Favours from me, deserve them with obedi- What with mine honour I cannot obey, Lam. Why, foolish man, My father, and my family, but write whore, If you obey me, you part with some credit; Din. I will lose fairly: Let me not suffer for you, I am careless. Lum. For you; my kindness to you Nor give you any character to know him; Din. Two hours, d'you say? Lam. Only two hours. Din. I were no gentleman, [arms me, [Exit. Should I make scruple of it. This favour And boldly I'll perform it. Lam. I am glad on't. This will prevent their meeting yet, and keep My brother safe, which was the mark I shot at. SCENE II. Enter Beaupre and Verdone. Beau. You're well met, Cleremont. Verdone. You're a fair gentleman, and love your friend, sir. [us. What, are you ready? The time has overta'en Beau. And this, you know, the place. Cler. No Dinant yet! Beau. We come not now to argue, but to We wait you, sir. [do: Cler. There's no time past yet, gentlemen; We've day enough.-Is't possible he comes not? You see I'm ready here, and do but stay Till my friend come: Walk but a turn or 'Twill not be long. [two; Verdone. We came to fight. Cler. Ye shall fight, gentlemen, And fight enough: But a short turn or two! I think I see him; set up your watch, we'll fight by it. [luded. Beau. That is not he; we will not be deCler. Am I bob'd thus?-Pray take a pipe of tobacco, Or sing but some new air; by that time, gentlemen Verdone. Come, draw your sword; you know the custom here, sir, First come, first serv'd. Cler. Tho' it be held a custom, And practis'd so, I do not hold it honest. What honour can you both win on me single? Beau, Yield up your sword then. Cler. Yield my sword! that's Hebrew; I'll be first cut a-pieces. Hold but a while, Enter an old Gentleman. I'll take the next that comes. You're an old Gent. Yes, indeed am I, sir. [gentleman ? Cler. And wear no sword? Gent. I need none, sir. Cler. I would you did, and had one; I want now such a foolish courtesy, You see these gentlemen? Gent. You want a second? Tit. In good faith, sir, I was ne'er handsome at If your quarrel be not capital, to have more [Exit. If you dare not fight, don't stay to beg my pardon. There lies your way. Gent. Good-morrow, gentlemen. Erit. You'd better yield your sword. Enter two Gentlemen. Upon mine honesty, you shall be fought with. Well, Dinant, well!—These wear swords, and seem brave fellows. [me: As you are gentlemen, one of you supply I want a second now, to meet these gallants; You know what honour is. 1 Gent. Sir, you must pardon us; [for, We go about the same work you are ready And must fight presently; else we were your servants. 2 Gent. God speed you, and good day! Cler. Am I thus colted? Cler. As you are honest gentlemen, [tune; me do? Will you have me break my heart? my brains And tell your master, as I am a gentleman, His cause shall be the first. Commend me Depending there, be short, and let me hear And pay your fees. Cler. 'Faith, sir, I hate a business, But it depends upon no parliament. La-Writ. I have no skill in't then. Cler. I must desire you; 'Tis a sword matter, sir. I am an advocate, sir. Beau. How the thing looks! Verdone. When he brings him to fight--Cler. Be not so hasty; You wear a good sword. La-Writ. I know not that, I never drew it yet, or whether it be a sword Cler. I must entreat you try, sir, and bear a part Against these gentlemen; I want a second: You seem a man, and 'tis a noble office. La-Writ. I am a Lawyer, sir, I am no fighter. [best to satisfy. Cler. You that breed quarrels, sir, know Beau. This is some sport yet. Verdone. If this fellow should fight? La-Writ. And, for any thing I know, I am ati arrant coward; Do not trust me; I think I am a coward. Cler. Try, try; you are mistaken.—Walk on, gentlemen, The man shall follow presently. La-Writ. Are ye mad, gentleman ? My business is within this half-hour. Cler. That's all one; [in that bottom; We'll dispatch within this quarter.