Flo. My good Camillo, She's as forward of her Breeding, as Cam. I cannot fay, 'tis pity She lacks Inftructions, for the feems a Mistress Per. Your pardon, Sir, for this. I'll blufh you Thanks. Flo. My prettieft Perdita But O, the Thorns we ftand upon. Camillo, The Mcdicine of our Houfe; how fhall we do? We are not furnish'd like Bohemia's Son, Nor fhall appear in Sicily Cam. My Lord, Fear none of this: I think you know my Fortunes The Scene you play were mine. For inftance, Sir, Enter Autolicus. Aut. Ha, ha, what a Fool Honefty is! and Truft, his fworn Brother, a very fimple Gentleman! I have fold all my Trumpery; not a Counterfeit Stone, not a Ribbon, Glafs, Pomander, Browch, Table-book, Ballad, Knife, Tape, Glove, Shooe-tye, Bracelet, Horn-ring to keep my Pack from faftning: They throng who fhould buy firft, as if my Trinkets had been hallowed, and brought a Bencdiction to the Buyer; by which means, I faw whofe Purfe was beft in Picture; and what I faw, to my good ufe, I remember'd. My good Clown (who wants but fomething to be a reafonable Man) grew fo in Love with the Wenches Song, that he would not ftir his Pettitoes 'till he had both Tune and Words, which fo drew the reft of the Herd ta me, that all their other Senfes ftuck in Ears; you might have pinch'd a Placket, it was fenfelefs, 'twas nothing to geld a Codpiece of a Purfe; I would have filed Keys off that hung in Chains: No hearing, no feeling, but my Sirs Song, and admiring the nothing of it. So that in this time of of Lethargy, I pick'd and cut most of their Festival Purses: And had not the old Man come in with a Whoo-bub againft his Daughter, and the King's Son, and fear'd my Chowghes from the Chaff, I had not left a Purfe alive in the whole Army. Cam. Nay; but my Letters by this means being there, So foon as you arrive, fhall clear that doubt. Flo. And thofe that you'll procure from King Leantes-—————— Cam. Shall fatisfie your Father. Per. Happy be you : All that you speak, fhews fair. Cam. Who have we here? We'll make an Inftrument of this; omit Nothing may give us aid. Aut. If they have over-heard me now: why Hanging. Why fhak'ft thou fo? Fear not, Man, Aut. I am a poor Fellow, Sir. Cam. Why, be fo ftill: here's no Body will steal that from thee; yet for the outside of thy Poverty, we must make an exchange: Therefore difcafe thee inftantly, (thou muft think there's a Neceffity in't) and change Garments with this Gentleman: Tho' the Penny-worth, on his fide, be the worst, yet hold thee, there's fome boot. Aut. I am a poor Fellow, Sir; I know ye well cnough. Cam. Nay, prethee difpatch; the Gentleman is half flead already. Aut. Are you in earneft, Sir? I fmell the Trick on't. Aut. Indeed I have had carneft, but I cannot with Confcience take it. Cam. Unbuckle, unbuckle. Fortunate Miftrefs, (let my Prophecy Come home to ye,) you must retire your felf (For (For I do fear Eyes over you) to Ship-board Per. I fee the Play fo lyes, Have you done there? Flo. Should I now meet my Father, He would not call me Son. Cam. Nay, you shall have no Hat: Come Lady, come: Farewel, my Friend. Flo. O Perdita, what have we twain forgot? Cam. What I do next, fhall be next to tell the King [Afide. Of this Escape, and whither they are bound: Wherein my hope is, I fhall fo prevail, To force him after; in whofe Company Fla. Fortune fpeed us. Thus we fet on, Camillo, to th' Sea fide. [Exit Flo. & Per. Cam. The fwifter speed, the better. [Exit. Aut. I understand the Bufinefs, I hear it: To have an open Ear, a quick Eye, and a nimble Hand, is necessary for a Cut-purfe; a good Nofe is requifite alfo, to smell out work for th'other Senfes. I fee this is the time that the unjuft Man doth thrive. What an exchange had this been, without boot? What a boot is here, with this exchange; fure the Gods do this Year connive at us, and we may do any thing extempore. The Prince himself is