Roister Doister | Page 7

And I hearde hir name twice or thrice, and had it ryght.
+M. Mery.+ Yea, ye may see ye nere take me to good cheere with you, If ye had, I coulde haue tolde you hir name now.
+R. Royster.+ I was to blame in deede, but the nexte tyme perchaunce: And she dwelleth in this house.
+M. Mery.+ What Christian Custance.
+R. Royster.+ Except I haue hir to my Wife, I shall runne madde.
+M. Mery.+ Nay vnwise perhaps, but I warrant you for madde.
+R. Royster.+ I am vtterly dead vnlesse I haue my desire.
+M. Mery.+ Where be the bellowes that blewe this sodeine fire?
+R. Royster.+ I heare she is worthe a thousande pounde and more.
+M. Mery.+ Yea, but learne this one lesson of me afore, An hundred pounde of Marriage money doubtlesse, Is euer thirtie pounde sterlyng, or somewhat lesse, So that hir Thousande pounde yf she be thriftie, Is muche neere about two hundred and fiftie, Howebeit wowers and Widowes are neuer poore.
+R. Royster.+ Is she a Widowe? I loue hir better therefore.
+M. Mery.+ But I heare she hath made promise to another.
+R. Royster.+ He shall goe without hir, and he were my brother.
+M. Mery.+ I haue hearde say, I am right well aduised, That she hath to Gawyn Goodlucke promised.
+R. Royster.+ What is that Gawyn Goodlucke?
+M. Mery.+ a Merchant man.
+R. Royster.+ Shall he speede afore me? nay sir by sweete Sainct Anne. Ah sir, Backare quod Mortimer to his sowe, I wyll haue hir myne owne selfe I make God a vow. For I tell thee, she is worthe a thousande pounde.
+M. Mery.+ Yet a fitter wife for your maship might be founde: Suche a goodly man as you, might get one wyth lande, Besides poundes of golde a thousande and a thousande, And a thousande, and a thousande, and a thousande, And so to the summe of twentie hundred thousande, Your most goodly personage is worthie of no lesse.
+R. Royster.+ I am sorie God made me so comely doubtlesse. For that maketh me eche where so highly fauoured, And all women on me so enamoured.
+M. Mery.+ Enamoured quod you? haue ye spied out that? Ah sir, mary nowe I see you know what is what. Enamoured ka? mary sir say that againe, But I thought not ye had marked it so plaine.
+R. Royster.+ Yes, eche where they gaze all vpon me and stare.
+M. Mery.+ Yea malkyn, I warrant you as muche as they dare. And ye will not beleue what they say in the streete, When your mashyp passeth by all such as I meete, That sometimes I can scarce finde what aunswere to make. Who is this (sayth one) sir Launcelot du lake? Who is this, greate Guy of Warwike, sayth an other? No (say I) it is the thirtenth Hercules brother. Who is this? noble Hector of Troy, sayth the thirde? No, but of the same nest (say I) it is a birde. Who is this? greate Goliah, Sampson, or Colbrande? No (say I) but it is a brute of the Alie lande. Who is this? greate Alexander? or Charle le Maigne? No, it is the tenth Worthie, say I to them agayne: I knowe not if I sayd well.
+R. Royster.+ Yes for so I am.
+M. Mery.+ Yea, for there were but nine worthies before ye came. To some others, the thirde Cato I doe you call. And so as well as I can I aunswere them all. Sir I pray you, what lorde or great gentleman is this? Maister Ralph Roister Doister dame say I, ywis. O Lorde (sayth she than) what a goodly man it is, Woulde Christ I had such a husbande as he is. O Lorde (say some) that the sight of his face we lacke: It is inough for you (say I) to see his backe. His face is for ladies of high and noble parages. With whome he hardly scapeth great mariages. With muche more than this, and much otherwise.
+R. Royster.+ I can thee thanke that thou canst suche answeres deuise: But I perceyue thou doste me throughly knowe.
+M. Mery.+ I marke your maners for myne owne learnyng I trowe, But suche is your beautie, and suche are your actes, Suche is your personage, and suche are your factes, That all women faire and fowle, more and lesse, That eye you, they lubbe you, they talke of you doubtlesse, Your p[l]easant looke maketh them all merie, Ye passe not by, but they laugh till they be werie, Yea and money coulde I haue the truthe to tell, Of many, to bryng you that way where they dwell.
+R. Royster.+ Merygreeke for this thy reporting well of mee:
+M. Mery.+ What shoulde I else sir, it is my duetie pardee:
+R. Royster.+ I promise thou shalt not lacke, while I haue a grote.
+M. Mery.+ Faith sir,