-There 'Tis most convenient, gentlemen. Beau. Well, we'll wait, sir. [You'll follow? [Exeunt Beaupre and Verdone. I know you can: I like your modesty; I know you will fight, and so fight, with such metal, [furyAnd with such judgment meet your enemy's I see it in your eye, sir. La-Writ. I'll be hang'd then; And I charge you, in the king's name, name no more fighting. [the man; Cler. I charge you, in the king's name, play Which, if you do not quickly, I begin with [dlestick? I'll make you dance. Do you see your fidSweet advocate, thou shalt fight. you; La-Writ. Stand further, gentleman, And like thyself, a noble advocate ! La-Writ. I do not say I'll fight. I say, if I do, but don't depend upon't(And yet I have a foolish itch upon me)What shall become of my writings? Cier. Let 'em lie by; They will not run away, man. La-Writ. I may be kill'd too, [siness? And where are all my causes then--my buI will not fight; I cannot fight.- -My [sand causes; Cler. Thou shalt fight, if thou hadst a thous Thou art a mau to fight for any cause, And carry it with honour. causes La-Writ. Hum! say you so? If I should Be such a coxcomb to prove valiant now! Cler. I know thou art most valiant. Colted.] Sec note 31 on Rule a Wife and Have a Wife. 9 Parcels] This is a law-term, and means that part of a deed in which land, or other things, to be conveyed, are described, VOL. II. R. C La-Writ. Do you think so? I am undone for ever, if it prove so, Cler. We'll do it in a minute, in a moment. I never lov'd cold iron there. La-Writ. Help me to pluck my sword out then; quickly, quickly! 'T has not seen sun these ten years. Cler. How it grumbles! This sword is vengeance angry. Lu-Writ. Now I'll put my hat up, And say my prayers as I go. Away, boy! If I be kill'd, reinember the Little Lawyer! [Exeunt. Enter Beaupre. Beau. They're both come on; that may be a stubborn rascal. Enter La-Writ. Take you that ground; I'll stay here. Fight bravely! [let's have fair play; La-Writ. To't chearfully, my boys! You'll None of your foining tricks. Beau. Come forward, monsieur ! What hast thou there? a pudding in thy belly? I shall see what it holds. La-Writ. Put your spoon home, then! [Fight. Nay, since I must fight, have at you without God-a-mercy bag! wit, sir! Beau. Nothing but bombast in you? [Beau. loses his sword; La-Writ treads on it. Beau. Pox, what fortune's this! Disarmed A snail? a dog? [by a puppy? La-Writ. No more o' these words, gentleman! me! Sweet gentleman, no more! Do not provoke Go walk i' th' Horse-fair; whistle, gentleWhat must I do now? [mau. Enter Cleremont, pursued by Verdone. Cler. Help me; I'm almost breathless. La-Writ. With all my heart. There's a cold pie for you, sir! [Strikes Cleremont. Cler. Thou strik'st me, fool! La-Writ. Thou fool, stand further off then. There's twelve-pence; go, buy you two leaden Cler. Most like a gentleman. We shall yet find an hour. [Exeunt Beau. and Verd. sud. Cler. I shall be glad on't. Fight any longer, for a crash or two? Cler. What honour shall I do you, for this great courtesy? La-Writ. All I desire of you, is to take The quarrel to yourself, and let me hear no more on't; (I have no liking to't; it is a foolish matter) And help me to put up my sword. Cler. Most willingly. But I am bound to gratify you, and I must Not leave you. La-Writ. I tell you, I'll not be gratified; Nor I will hear no more on't. Take the swords too, And do not anger me, but leave me quietly. For the matter of honour, 'tis at your own disposure; And so, and so Cler. This is a most rare I'm sure, most valiant. you satisfy me-I say no more. [Exit La-Writ. Lawyer; Well, Dinant, as I'm loaden like an armorer. [Exit. Enter Dinant. Din. To be dispatch'd upon a sleeveless errand! [tainted! To leave my friend engag'd, mine honour These are trim things. I am set here like a Emistress, perdue, To watch a fellow that has wrong'd my A scurvy fellow that must pass this way; But what this scurvy fellow is, or whence, Or whether his name be William, or John, Or Antony, or Dick, or any thing, I know not; A scurvy rascally fellow I must aim at; And there's the office of an ass flung on me. Sure Cleremont has fought, but how come off, And what the world shall think of me hereafter! [rascals, Well, woman, woman, I must look your And lose my reputation! You've a fine [curiously These two long hours I've trotted here, and Survey'd all goers-by, yet find no rascal, Nor power over us. La-Writ sings within, then enters. any face to quarrel with. What's that? As 'tis the likeliest rogue I see this day- Din. And what are you, good sir? Down, La-Writ. What's that to you,-good sir? Down, down! [down, down! Din. A pox on you, good sir! Down, You with your buckram bag, what make you here? [with my shadow now. And from whence come you?