where could you ha'
contented
your ?
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
tayres.
I cannot abide 'hem.
I would faine haue 'hem coozen'd, but not tru? ted.
[442] SD. ACT. . . . I. . . . ] ACT. . . . I. _A Room in_ Fitzdottrel's
_House. Enter_ THOMAS GILTHEAD _and_ PLUTARCHUS. G
[443] 3 to om. 1692 t' 1716 || _Poul_] _Pould_ 1641
[444] 9 I'm W, G
[445] 12 () ret. G
[446] 15 Boy, boy] Boy, by 1692
[447] 20 two om. 1692, 1716 || Int'one 1716, W into one G
[448] 29 i' their 1716, W in their G
ACT. III. SCENE. II.
MERE-CRAFT. GVILT-HEAD.
FITZ-DOTTRELL. PLVTARCHVS.
O, is he come! I knew he would not faile me.
Welcome, good _Guilt-head_, I mu? t ha' you doe
A noble Gentleman, a courte? ie, here:
In a mere toy (? ome pretty Ring, or Iewell)
Of fifty, or three? core pound (Make it a hundred, 5
And hedge in the la? t forty, that I owe you,
And your owne price for the Ring) He's a good man, S^r,
And you may hap' ? ee him a great one! Hee,
Is likely to be? tow hundreds, and thou? ands,
Wi' you; if you can humour him. A great prince 10
He will be ? hortly. What doe you ? ay?
GVI. In truth, Sir
I cannot. 'T has beene a long vacation with vs?
FIT. Of what, I pray thee? of wit? or honesty?
Tho? e are your Citizens long vacations.
PLV. Good Father do not tru? t 'hem.
MER. Nay, _Thom. Guilt-head_. 15
Hee will not buy a courte? ie and begge it:
Hee'll rather pay, then pray. If you doe for him,
You mu? t doe cheerefully. His credit, Sir,
Is not yet pro? titute! Who's this? thy ? onne?
A pretty youth, what's his name?
PLV. _Plutarchus_, Sir, 20
MER. _Plutarchus! _ How came that about?
GVI. That yeere S^r,
That I begot him, I bought _Plutarch's_ liues,
And fell ? ' in loue with the booke, as I call'd my ? onne
By'his name; In hope he ? hould be like him:
And write the liues of our great men!
MER. I' the City? [131] 25
And you do breed him, there?
GVI. His minde, Sir, lies
Much to that way.
MER. Why, then, he is i' the right way.
GVI. But, now, I had rather get him a good wife,
And plant him i' the countrey; there to v? e
The ble? ? ing I ? hall leaue him:
MER. Out vpon't! 30
And lo? e the laudable meanes, thou ha? t at home, heere,
T'aduance, and make him a young _Alderman_?
Buy him a Captaines place, for ? hame; and let him
Into the world, early, and with his plume,
And Scarfes, march through _Cheap? ide_, or along _Cornehill_,
And by the vertue'of tho? e, draw downe a wife 36
There from a windo', worth ten thou? and pound!
Get him the po? ture booke, and's leaden men,
To ? et vpon a table, 'gainst his Mi? tre? ? e
Chance to come by, that hee may draw her in, 40
And ? hew her _Finsbury_ battells.
GVI. I haue plac'd him
With Iustice _Eyther? ide_, to get so much law--
MER. As thou ha? t con? cience. Come, come, thou do? t wrong
Pretty _Plutarchus_, who had not his name,
For nothing: but was borne to traine the youth 45
Of _London_, in the military truth--
That way his _Genius_ lies. My Cou? in _Euerill_!
[449] SD. ACT. . . . ] _Enter_ MEERCRAFT. G
[450] 7 ring. [_Aside to Gilthead. _
[451] 15 Tom G
[452] 20 's] is G
[453] 23 so in W, G
[454] 27 he's W, G
[455] 45,6 to . . . truth] in italics G
[456] 47 lies. --_Enter_ EVERILL.
ACT. III. SCENE. IIJ.
EVER-ILL. PLVTARCHVS. GVILT-HEAD.
MERE-CRAFT. FITZDOTTRELL.
O, are you heere, Sir? 'pray you let vs whi? per.
PLV. Father, deare Father, tru? t him if you loue mee.
