 | The Soddered Citizen |  |
Scæna prima
Enter Modestina, Miniona, and her maide.,Mod:
—You are full of yor. dislikes,
Minio:
I tell thee Modestina, for a Husband
(Cranke Mushrum) Thus I spurne him;
Mod:
Sr. Newman is a sweete younge gentleman,
Minio:
ffoh, on thy folly, and thy grosser sences,
My Nostrill has his birth, vnpurified,
Borne, of Mechanicks, what's his prettines?
His forct quainte quallities, vnnaturall,
Not from discent, what are his Countrey farmes?
His Cittie Leases,? but the Asse his trappings?
Give mee an honourable Gentleman,
Whose awe shall force, from such like, prancked puppitts,
Obedience, and a Crouch beneath my foote,
Ravish'd wt h ioye, but att a nodd retorn'd,
Accomptinge it, wrought from mee, by the powers
Celestiall; That I might grace their Creatures;
Mod:
The briske blyth Barron is the man I see,
Minio:
The newe fledge Cockoe, thou art borne to vex mee.
[Hee's of our Cittie breed (madd Girle) he bought,]
[His rawe greene honour, wt h the overplus]
[of what his ffather lefte, of purchasinge,]
[Gott in his Shoppe, by's what dee lacke, & fawninge,]
Give mee an ancient & a spotles honour,
Maide.
(That's scarce ware Madame Ile assure you)
Minio:
If hee be poore [the stenckard] my ffather Vndermyne,
shall furnishe him wt h Coyne enough to keepe
An open howse, like to his Ancestors,
Maide
(Truly the best of them need such healpes in this beggerly age)
Minio:
Ile then take place, by iust preheminence
Before our Cittie Younglings, whoe are strutted
(By reason of their portions) vpp to Tytles
of honour too, and yett beneath my thoughts,
Maide.
They looke with all their [Gayetie] Bravery, & title on them,
Like a dogge in a doublett, & iust soe well they become it,
Mod:
I wishe you yor. desires, & to my selfe—[myne owne],
27
Minio
I haue thee att a haire y'faith,
Younge Wittworth, is the prettie fellowe, borne
Vnto good Countrey meanes, Hee's knighted,
Soe was his ffather, Laboringe Iustices,
Were all his Auncestors, none honourable,
Thou maist be, a She Cæsar, in the Countrie,
Amongst the Rusticks, They will call the Madame,
And weare out thy pau'd hall wt h hobnayl'd scrapes,
Thou must endure their sweate, and nastie feete,
They will present thee every Newyeares tyde,
With Pullen, Henn, and Capon, thou art tyed then
To eate amongst them, but to heare the Chatt
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Would grinde ones braines to dust,
Maide
You are to riddle,
Which way a Goose should sitt to hatch her goslings,
Minio:
Att what tyme of the Moone to kill thy hoggs,
Maide
Else they'le despise yor wante of Howswiferie,
Minio:
Whilst t'is a curse to be experienc'd in't,
Mod:
Nowe you provoake my modestie to argue,
Curst are the scornefull, and accur'st bee they [be]
whome giddie headed fancie, elevates
Beyond the pitch, levell wt h their deserts,
What is yor ffather,? but a Cittizen,
Will you defile yor. neast,? what prentize is there
That's borne a gentleman, if hee dyes bound
Can be denyed a Scutchion to his Hearse?
Hee is but vnder civill discipline,
A Scholler, in an honest arte of life,
Ther's nothinge forfeits Gentrye, butt attainder,
And nothinge shewes it more, then courtesie,
What Lord can challenge a bare head from any?
But his owne followers,? and hee is ignoble
That has it, and takes scorne, to vayle againe;
Lastly, wc h neerely touches my repute.,
I beinge of ancient Gentrie discended,
Yett of the Countrey, Ile not chainge my birth
Nor yett my mynds content, for all those tytles
Which you haue Castl'd in the ayre, yor fancye
Poyson'd, with horrid, and detested pride,
Hath stanch'd the likelyhood, of yor. enioyinge
The Countrey happines, past yor. deservings,
Then for Sr. Wittworth—
| The Soddered Citizen | |