about a piece of Iniquity, ftealing away from his Father, with his Clog at his Heels. If I thought it were a piece of Honefty to acquaint the King withal, I would not do't: I hold it the more Knavery to conceal it; and therein am I constant to my Profeffion. Enter Clown and Shepherd. Afide, afide, here's more matter for a hot Brain; Every Lanes end, every Shop, Church, Seffion, Hanging, yields a careful Man work. Clo Clo. See, fee; what a Man you are now? There is no other way, but to tell the King fhe's a Changling, and none of your Flesh and Blood. Shep. Nay, but hear me. Clo. She being none of your Flesh and Blood, your Flesh and Blood has not offended the King, and fo your Flesh and Blood is not to be punish'd by him. Shew thofe things you found about her, thofe fecret things, all but what he has with her; this being done, let the Law go whistle; I warrant you. Shep. I will tell the King all, every Word, yea, and his Sons pranks too; who, I may fay, is no honeft Man neither to his Father, nor to me, to go about to make me the King's Brother-in-law. Clo. Indeed Brother-in-law was the fartheft off you could have been to him, and then your Blood had been the dearer by I know how much an Ounce. Aut. Very wifely, Puppies. [Afide. Shep. Well; let us to the King; there is that in this Farthel will make him fcratch his Beard. Aut. I know not what Impediment this Complaint may be to the Flight of my Mafter. Clo. 'Pray heartily he be at Palace. Aut. Tho' I am not naturally honest, I am so fometimes by chance: Let me pocket up my Pedlers Excrement. How now, Ruftiques, whither are you bound? Shep. To th' Palace, and it like your Worship. Aut. Your Affairs there? What? with whom? the Condition of that Farthel? the Place of your Dwelling? your Names? your Ages? of what having? breeding, and any thing that is fitting for to be known, difcover? Clo. We are but plain Fellows, Sir. Aut. A Lie; you are rough and hairy; let me have no lying; it becomes none but Tradefmen, and they often give us, Soldiers, the Lie, but we pay them for it with ftamped Coin, not stabbing Steel, therefore they do not give us the Lie. Clo. Clo. Your Worfhip had like to have given us one, if you had not taken your felf with the manner. Shep. Are you a Courtier, and like you, Sir? Aut. Whether it like me, or no, I am a Courtier. Seeft thou not the Air of the Court in thefe Enfoldings? Hath not my Gate in it the Measure of the Court? receives not thy Nofe Court-Odour from me? Reflect I not on thy Bale nes, Court-Contempt? Think'ft thou, for that I infinuate,or toaze from thee thy Bufinels, I am therefore no Courtier? I am Courtier Cap-a-pe; and one that will either push-on, or pluck back, thy, bufinefs there; whereupon I command thee to open thy Affair. Shep. My Bulinefs, Sir, is to the King. Aut. What Advocate haft thou to him? you. Clo. Advocate's the Court-word for a Pheazant; fay you have none. Shep. None, Sir; I have no Pheafant Cock, nor Hen. Ant. How bleffed are we, that are not fimple Men! Yet Nature might have made me as thefe are, Therefore I will not difdain. Clo. This cannot be but a great Courtier. Shep. His Garments are rich, but he wears them not handfomly. Clo. He feems to be the more Noble in being fantastical; a great Man, I'll warrant; I know by the Picking on's Teeth. Aut. The Farthel there; what's i'th' Farthel? Wherefore that Box? Shep. Sir, there lys fuch Secrets in this Farthel and Box, which none muft know but the King, and which, he fhail know within this Hour, if I may come to th' Speech of him. Aut. Age, thou haft loft thy Labour. Shep. Why Sir? Aut. The King is not at the Palace, he is gone aboard a new Ship to purge Melancholly, and air himfelf; for if thou be'ft capable of things ferious, thou muft know the King is full of Grief. Shep. So 'tis faid, Sir, about his Son that fhould have married a Shepherd's Daughter. Aut. |