Even weary of it; if the parties lived P. Can. Ha! Pick. You could be glad To part with all for satisfaction: But since they had yielded to humanity, You did acknowledge it, this riotous heir, went P. Can. You would cozen both then? your confederate too? Pick. After a long mature deliberation, You could not think where better how to place it P. Can. Than on you, rascal? Pick. What you please in your passion, P. Can. Before a son? A tub without a bottom, as you termed For which I might return you a vow or And seal it with an oath of thankfulness. Grants out a writ of summons for the con- That I know, nor subpoena, nor attachment. P. Can. Forehead of steel, and mouth Be heard on oath and witness. Polished so gross a lie, and dar'st thou vent it? Engine, composed of all mixt metals! hence, I will not change a syllable with thee Till I may meet thee at a bar in court Pick. Thither it must come P. jun. Sir, your ear to me though- Upon the unwinding this so knotted skein He hath confest the trust. Pick. How! I confess it? P. jun. Ay, thou false man. P. jun. Come forth, Tom! Re-enter Tho. Barber. Speak what thou heard'st, the truth, and the whole truth, And nothing but the truth. What said Pick. A rat behind the hangings? It was a trust! an act the which your Had will to alter; but "his tender breast " P. jun. And talked of a gratuity to be given, And aid unto the charges of the suit ; P. Can. Stand up to him and confront Which he was to maintain in his own name, him. Pick. Where, when, to whom? P. jun. To me even now, and here: Canst thou deny it? Pick. Can I eat or drink, But for my use he said. P. Can. It is enough. Tho. And he "would milk Pecunia, and draw down Her cream before you got the trust again." Lick. By the porter that came for it from you, And by the token you had given me the keys, And bade me bring it. Pick. And why did you not? Lick. Your trust's another self, you know; And without trust, and your trust, how should he Take notice of your keys or of my charge? Pick. Know you the man? Lick. I know he was a porter, And a sealed porter; for he bore the badge Pick. I am lost: a plot! I scent it. Whom else I had not trusted. Pick. Plague on your trust! Pick. In mine own halter; I have made P. jun. What was it, Lickfinger? He sent for't by a token; I was bringing it, P. Can. 'Twas good fortune! To cheat the cheater was no cheat, but justice. Put off your rags and be yourself again: P. jun. Sir P. Can. No vows, no promises; too much protestation Makes that suspected oft we would per suade. Lick. Hear you the news? P. jun. The office is down, how should we? Lick. But of your uncle? Lick. He is run mad, sir. P. Can. How, Lickfinger? Lick. Stark staring mad, your brother, He has almost killed his maid P. Can. Now heaven forbid ! Lick. But that she is cat-lived and squirrel-limbed, Lick. Why did you send a countermand? With throwing bed-staves2 at her: he has Pick. Who, I? set wide this use of the word was frequently quoted in a controversy which arose some years ago as to the meaning of the phrase 'twinkling of a bedpost." "Had the writers been aware of the way in which Pennyboy Senior employed bed-staves, there would have been no talk of their being "at least six feet long and strong enough to bear the weight of any one leaning against His outer doors, and now keeps open house For all the passers-by to see his justice. And there he sits like an old worm of the peace, Wrapped up in furs, at a square table, screwing, Examining, and committing the poor curs To two old cases of close stools as prisons; The one of which he calls his Lollard's tower, T'other his Block-house, 'cause his two dogs' names Are Block and Lollard. P. jun. This would be brave matter Unto the jeerers. P. Can. Ay, if so the subject Were not so wretched. Lick. Sure I met them all, I think, upon that quest. P. Can. 'Faith, like enough: The vicious still are swift to shew their natures. I'll thither too, but with another aim, If all succeed well, and my simples take. [Exeunt. SCENE II.-A Room in Pennyboy Senior's House. Pennyboy sen. discovered sitting at table with papers, &c. before him; Porter, and Block and Lollard (two dogs.) P. sen. Where are the prisoners ? Por. They are forthcoming, sir, Or coming forth at least. P. sen. The rogue is drunk, Since I committed them to his charge.Come hither, Near me, yet nearer; breathe upon me. [He smells him.] Wine! Wine o' my worship! sack, Canary sack! Could not your badge have been drunk with fulsom ale Or beer, the porter's element? but sack! Por. I am not drunk; we had, sir, but one pint, An honest carrier and myself. Por. Sir, I did give it him. P. sen. What, and spend sixpence ! A frock spend sixpence! sixpence ! Por. Once in a year, sir. P. sen. In seven years, varlet! know'st thou what thou hast done, What a consumption thou hast made of a state? It might please heav'n (a lusty knave and young) To let thee live some seventy years longer, Till thou art fourscore and ten, perhaps a hundred. Say seventy years; how many times seven in seventy? Why, seven times ten