SCENE IV.
A street.
Enter Puttock, Ravenshaw4 note, and Dogson.
Put.
His hostess where he lies will trust him no
longer. She hath feed me to arrest him; and if
you will accompany me, because I know not of what
nature the scholar is, whether desperate or swift, you
shall share with me, serjeant Ravenshaw. I have the
good angel to arrest him* note.
Rav.
'Troth I'll take part with thee then, serjeant;
not for the sake of the money so much, as for the
hate I bear to a scholar. Why, serjeant, 'tis natural
in us you know to hate scholars5 note,—natural; besides,
they will publish† note our imperfections, knaveries, and
conveyances, upon scaffolds and stages.
Put.
Ay, and spitefully too, 'Troth I have wonder'd
how the slaves could see into our breasts so
much, when our doublets are button'd with pewter.
-- 580 --
Rav.
Ay, and so close without yielding. O,
they're parlous fellows; they will search more with
their wits, than a constable with his officers.
Put.
Whist, whist, whist6 note. Yeoman Dogson,
yeoman Dogson.
Dog.
Ha! what says serjeant?
Put.
Is he in the 'pothecary's shop still?
Dog.
Ay, ay.
Put.
Have an eye, have an eye.
Rav.
The best is, serjeant, if he be a true scholar,
he wears no weapon, I think.
Put.
No, no, he wears no weapon.
Rav.
'Mass, I am glad of that: it has put me
in better heart. Nay, if I clutch him once7 note, let
me alone to drag him, if he be stiff-necked. I have
been one of the six myself, that has dragg'd as tall
men of their hands8 note
, when their weapons have been
gone, as ever bastinado'd a serjeant. I have done I
can tell you.
Dog.
Serjeant Puttock, serjeant Puttock.
Put.
Ho.
Dog.
He's coming out single.
Put.
Peace, peace, be not too greedy; let him
play a little, let him play a little; we'll jerk him up
of a sudden: I ha' fish'd in my time.
Rav.
Ay, and caught many a fool, serjeant.
-- 581 --
Enter Pyeboard.
Pye.
I parted now from Nicholas: the chain's couch'd,
And the old knight has spent his rage upon't.
The widow holds me in great admiration
For cunning art: 'mongst joys, I'm even lost,
For my device can no way now be cross'd:
And now I must to prison to the captain,
And there—
Put.
I arrest you, sir.
Pye.
Oh—I spoke truer than I was aware; I must
to prison indeed.
Put.
They say you're a scholar.—Nay sir—yeoman
Dogson, have care to his arms.—You'll rail against
serjeants, and stage 'em? You'll tickle their vices?
Pye.
Nay, use me like a gentleman; I'm little
less.
Put.
You a gentleman! that's a good jest i'faith.
Can a scholar be a gentleman, when a gentleman
will not be a scholar? Look upon your wealthy citizens'
sons, whether they be scholars or no, that are
gentlemen by their fathers' trades. A scholar a gentleman!
Pye.
Nay, let fortune drive all her stings into me,
she cannot hurt that in me. A gentleman is accidens
inseparabile to my blood9 note.
Rav.
A rablement! nay, you shall have a bloody
rablement upon you, I warrant you.
Put.
Go, yeoman Dogson, before, and enter the
action i'the Counter.
[Exit Dogson.
Pye.
Pray do not handle me cruelly; I'll go whither
you please to have me.
Put.
Oh, he's tame; let him loose, serjeant.
Pye.
Pray, at whose suit is this?
-- 582 --
Put.
Why, at your hostess's suit where you lye,
mistress Conyburrow, for bed and board; the sum
four pound five shillings and five pence.
Pye.
I know the sum too true; yet I presum'd
Upon a farther day. Well, 'tis my stars,
And I must bear it now, though never harder.
I swear now my device is cross'd indeed* note:
Captain must lye by't: this is deceit's seed.
Put.
Come, come away.
Pye.
Pray give me so much time as to knit my garter,
and I'll away with you.
Put.
Well, we must be paid for this waiting upon
you; this is no pains to attend thus.
[Pyeboard pretends to tie his garter.
Pye.
I am now wretched and miserable; I shall
ne'er recover of this disease. Hot iron gnaw their
fists! They have struck a fever into my shoulder,
which I shall ne'er shake out again, I fear me, 'till
with a true habeas corpus the sexton remove me. O,
if I take prison once1 note, I shall be press'd to death
with actions; but not so happy as speedily: perhaps
I may be forty years a pressing, till I be a thin old
man; that looking through the grates, men may look
through me. All my means is confounded. What
shall I do? Have my wits served me so long, and now
give me the slip (like a train'd servant) when I
have most need of them? No device to keep my
poor carcase from these puttocks2 note?—Yes, happiness:
have I a paper about me now? Yes, two: I'll
try it, it may hit; Extremity is the touchstone unto wit.
Ay, ay.
Put.
'Sfoot, how many yards are in thy garters, that
thou art so long a tying of them? Come away, sir.
-- 583 --
Pye.
'Troth serjeant, I protest, you could never have
took me at a worse time; for now at this instant I
have no lawful picture about me3 note.
Put.
'Slid, how shall we come by our fees then?
Rav.
We must have fees, sirrah.
Pye.
I could have wish'd, i'faith, that you had took
me half an hour hence for your own sake; for I protest,
if you had not cross'd me, I was going in great
joy to receive five pound of a gentleman, for the
device of a mask here, drawn in this paper. But
now, come, I must be contented; 'tis but so much
lost, and answerable to the rest of my fortunes.
Put.
Why, how far hence dwells that gentleman?
Rav.
Ay, well said, serjeant; 'tis good to cast about
for money.
Put.
Speak; if it be not far—
Pye.
We are but a little past it; the next street behind
us.
Put.
'Slid, we have waited upon you grievously already.
If you'll say you'll be liberal when you have
it, give us double fees, and spend upon us, why we'll
show you that kindness, and go along with you to the
gentleman.
Rav.
Ay, well said; still, serjeant, urge that.
Pye.
'Troth if it will suffice, it shall be all among
you; for my part I'll not pocket a penny: my hostess
shall have her four pound five shillings, and bate
me the five pence; and the other fifteen shillings I'll
spend upon you.
Rav.
Why, now thou art a good scholar.
Put.
An excellent scholar i'faith; has proceeded
very well a-late.9Q1367 Come, we'll along with you.
[Exeunt Puttock, Ravenshaw, and Pyeboard, who knocks
at the door of a gentleman's house at the inside of the stage.
-- 584 --
Edmond Malone [1780], Supplement to the edition of Shakspeare's plays published in 1778 By Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. In two volumes. Containing additional observations by several of the former commentators: to which are subjoined the genuine poems of the same author, and seven plays that have been ascribed to him; with notes By the editor and others (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10911].
