University of Virginia Library

sc. i

Enter Conon, Elidure, Deuon Archi«b [OMITTED]»
Conon:
Good morrow Lords: wt. Clowdy clere yr. Browes
our night of slavery is ore, the bright day of freedome
begins to breake, & throw gilt Beams vpon vs,
the sonn rize danceing on the Britishe Cliffts
& smyles on our attempt.

Elid:
It does, it dos, and tho
great Britaine (wt h thre quarters of the world)
Be by warrs chance, made Romaine tributaries
our Homage paid, we are not slaves to Rome,
but owners of our Honors, & our Titles
wc h this yong Prorex, haughty Marianus
wood Iustle vs out off

Deuon
nay does, the poore he makes
slaves, & like horses yoakes 'em vp in Teames
to till our owne Land for the Romaines vse,

Arch [Elid]:
our wifes & daughters they make prostitutes
eat vp the rich, make bondslaves of the poore
& oppresse all

Conon.
nay we that Are the peeres
& barrones of the Land, are howrly fleicd,
off Titles & additionns

Arch.
wt an Affront
was given last day to Barron Clarydon,
by prowd Varletti his base Mynion
a skipping Zanny, a mere virginall Iack
a fellow bred, no better then a ffidler.

Conon.
yes he can dance, & do his grownd trickes cleanlye
has taught strange changes synce he came into Britaine

Elyd.
grownd trickes dee call em? me thinkes theyre too loftye
he caperd Clare out of an honord offyce.

Deu.
let sincapace looke well vnto his ffooteinge
an other trick like that will breake his neck else

Con,
meane tyme I feare has broake the Barrons hart
he went home heavy.

Arch:
he had small reason for that. tho. his estates lighter by a 1000l
per Annū. but to the busines. wt are we all sound bosoomde?

oēs
all of a peice.

showes a Paper
Arch
Then wt. our tongues have sworne
& our hands seald vpon our warlike swords
lets se performd, & pluck that sicophant
out of his Armes, or him out of his chaire

Elid:
thats the maine Business that Convented vs

Conon.
A bout it then, this is [old Gilberts Castle] Mount Claridon,
lets call him forth. Gilbert, the Countess scylence

Enter Countess Clarydon.
Count.
my noble Lords

Con:
ffaire Countess wheres the Barron,

Count
busy wt hin sr. like a man prepareing
for a long voyage—

Arch
oh tot h Holy Land.
has beene about it Long, this germaine Crochetmonger
makes old Gill mad, prethe go call hym hether
wele staye his voyage for this once

Count.
wood Heaven
yow were so fortunate, hees wondrous sick

Arch.
Sick nay I ferd asmuch
may we make bold so see him.

Count.
Tis' my desire, but he talkes somwt Idlye

Arch
for want of slepe, I have done so my selfe, when I was a
yong Reveller, vncurten come come lets se him—

Count:
Sir husband [OMITTED] /—

Bed discoverd. Gilb: in it
Gilb:
staye: I prethe, prthe death
Looke not so grimly—I confess my life
stands for feit to the, but the day of payment
is not yet come, & Ime a litle busye.

Count.
busy about wt?

Gilb
mary swete wife a mask—
a prety Anty mask—wc h death and I
must dance—Varletti? no, no, hes for state
state measurs all, [theres ner a champeon
to be disarmd int]

Arch.
that rascall troubles him.

Count
pray sr take comfort, some of yor best freinds
are come to se yw.

Gilb
let e'm ha that they come for then, good chere
titles aditions Honours offices
I cann well spare & they have need of em,
as good I give em to my freinds Alive
as ha my foes take em when I am dead.
but who are those thow calst my freinds
Varletti one of em?

Cono
no, no, [old] true Conon.
Elidure Devon & old Archibald

Gilb
my fellow peeres.

Conō
& sharers in thy sorrowe, that come a purpose

Gilb.
peace, peace, purpose nothinge
Varletties crochetts & crosspoints will blowe
yor purposes to aire, Bubles, mere nothings.

Arch
still that Iack troubles him.

Conon)
well then laye[ing] by the busynes we came for
being so weake hees much Incapable of it
& in my minde twer far more necessarye
he sett things in good order—.

Gilb:
made my will? that workes done Long Agoe

Arch.
And whome have yow Apointed
executors & over seers

Gilb
none, I Loue none
so ill to Author there damnation
no not Varletti, I'me so charitable
I made myne owne hand my Executor
& myne ey my[n]e overseer

Conon
yow have don well int
& shalbe sure to have yor well per formd
wt have yow giue the king

Gilb
the king more mercy & less Iustice, but no tyranny

Arch.
wt to yor freind Varletti

Gilb:
Varletti: my offices, all my offices, & a mule to carry em, for the
Ass has more tiltles then he can well beare all ready.

Con:
wt to yor sonn.

Gilb
A Britaines hart and an Italeans Braine, wit to kepe his
tongue in his mowth and his head on's shoulders wher is the
springall—

Count.
Sent for to court

Gilb.

Conon-
It was our last request sr.

Gilb:
vnder my pillow, prethe, prethe wife
shalt finde one ready seald. Intreat thes Lords
to witness it, pervse it at yor Leasures,
wt s there in perfect Memory I writ
& my Request is it may be performd.

