As foon as put on; a fin your man of title
Is feldom guilty of; but heaven forgive it..
I have other faults too very incident
To a plain gentleman. I eat my venifon

With my neighbours in the country, and present not
My pheasants, partridges, and growse to the ufurer;
Nor ever yet paid brokage to his scrivener.

I flatter not my mercer's wife, nor feast her
With the first cherries or pefcods, to prepare me
Credit with her husband when I come to London.
The wool of my sheep, or a score or two of fat oxen
In Smithfield, give me money for my expences.
I can make my wife a jointure of fuch lands too
As are not encumber'd; no annuity

Or ftatute lying on 'em. This I can do,

And it please your future honour; and why therefore
You fhould forbid my being a fuitor with you,
My dulnefs apprehends not.

Page. This is bitter.

Lacy. I have heard you, fir, and in my patience shewn Too much of the ftoick's. But to parley farther,

Or answer your grofs jeers, would write me coward.
This only, thy great grandfather was a butcher,
And his fon a grafier,

Thy fire conftable of the hundred, and thou the first of your dunghill, created gentleman,

Now you may come on, fir,

You and your thrashers.

Plenty. Stir not on your lives.

This for the grafier, this for the butcher.

Lacy. So, fir.

[They fight.

Page. I'll not ftand idle; draw my little rapier

Againft your bumb blades. I'll one by one dispatch you, Then house this inftrument of death and horror.

Enter Sir John, Luke, Goldwire, Tradewell.

Sir John. Beat down their weapons. My gate ruffians hall!

What infolence is this?

Luke. Noble fir Maurice, Worshipful mr. Plenty

Sir John,

Sir John. I blush for you;

Men of your quality expose your fame ́

To every vulgar cenfure! This at midnight,
After a drunken fupper at a tavern,

(No civil man abroad to cenfure it)

Had fhewn poor in you; but in the day, and view
Of all that pass by, monftrous!

Plenty. Very well, fir;

You look for this defence.

Lacy. 'Tis thy protection; But it will deceive thee.

Sir John. Hold, if you proceed thus,
I must make use of the next juftice's power,
And leave perfuafion; and in plain terms tell

you,

[Enter Lady, Anne, Mary, and Millefcent.]
Neither your birth, fir Maurice, nor your wealth
Shall privilege this riot. See whom you have drawn
To be fpectators of it! Can you imagine

It can ftand with the credit of my daughters,
To be the argument of your fwords? l'th' street too?
Nay, e'er you do falute, or I give way

To any private conference, fhake hands

In fign of peace. He that draws back, parts with
My good opinion. This is as it fhould be.
Make your approaches, and if their affection
Can fympathize with yours, they shall not come,
On my credit, beggars to you. I will hear
What you reply within.

Lacy. May I have the honour

To fupport you, lady?

Plenty. I know not what is fupporting:

But by this fair hand, glove and all, I love you.

212

[Exeunt omnes præter Luke,

To him enter Hoyft, Penury, Fortune.

Luke. You are come with all advantage. I will help

you

To the speech of my brother.

Fortune. Have you mov'd him for us?

Luke. With the beft of my endeavours, and I hope You'll find him tractable.

Penury.

Penury. Heaven grant he prove fo!
Hoyft. Howe'er I'll fpeak my mind..
Enter Lord Lacy.

Luke. Do fo, mr. Hoyft.

Go in. I'll pay my duty to this lord,

And then I am wholly yours.-Heaven bless your honour.. Lord. Your hand, mr. Luke. The world's much chang'd with you

Within these few months; then you were the gallant:
No meeting at the horse-race, cocking, hunting,
Shooting, or bowling, at which mr. Luke

Was not a principal gamefter, and companion
For the nobility.

Luke. I have paid dear

For thofe follies, my good lord, and 'tis but juftice
That fuch as foar above their pitch, and will not
Be warn'd by example, fhould like me

Share in the miferies that wait upon't.
Your honour in your charity may do well
Not to upbraid me with those weaknesses
Too late repented.

Lord. I nor do, nor will;

And you fhall find I'll lend a helping hand

To raife your fortunes. How deals your brother with you?

Luke. Beyond my merit, I thank his goodness for't, I am a free man, all my debts discharg'd,

Nor does one creditor, undone by me,

Curfe my loofe riots. I have meat and cloaths,

Time to ask heaven remiffion for what's past;
Cares of the world by me are laid afide,
My prefent poverty is a bleffing to me;
And though I have been long, I dare not fay
I ever liv'd till now..

Lord. You bear it well.;

Yet as you wish I should receive for truth
What
you deliver, with that truth acquaint me
With your brother's inclination. I have heard,.
In the acquifition of his wealth, he weighs not
Whofe ruins he builds upon

Luke

Luke. In that, report

Wrongs him, my lord. He is a citizen,
And would increase his heap, and will not lofe
What the law gives him. Such as are worldly wife
Pursue that tract, or they will ne'er wear fcarlet.
But if your honour please to know his temper,
You are come opportunely. I can bring you
Where you unfeen fhall fee, and hear his carriage
Towards fome poor men, whofe making or undoing
Depend upon his pleasure. [4 table, count-book, ftandife,
chair and fools fet out.]

Lord. To my wish,

I know no object that could more content me. [Exeunt.

Actus primus, Scena tertia.

Enter Sir John, Hoyft, Fortune, Penury, Goldwire.

Sir John. W

HAT would you have me do? reach me a chair.

When I lent my moneys, I appear'd an angel;

But now I would call in mine own, a devil.

Hoyft. Were you the devil's dam, you must stay till I have it.

For as I am a gentleman

Enter Luke placing the lord Lacy,

Luke. There you may hear all.

Hoyft. I pawn'd you my land for the tenth part of the value.

Now, 'cause I am a gamester, and keep ordinaries,
And a livery punk, or fo, and trade not with

The money-mongers wives, not one will be bound

for me:

Tis a hard cafe, you must give me longer day,

Or I fhall grow very angry.

Sir John. Fret, and spare not.
I know no obligation lies upon me

With

With my honey to feed drones. But to the purpose,
How much owes Penury??

Goldwire. Two hundred pounds;

His bond mes fince forfeited.
Sir John. Is it fu’d?

Goldwire. Yes fir, and execution out against him.
Sir John, For body and goods?
Goldivirt. For both, fir.

Sir John. See it ferv'd.

Penury. I am undone; my wife and family Muft ftarve for want of bread.

Sir John. More infidel thou, .

In not providing better to fupport 'em.
What's Fortune's debt?

Goldwire. A thoufand, fir

Sir John. An estate

For a good man. You were the glorious trader,
Embrac'd all bargains; the main venturer

In every fhip that launch'd forth; kept your wife
As a lady; she had her coach, her choice

Of fummer-houses, built with other mens moneys
Took up at intereft, the certain road

To Ludgate in a citizen: Pray you acquaint me
How were my thoufand pounds imploy'd?
Fortune. Infult not

On my calamity; though being a debtor,
And a flave to him that lerids, I must endure it.
Yet hear me fpeak thus much in my defence;
Loffes at fea, and thofe, fir, great and many,
By ftorms and tempefts, not domeftical riots
In foothing my wife's humour, or mine own,
Have brought me to this low ebb.

Sir John. Suppose this true;

What is't to me? I muft and will have my money,
Or I'll proteft you first; and that done, have

The ftatute made for bankrupts ferv'd upon you.

Fortune. 'Tis in your power, but not in mine to fhun it Luke. Not as a brother, fir, but with fuch duty

As I fhould use unto my father, fince

Your charity is my parent, give me leave

To