The Rivall Friends :: :: University of Virginia Library

Signior mio molto honorifico, per testa del mio padre, io non he
altro, advffirirui, che me stesso, però capitale di me, è splendetemi
per quel chio vaglio.

Nod.

Do's he speake French Sir?

Lou.

How thinke you Sir?

Noddle.

Nay but well I meane?

Lou.

O admirably, take
heed what you doe, hee's a great Trauailer I tell you.

Noddle.

Gods mee! is he so? I'le not meddle with him
then, I would haue tickled him else.

Ante.

Signior, io mi terrei
ricco s' io hauessi solamente le decime de i vostri favori.

Nod.

Nay Sir I am not so well skilled in the language, as I

could wish I were, for your sake, I can speake a little Sir, Un
peu, Monseur, tellement quellement.

Ante.

May I be so bold as to heare your name Sir?

Nod.

My name is Nodale Empty Sir.

Ant.

An Inns 'othe Court man Sir?

Nodd.

I haue pist in some greene pots in my dayes Sir.

Will. Wis.

Ny name is William Wiseacres Sir. I am to of a Sanguine
complexion.

Ante.

In good time Sir.

Wise.

Very melancholy sometimes Sir.

Ante.

Like enough Sir

He offers to feele him by the nose end.
Wise.

Ha, he, he, he—

Loue.

Ha, ha, ha, he,—O my sides—

Ant.

Gods my life! I should loose it all were my patrimony
layd on't. Come on Sir, brace me your inuention to the height,
you see your Antagonist.

Loue.

To him, ferret him, ferret him.

Nodd.

Noble Sir may I bee so ambitious, as to desire my
name, to be enrolled in the Catalogue of your well wishers.

Ham.

I doe honour the very shadow of your shoe strings.

Loue.

You'r mock'd Sir, hee weares bootes.

Hamm.

And am wholly your's cap a pea.

Noddle.

Pox on't, I made full account, to haue had that next
my selfe, how came hee by it trow?

Ham.

What say you Sir?

Noddle.

I say Sir, that it is your best course, to take heede
how you make a deed of guift of your selfe, for feare some of
your friends suffer for it, for the Physnomy of your boot, tels
mee, it was neuer made for you, I doe not thinke but you borrowed
them.

Ham.

And I say Sir, that it is better to borrow then to
take vpon trust, and neuer pay, as many such gallants as you doe.

Ante.

Loueall, this heat is done, lets rub, and walke.

Loue.

Agreed, Master Empty, take some pitty on the Scholler,
let him breath a little, wilt please you walke?

[Louell & Nod walke. Ant. and Ham. walke.
Nod.

I am your Seruant.

Ant.

Well done, 'twas smartly followed; but lets walke;

Wise.

Ha, I don't thinke ne're goe Law, but I haue seene
you some where.

Ant.

You're beholding to your eyes for that.

Mun.

It may be so.

Ant.

Loueall, looke, looke, looke, another heate.

VVise.

Don't you vse sometimes about Stamford side?

Mun.

Yes Sir, I haue hunted, and hawked, there abouts Sir
in my dayes, and beene in Sara's hele too Sir, I was at the last
horse race, Sir, when Veluet-heeles, and Currants run Sir, I haue
some reason to remember it, I am sure, I was cheated of twenty
peeces there, Ile sweare vnto you Sir as I'me a Gentleman, and
an elder Brother, I'me a very foole—

Lou.

Out you Nullifidian, don't let the Gentleman sweare,
tak't vpon his bare word.

Wise.

Nay Sir, I'le belieue you without swearing.

Mun.

Nay but conceiue me Sir. I was a very foole (as I
said before) to bee drawne in after that manner, I would faine
see the best cheater of them all, gull me of so much now.

Wise.

Well sir, I desire your better acquaintance. I haue the
best wine in Towne for you, please you to accept.

Mun.

Thanke you sir.

[They shake hands, he feeles him by the nose end.]
Wise.

I think you & I are much vpon a complexion. He, he, he,
you haue lost your mayden-head. If it please you Sir to come to
my lodging Sir, when you come to London, I shall thinke my
selfe very much bound to you, I haue some pretty bookes there
to lend you, I haue Aristotle's Problemes in English, and Albertus
magnus de secretis, I, as I am a liuing soule.

Lou.

Let's take 'em off.