GVI. Why, I doe meane it, boy; but, what I doe,
Mu? t not come ea? ily from mee: Wee mu? t deale
With _Courtiers_, boy, as _Courtiers_ deale with vs. 5
If I haue a _Bu? ine? ? e_ there, with any of them,
Why, I mu? t wait, I'am ? ure on't, Son: and though
My _Lord_ di? patch me, yet his wor? hipfull man--
Will keepe me for his ? port, a moneth, or two,
To ? hew mee with my fellow Cittizens. 10
I mu? t make his traine long, and full, one quarter;
And helpe the ? pectacle of his greatne? ? e. There,
Nothing is done at once, but iniuries, boy:
And they come head-long! an their good turnes moue not, [124]
Or very ? lowly.
PLV. Yet ? weet father, tru? t him. 15
GVI. VVell, I will thinke.
EV. Come, you mu? t do't, Sir.
I am vndone el? e, and your _Lady Tayle-bu? h_
Has ? ent for mee to dinner, and my cloaths
Are all at pawne. I had ? ent out this morning,
Before I heard you were come to towne, ? ome twenty 20
Of my epi? tles, and no one returne--
Mere-craft _tells him of his faults_.
MER. VVhy, I ha' told you o' this. This comes of wearing
Scarlet, gold lace, and cut-works! your fine gartring!
VVith your blowne ro? es, Cou? in! and your eating
_Phe? ant_, and _Godwit_, here in _London_! haunting 25
The _Globes_, and _Mermaides_! wedging in with _Lords_,
Still at the table! and affecting lechery,
In veluet!
where could you ha' contented your ? elfe
With chee? e, ? alt-butter, and a pickled hering,
I' the Low-countries; there worne cloth, and fu? tian! 30
Beene ? atisfied with a leape o' your Ho? t's daughter,
In garri? on, a wench of a ? toter! or,
Your _Sutlers_ wife, i' the leaguer, of two blanks!
You neuer, then, had runne vpon this flat,
To write your letters mi? ? iue, and ? end out 35
Your priuy ? eales, that thus haue frighted off
All your acquaintance; that they ? hun you at di? tance,
VVorse, then you do the Bailies!
EV. Pox vpon you.
I come not to you for coun? ell, I lacke money.
_Hee repines. _
MER. You doe not thinke, what you owe me already?
EV. I? 40
They owe you, that meane to pay you. I'll be? worne,
I neuer meant it. Come, you will proiect,
I ? hall vndoe your practice, for this moneth el? e:
You know mee.
_and threatens him. _
MER. I, yo' are a right ? weet nature!
EV. Well, that's all one!
MER. You'll leaue this Empire, one day? 45
You will not euer haue this tribute payd,
Your ? cepter o' the ? word?
EV. Tye vp your wit,
Doe, and prouoke me not--
MER. Will you, Sir, helpe,
To what I ? hall prouoke another for you?
EV. I cannot tell; try me: I thinke I am not 50
So vtterly, of an ore vn-to-be-melted,
But I can doe my ? elfe good, on occa? ions.
_They ioyne. _
MER. Strike in then, for your part. M^r. _Fitz-dottrel_
If I tran? gre? ? e in point of manners, afford mee
Your be? t con? truction; I mu? t beg my freedome 55
From your affayres, this day.
FIT. How, S^r.
MER. It is
In ? uccour of this Gentlemans occa? ions,
My kin? -man--
Mere-craft _pretends_ bu? ine? ? e.
FIT. You'll not do me that affront, S^r.
MER. I am ? ory you ? hould ? o interpret it,
But, Sir, it ? tands vpon his being inue? ted 60
In a new _office_, hee has ? tood for, long: [133]
Mere-craft _describes the_ office _of_ Dependancy.
_Ma? ter_ of the _Dependances_! A place
Of my proiection too, Sir, and hath met
Much oppo? ition; but the State, now, ? ee's
That great nece? ? ity of it, as after all 65
Their writing, and their ? peaking, again? t _Duells_,
They haue erected it. His booke is drawne--
For, ? ince, there will be differences, daily,
'Twixt Gentlemen; and that the roaring manner
Is growne offen? iue; that tho? e few, we call 70
The ciuill men o' the ? word, abhorre the vapours;
They ? hall refer now, hither, for their _proce? ? e_;
And ? uch as tre? ? pa? e 'gain? t the rule of _Court_,
Are to be fin'd--
FIT. In troth, a pretty place!
MER. A kinde of arbitrary _Court_ 'twill be, Sir. 75
FIT. I ? hall haue matter for it, I beleeue,
Ere it be long: I had a di? ta? t.
