If wee doe finde,
By our proportions it is like to proue
A ?
By our proportions it is like to proue
A ?
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
_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? ? e_.
FIT. Nay, I'll doe that, a? ? ure you: ? hew me once.
MER. S^r, it concernes, the fir? t be a perfect _Bu? ine? ? e_,
For his owne honour!
EVE. I, and th' reputation
Too, of my place.
FIT. Why, why doe I take this cour? e, el? e? 115
I am not altogether, an _A? ? e_, good Gentlemen,
Wherefore ? hould I con? ult you? doe you thinke?
To make a ? ong on't? How's your manner? tell vs.
MER. Doe, ? atisfie him: giue him the whole cour? e.
EVE. Fir? t, by reque? t, or otherwi? e, you offer 120
Your _Bu? ine? ? e_ to the _Court_: wherein you craue:
The iudgement of the _Ma? ter_ and the _A? si? tants_.
FIT. Well, that's done, now, what doe you vpon it?
EVE. We ? treight S^r, haue recour? e to the ? pring-head;
Vi? it the ground; and, ? o di? clo? e the nature: 125
If it will carry, or no.
If wee doe finde,
By our proportions it is like to proue
A ? ullen, and blacke _Bus'ne? ? e_ That it be
Incorrigible; and out of, treaty; then.
We file it, a _Dependance_!
FIT. So 'tis fil'd. 130
What followes? I doe loue the order of the? e things.
EVE. We then adui? e the party, if he be
A man of meanes, and hauings, that forth-with,
He ? ettle his e? tate: if not, at lea? t
That he pretend it. For, by that, the world 135
Takes notice, that it now is a _Dependance_.
And this we call, Sir, _Publication_.
FIT. Very ? ufficient! After _Publication_, now?
EVE. Then we grant out our _Proce? ? e_, which is diuers;
Eyther by _Chartell_, Sir, or _ore-tenus_, 140
Wherein the Challenger, and Challengee
Or (with your _Spaniard_) your _Prouocador_,
And _Prouocado_, haue their ? euerall cour? es--
FIT. I haue enough on't! for an hundred pieces?
Yes, for two hundred, vnder-write me, doe. 145
Your man will take my bond?
MER. That he will, ? ure.
But, the? e ? ame Citizens, they are ? uch ? harks!
There's an old debt of forty, I ga' my word
For one is runne away, to the _Bermudas_,
And he will hooke in that, or he wi' not doe. 150
_He whi? pers_ Fitz-dottrell _a? ide_.
FIT. Why, let him. That and the ring, and a hundred pieces,
Will all but make two hundred?
MER. No, no more, Sir.
What ready _Arithmetique_ you haue? doe you heare?
_And then_ Guilt-head.
A pretty mornings worke for you, this? Do it,
You ? hall ha' twenty pound on't.
GVI. Twenty pieces? [135] 155
(PLV. Good Father, do't)
MER. You will hooke ? till? well,
Shew vs your ring. You could not ha' done this, now
With gentlene? ? e, at fir? t, wee might ha' thank'd you?
But groane, and ha' your courte? ies come from you
Like a hard ? toole, and ? tinke? A man may draw 160
Your teeth out ea? ier, then your money? Come,
Were little _Guilt-head_ heere, no better a nature,
I ? hould ne'r loue him, that could pull his lips off, now!
_He pulls_ Plutarchus _by the lips_.
Was not thy mother a Gentlewoman?
PLV. Yes, Sir.
MER. And went to the Court at _Chri? tmas_,
and S^t. _Georges-tide_? 165
And lent the Lords-men, chaines?
PLV. Of gold, and pearle, S^r.
MER. I knew, thou mu? t take, after ? ome body!
Thou could'? t not be el? e. This was no ? hop-looke!
I'll ha' thee Captaine _Guilt-head_, and march vp,
And take in _Pimlico_, and kill the bu? h, 170
At euery tauerne! Thou shalt haue a wife,
If ? mocks will mount, boy. How now? you ha' there now
Some _Bri? to-? tone_, or _Corni? h_ counterfeit
You'ld put vpon vs.
_He turns to old_ Guilt-head.
GVI. No, Sir I a? ? ure you:
Looke on his lu? ter! hee will ? peake him? elfe! 175
I'le gi' you leaue to put him i' the Mill,
H'is no great, large ? tone, but a true _Paragon_,
H'has all his corners, view him well.
