 | Beggars Bush |  |
Scæna Tertia.
Enter Hubert like a Huntesman.Hub.
Thus have I stolne away disguiz'd from Hemskirck
To try these people, for my heart yet tells me
Some of these Beggars, are the men I looke for
Appearing like my selfe, they have no reason
(Though my intent is faire, my maine end honest)
But to avoyde me narrowly, that face too,
That womans face, how neere it is: ô may it
But prove the same, and fortune how I'le blesse thee;
Thus, sure they cannot know me, or suspect me,
If to my habit I but change my nature;
As I must do; this is the wood they live in,
A place fit for concealement: where, 'till fortune
Crowne me with that I seeke, I'le live amongst 'em.
Exit.
Enter Higgen, Prig. Ferret. Ginks. and the rest of the Boores.
Hig.
Come bring 'em out, for here we sit in justice:
Give to each one a cudgell, a good cudgell:
And now attend your sentence, that you are rogues,
And mischeivous base rascalls, (ther's the point now)
I take it, is confess'd.
Prig.
Deny it if you dare knaves.
Boores.
We are Rogues Sir.
Hig.
To amplify the matter then rogues as ye are,
And lamb'd, ye shall be ere we leave ye.
Boores.
Yes Sir.
Hig.
And to the open handling of our justice,
Why did ye this upon the proper person
Of our good Master? were you drunk when you did it?
Boores.
Yes indeed were we.
Prig.
You shall be beaten sober.
Hig.
Was it for want you undertooke it?
Boores.
Yes Sir.
Hig.
You shall be swing'd aboundantly.
Prig.
And yet for all that,
You shall be poore rogues still.
Hig.
Has not the Gentleman,
Pray marke this point Brother Prig, that noble Gentleman
Releiv'd ye often, found ye meanes to live by,
By imploying some at Sea, some here; some there;
According to your callings?
Boores.
'Tis most true Sir.
Hig.
Is not the man, an honest man?
Boores.
Yes truly.
Hig.
A liberall Gentleman? and as ye are true rascalls
Tell me but this, have ye not been drunk, and often,
At his charge?
Boores.
Often, often.
Hig.
Ther's the point then,
They have cast themselves, brother Prig.
Prig.
A shrew'd point Brother.
Hig.
Brother, proceed you now; the cause is open,
I am some what weary.
Prig.
Can you do these things?
You most abhominable stincking Rascalls,
You turnip-eating Rogues.
Boores.
We are truly sorry.
Prig.
Knock at your hard harts Rogues, and presently
Give us a signe you feele compunction,
Every man up with's cudgell, and on his neighbour
Bestow such almes, 'till we shall say sufficient,
For there your sentence lyes without partiality;
Either of head, or hide, Rogues, without sparing,
Or we shall take the paines to bear you dead else:
You shall know your doom.
Hig.
One, two, and three about it.
Prig.
That fellow in the blew, has true compunction,
He beates his fellowes bravely, oh, well struck boyes,
Enter Gerrard.
Hig.
Up with that blew breech, now playes he the Divell,
So get ye home, drink small beere, and be honest;
Call in the Gentleman.
86
Do, bring him presently,
His cause I'le heare my selfe.
Enter Hemskirck.
Hig., Prig.
With all due reverence,
We do resigne Sir.
Ger.
Now huffing Sir, whats your name?
Hem.
What's that to you Sir?
Ger.
It shall be ere we part.
Hem.
My name is Hemskirk,
I follow the Earle, which you shall feele.
Ger.
No threatning,
For we shall coole you Sir; why did'st thou basely
Attempt the murder of the Merchant Goswin?
Hem.
What power hast thou to aske me?
Ger.
I will know it.
Or plea thee till thy paine discover it.
Hem.
He did me wrong, base wrong.
Ger.
That cannot save ye,
Who sent ye hither? and what further villanies
Have ye in hand?
Hem.
Why would'st thou know? what profit,
If I had any private way, could rise
Out of my knowledge, to do thee commodity?
Be sorry for what thou hast done, and make amends foole
I'le talke no further to thee: nor these rascalls.
Ger.
Tye him to that tree.
Hem.
I have told you whom I follow.
Ger.
The Divell you should do, by your villanies,
Now he that has the best way, wring it from him.
Hig.
I undertake it: turne him to the Sun boyes;
Give me a fine sharpe rush, will ye confesse yet?
Hem.
Ye have rob'd me already, now you'le murder me
Hig.
Murder your nose a little: does your head purge Sir?
To it againe, 'twill do ye good.
Hem.
Oh,
I cannot tell you any thing.
Ger.
Proceed then.
Hig.
Ther's maggots in your nose, I'le fetch em out Sir.
Hem.
O my head breakes.
Hig.
The best thing for the rhewme Sir,
That falls into your worships eyes.
Hem.
Hold, hold.
Ger.
Speake then.
Hem.
I know not what.
Hig.
It lyes in's braine yet,
In lumps it lyes, I'le fetch it out the finest;
What pretty faces the foole makes? heigh!
