SCENE II.
The same. Fields near the Shepherd's.
Enter Autolicus, singing.
Aut.
When daffodils begin to peer,—
with, heigh, the doxy over the dale,—
why, then comes in the sweet o'the year;
for the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.14Q0469
The white sheet bleaching on the hedge,—
with, heigh, the sweet birds, o, how they sing,—
doth set my progging note tooth on edge;
for a quart of ale is a dish for a king.
The lark, that tirra-lirra chaunts,—
with, heigh note, with, heigh, the thrush and the jay,—
are summer songs for me and my aunts,
while we lye tumbling in the hay.
I have serv'd prince Florizel, and, in my time, wore
three-pile; but now I am out of service:
But shall I go mourn for that, my dear?
-- 58 --
the pale moon shines by night:
and, when I wander here and there,
I then do most go right.
If tinkers may have leave to live,
and bear the sow-skin budget;
then my account I well may give,
and in the stocks avouch it.
My traffick is sheets; when the kite builds, look to
lesser linnen. My father nam'd me, Autolicus; who
being (as I am) litter'd under Mercury, was likewise
a snapper-up of unconsider'd trifles: With dye, and
drab, I purchas'd this note † caparison; and my revenue is
the silly cheat: Gallows, and knock note, are too powerful
on the highway: beating, and hanging, are terrors to
me; for the life to come, I sleep out the thought of it.
A prize! a prize!
Enter Clown.
Clo.
Let me see: Every 'leven weather tods; every
tod note yields pound and odd shilling: fifteen hundred
shorn;—What comes the wool to?
&clquo;Aut.
&clquo;If the sprindge hold, the cock's mine.&crquo;
Clo.
I cannot do't without counters. Let me see;
What am I to buy for our sheep-shearing feast? Three
pound of sugar; [reading out of a Note.] five pound of
currans; rice—What will this sister of mine do with
rice? But my father hath made her mistress of the
feast, and she lays it on. She hath made me four and
twenty nose-gays for the shearers: three-man song-men
all, and very good ones; but they are most of
them means, and bases: but one puritan amongst
-- 59 --
them, and he sings psalms to horn-pipes. I must
have saffron, to colour the warden-pies; mace; dates,
—none; that's out of my note; nutmegs, seven; a
rase, or two, of ginger;—but that I may beg;—four
pound of pruins, and as many of raisins o'the sun.
Aut.
O, that ever I was born!
[groveling on the Ground.
Clo.
I'the name of me,—
Aut.
O, help me, help me! pluck but off these
rags; and then, death, death!
Clo.
Alack, poor soul; thou hast need of more rags
to lay on thee, rather than have these off.
Aut.
O, sir, the loathsomeness of them offends note me,
more than the stripes I have receiv'd; which are mighty
ones, and millions.
Clo.
Alas, poor man; a million of beating may
come to a great matter.
Aut.
I am rob'd, sir, and beaten; my money, and
apparel, ta'en from me, and these detestable things put
upon me.
Clo.
What, by a horse-man, or a foot-man?
Aut.
A foot-man, sweet sir, a foot-man.
Clo.
Indeed, he should be a foot-man, by the garments
he has left with thee; if this be a horse-man's
coat, it hath seen very hot service. Lend me thy hand,
I'll help thee: come, lend me thy hand.
Aut.
O, good sir, tenderly, o!
Clo.
Alas, poor soul.
Aut.
O, good sir, softly, good sir: I fear, sir, my
shoulder-blade is out.
Clo.
How now? canst stand?
Aut.
Softly, dear sir; [picks his Pocket.] good sir,
softly: you ha' done me a charitable office.
-- 60 --
Clo.
Dost lack any money? I have a little money
for thee.
Aut.
No, good sweet sir; no, I beseech you, sir: I
have a kinsman not past three quarters of a mile hence,
unto whom I was going; I shall there have money, or
any thing I want: Offer me no money, I pray you;
that kills my heart.
Clo.
What manner of fellow was he that rob'd you?
Aut.
A fellow, sir, that I have known to go about
with trol-madames: I knew him note once a servant of
the prince; I cannot tell, good sir, for which of his
virtues it was, but he was certainly whipt out of the
court.
Clo.
His vices, you would say; there's no virtue
whipt out of the court: they cherish it, to make it stay
there; and yet it will no more but abide.
Aut.
Vices I would say, sir. I know this man well:
he hath been since an ape-bearer; then a process-server,
a bailif; then he compass'd a motion of the prodigal
son, and marry'd a tinker's wife within a mile where
my land and living lies; and, having flown over many
knavish professions, he settl'd only in rogue: some call
him, Autolicus.
Clo.
Out upon him! Prig, for my life, prig: he
haunts wakes, fairs, and bear-baitings.
Aut.
Very true, sir; he, sir, he; that's the rogue,
that put me into this apparel.
Clo.
Not a more cowardly rogue in all Bohemia;
if you had but look'd big, and spit at him, he'd have
run.
Aut.
I must confess to you, sir, I am no fighter: I am
false of heart that way; and that he knew, I warrant him.
-- 61 --
Clo.
How do you now?
Aut.
Sweet sir, much better than I was; I can stand,
and walk: I will even take my leave of you, and pace
softly towards my kinsman's.
Clo.
Shall I bring thee on the way?
Aut.
No, good-fac'd sir; no, sweet sir.
Clo.
Then fare thee well; note I must go buy note spices for
our sheep-shearing.
Aut.
Prosper you, sweet sir!—[Exit Clown.] Your
purse is not hot enough to purchase your spice. I'll be
with you at your sheep-shearing too; If I make not this
cheat bring out another, and the shearers prove sheep,
let me be unrol'd, and my name put in the book of
virtue!
[sings.
Jog on, jog on, the foot-path way,
and merrily hend note the stile-a:
a merry heart goes all the day,
your sad tires in a mile-a.
[Exit.
Edward Capell [1767], Mr William Shakespeare his comedies, histories, and tragedies, set out by himself in quarto, or by the Players his Fellows in folio, and now faithfully republish'd from those Editions in ten Volumes octavo; with an introduction: Whereunto will be added, in some other Volumes, notes, critical and explanatory, and a Body of Various Readings entire (Printed by Dryden Leach, for J. and R. Tonson [etc.], London) [word count] [S10601].