MER. H'is yellow.
GVI. Vpo' my faith, S^r, o' the right black-water,
And very deepe! H'is ? et without a foyle, too. 180
Here's one o' the yellow-water, I'll ? ell cheape.
MER. And what do you valew this, at? thirty pound?
GVI. No, Sir, he cost me forty, ere he was ? et.
MER. Turnings, you meane? I know your _Equinocks_:
You'are growne the better Fathers of 'hem o' late. 185
Well, where't mu? t goe, 'twill be iudg'd, and, therefore,
Looke you't be right. You ? hall haue fifty pound for't.
_Now to_ Fitz-dottrel.
Not a deneer more! And, becau? e you would
Haue things di? patch'd, Sir, I'll goe pre? ently,
Inquire out this _Lady_. If you thinke good, Sir. 190
Hauing an hundred pieces ready, you may
Part with tho? e, now, to ? erue my kin? mans turnes,
That he may wait vpon you, anon, the freer;
And take 'hem when you ha' ? eal'd, a game, of _Guilt-head_.
FIT. I care not if I do!
MER. And di? patch all, 195
Together.
FIT. There, th'are iu? t: a hundred pieces!
I' ha' told 'hem ouer, twice a day, the? e two moneths.
_Hee turnes 'hem out together.
And_ Euerill _and hee fall to ? hare_.
MER. Well, go, and ? eale, then, S^r, make your returne
As ? peedy as you can.
EVE. Come gi' mee.
MER. Soft, Sir.
EVE. Mary, and faire too, then. I'll no delaying, Sir. 200
MER. But, you will heare?
EVE. Yes, when I haue my diuident.
MER. Theres forty pieces for you.
EVE. What is this for? [136]
MER. Your halfe. You know, that _Guilt-head_ mu? t ha' twenty.
EVE. And what's your ring there? ? hall I ha' none o' that?
MER. O, thats to be giuen to a _Lady_! 205
EVE. Is't ? o?
MER. By that good light, it is.
EV. Come, gi' me
Ten pieces more, then.
MER. Why?
EV. For _Guilt-head_? Sir,
Do'you thinke, I'll 'low him any ?
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? ? e_.
FIT. Nay, I'll doe that, a? ? ure you: ? hew me once.
MER. S^r, it concernes, the fir? t be a perfect _Bu? ine? ? e_,
For his owne honour!
EVE. I, and th' reputation
Too, of my place.
FIT. Why, why doe I take this cour? e, el? e? 115
I am not altogether, an _A? ? e_, good Gentlemen,
Wherefore ? hould I con? ult you? doe you thinke?
To make a ? ong on't? How's your manner? tell vs.
MER. Doe, ? atisfie him: giue him the whole cour? e.
EVE. Fir? t, by reque? t, or otherwi? e, you offer 120
Your _Bu? ine? ? e_ to the _Court_: wherein you craue:
The iudgement of the _Ma? ter_ and the _A? si? tants_.
FIT. Well, that's done, now, what doe you vpon it?
EVE. We ? treight S^r, haue recour? e to the ? pring-head;
Vi? it the ground; and, ? o di? clo? e the nature: 125
If it will carry, or no.
If wee doe finde,
By our proportions it is like to proue
A ? ullen, and blacke _Bus'ne? ? e_ That it be
Incorrigible; and out of, treaty; then.
We file it, a _Dependance_!
FIT. So 'tis fil'd. 130
What followes? I doe loue the order of the? e things.
EVE. We then adui? e the party, if he be
A man of meanes, and hauings, that forth-with,
He ? ettle his e? tate: if not, at lea? t
That he pretend it. For, by that, the world 135
Takes notice, that it now is a _Dependance_.
And this we call, Sir, _Publication_.
FIT. Very ? ufficient! After _Publication_, now?
EVE. Then we grant out our _Proce? ? e_, which is diuers;
Eyther by _Chartell_, Sir, or _ore-tenus_, 140
Wherein the Challenger, and Challengee
Or (with your _Spaniard_) your _Prouocador_,
And _Prouocado_, haue their ? euerall cour? es--
FIT. I haue enough on't! for an hundred pieces?
Yes, for two hundred, vnder-write me, doe. 145
Your man will take my bond?
MER. That he will, ? ure.