-I could fight La-Writ. Thou fierce man, that like Sir Lancelot dost appear, I need not tell thee what I am, what I make here 12. nor eke Din. This is a precious knave.-Stay, stay, good Tristram, And let me ask thy mightiness a question;- you Lu-Writ. Not; to abuse a lady's very Didst thou never abuse her honour? Din. What's all this? Din. And that you wrong'd her honour. Speak suddenly, for I am full of business. Din. This is some Cavalero knight o' th' man as the duke. 10 He strook so hard, &c.] The lines La-Writ here sings are taken from an old ballad, called The Noble Acts of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.' R. "What master-thing is this?] The idea this gave was, What master-piece of oddity have we here? But Mr. Sympson has hit on a more humorous reading; What mister-thing is this? Mister wight being common to Spenser and Chaucer, I am far from approving the insertion of obsolete words in general; but here, where La-Writ is talking and singing knighterrantry, a word common in the tales of knight-errants is certainly natural and obvious. In the excellent Glossary to Urry's Chaucer, mister, from the French mestier, a profession or trade. Hence it is used for any sort, kind, or condition; as mister-folk kind of men, Seward. &c. Mister-thing is the reading of the second folio; not a variation hit on by Mr. Sympson! 12 Thou fierce man, &c.] These two lines also we apprehend to be quoted from some old romance, play, or ballad. 13 Use me respectively.] Here respectively is synonymous to respectfully. We never, I believe, now use it in that sense. Seward. In The Laws of Candy, Annophel says, "The princess ever for your sake most respectively loved me." The word frequently occurs in the same sense, in the old writers. 14 Deboshed.] In The Tempest, act iii. scene 2, Trinculo uses this word, speaking to Caliban, upon which Mr. Steevens remarks, 'I meet with this word, which I suppose to 'be the same as debauch'd, in Randolph's Jealous Lovers, 1634, "See your house be stor'd "With the deboishest roarers in this city." 'When this word was first adopted from the French language, it appears to have been spelt according to the pronunciation, and therefore wrongly; but ever since it has been spelt 'right, it has been uttered with equal impropriety.' R. And thou a squire of low degree! Will that content thee? [sword, sir, Din. You shall not lose your longing, Hold, Dinant, as thou art a gentleman! is in now. Cler. I am your friend, sir. —Dinant, Upon the gentleman preserv'd your honour: This was my second, and did back me nobly. For shame, forbear. Din. I ask your mercy, sir, La-Writ. May we not fight then? I'm sure I'll stay no longer then, not a jot And with much bitterness express your Do you think that the wrong you have offer'd me, The most unmanly wrong, Din. I do confess Cler. That boyish sleight [wrong- [your honour, Cler. That poor and base renouncing of Din. I give you way still. [it a friend's part, Call'd him aloud, and led him to his fortune? Th' hast eaten canker-like into my judgment heal again. Din. This I can suffer too; I find it honest. Or any thing like honest, to bring you off? Din. Will you but hear me? Cler. Expose me like a jade to tug, and hale thro', Laugh'd at, and almost hooted? Your dis graces [me? Invite men's swords and angers to dispatch Din. If you will be patient Cler. And be abus'd still? But that I've call'd thee friend, And to that name allow a sanctuary, Should travel in so poor and empty quarrels. I'll bear all with content. Cler. Why were you absent? Din. You know I am no coward, you have seen that, And therefore, out of fear forsook you not: Apt to betray my friend; I have fought for Cler. Where was the fault then? Cler. What was he that traduc'd? Enter Nurse. 14 Can you pretend an excuse-] Mr. Seward's passion for exact measure induces him to read, "Can you pretend a 'scuse." 15 Our ambassador.] Mr. Sympson thinks this might probably be old ambassador, and then there is a strong reason for her calling him flouter. It is certainly an improvement, and bids fair for having been the original. Seward. Our ambassador is flouting; and the old reading should not be altered without authority, while it is intelligible; though we think the emendation a good one. |