University of Virginia Library

Scena secunda/

Enter in a[n Aleh]guestowse: Bellario a Totter'd Soldier Black Snout a Smith, Snip snap, a Taylor, Colueskin, a shomaker: euery one potts in there hand.
Snip.
Some more drinke boy.

Tap:
You shall sir by and by,

Black:
Come my braue Souldier
take of thy basting bully by this hand
thou shalt not pay a farthing of this reckoning
I'me black snout still.

Bell.
pay what words that
oh disgrace to a man of resolution
name pay in tyme of peace

Cal.
Nay be not angry my bold swashbuckler
he means thou shalt not pay for whats come in

Snip.
[no more he shall not by this thimble]
[whilst I haue a groat, I should haue twoo twoo pences]
[I mistake else.]
[not a doyt, by this drinke so heers to thee boy.]

Bell.
no nor you neither my fine fox catchers
pay, tis against my profession, I haue a bitch
shall bite him to the bone dares aske but such a question
Las you are fresh men, I am an old weatherbeaten Souldier
that whilest Drum and trumpets terrified Cowards
had the world at will, but in this Armur rusting peace
Ime glad to change God Mars for Mercurie
and picke a liuing out of my Witts,

Snip:
Picke, I allowe you
giue me a Trade say I Ile vndertake
to finish more s[uites] sutes in a yeare, then any too lawyers
in the Toune, and gett as much byth hand too,
it tis well knowne wee purchase now a daies
as well as they,

Bla:
Why not yr fees goe all one way
Lawyers and Taylers haue there seuerall hells

Cal.
Well fare the honest Gentle craft my harts,
our labor alwaies comes to a good end.

Bla:
peace Calueskin, yr thin sole takes water

Cal.
tis want of liquor then, some more drinke sirrah

Black.
Which of you all can hold out tack, with black snout
the Horse shoomaker, tis alwaies good
when a man has two Irons in the fire
wee seldome haue cold doings.

Snip.
Ide be loath
to haue no[thing] other liuing but my witts [to liue vpon]

Bla:
I beleeue thee thou wouldst haue none at all then

Snip.
tis but a thredbare liuing at the best

Bell.
s'foote yee all talke,
like a company of spratt fedd Mechanicks
I tell you my sincere Iobernoules, I would not change
the revenews that this braine brings me in yearly
for neare a trade falne Cittizens in Europe
tho there Charter were seald, to sweare and ly by authority

Cal.
ist possible

Bell.
theres many a trim gallant in this Towne
that liues by nothing else, and brauely too
las wee haue comings in that euery goose ith Citty
thinks not of, as for example, sitt round,

Bla.
Sitt round, sit round.

Bell.
Ile explaine this mistery
heeres a young high mettled lady, whilest her vnable lord
lies languishing in a lingring Consumption, shee poore soule
is almost pind for want of necessaries
who must helpe this mallady, but Bellario,—
a lustie well timberd fellowe, yet no loggerhead
mistake mee not,

Bla:
no, no, yr ith right

Bell
and there besids a Satin sute, with all things correspondent
cappape, these Coffers are furnisht for a moneth or twoo,

Snip.
good iffaith.

Bla:
I begin to relish this

Bell
then this braue Caualero
is openly baffeld in his mr s. sight, and dares not fight
himselfe, who must maineteyne this quarrell but Bellario
and so some fortie or fifty Crusadoes, intice my trustie
freind heere, to leaue his peacefull mantion,
to make good his reputacon̄.

Caul.
What do you thinke of this;

Bla.
better and better still, some more drinke boy

Bell.

Snip-
very necessarie I protest to yee

Bell-
to proceede

Bla-
I to proceede heers to yee

Bell-
this new Come Nouice
would be instructed in the generous Garbe
this tiffeny Trader, wants Customers, I thrust em together
this greasie Cittizen, would put off some mustie Comodetie
that some young heire would halfe hang himselfe to take vpp,
I helpe all these, and all these helpe mee,
the honest whoore fortune finds a thowsand waies
to pleasure her fauorits, now my fine finger-blowing-
Crosse-legd Companions, is not witt an vnknowne Legacie?

Snip.
I ile be sworne ist
ide spend a Crowne to see my fathers will
sure he left me that vnknowne legacy
he was once Maior of the Towne.

Bla.
I should haue witt I was a Souldier once

Snip. Cal.
thou a Souldier.

Bla.
yes and haue bin shot too,

Snip-
with a pott gunn

Bla:
no [snip snap] tayler, nor a goose gunn
but with a bullet as bigg as a penny loafe
thou wouldst haue eat it ere thou hadst sufferd it

Bell.
Where, where about wast black snowt,

Bla:
in the groyne, twas at the seige of Bunnill passing the straights
twixt Mages lane, and terra delphoga' the fierie ile,

Bell-
hott seruice by my faith.

Bla-
phew, nothing to mee
he is no good Smith that nere burnt his fingers
heere souldier heers to thee/

Snip.
dost call mee Souldier, I tell thee I scornt
I am a Tayler and as good a man as thy selfe

Bla:
as good a man as I. [snip snap thou liest]

Snip.
[lie, oh my patience, Ide giue forty dragmaes]
[I were a gentleman yt I might fight with thee]

Cau:
[nay, nay, no quarrelling, some more drinke Tapster,]
[pray helpe me to make em freinds, the Tayler sir]
[is somthing crosse sometimes, and soes the Smith too hott & fierie]

Bell.
[Come Black snout drinke to him,]

Bla:
[I care not if I doe]

[Snip.
Care not, nay then,]

[Bla:
What then,]

[Snip.
I care not if I pledge thee.]

