The Complete Apocryphal Works of William Shakespeare - All 17 Rare Plays in One Edition. William ShakespeareЧитать онлайн книгу.
father was,
Himself is valued gentle by his worth.
MOSBIE
Ah, how you women can insinuate,
And clear a trespass with your sweet set tongue!
I will forget this quarrel, gentle Alice,
Provided I’ll be tempted so no more.
(here enters BRADSHAW
ALICE
Then with thy lips seal up this new made match.
MOSBIE
Soft, Alice, here comes some body.
ALICE
How now, Bradshaw, what’s the news with you?
BRADSHAW
I have little news, but here’s a letter
That master Greene importuned me to give you.
ALICE
Go in, Bradshaw; call for a cup of beer; (Exit.
‘tis almost supper time, thou shalt stay with us.
(then she reads the letter.
“We have missed of our purpose at London but shall perform
It by the way. We thank our neighbor BRADSHAW
Yours, Richard GREENE
How likes my love the tenor of this letter?
MOSBIE
Well, were his date completed and expired.
ALICE
Ah, would it were!
Then comes my happy hour:
Till then my bliss is mixed with bitter gall.
Come, let us in to shun suspicion.
(here Enter Greene, Will, and SHAKEBAG
SHAKEBAG
Come, Will, see thy tools be in a readiness!
Is not thy powder dank,
Or will thy flint strike fire?
WILL
Then ask me if my nose be on my face,
Than e’er thou handledst pistols in thy life.
SHAKEBAG
Ay, haply thou has picked more in a throng:
But should I brag what booties I have took,
I think the overplus that’s more than thine
Would mount to a greater sum of money
Than either thou or all thy kin are worth.
Zounds, I hate them as I hate a toad
That carry a muscado in their tongue,
And scarce a hurting weapon in their hand.
WILL
O Greene intolerable!
It is not for mine honor to bear this.
Why, Shakebag, I did serve the king at boulogne
And thou canst brag of nothing that thou hast done.
SHAKEBAG
Why, so can jack of feversham,
That sounded for a fillip on the nose,
When he that gave it him hollowed in his ear,
And he supposed a cannon bullet hit him.
(then they fight.
GREENE
I pray you, sirs, list to aesop’s talk:
Whilst two stout dogs were striving for a bone,
There comes a cur and stole it from them both;
So, while you stand striving on these terms of manhood,
Arden escapes us, and deceives us all.
SHAKEBAG
Why, he begun.
WILL
And thou shalt find I’ll end.
I do but slip it until better time.
GREENE
Well, take your fittest standings, and once more
Lime well your twigs to catch this wary bird.
I’ll leave you, and at your dag’s discharge
Make towards like the longing water dog,
That coucheth till the fowling piece be off,
Then seizeth on the prey with eager mood.
Ah, might I see him stretching forth his limbs,
As I have seen them beat their wings ere now!
SHAKEBAG
Why that thou shalt see if he come this way.
GREENE
Yes, that he doth, Shakebag, I warrant thee:
But, sirs, be sure to speed him when he comes,
And in that hope I’ll leave you for an hour. (Exit GREENE
(here Enter Arden, Franklin, and MICHAEL
MICHAEL
‘twere best that I went back to rochester:
The horse halts down right; it were not good
He travelled in such pain to feversham;
Removing of a shoe may haply help it.
ARDEN
Well, get you back to rochester; but sirrah see ye
O’ertake us ere we come to rainham down,
For it will be very late ere we get home.
MICHAEL
Ay, god he knows, and so doth Will end Shakebag
That thou shalt never go further than that down;
And therefore have I pricked the horse on purpose
Because I would not view the massacre. (Exit MICHAEL
ARDEN
Come, master Franklin, onwards with your tale.
FRANKLIN
I do assure you, sir, you task me much:
A heavy blood is gathered at my heart,
And on the sudden is my wind so short
As hindereth the passage of my speech;
So fierce a qualm yet ne’er assailed me.
ARDEN
Come, master Franklin, let us go on softly:
The annoyance of the dust or else some meat
You ate at dinner cannot brook with you.
I have been often so, and soon amended.
FRANKLIN
Do you remember where my tale did leave?
ARDEN
Ay, where the gentleman did check his wife.
FRANKLIN
She being reprehended for the fact,
Witness produced that took her with the deed,
Her glove brought in which there she left behind,
And many other assured arguments,
Her husband asked her whether it were not so.
ARDEN