Sir Thomas More | Page 3

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This etext was prepared by the PG Shakespeare Team, a team of about
twenty Project Gutenberg volunteers.

SIR THOMAS MORE
An anonymous play of the sixteen century ascribed in part to William
Shakespeare. First printed in 1844 and here re-edited from the Harleian
MS. 7368 in the British Museum.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
Earl of SHREWSBURY. Earl of SURREY. Sir THOMAS PALMER.
Sir ROGER CHOMLEY. Sir THOMAS MORE. Lord Mayor.
Aldermen. SURESBY, a Justice. Other Justices. Sheriffs. Recorder.
Sergeant at Arms. Clerk of the Council. ERASMUS. Bishop of
Rochester. ROPER, son-in-law to MORE. JOHN LINCOLN, a broker.
GEORGE BETTS. His brother (the 'Clown'). WILLIAMSON, a
carpenter. SHERWIN, a goldsmith. FRANCIS DE BARDE, Lombard.
CAVELER, Lombard. LIFTER, a cut-purse. SMART, plaintiff against
him. HARRY, ROBIN, KIT, and others, Prentices. MORRIS.
FAULKNER, his servant. Players. GOUGH. CATESBY. RANDALL.
Butler. Brewer. Porter. Horsekeeper. CROFTS. DOWNES. Lieutenant
of the Tower. Warders of the Tower. Gentleman Porter of the Tower.
Hangman.
Lords, Gentlemen, Officers, Messengers, Guard, Attendants.
Lady MORE. Lady Mayoress. Mistress ROPER, daughter to MORE.
Another daughter to MORE. DOLL, wife to WILLIAMSON. A Poor
Woman. Ladies.

ACT I.
SCENE I. London. A Street.
[Enter, at one end, John Lincoln, with the two Bettses together; at the

other end, enters Francis de Barde and Doll a lusty woman, he haling
her by the arm.]
DOLL. Whether wilt thou hale me?
BARDE. Whether I please; thou art my prize, and I plead purchase of
thee.
DOLL. Purchase of me! away, ye rascal! I am an honest plain
carpenters wife, and though I have no beauty to like a husband, yet
whatsoever is mine scorns to stoop to a stranger: hand off, then, when I
bid thee!
BARDE. Go with me quietly, or I'll compel thee.
DOLL. Compel me, ye dog's face! thou thinkst thou hast the
goldsmith's wife in hand, whom thou enticedst from her husband with
all his plate, and when thou turndst her home to him again, madst him,
like an ass, pay for his wife's board.
BARDE. So will I make thy husband too, if please me.
[Enter Caveler with a pair of doves; Williamson the carpenter, and
Sherwin following him.]
DOLL. Here he comes himself; tell him so, if thou darst.
CAVELER. Follow me no further; I say thou shalt not have them.
WILLIAMSON. I bought them in Cheapside, and paid my money for
them.
SHERWIN. He did, sir, indeed; and you offer him wrong, both to take
them from him, and not restore him his money neither.
CAVELER. If he paid for them, let it suffice that I possess them: beefs
and brews may serve such hinds; are pigeons meat for a coarse
carpenter?
LINCOLN. It is