You that begin betimes thus must needs prove Pliant and duteous in your husband's love. Gramercies, brother! Wrought her to 't already,

45

"Sweet husband,' and a curtsey, the first day?
Mark this, mark this, you that are bachelors,
And never took the grace of honest man;
Mark this, against you marry,2 this one phrase:
In a good time that man both wins and woos
That takes his wife down3 in her wedding shoes.
Frank. Your sister takes not after you, Sir
Francis,

All his wild blood your father spent on you; 50
He got her in his age, when he grew civil.
All his mad tricks were to his land entail'd,
And you are heir to all; your sister, she
Hath to her dower her mother's modesty.

Sir C. Lord, sir, in what a happy state live you!

55

60

This morning, which to many seems a burden,
Too heavy to bear, is unto you a pleasure.
This lady is no clog, as many are;
She doth become you like a well-made suit,
In which the tailor hath us'd all his art;
Not like a thick coat of unseason'd frieze,
Forc'd on your back in summer. She's no chain
To tie your neck, and curb you to the yoke;
But she's a chain of gold to adorn your neck.
You both adorn each other, and your hands, 05
Methinks, are matches. There's equality
In this fair combination; you are both
Scholars, both young, both being descended

nobly.

His hawk and dog both tried. What! Clap ye hands,9 Or is 't no bargain?

Wen. Yes, and stake them down. Were they five hundred, they were all my own. Sir F. Be stirring early with the lark tomorrow;

The points where the strings of a musical instrument are stopped.

5 Streamers.

• Boisterous.

8 Gold coins worth about $2.50.

Shake hands on it.

7 Q1 But.

Enter NICHOLAS and JENKIN, JACK SLIME, ROGER BRICK BAT, with Country Wenches, and two or three Musicians.

Jen. Come, Nick, take you Joan Miniver, to trace withal; Jack Slime, traverse you with Cicely Milkpail; I will take Jane Trubkin, and Roger Brick bat shall have Isabel Motley. And now that they are busy in the parlour, come, [5 strike up; we'll have a crash 2 here in the yard.

Nich. My humour is not compendious: dancing I possess not, though I can foot it; yet, since I am fallen into the hands of Cicely [10 Milkpail, I consent.

Slime. Truly, Nick, though we were never brought up like serving courtiers, yet we have been brought up with serving creatures, -ау, and God's creatures, too; for we have been [15 brought up to serve sheep, oxen, horses, hogs, and such like; and, though we be but country fellows, it may be in the way of dancing we can do the horse-trick as well as the serving-men. Brick. Ay, and the cross-point too.

20

Jen. O Slime! O Brickbat! Do not you know that comparisons are odious? Now we are odious ourselves, too; therefore there are no comparisons to be made betwixt us.

Nich. I am sudden, and not superfluous;
I am quarrelsome, and not seditions;
I am peaceable, and not contentious;

I am brief, and not compendious.

25

Slime. Foot it quickly! If the music overcome not my melancholy, I shall quarrel; and if [30 they suddenly do not strike up, I shall presently strike thee down.

Jen. No quarrelling, for God's sake! Truly, if you do, I shall set a knave between ye.

Slime. I come to dance, not to quarrel. [35 Come, what shall it be? Rogero? 8

Jen. Rogero? No; we will dance The Beginning of the World.

Cicely. I love no dance so well as John come kiss me now.

40

Nich. I that have ere now deserv'd a cushion, call for the Cushion-dance.

Brick. For my part, I like nothing so well as Tom Tyler.

Jen. No; we'll have The Hunting of the [45 Fox.

Slime. The Hay, The Hay! There's nothing like The Hay.

Nich. I have said, I do say, and I will say again

They dance; NICK dancing, speaks stately and scurvily, the rest after the country fashion.

Jen. Hey! Lively, my lasses! Here's a turn for thee! Exeunt.

8 Verity explains as "booty," but apparently it is the same as jesses.

Leg-straps.

10 Quarry the swoop upon the bird." (N. E. D.) 11 Not satisfactorily explained.

12 Attacked afresh.

Not in this! [Strikes Sir Charles.] Thou shalt to thy long home, Or I will want my will. Sir F. All they that love Sir Francis, follow me!

40

Sir C. All that affect Sir Charles, draw on my part!

Cran. On this side heaves my hand.
Wen.

Here goes my heart. They divide themselves. SIR CHARLES MOUNTFORD, CRANWELL, Falconer, and Huntsman, fight against SIR FRANCIS ACTON, WENDOLL, his Falconer and Huntsman; and SIR CHARLES hath the better, and beats them away, killing both of SIR FRANCIS'S men. Exeunt all but SIR CHARLES MOUNTFORD.]

Sir C. My God, what have I done! What have I done!

My rage hath plung'd into a sea of blood,
In which my soul lies drown'd. Poor inno-

For whom we are to answer! Well, 't is done, And I remain the victor. A great conquest, When I would give this right hand, nay, this head,

To breathe in them new life whom I have slain!

Forgive me, God! 'Twas in the heat of blood,

And anger quite removes me from myself.
It was not I, but rage, did this vile murder;
Yet I, and not my rage, must answer it.
Sir Francis Acton, he is fled the field;

With him all those that did partake his quarrel; And I am left alone with sorrow dumb,

And in my height of conquest overcome.

56

3 The rest of the speech seems to refer to Mountford's hawk.

Till they could set on either side a bank,
And in the midst a channel; so my face
For two salt-water brooks shall still find place.
Sir C. Thou shalt not weep so much; for I

will stay,

In spite of danger's teeth. I'll live with thee, 90
Or I'll not live at all. I will not sell
My country and my father's patrimony,
Nor thy sweet sight, for a vain hope of life.

Enter Sheriff, with Officers.

Sher. Sir Charles, I am made the unwilling instrument

Of your attach and apprehension.

95