University of Virginia Library

Scæn. 4.

Enter Signior Multecarni the Poet, and two of the Actors.
Mul.
Well, if there be no remedy, one must act two parts;
Rosselio shall be the Fool and the Lord,
And Tisso the Citizen and the Cuckold.

1 Act.
That cannot be, Signior, you know,
One still comes in, when the other goes out.

Mul.
By Jove 'tis true; let me see,
We'll contrive it, the Lord and the Usurer,
The Citizen and the Polititian;
And sure they never are together.
But who shall act the Honest Lawyer?
'Tis a hard part, that.

2 Act.
And a tedious one,
It's admired you would put it in, Squire;
And 'tis against your own rules,
To represent any thing on the Stage,
That cannot be.

Mul.
Why, dost think 'tis impossible for a Lawyer to be honest?

1 Act.
As 'tis for a Lord Treasurer to be poor,
Or for a King not to be cozened.
There's little Robin, in debt within these three years,
Grown fat and full by the trade:
And then there's Borachio, an unknown man,
Got it all by speaking loud and bawling:
Believe it, Signior, they have no more conscience
Then an Inn-keeper.—

Mul.
I grant you all this; An old Cook, and a good, will please all palates:
There's that for the young Tapers of the Law;
Then there's a bawdy Jest or two
Extraordinary for the Ladies;
And when it comes to be acted in private,
I'll have a jerk at the State
For the Country-Gentlemen: If it does not take,
My masters, it lies not upon me,
I have provided well;
And if the stomack of the times be naught,
The fault's not in the meat or in the Cook.
Come, let's find out Lepido
And dine at the Mermaid—
Come let us have one Rowse, my Joves, in Aristippus,
We shall conceive the better afterwards.

Act.
Agreed, agreed—

[Exeunt singing]
Come, come away, to the Tavern I say,
For now at home is Washing-day:
Leave your prittle-prattle, let's have a Pottle,
We are not so wise as Aristotle.