enter Lurcher and Boy.
They are gone, and carried all the candles with 'em,
Their fright is infinite, let's make good use on't,
We must be quick sir, quick, or the house will rise else.
Or I mistake.
Nor no discourse, but to our labor lustily,
Put to your strength and make as little noise,
Then presently out at the back door.
Come happy child and let me hug thy excellence. [Exit.
Enter Wildbrain.
What cryes and hurries! sure the devil's drunk.
And tumbles through the house, my villanies
That never made me apprehend before
Danger or fear, a little now molest me;
My Cosens death sits heavy o'my conscience,
Would I had been half hang'd when I hammer'd it.
I aim'd at a living divorce, not a burial
That Frank might have had some hope: hark still
In every room confusion, they are all mad,
Most certain all stark mad within the house,
A punishment inflicted for my lewdness,
That I might have the more sense of my mischief,
And run the more mad too, my Aunt is hang'd sure,
Sure hang'd her self, or else the fiend has fetch'd her.
I heard a hundred cryes, the Devil, the Devil,
Th[e]n roaring, and then tumbling, all the chambers
Are a meer Babel, or another Bedlam.
What should I think? I shake my self too:
Can the Devil find no time, but when we are merry,
Here's something comes.
Enter Newlove.
I care not what they were, to ease my misery,
To comfort me.
The Merchants wife.
The strangest things to night.
For if I see the spirit again I dye for't.
And hold me fast, for I shall shake to pieces else.
Hold ye as tenderly; I have put the light out,
Retire into my Chamber, there I'll watch wi'ye,
I'll keep you from all frights.
For he fears all that love, pray come in quickly,
For this is the malicious house he walks in,
The hour he blasts sweet faces, lames the limbs in,
Depraves the senses, now within this half hour
He will have power to turn all Citizens wives
Into strange Creatures, Owles, and long-tail'd Monkeys,
Jayes, Pies, and Parrots, quickly, I smell his brimstone.
Here's nothing comes, all they are mad, damn'd devil
To drive her back again, 't had been thy policy
To have let us alone, we might have done some fine thing
To have made thy hel-hood laugh, 'tis a dainty wench,
If I had her again, not all your fellow goblins,
Nor all their clawes should scratch her hence, I'll stay still,
May be her fright will bring her back again,
Yet I will hope.
Enter Toby.
Sure they are all ith'Cellar, and I cannot find that neither,
I am led up and down like a tame ass, my light's out
And I grope up and down like blind-man-buffe,
And break my face, and break my pate.
I see the shadow, I'll have faster hold now,
Sure she is mad, I long to lye with a mad-woman,
She must needs have rare new tricks.
If it be the devil now to allure me into his clutches,
For devils have a kind of tone like crickets.
But I'll stand sure.
And that's even ready to run, oh for my bed now.
'Tis an old haggard devil, what will he do with me?
In what case were I? who durst deliver me?
gently my Sweet girl.
Enter Lurch, and Boy.
To see our happy prize.
To carry without light or help.
At every stumble to be discover'd boy,
At every cough to raise a Constable,
Well, we'll be merry now.
Things compass'd without fear or eminent danger,
Are too luxurious sir to live upon.
Money and wealth got thus are as full venture,
And carry in their nature as much merit
As his, that digs 'em out 'oth' mine, they last too
Season'd with doubts and dangers most delitiously,
Riches that fall upon us are too ripe,
And dull our appetites.
Enter Mistriss.
Prethee let's go to bed.
But let's agree to night, how it shall be handled,
I'll have a new gown.
What though I be no Gentlewoman born,
I hope I may atchieve it by my carriage.
In winter, with as much dirt would dampe a musket;
The inside of our coach shall be of scarlet.
Will make it cheap, wench, come thou shalt have any thing.
Our Indies.
You should dispose it, then 'tis safe from danger.
Now fetch it in and lets rejoyce upon't.
Our haste and want of light made us mistake.
Belike this was the sadness that possest 'em;
The plate stood next, I'm sure.
De'e bring your Gillians hither—nay, she's punish'd,
You conceal'd love's cas'd up?
But I'll take order she shall ne'r recover
To bore my Nose, come, take her up and bury her
Quickly, or I'll cry out; take her up instantly.
We may be in for murther so; be patient,
Thou seest she's dead, and cannot injure thee.
Too much a strange mistake! this had not been else,
It makes me almost weep to think upon't.
Indure the stink of a Rival.
That no eyes watch us.
The next fair ground we meet, make the Church-yard;
As I live, I'll see her lodg'd. [Exit.
How heavy my heart is, I ha no life left.
That I should miss the right Chest.
And twenty thousand fears for this, oth'devil,
Now could I curse, well, we have her now,
And must dispose her.
Enter Mistress.
Quickly or I'll call the neighbors.
There's no remedy,
Would the poor hungry prisoners had this pastie. [Exeunt.
Enter Justice, and a Servant with a light.
There's so much charge say'd, I have her portion,
I'll marry twenty more on such conditions.
To see her dead?
I was tormented till that happen'd, furies
Were in my brain to think my self a Cuckold
At that time of the night:
When I come home, I charge you shut my doors,
Locks, bolts, and bars, are little enough to secure me.
To keep out women, I expect her Mother
Will visit me with her clamors, oh I hate
Their noise, and do abhor the whole sex heartily;
They are all walking Devils, Harpyes: I will study
A week together how to rail sufficiently,
Upon 'em all, and that I may be furnish'd,
Thou shalt buy all the railing Books and Ballads,
That Malice hath invented against women,
I will read nothing else, and practise 'em,
Till I grow fat with curses.
To th'charge, let me alone to find you Books.
We are hard by the Church-yard, and I was never
Valiant at midnight in such irksome places;
They say Ghosts walk sometimes, hark, de'e hear nothing?
Enter Lurcher, Boy, and Mistress.