Conon
yow have dealt nobly wt h yor wife & Sonn
devided yor Inheritance betwixt e'm—

Elid
& wt h discretion too, for it cutts of

Conon. think her dovr to lye yet least yor sonn may

(Marginal note)

gardian & ward ship & confyrms her both,

Conon
Twere not amiss [he] to set down over seers

Gilb
How over seers? why my Noble Lords
tho sick, I wood not have you think me mad
to hyer wolfes to overlooke my lambes
so there fat cubbs might lapp vp the swet milk
& my leane slincks lack whey, Ile no such overseers no—
Ile leave em full Bowles, if they wonot feed
freindly wt hout an vmpier, fast & wellcome
Countess a word

Count.
wt h me sr would yow speake?

Gilb
onely wt h the & privately the rest
may at there plesurs go to rest

Arch.
swete peace
be thy companion, for the Romaine wolfe
that makes such havock of our British heards
wele ether hunt him home into his denn,
or worry him wt h mastives,

—Ext.
Gilb.
vse yor skill
mans blood cost dere, its dowble synn to kill
wheres my man Howlet

Enter Howlet
How.

I have bene talking a cold word wt h Melpomine, Matron

of the Muses Lynnen ward rope, a bout the price of a winding
sheete for yor Lordship; for as my Lady will bestow a toombe
of yor body, Ile be at the cost of a cleane sheet for yr virtues, I
wood not have e'm walk vp and downe, as I have sene slovenly
ghosts in fowle lynnen; no Ile have as faire a poeticall
windeing sheete as I can get for my mony—

Gilb:
thow meanst an Eitaph

Howl.
some such ffooleishe thing I intend sr

Gilb
ffooleish indeed, vaine & superfluous
if my good deeds & memory be so poore
they are not able to live of them selvs
wt hout a Poets bought Benevolence
let em e'en dy wt h me, too for trew desert
will Live beyond a flattering Epitaph

Howl:
Tis but a dead comodity indeed now I thinke ont, Ile een loose
myne Earnest, & turn't vpon the poets hands agen, he may
finde crafty marchants enow, that will have more need
ont: but wherfore did yor Honour call me.

Gilb
Ile tell the [Howlet,] for the Honnest Service thow hast done
me, the ffarme thow dwelst in.

Howl.
calld the Ivy bush the Howlets have livd int tyme out a Mynd

Gilb:
And shall Inioye it still for tho my sonnes by right
as tis a part of his Inheritance
I giue it the & to thine heirs for ever

Howl
I thank yow sr, but pray If it be yor. sonns rights make not me
accessarye to such a wronge,

Gilb
dost take it as a wronge

Howl.
yes to rob any man of his right, & yow say thats yor sonnes,

Gilb.
Tis myne owne yet, and whilst I am alive,

altho it be not (mentiond in my will)

(Marginal note)

in witnes of my wife I giue it the

Howl.
And when yow are dead she[le] shalbe my witnes that hele
take it away agen, so she may be witnes of both sides and save
the price of a subpena.

Gilb
put that vpon the tryall, this box of Iewells
I leave vnto thy trust, if he deny the farme
sell e'm, theyle raise a some sufficient
to buy as rich a purchase,

Howl.
If I should purchase Newgate by the Bargaine

Gilb:
take em & put 'em vpp.

Howl.
I do not vse to take boxes at any mans hands, & yet pray
madam be witnes that I do take this at my Lords, & put
it vp very thankfully too,

Gilb
wt h this condicion if my sonn kepe touch
about the farme, thow givest it hym

Howl
who I give yor sonn a box so I may be soundly [buffetted indee«d»] boxt my selfe
& thats more then every man can saye.
but the condicion of the obligation is vnderstood, read sealed
& subscribed [in the prsence & witnes of my Lady], but the
box of Iewells not to be delivered, till I the owle, be in
full possession of my farme the Ivish bushe, & all this in the
presence & witnes of my ladye,

Gilb
thow vnderstandst me right & prethe Countess

Count
on thy soules perill, se it performd,—Cont. I shall sr. and now
ffarwell my soule setts saile toth cape of blisse
Instead of tears give me a parting kiss—

Count
Ay me my husband, helpe some Ladies helpe

Howl:
I shall need none of theirs, now yours nether, go into
Closset & comfort yor selfe, let me & my fellows alone
to take an order wt h the course

Count.
some weomen there to wind him—

Ext.
Howl.

Leave all to me I tell yow, I that could turne him in his bed
when he was alive, will make shift to winde him in A shete
now he is dead; so so Ile make sownd work by yor Leave,
now alls clere my lord my noble lord.

Gilb

now honnest How let all the vulturs gone.

Howl.

vultures? what meane yw by that sr.

Gilb

ffreinds, freinds & Phisitians man, they flutter A bout a sick man
like vulturs a bout a dyeing horse,

Howl.

wt. to peck the eyes out of his head sr.

Gilb

noe to pull the mony out of his purse, & giue him hard words fort too
as convulsion obstruction, pullulation, a litle more Phisick would
ha made me hart sick«.» But to the present Busyness. The
Reason why I assumd this Counter feit sicknes, wt h so much more
of my Bosome, as serves for direction, I have allready given the
ffurther suffyceings expect not, Is my disguise herse & casket
of gold ready. for the Conveyance of my funerall I trust the

all other workeings Leave to the Event
a plott vnknowne, no Artist can prevent

Ext.
Howl.

A plot dee calt? tis a very darke one, & devillish Intricate, I
that had a hand in the casting of it, am all most lost In't: that
he meanes to put his wives constancy & sonnes Honesty to the
tryall so far I see into this mill stone of knavery. And he that
sees any further, must have clerer Eyes then a Howlet,

But I must work close & quick, bury a man alive & [make] shirts

of his windeing shete, & thats but a theveishe tricke yowle saye, well
doot I must & yet am nether sexton nor grave maker nether

Ext.