Spendall. Yes. Have you any fine ones?
Wench. I'll shew you choice: please you look, sir?
Spendall. How now! what news?

Wench. Mistress Tickleman has sent you a letter, and expects your company at night: and entreats you to send her an angel, whether you can come or whether you cannot. [Spendall reads.

Sweet rascal; if your love be as earnest as your protestation, you will meet me this night at supper: you know the rendezvous. There will be good company; a noise of choice fidlers: a fine boy, with an excellent voice ; very good songs, and bawdy; and, which is more, I do purpose myself to be exceeding merry: but if you come not I shall pout myself sick, and not eat one bit to-night. Your continual close friend,

Nan Tickleman.

I pray send me an angel by the bearer, whether ye
can come, or whether ye cannot.

Spendall. What's the price of these two?
Wench. Half a-crown, in truth.

Spendall. Hold thee; there's an angel, and commend me to my delight; tell her I will not fail her, though I lose my freedom by't.

Wench. I thank you, sir,-Buy any fine handkerchiefs? [Exit Wench. Longfield. You are taken, sir, extremely: what's the object?

Geraldine. She's wondrous fair.

Longfield. Nay, and your thoughts be on wenching, I'll leave you.

Geraldine. You shall not be so unfriendly; pray assist me:

We'll to the shop, and cheapen stuffs or sattins. Spendall. What lack you, gentlemen? fine stuffs, velvets, or sattins? pray come near.

Geraldine. Let me see a good sattin.

Spendall. You shall sir. What colour?

Geraldine. Faith, I am indifferent. What colour most affects you, lady?

Ia noise of choice fidlers.] See Note 76 to The Ordinary, vol. X.

it.

Gartred. Sir !

Geraldine. Without offence, fair creature, I demand

Gartred. Sir, I believe it; but I never did Tie my affection unto any colour.

Geraldine. But my affection, fairest, is fast ty'd

Unto the crimson colour of

your

cheek.

Gartred. You relish too much courtier, sir.

Longfield. What's the price of this?
Spendall. Fifteen, indeed, sir.

Longfield. You set a high rate on't; it had need be good.

Spendall. Good! if you find a better i'th' town, I'll give you mine for nothing. If you were my own brother, I'd put it into your hands. Look upon't; 'tis close wrought, and has an excellent gloss.

Longfield. Aye, I see't.

Spendall. Pray, sir, come into the next room: I'll shew you that of a lower price, shall, perhaps, better please you.

Longfield. This fellow has an excellent tongue : sure he was brought up in the Exchange.

Spendall. Will you come in, sir?

Longfield. No; 'tis no matter, for I mean to buy

none.

Geraldine. Pr'ythee walk in; what you bargain for, I'll discharge.

Longfield. Say so? fall to your work, I'll be your chapman. [Exeunt Spendall, Longfield.

Geraldine. Why do you say I flatter?
Gartred. Why! you do;

And so do all men when they women woo.

Geraldine. Who looks on heaven, and not admires

the work?

Who views a well-cut diamond does not praise

The beauty of the stone? if these deserve

The name of excellent, I lack a word

For thee, which merit'st more,

More than the tongue of man can attribute.

Gartred. This is pretty poetry; good fiction, this.

Sir, I must leave you.

Geraldine. Leave with me first some comfort,
Gartred. What would you crave?

Geraldine. That, which I fear you will not let me have.
Gartred. You do not know my bounty. Say what'tis?
Geraldine. No more, fair creature, than a modest kiss.
Gartred. If I should give you one, would
On that condition, ne'er to beg again?
Geraldine. I dare not grant to that.
Gartred. Then't seems you have,

you refrain,

my soul!

Tho' you get nothing, a delight to crave.
One will not hurt my lip, which you may take,
Not for your love, but for your absence sake.
So farewel, sir.
[Exit Gartred.
Geraldine. O! fare thee well, fair regent of
Never let ill sit near thee, unless it come
Το purge itself. Be, as thou ever seemest,
An angel of thy sex, born to make happy
The man that shall possess thee for his bride.
Enter SPENDALL and LONGFIELD.
Spendall. Will you have it for thirteen shillings and
six-pence? I'll fall to as low a price as I can, because
I'll buy your custom.