is ten times seven, mark me, I will demonstrate to thee my fingers. Sixpence in seven year, use upon use, Grows in that first seven year to be a twelvepence; That in the next two shillings; the third, four shillings; The fourth seven year, eight shillings; the fifth, sixteen; The sixth, two and thirty; the seventh, three pound four ; The eighth, six pound and eight; the ninth, twelve pound sixteen ; And the tenth seven, five and twenty pound Twelve shillings. This thou art fall'n from by thy riot, Shouldst thou live seventy years, by spending sixpence Once in the seven: but in a day to waste it ! There is a sum that number cannot reach! Out of my house, thou pest of prodigality, Seed of consumption, hence a wicked keeper Is oft worse than the prisoners. There's thy penny, Four tokens for thee. Out, away! [Exit May yet be innocent and honest: if not, them," but they would have believed the poet's another it may safely be assumed that he was great namesake Samuel, who defines a bed-staff received in the "chamber," and that the host, to be " a wooden pin stuck anciently on the sides giving up the only chair, seated himself on the of the bedstead to hold the clothes from slipping side of the bed. In such circumstances a "dun" on either side.' In Jonson's days sofas were intruding upon Marlowe and Green, for exunknown, and ". withdrawing-rooms" and "par- ample, would have been at no loss to underlours" were reserved for the well-to-do. When stand what the "twinkling of a bed-staff" meant. one of these rare but not rich old dramatists visited-F. C.] When you last licked her feet? the truth Enter Cymbal, Fitton, Shunfield, Almanac, now. Ha! And when Leaped you on Statute? forth? Consent ! As she went There was consent, as she was going forth. 'Twould have been fitter at her coming home, But you knew that she would not? To your tower: You are cunning, are you? I will meet your craft. [Commits him again. Block, shew your face; leave your caresses tell me, [Calls forth Block. And tell muly, what affronts do you know Were done Pecunia, that she left my house? None, say you so? not that you know? or will know? I fear me I shall find you an obstinate and Madrigal behind. To prison again, close prison. Not you, Lollard; You may enjoy the liberty of the house: And yet there is a quirk come in my head, For which I must commit you too, and close. Do not repine, it will be better for you Cym. This is enough to make the dogs mad too: Let's in upon him. [They come forward. P. sen. How now, what's the matter? Come you to force the prisoners? make a rescue ? Fit. We come to bail your dogs. P. sen. They are not bailable, They stand committed without bail or mainprise, Your bail cannot be taken. Shun. Then the truth is, Mad. Bait you rather. Cym. A baited usurer will be good flesh. Fit. And tender, we are told. P. sen. Who is the butcher Amongst you that is come to cut my throat? Shun. You would die a calf's death, fain; but 'tis an ox's Is meant you. Cym. Your red-deer pies? Shun. With your baked turkeys? Mad. Your pheasants and fat swans ! Mad. But such as will not keep your Shun. You were wont to have your breams Alm. And trouts sent in. Cym. Fat carps and salmons. Fit. Ay, and now and then, An emblem of yourself, an o'ergrown pike. P. sen. You are a jack, sir. Fit. You have made a shift To swallow twenty such poor jacks ere Fit. Away! Cym. What is he? Alm. Stay not to ask questions. Fit. He is a flame. Shun. A furnace. Alm. A consumption, Kills where he goes. [Cym. Fit. Mad. Alm. and Shun. run off. Lick. See the whole covey is scattered; 'Ware, 'ware the hawks! I love to see them fly. Enter Pennyboy Canter, Pennyboy jun., Pecunia, Statute, Band, Wax, and Mortgage. P. Can. You see by this amazement and distraction What your companions were, a poor, affrighted, Fit. Tut, he will live like a grasshop-And guilty race of men, that dare to per Mad. On dew. Shun. Or like a bear, with licking his own claws. Cym. Ay, if his dogs were away. While they are fat. Fit. Faith, and when they are gone, His kindred spiders, natives of the soil. Alm. Dust he will have enough here, to breed fleas. Mad. But by that time he'll have no blood to rear them. Shun. He will be as thin as a lanthorn, we shall see through him. stand No breath of truth; but conscious to themselves Of their no-wit, or honesty, ran routed Their tinkling captain, Cymbal, and the rest, Dare put on any visor to deride The wretched, or with buffoon licence jest At whatsoe'er is serious, if not sacred. P. sen. Who's this? my brother! and restored to life! P. Can. Yes, and sent hither to restore your wits; Alm. And his gut colon tell his intes- If your short madness be aught more than tina. P. sen. Rogues! rascals! The dogs bark. Bow, wow!] Fit. He calls his dogs to his aid. Alm. O, they but rise at mention of his tripes. Cym. Let them alone, they do it not for him. Mad. They bark se defendendo. As commonly curs do, one for another. Enter Lickfinger. Lick. Arm, arm you, gentlemen jeerers! the old Canter Is coming in upon you with his forces, anger |