But, the? e ? ame Citizens, they are ? uch ? harks!
There's an old debt of forty, I ga' my word
For one is runne away, to the _Bermudas_,
And he will hooke in that, or he wi' not doe. 150
_He whi? pers_ Fitz-dottrell _a? ide_.
FIT. Why, let him. That and the ring, and a hundred pieces,
Will all but make two hundred?
MER. No, no more, Sir.
What ready _Arithmetique_ you haue? doe you heare?
_And then_ Guilt-head.
A pretty mornings worke for you, this? Do it,
You ? hall ha' twenty pound on't.
GVI. Twenty pieces? [135] 155
(PLV. Good Father, do't)
MER. You will hooke ? till? well,
Shew vs your ring. You could not ha' done this, now
With gentlene? ? e, at fir? t, wee might ha' thank'd you?
But groane, and ha' your courte? ies come from you
Like a hard ? toole, and ? tinke? A man may draw 160
Your teeth out ea? ier, then your money? Come,
Were little _Guilt-head_ heere, no better a nature,
I ? hould ne'r loue him, that could pull his lips off, now!
_He pulls_ Plutarchus _by the lips_.
Was not thy mother a Gentlewoman?
PLV. Yes, Sir.
MER. And went to the Court at _Chri? tmas_,
and S^t. _Georges-tide_? 165
And lent the Lords-men, chaines?
PLV. Of gold, and pearle, S^r.
MER. I knew, thou mu? t take, after ? ome body!
Thou could'? t not be el? e. This was no ? hop-looke!
I'll ha' thee Captaine _Guilt-head_, and march vp,
And take in _Pimlico_, and kill the bu? h, 170
At euery tauerne! Thou shalt haue a wife,
If ? mocks will mount, boy. How now? you ha' there now
Some _Bri? to-? tone_, or _Corni? h_ counterfeit
You'ld put vpon vs.
_He turns to old_ Guilt-head.
GVI. No, Sir I a? ? ure you:
Looke on his lu? ter! hee will ? peake him? elfe! 175
I'le gi' you leaue to put him i' the Mill,
H'is no great, large ? tone, but a true _Paragon_,
H'has all his corners, view him well.
MER. H'is yellow.
GVI. Vpo' my faith, S^r, o' the right black-water,
And very deepe! H'is ? et without a foyle, too. 180
Here's one o' the yellow-water, I'll ? ell cheape.
MER. And what do you valew this, at? thirty pound?
GVI. No, Sir, he cost me forty, ere he was ? et.
MER. Turnings, you meane? I know your _Equinocks_:
You'are growne the better Fathers of 'hem o' late. 185
Well, where't mu? t goe, 'twill be iudg'd, and, therefore,
Looke you't be right. You ? hall haue fifty pound for't.
_Now to_ Fitz-dottrel.
Not a deneer more! And, becau? e you would
Haue things di? patch'd, Sir, I'll goe pre? ently,
Inquire out this _Lady_. If you thinke good, Sir. 190
Hauing an hundred pieces ready, you may
Part with tho? e, now, to ? erue my kin? mans turnes,
That he may wait vpon you, anon, the freer;
And take 'hem when you ha' ? eal'd, a game, of _Guilt-head_.
FIT. I care not if I do!
MER. And di? patch all, 195
Together.
FIT. There, th'are iu? t: a hundred pieces!
I' ha' told 'hem ouer, twice a day, the? e two moneths.
_Hee turnes 'hem out together.
And_ Euerill _and hee fall to ? hare_.
MER. Well, go, and ? eale, then, S^r, make your returne
As ? peedy as you can.
EVE. Come gi' mee.
MER. Soft, Sir.
EVE. Mary, and faire too, then. I'll no delaying, Sir. 200
MER. But, you will heare?
EVE. Yes, when I haue my diuident.
MER. Theres forty pieces for you.
EVE. What is this for? [136]
MER. Your halfe. You know, that _Guilt-head_ mu? t ha' twenty.
EVE. And what's your ring there? ? hall I ha' none o' that?
MER. O, thats to be giuen to a _Lady_! 205
EVE. Is't ? o?
MER. By that good light, it is.
EV. Come, gi' me
Ten pieces more, then.
MER. Why?
EV. For _Guilt-head_? Sir,
Do'you thinke, I'll 'low him any ?