MER. But now, Sir,
My learned councell, they mu? t haue a feeling,
They'll part, Sir, with no bookes, without the hand-gout
Be oyld, and I mu? t furni? h. If't be money, 80
To me ? treight. I am Mine, _Mint_ and _Exchequer_.
To ? upply all. What is't? a hundred pound?
EVE. No, th' _Harpey_, now, ? tands on a hundred pieces.
MER. Why, he mu? t haue 'hem, if he will. To morrow, Sir,
Will equally ? erue your occa? ion's,---- 85
And therefore, let me obtaine, that you will yeeld
To timing a poore Gentlemans di? tre? ? es,
In termes of hazard. --
FIT. By no meanes!
MER. I mu? t
Get him this money, and will. --
FIT. Sir, I prote? t,
I'd rather ? tand engag'd for it my ? elfe: 90
Then you ? hould leaue mee.
MER. O good S^r. do you thinke
So cour? ely of our manners, that we would,
For any need of ours, be pre? t to take it:
Though you be pleas'd to offer it.
FIT. Why, by heauen,
I meane it!
MER. I can neuer beleeue le? ? e. 95
But wee, Sir, mu? t pre? erue our dignity,
As you doe publi? h yours. By your faire leaue, Sir.
_Hee offers to be gone. _
FIT. As I am a Gentleman, if you doe offer
To leaue mee now, or if you doe refu? e mee, 99
I will not thinke you loue mee.
MER. Sir, I honour you.
And with iu? t rea? on, for the? e noble notes,
Of the nobility, you pretend too! But, Sir--
I would know, why? a motiue (he a ? tranger)
You ? hould doe this?
(EVE. You'll mar all with your finene? ? e)
FIT. Why, that's all one, if 'twere, Sir, but my fancy. 105
But I haue a _Bu? ine? ? e_, that perhaps I'd haue
Brought to his _office_.
MER. O, Sir! I haue done, then;
If hee can be made profitable, to you. [134]
FIT. Yes, and it ? hall be one of my ambitions
To haue it the fir? t _Bu? ine? ? e_? May I not? 110
EVE. So you doe meane to make't, a perfect _Bu? ine?
I would faine haue 'hem coozen'd, but not tru? ted.
[442] SD. ACT. . . . I. . . . ] ACT. . . . I. _A Room in_ Fitzdottrel's
_House. Enter_ THOMAS GILTHEAD _and_ PLUTARCHUS. G
[443] 3 to om. 1692 t' 1716 || _Poul_] _Pould_ 1641
[444] 9 I'm W, G
[445] 12 () ret. G
[446] 15 Boy, boy] Boy, by 1692
[447] 20 two om. 1692, 1716 || Int'one 1716, W into one G
[448] 29 i' their 1716, W in their G
ACT. III. SCENE. II.
MERE-CRAFT. GVILT-HEAD.
FITZ-DOTTRELL. PLVTARCHVS.
O, is he come! I knew he would not faile me.
Welcome, good _Guilt-head_, I mu? t ha' you doe
A noble Gentleman, a courte? ie, here:
In a mere toy (? ome pretty Ring, or Iewell)
Of fifty, or three? core pound (Make it a hundred, 5
And hedge in the la? t forty, that I owe you,
And your owne price for the Ring) He's a good man, S^r,
And you may hap' ? ee him a great one! Hee,
Is likely to be? tow hundreds, and thou? ands,
Wi' you; if you can humour him. A great prince 10
He will be ? hortly. What doe you ? ay?
GVI. In truth, Sir
I cannot. 'T has beene a long vacation with vs?
FIT. Of what, I pray thee? of wit? or honesty?
Tho? e are your Citizens long vacations.
PLV. Good Father do not tru? t 'hem.
MER. Nay, _Thom. Guilt-head_. 15
Hee will not buy a courte? ie and begge it:
Hee'll rather pay, then pray. If you doe for him,
You mu? t doe cheerefully. His credit, Sir,
Is not yet pro? titute! Who's this? thy ? onne?
A pretty youth, what's his name?
PLV. _Plutarchus_, Sir, 20
MER. _Plutarchus! _ How came that about?
GVI. That yeere S^r,
That I begot him, I bought _Plutarch's_ liues,
And fell ? ' in loue with the booke, as I call'd my ? onne
By'his name; In hope he ? hould be like him:
And write the liues of our great men!
