e the
laudable
meanes, thou ha?
Ben Jonson - The Devil's Association
105
TRA. That will not need, his bond is current inough.
[419] SD. ACT. . . . ] om. _Enter_ MEERCRAFT _and_ ENGINE. G || II]
III 1641
[420] 6,7 Now . . . Sir. ] "Now . . . sir. " W
[421] 24 SN. ] [_whispers Meercraft. _] G
[422] 28 she is W, G
[423] 29 and om. 1641
[424] 31 fashion flocke,] fashion, flock 1692, f.
[425] 36 &c. ] _et caetera_; G
[426] 45 to it G
[427] 49 do it G
[428] 52 _Diamond_ 1692, 1716 diamond W, G passim
[429] 55 SN. ] [_Exit. _ G
[430] 61 of it G
[431] 64 _Dick_ 1692, 1716 Dick W Dickey G
[432] 66 friend W, G
[433] 69 T'a 1716, W
[434] 81 SN. . . . ] Fit. . . . 1716 Fitz-dottrel . . . W
_Re-enter_ FITZDOTTREL. G
[435] 83 sullen 1692, f.
[436] 85, 6 't] it G
[437] 92 SN. ] _Enter_ TRAINS. G
[438] 95, 103 FIT. ] _Meer. _ W, G
[439] 98 'T] It G
[440] 99 gi' 1716, W give G [_Exit. _ G
[441] 106 [_Exeunt. _ G
ACT. III. SCENE. I. [129]
GVILT-HEAD. PLVTARCHVS.
All this is to make you a Gentleman:
I'll haue you learne, Sonne. Wherefore haue I plac'd you
With S^r. _Poul Either-? ide_, but to haue ? o much Law
To keepe your owne? Be? ides, he is a _Iu? tice_,
Here i' the Towne; and dwelling, Sonne, with him, 5
You ? hal learne that in a yeere, ? hall be worth twenty
Of hauing ? tay'd you at _Oxford_, or at _Cambridge_,
Or ? ending you to the _Innes_ of _Court_, or _France_.
I am call'd for now in ha? te, by Ma? ter _Meere-craft_
To tru? t Ma? ter _Fitz-dottrel_, a good man: 10
I'haue inquir'd him, eighteene hundred a yeere,
(His name is currant) for a diamant ring
Of forty, ? hall not be worth thirty (thats gain'd)
And this is to make you a Gentleman!
PLV. O, but good father, you tru? t too much!
GVI. Boy, boy, 15
We liue, by finding fooles out, to be tru? ted.
Our ? hop-bookes are our pa? tures, our corn-grounds,
We lay 'hem op'n for them to come into:
And when wee haue 'hem there, wee driue 'hem vp
In t'one of our two Pounds, the _Compters_, ? treight, 20
And this is to make you a Gentleman!
Wee Citizens neuer tru? t, but wee doe coozen:
For, if our debtors pay, wee coozen them;
And if they doe not, then we coozen our ? elues.
But that's a hazard euery one mu? t runne, 25
That hopes to make his Sonne a Gentleman!
PLV. I doe not wi? h to be one, truely, Father.
In a de? cent, or two, wee come to be
Iu? t 'itheir ? tate, fit to be coozend, like 'hem.
And I had rather ha' tarryed i' your trade: 30
For, ? ince the _Gentry_ ? corne the Citty ? o much, [130]
Me thinkes we ? hould in time, holding together,
And matching in our owne tribes, as they ? ay,
Haue got an _Act_ of _Common Councell_, for it,
That we might coozen them out of _rerum natura_. 35
GVI. I, if we had an _Act_ fir? t to forbid
The marrying of our wealthy heyres vnto 'hem:
And daughters, with ? uch laui? h portions.
That confounds all.
PLV. And makes a _Mungril_ breed, Father.
And when they haue your money, then they laugh at you: 40
Or kick you downe the ? 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 ?
TRA. That will not need, his bond is current inough.
[419] SD. ACT. . . . ] om. _Enter_ MEERCRAFT _and_ ENGINE. G || II]
III 1641
[420] 6,7 Now . . . Sir. ] "Now . . . sir. " W
[421] 24 SN. ] [_whispers Meercraft. _] G
[422] 28 she is W, G
[423] 29 and om. 1641
[424] 31 fashion flocke,] fashion, flock 1692, f.
[425] 36 &c. ] _et caetera_; G
[426] 45 to it G
[427] 49 do it G
[428] 52 _Diamond_ 1692, 1716 diamond W, G passim
[429] 55 SN. ] [_Exit. _ G
[430] 61 of it G
[431] 64 _Dick_ 1692, 1716 Dick W Dickey G
[432] 66 friend W, G
[433] 69 T'a 1716, W
[434] 81 SN. . . . ] Fit. . . . 1716 Fitz-dottrel . . . W
_Re-enter_ FITZDOTTREL. G
[435] 83 sullen 1692, f.
[436] 85, 6 't] it G
[437] 92 SN. ] _Enter_ TRAINS. G
[438] 95, 103 FIT. ] _Meer. _ W, G
[439] 98 'T] It G
[440] 99 gi' 1716, W give G [_Exit. _ G
[441] 106 [_Exeunt. _ G
ACT. III. SCENE. I. [129]
GVILT-HEAD. PLVTARCHVS.
All this is to make you a Gentleman:
I'll haue you learne, Sonne. Wherefore haue I plac'd you
With S^r. _Poul Either-? ide_, but to haue ? o much Law
To keepe your owne? Be? ides, he is a _Iu? tice_,
Here i' the Towne; and dwelling, Sonne, with him, 5
You ? hal learne that in a yeere, ? hall be worth twenty
Of hauing ? tay'd you at _Oxford_, or at _Cambridge_,
Or ? ending you to the _Innes_ of _Court_, or _France_.
I am call'd for now in ha? te, by Ma? ter _Meere-craft_
To tru? t Ma? ter _Fitz-dottrel_, a good man: 10
I'haue inquir'd him, eighteene hundred a yeere,
(His name is currant) for a diamant ring
Of forty, ? hall not be worth thirty (thats gain'd)
And this is to make you a Gentleman!
PLV. O, but good father, you tru? t too much!
GVI. Boy, boy, 15
We liue, by finding fooles out, to be tru? ted.
Our ? hop-bookes are our pa? tures, our corn-grounds,
We lay 'hem op'n for them to come into:
And when wee haue 'hem there, wee driue 'hem vp
In t'one of our two Pounds, the _Compters_, ? treight, 20
And this is to make you a Gentleman!
Wee Citizens neuer tru? t, but wee doe coozen:
For, if our debtors pay, wee coozen them;
And if they doe not, then we coozen our ? elues.
But that's a hazard euery one mu? t runne, 25
That hopes to make his Sonne a Gentleman!
PLV. I doe not wi? h to be one, truely, Father.
In a de? cent, or two, wee come to be
Iu? t 'itheir ? tate, fit to be coozend, like 'hem.
And I had rather ha' tarryed i' your trade: 30
For, ? ince the _Gentry_ ? corne the Citty ? o much, [130]
Me thinkes we ? hould in time, holding together,
And matching in our owne tribes, as they ? ay,
Haue got an _Act_ of _Common Councell_, for it,
That we might coozen them out of _rerum natura_. 35
GVI. I, if we had an _Act_ fir? t to forbid
The marrying of our wealthy heyres vnto 'hem:
And daughters, with ? uch laui? h portions.
That confounds all.
PLV. And makes a _Mungril_ breed, Father.
And when they haue your money, then they laugh at you: 40
Or kick you downe the ? 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 ?