Hem.
Hold,
Hold, and I'le tell ye all, looke in my doublet;
And there within the lining in a paper,
You shall finde all.
Ger.
Go fetch that paper hither,
And let him loose for this time.
Enter Hubert.
Hub.
Good ev'n my honest feiends.
Ger.
Good ev'n good fellow.
Hub.
May a poore huntsman, with a merry hart,
A voyce shall make the forrest ring about him,
Get leave to live amongst ye? true as steele, boyes?
That knowes all chases, and can watch all howres,
And with my quarter staffe, though the Divell bid stand,
Deale such an almes, shall make him roare again?
Prick ye the fearefull hare through crosse wayes, sheepe walkes
And force the crafty Reimald climb the quiksetts;
Rouse ye the lofty, Stag, and with my bell-horne,
Ring him a knell, that all the woods shall mourne him,
'Till in his funerall teares, he fall before me?
The Polcat, Marterne, and the rich skin'd Lucerne,
I know to chase, the Roe, the winde out-stripping
Isgrin himselfe, in all his bloody anger;
I can beate from the bay, and the wild Sounder
Single, and with my arm'd staffe, turne the Boare,
Spight of his fomy tushes, and thus strike him;
'Till he fall downe my feast.
Ger.
A goodly fellow.
Hub.
What mak'st thou here, ha?
Ger.
We accept thy fellowship.
Hub.
Hemskirck, thou art not right I feare, I feare thee.
Enter Ferret, a letter.
Fer.
Here is the paper: and as he said we found it.
Ger,
Give me it, I shall make a shift yet, old as I am
To finde your knavery: you are sent here, Sirra
To discover certaine Gentlemen, a spy-knave
And if ye finde 'em, If not by perswasion
To bring 'em back, by poyson to dispatch 'em.
Hub.
By poyson, ha?
Ger.
Here is an other, Hubert;
What is that Hubert Sir?
Hem.
You may perceive there.
Ger.
I may perceive a villany and a ranke one,
Was he joyn'd partner of thy knavery?
Hem.
No.
He had an honest end, would I have had so,
Which makes him scape such cut throates.
Ger.
So it seemes,
For here thou art commanded, when that Hubert
Has done his best and worthiest service, this way
To cut his throat, for here he's set downe dangerous.
Hub.
This is most impious.
Ger.
I am glad we have found ye,
Is not this true?
Hem.
Yes? what are you the better;
Ger.
You shall perceive Sir, ere you get your fredome:
Take him aside, and friend, we take thee to us,
Into our company, thou dar'st be true unto us?
Hig.
I, and obedient too?
Hub.
As you had bred me.
Ger.
Then take our hand: thou art now a servant to us,
Welcom him all.
Hig.
Stand off, stand off: I'le do it,
We bid yee welcome three wayes: first for your person,
Which is a promising person, next for your quality,
Which is a decent, and a gentle quality,
Last for the frequent meanes you have to feed us,
You can steale 'tis to be presum'd.
Hub.
Yes, venson,
Or if I want—
Hig.
'Tis well you understand right,
And shall learne dayly: you can drink too?
Hub.
Soundly.
Hig.
And ye dare know a woman from a weathercock?
Hub.
Yes, if I handle her.
Ger.
Now sweare him.
Hig.
You are welcom Brother.
All.
Welcom, welcom, welcom, but who shall have the keeping
Of this fellow?
Hub.
Thank ye friends,
And I beseech ye, if you dare but trust me;
For if I have kept wilde doggs and beastes for wonder,
And made 'em tame too: give into my custody
This roaring rascall I shall hamper him,
With all his knacks and knaveryes, and I feare me
Discover yet a further villany in him;
O he smells ranck o'th rascall.
Ger.
Take him to thee,
But if he scape—
87
Let me be ev'n hang'd for him,
Roome Sir, I'le tye ye to my leash.
Hem.
Away Rascall.
Hub.
Be not so stubborne: I shall swindge ye soundly,
And ye play tricks with me.
Ger.
Now sweare him.
Hig.
I crowne thy nab, with a gag of benbouse,
And stall thee by the salmon into the clowes,
To mand on the pad, and strike all the cheates;
To mill from the Ruffmans, commision and states,
Twang dell's, i' the stiromell, and let the Quire Cuffin:
And Herman Beck strine, and trine to the Ruffin.
Ger.
Now interpret this unto him.
Hig.
I powre on thy pate a pot of good ale,
And by the Rogues oth a Rogue thee install:
To beg on the way, to rob all thou meetes;
To steale from the hedge, both the shirt and the sheetes:
And lye with thy wench in the straw till she twang,
Let the Constable, Iustice, and Divell go hang.
Ger.
So, now come in,
But ever have an eye Sir, to your prisoner.
Hub.
He must blinde both mine eyes, if he get from me.
Ger.
Go, get some victualls, and some drink, some good drink
For this day wee'le keep holly to good fortune,
Come and be frollick with us.
Hig.
ye are a stanger.
Exeunt.
| Beggars Bush | |