A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vi Part 88

And that is your portion; for Conscience is bestowed on London's Pleasure, because London makes o'[286] Conscience what pleasure they use and admit, and what time they bestow therein, and to what end: so, my Lord Devotion, either that or nothing.

DEVOTION.

A stone is a hard lot, instead of a lady.

POLICY.

My Lord Delight, that do delight in Love, You must I love for making choice of mine.

Love is my portion, and that flint is yours.

DELIGHT.

Here in lead is written _Charity_: and what of this?

POLICY.

If you be (as I doubt not) honest Delight in love, then in the best sense you can have but Charity: if you be (which I suspect not) other Delight in love, you must be noted for concupiscence, and that you will blush to be. Well, Charity is your best: then, that is your portion; for, mark ye, London's Policy joins with London's Love, to show that all our policy is for love of London's commonwealth; and so our love cannot be separate from our policy. You hear this?

DELIGHT.

A flint's a hard change for so fair a wife.

POLICY.

And thus, lords, Desire of Lucre may take Care; Devotion of Conscience may have Remorse; and Delight of Love may have Charity: other recompense none.

PLEASURE.

And so we three leave you three with Care, Remorse, and Charity.

[_Exeunt_.

DESIRE.

With Care and Remorse, I swear, ye do leave us; but what Charity I cannot tell.

DEVOTION.

Well, yet we must use Charity, though we fail of our desire; and we are answered with such reason as is not to be gainsayed.

DELIGHT.

Indeed, my lord, your calling is to persuade to charity; but if I use patience, it shall be perforce.

DEVOTION.

Yet being so wisely warn'd, methinks, we should be arm'd, and take this in worth: that the world wonder no further, I will take up my hard burden of Remorse, and be gone.

[_Exit_.

DESIRE.

It is good to follow examples of good. I'll take this heavy burden of Care, and follow as I may.

[_Exit_.

DELIGHT.

Because I'll not be singular, I'll frame myself to follow, taking this cold portion of Charity as my share.

[_Exit_.

_Enter_ SIMPLICITY _with_ DILIGENCE.

SIMPLICITY.

Come on, Master Diligence: I have been seeking ye, as a man should seek a load of hay in a needle's eye.

DILIGENCE.

And why hast thou sought me, I pray thee, so earnestly?

SIMPLICITY.

Why? For this ointment, these sh.e.l.ls, these pictures: do ye not know this _countus mountus c.u.m this da mihi_?

DILIGENCE.

What money? Why, do I owe thee any money?

SIMPLICITY.

Owe me? Tush, no, man; what do ye talk of owing? Come, and yet I must have some certain _sigillatum_ and _deliberatum in presentia_. Do you not understand, sir? Fortypence and furniture by my Lord Pomp's 'pointment against the wedding day, to be one of the showmakers. I do not say shoemakers, and yet they be honest men.

DILIGENCE.

I understand thee now, and thou shalt want neither money nor furniture for that. Sawest thou not Fraud lately?

SIMPLICITY.

No, a fox ferret him! for if I could find him, I would make him fast enough for cosening me of ten shillings for certain copper b.u.t.tons and rings. I thought to have been a haberdasher, and he hath made me worse than a haymaker.

DILIGENCE.

I may say to thee in counsel, but I'll have no words of it, he hath overreach'd me too: but if thou spy him first, let me understand; and if I see him first, thou shalt have knowledge; for I'll tell thee--but laugh not--he showed me a purse with a hundred pound in angels, which he would deliver me in p.a.w.n to be my true prisoner, because, for his credit, he was loth to go with me through the streets to Newgate. I refused it at first; but at last by his entreaty I was content to take his p.a.w.n, and thinking he had given me the right purse of gold, he had another like it, which he gave me with counters, and so went away. I never did see him since; but, mum, no words of it.

SIMPLICITY.

No words, quotha! that's a stale jest; would you be cosen'd so?

DILIGENCE.

Well, so it is now. Come, follow me for thy furniture and money.

[_Exeunt_.

_Enter_ DISSIMULATION _and_ FRAUD _in caps, and as the rest must be for the show_.

DISSIMULATION.

The coast is clear: come, follow, Fraud, and fear not, for who can decipher us in this disguise? Thus may we shuffle into the show with the rest, and see and not be seen, doing as they do, that are attired like ourselves.

FRAUD.

That is, to stand amongst them, and take as they take, torches or anything to furnish the show. Now, if we can pa.s.s but this day unseen, let to-morrow shift for itself as it may. I promise thee, Dissimulation, thou art very formal.

DISSIMULATION.

Not more than thyself, Fraud. I would thou sawest thy picture.

FRAUD.

Picture here, picture there! let us follow our business.

[_Exeunt_.

_Enter a Wench, singing_.

_Strew the fair flowers and herbs that be green, To grace the gayest wedding that ever was seen.