A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. II | Page 7

That you'le be there and here agen presently.
Hen. Attend here, sirra.
Buz. If you must needes goe, pray, sir, keepe yourselfe out of Gun-shott.
Hen. Mind you your charge.
Buz. You shall heare a good report of my piece, I warrant you. Take heed you be not sent to heaven with a powder: a company of hott shotts[15] are abroad, I can tell you.
Ele. If you will goe may your successe be faire.
Hen. Farewell; heaven cannot chuse but heare your prayer. [Exit.
Buz. Now what please you, madam? that I shall amble, trott, or walke?
Ele. Any pace.
Buz. Yet, if you would referre it to me, I'de use none of them.
Ele. What wouldst doe?
Buz. Why I would gallop or run, for I think long till I be at home in our Castle of comfort. If it please you Ile lead you a hand gallop in the plaine ground, trott up hill with you & racke[16] downewards.
Ele. Talke not of rackes, prithee; the times present too many.
Buz. Ride me as you will, then; I am used both to curbe and snaffle.
Ele. I prithee tell me, _Buzzano_,--so, I heare thy master call thee--
Buz. He may call me at his pleasure, forsooth.
Ele. Dost thou know the nature of the _English_?
Buz. Both men and women: I travelled thither with an Embassadour. For the men Ile not misse you a haire of their condition; and for the women I know 'em as well as if I had bene in their bellyes.
Ele. Are they not cruell?
Buz. As Tygers, when they set on't: no mercy unlesse we aske them forgiveness.
Ele. That's somewhat yet.
Buz. But not to you; that's onely to men; for lett the women fall downe afore 'em never so often they'le rather fall upon them. Nay, some of them are so spitefull they'le breake their owne backes before they let 'em rise againe.
Ele. Foole, I meane not your way.
Buz. Keepe your owne way, madam; I meane the playne way.
Ele. Are they not unmercifull in their natures to such as are in their power, their Enemyes as we may be?
Buz. Their enemyes as we may be in their power! I had rather be cramm'd into a cannon and shott against their ships then you should prove a witch & tell true now. The Tartar is not halfe so grim; not a Turke would use us so like Jewes as they will. If it come to that once that they take the Towne You will see Spanish Dons heads cryed up and downe: as they doe our Orenges and Lymons; and the woemens heads shall off, too,--not a maydenhead of gold shall scape 'em.
Ele. It is no valour to use Tyranny Upon the conquerd: they have been reported A noble nation; and when last the pride Of this Citty adornd their victory, by command Or their brave Generall, no outrage ever The soldiers durst committ upon our persons: Though all our wealth ran in full streames upon them Our honours were preserved, or fame belys them.
Buz. No matter what fame sayes, perhaps I know more than she does; & yet, now you talk of valour, they are not comparable to us.
Ele. How?
Buz. Why, valour is but the courage of a man; courage is, as they say, the spirit of a man; and the spirit of a man is the greatnes, as we call it, of his stomake. Now 'tis well knowen to the whole world they feed better and eate more then we: ergo, we have better stomackes then they. But, see! we have talk't our selves at home already, and the point (port?) is open. Will't please you enter, or shall I enter before you? I am your man, madam.
Ele. You know the way best:--whilst abroad they are At fight, twixt hope and feare at home I warre.
[Exeunt.

Actus Secundus.
(SCENE 1.)
_Alarum; as the soft musicke begins a peale of ordnance goes off; then Cornetts sound a Battaile; which ended enter Captaine, Master of a ship, Dick Pike, with musketts_.
Cap. Fought bravely, countrymen! Honour all this while Sate in a Throne of smoake with sparckling eyes Looking upon your courages & admiring Your resolutions, and now rewards your sweat With victory. The castle groanes at heart; Her strongest ribbs are bruizd with battering Cannons, And she hath tane into her bowells fire Enough to melt her.
Ma. My Lord came bravely up to her & shewd a spirit That commands danger; his honorable example Gave us new hearts.
Sol. Faith, give the Spanyards their due; they entertaind us handsomely with hott meat; 'twas no cold welcome.
Pike. But I would not willingly swallow their plums; they would rise shrewdly in a man's stomacke.
Cap. At the first shott, when the Convertine came in, 3 men were killd.
Ma. At the second 4, was't not?
Cap. At the third two more: one salutation Came so close that, with the very