[They part, Lou. walkes with Wis. Ant. with Mun.]
Nod.

Troth Sir you haue a very neat suit there, I am much
taken with the proportion of your hose, 'tis a deepe French Sir.
I haue a Sattin suit to make shortly, and I would bestow, some
twenty dozen of gold lace vpon it, if I could but purchase the
knowledge of such a Taylour as your's, I should thinke my selfe
beholding to my Starrs for it.

Ante.

O your walking faculty, it is the only thing, now
adayes your Gentlemen practise.

Ham.

Indeed Sir, I thinke it bee time for you to seeke out
for a new one, for I thinke your old one will trust you no
longer.

Ante.

Should you but see them walke in Paules, or in the
Temple, with what a rauishing garbe—you would admire.

Wise.

He, he, you are such a merry man, but indeed I hold that
Tobacco is very good for Phlegmatick complections.

Ant.

Your hilt a little forwarder; very good, your very rapier
sheakes French; I protest hee showes in the gracefull carriage
of his legge, as though he had been a man of fourtie playes,
fifteene moutings.

Mun.

Nay, I shall doe well in time.

Nod.

Gods me! you haue staind your cloake sir, how will
you doe? I doubt the Gentleman that lent you it will be angry.

Ham.

Thinke you so sir?

Ant.

Well, there's no remedy, I must goe and relieue my
Scholler.—Sir, a word in private, do you know that gentleman?

Nod.

Yes sir, I haue read Overburies Characters; he is a silly
fellow in blacke, I take it.

Ant.

Well sir, how ever you dis-esteeme him, I could wish
you would take heed of him; I wonder hee did not strike you
all this while. Go to, I say no more, I hold him to be the stoutest
man of his hands in all this side o'th countrey.

Nodd.

Is he so?

Ant.

Why he is sent for far and neere by the valiant of the
Parishes, to play matches at football: I tell you hee is the onely
Hammershin this Shire can boast of; not a Servingman can keep
a legge or an arme whole for him, he ha's a pension from all the
Surgeons within the compasse of fortie miles, for breaking of
bones.

Nod.

Nay for my part sir, let him be as tall a man as he will,
I doe not care a pin for him, (doe you see) for I doe not meane
to quarrell with him, onely I make account to jeere him a little.

Ant.

Well, take heed, say I.

Nod.

Nay sir, I'le take your counsell, I'le go and fetch my rapier
I left within, and then let him doe his worst.

Ex. Nod.

Ant.

Follow him, follow him, the exalted mushroome—
a whorson butterflie, he ha's nothing to jeere you for but your
borrowed cloake and bootes; and I don't thinke but they bee
your owne for all his talking.

Ham.

No indeed, to tell you the truth, I borrowed them of
a Batchelour of our house, mine owne lye in limbo at a Barbers
shop for Tobacco.

Ant.

But why dost not beat him man? Gods me! beat him.

Ham.

Nay, I would haue bin at him, but that I was afraid—

They say many of 'em are very desperate fellowes.

Ant.

Faith, to doe them right, there be many of 'um that haue
run through the discipline of a Bawdy-house, & learnt to quarrell
there, and haue seene the entrailes of a Fence-schoole too, and in
one word are sufficiently valiant; but that proues not a generalitie.
There are of them (I'le warrant you) as there are of your
schollers, some that weare swords, only to scare fooles.

Ham.

Nay sir, I would haue you to know, that I am neither
afraid of him, nor his sword: but I would not willingly die yet,
if I could helpe it.

Ant.

Fear't not man, thou shalt liue I warrant thee, to see
thy good name buried before thee. Haue you nothing about
you to strike him with?

Ham.

Yes, I haue the key of my study dore in my pocket.

Ant.

O nothing better then that, follow him, to him, to him.

Ham.

Shall I, i'faith? shall I?

Ant.

Never stand, shall I? shall I? but doe't.

Ham.

Ne're goe, and so I will: Ile teach him to abuse any
of our cloath againe.

Exit Ham.

Ant.
St, Mr Mungrell.

He whispers him.
Mun.
As I'm a Gentleman, and an elder brother—

He runs after them offring to draw.
Loue.
But how now Anteros? what businesse is this?

Ant.
Can you but hold your peace, and follow them
With your sweet William? nay, but will you goe?
Ex. Loue. & William.
You'l loose the banquet if not presently.