SCENE II.
Enter Chamberlain.
Gads.
What, ho, chamberlain!—
Cham.
At hand, quoth pick-purse.
Gads.
That's ev'n as fair, as at hand, quoth the
chamberlain; for thou variest no more from picking
of purses, than giving direction doth from labouring.
Thou lay'st the plot how.
Cham.
Good-morrow, master Gads-hill. It holds current,
that I told you yesternight. There's a 6 noteFranklin,
in the wild of Kent, hath brought three hundred marks
with him in gold; I heard him tell it to one of his
company last night at supper, a kind of auditor, one
that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what.
They are up already, and call for eggs and butter.
They will away presently.
Gads.
Sirrah, if they meet not with 7 noteSt. Nicholas'
clarks, I'll give thee this neck.
Cham.
No, I'll none of it; I pr'ythee, keep that
for the hangman; for I know thou worshipp'st St.
Nicholas as truly as a man of falshood may.
Gads.
What talk'st thou to me of the hangman?
if I hang, I'll make a fat pair of gallows. For if I
hang, old Sir John hangs with me, and thou know'st,
he's no starveling. Tut, there are other Trojans that
thou dream'st not of, the which, for sport-sake, are content
to do the profession some grace; that would, if matters
-- 141 --
should be look'd into, for their own credit sake,
make all whole. 8 noteI am join'd with no foot-land-rakers,
no long-staff-six-penny-strikers, none of those mad
Mustachio-purple-hu'd-malt-worms; but with nobility
and tranquillity; 9 note
burgomasters, and great One-yers;
such as can hold in, such as will 1 notestrike sooner
-- 142 --
than speak; and speak sooner than think; and think
sooner than pray; and yet I lye, for they pray continually
unto their Saint the Common-wealth; or rather,
not pray to her, but prey on her; for they ride
up and down on her, and make her their boots.
Cham.
What, the common-wealth their boots? will
she hold out water in foul way?
Gads.
2 noteShe will, she will; justice hath liquor'd her.
We steal as in a castle, cock-sure; we have the receipt
of Fern-seed3 note, we walk invisible.
Cham.
Nay, I think rather, you are more beholden
to the night, than the Fern-seed, for your walking invisible.
Gads.
Give me thy hand: thou shalt have a share
in our purchase, as I am a true man.
Cham.
Nay, rather let me have it, as you are a
false thief.
Gads.
Go to, * noteHomo is a common name to all men.
—Bid the ostler bring my Gelding out of the stable.
Farewel, ye muddy knave.
[Exeunt.
-- 143 --
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].
