SCENE IV.
Come you hither to me, master tapster; what's your
name, master tapster?
Clown.
Pompey.
Escal.
What else?
Clown.
Bum, Sir.
Escal.
Troth, and your bum is the greatest thing
about you, so that, in the beastliest sense, you are
Pompey the Great. Pompey, you are partly a bawd,
Pompey; howsoever you colour it in being a tapster;
are you not? come, tell me true, it shall be the better
for you.
Clown.
Truly, Sir, I am a poor fellow that would
live.
Escal.
How would you live, Pompey? by being a
-- 291 --
bawd? what do you think of the trade, Pompey? is it
a lawful trade?
Clown.
If the law will allow it, Sir.
Escal.
But the law will not allow it, Pompey; nor
it shall not be allowed in Vienna.
Clown.
Does your worship mean to geld and splay all
the youth in the city?
Escal.
No, Pompey.
Clown.
Truly, Sir, in my poor opinion, they will
to't then. If your worship will take order for the
drabs and the knaves, you need not to fear the bawds.
Escal.
There are pretty orders beginning, I can tell
you; it is but heading and hanging.
Clown.
If you head and hang all that offend that
way but for ten years together, you'll be glad to give
out a commission for more heads. If this law hold in
Vienna ten years, I'll rent the fairest house in it, after
three pence a bay:4 note
If you live to see this come to
pass, say, Pompey told you so.
Escal.
Thank you, good Pompey; and in requital
of your prophecy, hark you; I advise you, let me
not find you before me again upon any complaint
whatsoever; no, not for dwelling where you do; if I
do, Pompey, I shall beat you to your tent, and prove
a shrewd Cæsar to you: in plain dealing, Pompey, I
-- 292 --
shall have you whipt. So for this time, Pompey, fare
you well.
Clown.
I thank your worship for your good counsel.
[aside] But I shall follow it, as the flesh and fortune
shall better determine.
Whip me? no, no; let carman whip his jade;
The valiant heart's not whipt out of his trade.
[Exit.
Samuel Johnson [1765], The plays of William Shakespeare, in eight volumes, with the corrections and illustrations of Various Commentators; To which are added notes by Sam. Johnson (Printed for J. and R. Tonson [and] C. Corbet [etc.], London) [word count] [S11001].