Longfield. How now, man? what! intranced?
Geraldine. Good sir, ha' you done?

Longfield. Yes, faith, I think as much as you, and

'tis just nothing. Where's the wench?

Geraldine. She's here, sir, here.

Longfield. Uds pity! unbutton, man, thou'lt stifle her

else.

Geraldine. Nay, good sir, will you go?

Longfield. With all my heart; I stay but for you.

Spendall. Do you hear, sir?

Longfield. What say you?

Spendall. Will you take it for thirteen ?

Longfield. Not a penny more than I bid

[Exeunt Geraldine and Longfield.

Spendall. Why then, say you might have had a good bargain. Where's this boy to make up the wares? here's some ten pieces open'd, and all to no purpose.

Enter Box.

Boy. O Frank! shut up shop, shut up shop.
Spendall. Shut up shop, boy, why?

of

Boy. My master is come from the court, knighted, and bid us; for he says he will have the first year the reign of his knighthood kept holiday: here he

comes.

Enter Sir LIONEL RASH.

Spendall. God give your worship joy, sir.

Sir Lionel Rash. O Frank! I have the worship now in the right kind; the sword of my knighthood sticks still upon my shoulders, and I feel the blow in my purse; it has cut two leather bags asunder. But all's one, honour must be purchased. I will give over my city coat, and betake myself to the court jacket. As for trade, I will deal in't no longer; I will seat thee in my shop, and it shall be thy care to ask men what they lack: my stock shall be summ'd up, and I will call thee to an account for it.

Spendall. My service, sir, never deserv'd so much; Nor could I ever hope so large a bounty Could spring out of your love.

Sir Lionel Rash. That's all one.

I do love to do things beyond men's hopes.
To-morrow I remove into the Strand,

There for this quarter dwell, the next at Fulham;
He that hath choice may shift; the whilst shalt thou
Be master of this house, and rent it free.

Spendall. I thank you, sir.

Sir Lionel Rash. To-day I'll go dine with my Lord Mayor, to-morrow with the sheriffs, and next day with the aldermen. I will spread the ensign of my knighthood over the face of the city, which shall strike as great a terror to my enemies as ever Tamerlane to the Turks.

Come, Frank, come in with me, and see the meat,
Upon the which my knighthood first shall eat.
[Exeunt omnes.

Enter STAINES.

Staines. There is a devil has haunted me these three

2

years, in likeness of a usurer; a fellow that in all his life never eat three groat loaves out of his own purse, nor ever warmed him but at other men's fires; never saw a joint of mutton in his own house these four and twenty years, but always cozen'd the poor prisoners, for he always bought his victuals out of the alms-basket; and yet this rogue now feeds upon capons, which my tenants send him out of the country; he is landlord, forsooth, over all my possessions.-Well, I am spent, and this rogue has consum'd me. I dare not walk abroad to see my friends, for fear the serjeants should take acquaintance of me: my refuge is Ireland, or Virginia necessity cries out, and I will presently to West Chester.

Enter BUBBLE.

How now, Bubble! hast thou pack'd up all thy things? Our parting-time is come: nay, pr'ythee do not weep. Bubble. Affection, sir, will burst out.

Staines. Thou hast been a faithful servant to me. Go to thy uncle, he'll give thee entertainment: tell him, upon the stony rock of his merciless heart my fortunes suffer shipwreck.

Bubble. I will tell him he is an usuring rascal, and one that would do the commonwealth good, if he were hang'd.

Staines. Which thou hast cause to wish for; thou art his heir, my affectionate Bubble.

Bubble. But, master, wherefore should we be parted? Staines. Because my fortunes are desperate, thine are hopeful.

Bubble. Why, but whither do you mean to go, master?

Staines. Why, to sea.

Bubble. To sea! Lord bless us, a tempest already. But what will Staines. Why, as other gallants turn pirate.

methinks I hear of
do at sea?
do that are spent,

you

2 Ireland or Virginia.] At the time this play was written, the same endeavours were used, and the same lures thrown out, to tempt adventurers to migrate to each of these places.