MER. I' the City? [131] 25
And you do breed him, there?
GVI. His minde, Sir, lies
Much to that way.
MER. Why, then, he is i' the right way.
GVI. But, now, I had rather get him a good wife,
And plant him i' the countrey; there to v? e
The ble? ? ing I ? hall leaue him:
MER. Out vpon't! 30
And lo? e the laudable meanes, thou ha? t at home, heere,
T'aduance, and make him a young _Alderman_?
Buy him a Captaines place, for ? hame; and let him
Into the world, early, and with his plume,
And Scarfes, march through _Cheap? ide_, or along _Cornehill_,
And by the vertue'of tho? e, draw downe a wife 36
There from a windo', worth ten thou? and pound!
Get him the po? ture booke, and's leaden men,
To ? et vpon a table, 'gainst his Mi? tre? ? e
Chance to come by, that hee may draw her in, 40
And ? hew her _Finsbury_ battells.
GVI. I haue plac'd him
With Iustice _Eyther? ide_, to get so much law--
MER. As thou ha? t con? cience. Come, come, thou do? t wrong
Pretty _Plutarchus_, who had not his name,
For nothing: but was borne to traine the youth 45
Of _London_, in the military truth--
That way his _Genius_ lies. My Cou? in _Euerill_!
[449] SD. ACT. . . . ] _Enter_ MEERCRAFT. G
[450] 7 ring. [_Aside to Gilthead. _
[451] 15 Tom G
[452] 20 's] is G
[453] 23 so in W, G
[454] 27 he's W, G
[455] 45,6 to . . . truth] in italics G
[456] 47 lies. --_Enter_ EVERILL.
ACT. III. SCENE. IIJ.
EVER-ILL. PLVTARCHVS. GVILT-HEAD.
MERE-CRAFT. FITZDOTTRELL.
O, are you heere, Sir? 'pray you let vs whi? per.
PLV. Father, deare Father, tru? t him if you loue mee.
GVI. Why, I doe meane it, boy; but, what I doe,
Mu? t not come ea? ily from mee: Wee mu? t deale
With _Courtiers_, boy, as _Courtiers_ deale with vs. 5
If I haue a _Bu? ine? ? e_ there, with any of them,
Why, I mu? t wait, I'am ? ure on't, Son: and though
My _Lord_ di? patch me, yet his wor? hipfull man--
Will keepe me for his ? port, a moneth, or two,
To ? hew mee with my fellow Cittizens. 10
I mu? t make his traine long, and full, one quarter;
And helpe the ? pectacle of his greatne? ? e. There,
Nothing is done at once, but iniuries, boy:
And they come head-long! an their good turnes moue not, [124]
Or very ? lowly.
PLV. Yet ? weet father, tru? t him. 15
GVI. VVell, I will thinke.
EV. Come, you mu? t do't, Sir.
I am vndone el? e, and your _Lady Tayle-bu? h_
Has ? ent for mee to dinner, and my cloaths
Are all at pawne. I had ? ent out this morning,
Before I heard you were come to towne, ? ome twenty 20
Of my epi? tles, and no one returne--
Mere-craft _tells him of his faults_.
MER. VVhy, I ha' told you o' this. This comes of wearing
Scarlet, gold lace, and cut-works! your fine gartring!
VVith your blowne ro? es, Cou? in! and your eating
_Phe? ant_, and _Godwit_, here in _London_! haunting 25
The _Globes_, and _Mermaides_! wedging in with _Lords_,
Still at the table! and affecting lechery,
In veluet!
where could you ha' contented your ? elfe
With chee? e, ? alt-butter, and a pickled hering,
I' the Low-countries; there worne cloth, and fu? tian! 30
Beene ? atisfied with a leape o' your Ho? t's daughter,
In garri? on, a wench of a ? toter! or,
Your _Sutlers_ wife, i' the leaguer, of two blanks!
You neuer, then, had runne vpon this flat,
To write your letters mi? ? iue, and ? end out 35
Your priuy ? eales, that thus haue frighted off
All your acquaintance; that they ? hun you at di? tance,
VVorse, then you do the Bailies!
EV. Pox vpon you.
I come not to you for coun? ell, I lacke money.
_Hee repines. _
MER. You doe not thinke, what you owe me already?