[Bell:
so, so, this is well,]

[Caul
of all things in the world I cannot indure]
[this foolish quarrelling, my wife and I haue a bout]
[sometimes, but I alwaies come by the worst ont]

[Snip.
more drinke Tapster]

[Tap:
Sr my mr will let mee draw no more]
[till this be paid for,]

[Snip.
dos he misdoubt our paymt, then thers for yee]
[go change me that crackt crowne]

[Bell.
oh braue Snip snap, who sed he durst not fight]

[Tap:
Well Sir youle dearly answere this]
[my mr s Constable heele trounce yee fort]

[Snip
dost tell mee of a Constable]

[Bla:
a Cunstables an asse, I'ue bin a Cunstable my selfe]

[Cal.
I was headborough then yee knowe]

Enter Const & officers
[Const.
how now what coyle is heere,]

[Bla:
leuell coyle you see, euery mans pott]

[Con:
Which is hee sirrah.]

[Tap.
he sir that struts it so]

[Const.
I do comaund thee stand in the Kings name]

[Bla:
you must write great letters then]

[Con.
I do Comaund thee stand]

[Snip
Well so I do, now I sitt downe agen]

[Const.
thou hast broke my mans head heere in my owne howse]

[Snip.
thats a lye]
[I broakt within the length of my owne yarde]

[Con.
neighbors what were I best lay to his charge]
[it tis no fellony, nor burglarie,]

[1. off.
yes but tis tis, ist not burglarie to breake a howse]

[2. off
that tis,]

[1. off
and is not the flesh the howse of yr Soull,]

[Con.-
right—]

[1. off.
then attach him of burglarie for breaking yr mans howse]

[2. off.
no, no, lay flat murder to his charge,]
[Who knowes whether yr man may dy after it,]

[Const
peace tell me one thing first,]
[is not euery true Subiects bloud the Kings.]

[1. off.
yes that it tis.]

[Cons.
and ist not treason to spill the kings bloud]

[2. off.
yes by my faith ist, an high treason too—]

[Const.
Very good, then my Tapster being a true subiect]
[his bloud is the Kings, and it is treason to spilt]

[1. off.
oh well considerd mr Constable]
[this tis to haue a wise man in the place]

[Const.
Stand vp agen thou monster]

[Snip.
beare witnes neighbors, I'me a married man,]
[Sir I shall firke ye fort]

[Con:
I do heere attach thee of high treason]
[for breaking my Tapsters head.]

[Cau.
how, how, treason]

[Const.
or any man that dares not iustifiet]
[away with him to prison]

[Snip:
good mr Constable, twas wilfully done of me, I must confes]
[but did not thinke twas treason, neighbors speake for mee]

[Const.
away with him I say.]

[Bla:
away mr Constable be good to him]
[of a tayler hees a very honest man, tis against]
[a good tyme too, and if he should be hanged for this]
[he would go neare to loose all his Custome]
[Ile heare no more.]

Enter Marcellus a Capt. [Drum] and Cu[ll]nstable/
Marcell.
how now what vprores this are you the Constable

Const.
I am the King's sworne Image

Mar:
Can you read

Tell me of aunstable, I know wha.
a cunstable is I haue bin acunstable
my selfe

(Marginal note)

Const
Yes yes very well

Mar.
there is his highnes seale for present leauie of a band of men
thats the wrong end.

Const
if bee als one to mee,

Mar.
what men are these ith howse

[Const.]
a Company of quarrelling Iacks and please you

Tapst.
the say the haue binne Souldiers and fall out
about there vallors

Mar.
Such as these I looke for

Const
[the haue broke my Tapsters head amongst em Captaine

Mar.
the shall haue heads enow to breake nere doubt]
Bellario are you heere, a man of yr knowne parts
and quarrell in an Ale howse,

Bell.
pardon Captaine, twas no offence of myne
I light by chance into there Company
necessity yow knowe

Mar.
hold thee heers gold, furnish thy selfe with speede
thou shalt be my Leiftennant

Bell.
thanks braue Captaine

Marc:
these shall along with vs too, receiue yor presse

Cal.
oh good Captaine, I'ue a wife indeede Sir

Mar.
if shee be a striker ile press her too

Bla:
sfoote ile goe, and be but to be rid of mine

Snip
oh that I had bin hangd out of the way
sweete Captaine,

Mar.
prate not, take it [you best you were best

[Const.]
hees my prisoner Captaine I attachd him
of high treason for breaking my Tapsters head,]

Mar.
[away you Cocks combe-]bring em on bellario.

Exit. Cap:
Const.
pray Gentlemen will you pay yor recconing then

Snip
not a crosse by this hand, and stay mee if thou darest

Bla.
Ile go to all the Warrs in the world before ile pay a doyte

Bel.
to warrs my boys, why tis the brauest life
ile sing you asong now shall encourage yow
and make yow fight like furies

omne
oh lets heart
the Song