A Select Collection of Old English Plays, vol 2 | Page 3

upon a tree; A knight with a spear opened his side, In his heart appeared a wound wide, That bought both you and me!
YOUTH. God's fast! what is that to me? Thou daw, wilt thou reed me In my youth to lose my jollity? Hence, knave, and go thy way, Or with my dagger I shall thee slay!
CHARITY. O sir, hear what I you tell, And be ruled after my counsel, That ye might sit in heaven high With God and his company.
YOUTH. Ah, yet of God thou wilt not cease Till I fight in good earnest; On my faith I tell thee true, If I fight, it will thee rue All the days of thy life.
CHARITY. Since[10] I see it will none otherwise be; I will go to my brother Humility, And take good counsel of him, How it is best to be do therein.
YOUTH. Yea, marry, sir, I pray you of that; Methink it were a good sight of your back; I would see your heels hither, And your brother and you together Fettered fine fast! I-wis, and I had the key, Ye should sing well-away, Ere I let you loose!
CHARITY. Farewell, my masters everychone! I will come again anon, And tell you how I have done.
YOUTH. And thou come hither again, I shall send thee hence in the devil's name. What! now I may have my space To jet here in this place; Before I might not stir, When that churl Charity was here; But now, among all this cheer, I would I had some company here; I wish[11] my brother Riot would help me, For to beat Charity And his brother too.
RIOT. Huffa! huffa![12] who calleth after me? I am Riot, full of jollity. My heart as light as the wind, And all on riot is my mind, Wheresoever I go. But wot ye what I do here? To seek Youth my compeer: Fain of him I would have a sight, But my lips hang in my light. God speed, master Youth, by my fay.
YOUTH. Welcome, Riot, in the devil's way! Who brought thee hitherto?
RIOT. That did my legs, I tell thee: Methought thou did me call, And I am come now here To make royal cheer, And tell thee how I have done.
YOUTH. What! I weened thou hadst been hanged, But I see thou art escaped, For it was told me here You took a man on the ear, That his purse in your bosom did fly, And so in Newgate you did lie.
RIOT. So it was, I beshrew your heart: I come lately from Newgate, But I am as ready to make good cheer, As he that never came there; For, and I have spending, I will make as merry as a king, And care not what I do; For I will not lie long in prison, But will get forth soon, For I have learned a policy That will loose me lightly, And soon let me go.
YOUTH. I love well thy discretion, For thou art all of one condition; Thou art stable and steadfast of mind, And not changeable as the wind. But, sir, I pray you at the least, Tell me more of that jest, That thou told me right now.
RIOT. Moreover, I shall tell thee, The Mayor of London sent for me Forth of Newgate for to come, For to preach at Tyburn.
YOUTH. By our Lady! he did promote thee, To make thee preach at the gallow-tree! But, sir, how didst thou 'scape?
RIOT. Verily, sir, the rope brake, And so I fell to the ground, And ran away, safe and sound: By the way I met with a courtier's lad, And twenty nobles of gold in his purse he had: I took the lad on the ear, Beside his horse I felled him there: I took his purse in my hand, And twenty nobles therein I fand.[13] Lord, how I was merry!
YOUTH. God's fate! thou didst enough there For to be made knight of the collar.
RIOT. Yea, sir, I trust to God Allmight At the next sessions to be dubbed a knight.
YOUTH. Now, sir, by this light! That would I fain see, And I plight thee, so God me save, That a sure collar thou shalt have; And because gold collars be so good cheap, Unto the roper I shall speak To make thee one of a good price, And that shall be of warrantise.
RIOT. Youth, I pray thee have ado, And to the tavern let us go, And we will drink divers wine, And the cost shall be mine; Thou shalt not pay one penny, i-wis, Yet thou shalt have a wench to kiss, Whensoever thou wilt.
YOUTH. Marry, Riot, I thank thee, That thou wilt bestow it on me, And for thy pleasure so be it; I would not Charity