EV. I? 40
They owe you, that meane to pay you. I'll be? worne,
I neuer meant it. Come, you will proiect,
I ? hall vndoe your practice, for this moneth el? e:
You know mee.
_and threatens him. _
MER. I, yo' are a right ? weet nature!
EV. Well, that's all one!
MER. You'll leaue this Empire, one day? 45
You will not euer haue this tribute payd,
Your ? cepter o' the ? word?
EV. Tye vp your wit,
Doe, and prouoke me not--
MER. Will you, Sir, helpe,
To what I ? hall prouoke another for you?
EV. I cannot tell; try me: I thinke I am not 50
So vtterly, of an ore vn-to-be-melted,
But I can doe my ? elfe good, on occa? ions.
_They ioyne. _
MER. Strike in then, for your part. M^r. _Fitz-dottrel_
If I tran? gre? ? e in point of manners, afford mee
Your be? t con? truction; I mu? t beg my freedome 55
From your affayres, this day.
FIT. How, S^r.
MER. It is
In ? uccour of this Gentlemans occa? ions,
My kin? -man--
Mere-craft _pretends_ bu? ine? ? e.
FIT. You'll not do me that affront, S^r.
MER. I am ? ory you ? hould ? o interpret it,
But, Sir, it ? tands vpon his being inue? ted 60
In a new _office_, hee has ? tood for, long: [133]
Mere-craft _describes the_ office _of_ Dependancy.
_Ma? ter_ of the _Dependances_! A place
Of my proiection too, Sir, and hath met
Much oppo? ition; but the State, now, ? ee's
That great nece? ? ity of it, as after all 65
Their writing, and their ? peaking, again? t _Duells_,
They haue erected it. His booke is drawne--
For, ? ince, there will be differences, daily,
'Twixt Gentlemen; and that the roaring manner
Is growne offen? iue; that tho? e few, we call 70
The ciuill men o' the ? word, abhorre the vapours;
They ? hall refer now, hither, for their _proce? ? e_;
And ? uch as tre? ? pa? e 'gain? t the rule of _Court_,
Are to be fin'd--
FIT. In troth, a pretty place!
MER. A kinde of arbitrary _Court_ 'twill be, Sir. 75
FIT. I ? hall haue matter for it, I beleeue,
Ere it be long: I had a di? ta? t.
MER. But now, Sir,
My learned councell, they mu? t haue a feeling,
They'll part, Sir, with no bookes, without the hand-gout
Be oyld, and I mu? t furni? h. If't be money, 80
To me ? treight. I am Mine, _Mint_ and _Exchequer_.
To ? upply all. What is't? a hundred pound?
EVE. No, th' _Harpey_, now, ? tands on a hundred pieces.
MER. Why, he mu? t haue 'hem, if he will. To morrow, Sir,
Will equally ? erue your occa? ion's,---- 85
And therefore, let me obtaine, that you will yeeld
To timing a poore Gentlemans di? tre? ? es,
In termes of hazard. --
FIT. By no meanes!
MER. I mu? t
Get him this money, and will. --
FIT. Sir, I prote? t,
I'd rather ? tand engag'd for it my ? elfe: 90
Then you ? hould leaue mee.
MER. O good S^r. do you thinke
So cour? ely of our manners, that we would,
For any need of ours, be pre? t to take it:
Though you be pleas'd to offer it.
FIT. Why, by heauen,
I meane it!
MER. I can neuer beleeue le? ? e. 95
But wee, Sir, mu? t pre? erue our dignity,
As you doe publi? h yours. By your faire leaue, Sir.
_Hee offers to be gone. _
FIT. As I am a Gentleman, if you doe offer
To leaue mee now, or if you doe refu? e mee, 99
I will not thinke you loue mee.
MER. Sir, I honour you.
And with iu? t rea? on, for the? e noble notes,
Of the nobility, you pretend too! But, Sir--
I would know, why? a motiue (he a ? tranger)
You ? hould doe this?
(EVE. You'll mar all with your finene? ? e)
FIT. Why, that's all one, if 'twere, Sir, but my fancy. 105
But I haue a _Bu? ine? ? e_, that perhaps I'd haue
Brought to his _office_.
MER. O, Sir! I haue done, then;
If hee can be made profitable, to you. [134]
FIT. Yes, and it ? hall be one of my ambitions
To haue it the fir? t _Bu? ine? ? e_? May I not? 110
EVE. So you doe meane to make't, a perfect _Bu? ine?
