How now, what ails your master?

Hʼas taken a younger brotherʼs purge, forsooth, and 1294that works with him.

Where is his cloak and rapier?

He has given up his cloak, and his rapier is bound 1297to the peace. If you look a little higher, you may see that 1298another hath entered into hatband for him too. Six and 1299four have put him into this sweat.

Whereʼs all his money?

ʼTis put over by exchange. His doublet was going to 1302be translated, but for me. If any man would haʼ lent but 1303half a ducat on his beard, the hair of it had stuffed a pair 1304of breeches by this time. I had but one poor penny, and 1305that I was glad to niggle out and buy a holly-wand to grace 1306him through the street. As hap was, his boots were on, and 1307them I dustied, to make people think he had been riding 1308and I had run by him.

O me! [To Mattheo] How does my sweet Mattheo?

O rogue, of what devilish stuff are these dice 1311made of? Of the parings of the devilʼs corns of his toes, 1312that they run thus damnably?

I prithee, vex not.

If any handicraftsman was ever suffered to keep 1315shop in hell, it will be a dice-maker. Heʼs able to undo 1316more souls than the devil; I played with mine own dice, 1317yet lost. Haʼ you any money?

ʼLas, I haʼ none.

Must have money, must have some, must have a 1320cloak and rapier and things. Will you go set your 1321lime-twigs and get me some birds, some money?

What lime-twigs should I set?

You will not, then? Must have cash and pictures. 1324Do ye hear, frailty? Shall I walk in a Plymouth cloak, 1325thatʼs to say like a rogue, in my hose and doublet, and a 1326crab-tree cudgel in my hand, and you swim in your 1327satins? Must have money, come!

Isʼt bedtime, master, that you undo my mistress?

Undo me? Yes, yes, at these riflings 1330I

3.2.17Have been too often.

Have been too often. Help to flay, Pacheco.

Flaying call you it?

[To Bellafront] Iʼll pawn you, by thʼLord, to your very eyebrows.

With all my heart; since heaven will have me poor,

3.2.211335As good be drowned at sea as drowned at shore.

Why, hear you, sir? Iʼfaith, do not make away her 1337gown.

O, itʼs summer, itʼs summer; your only fashion 1339for a woman now is to be light, to be light.

Why, pray, sir, employ some of that money you have 1341of mine.

Thine? Iʼll starve first, Iʼll beg first; when I touch a 1343penny of that, let these fingersʼ ends rot.

[Aside] So they may, for thatʼs past touching. I saw my 1345twenty pounds fly high.

Knowst thou never a damned broker about the 1347city?

Damned broker? Yes – five hundred.

The gown stood me in above twenty ducats; 1350borrow ten of it. Cannot live without silver.

Iʼll make what I can of it, sir; Iʼll be your broker.

3.2.311352[Aside] But not your damned broker. O, thou scurvy knave!

3.2.331353What makes a wife turn whore but such a slave?

How now, little chick? What ailst? Weeping 1355for a handful of tailorʼs shreds? Pox on them! Are there 1356not silks enough at mercerʼs?

I care not for gay feathers, I.

What dost care for, then? Why dost grieve?

Why do I grieve? A thousand sorrows strike

3.2.381360At one poor heart, and yet it lives. Mattheo,

3.2.391361Thou art a gamester; prithee throw at all,

3.2.401362Set all upon one cast. We kneel and pray,

3.2.411363And struggle for life, yet must be cast away.

3.2.421364Meet misery quickly then, split all, sell all,

3.2.431365And when thou hast sold all, spend it. But, I beseech thee,

3.2.441366Build not thy mind on me to coin thee more.

3.2.451367To get it wouldst thou have me play the whore?

ʼTwas your profession before I married you.

Umh! It was, indeed: if all men should be branded

3.2.481370For sins long since laid up, who could be saved?

3.2.491371The quarter-dayʼs at hand; how will you do

3.2.501372To pay the rent, Mattheo?

Why, do as all of your occupation do against 1374quarter-days: break up house, remove, shift your 1375lodgings. Pox oʼyour quarters!

Whereʼs this gallant?

Signor Lodovico! How does my little Mirror of 1379Knighthood? This is kindly done, iʼfaith. Welcome, by my 1380troth.

And how dost, frolic? – Save you, fair lady. – Thou 1382lookst smug and bravely, noble Mat.

Drink and feed, laugh and lie warm.

Is this thy wife?

A poor gentlewoman, sir, whom I make use of 1386a-nights.

Pay custom to your lips, sweet lady.

[Aside to her] Borrow some shells of him. [Aloud] Some wine, 1389sweetheart.

Iʼll send forʼt then, iʼfaith.

You send forʼt? [To Bellafront] Some wine, I prithee.

[Aside to him] I haʼ no money.

[Aside to her] ʼSblood, nor I. [Aloud] What wine love you, signor?

3.2.64.1Here; or Iʼll not stay, I protest. Trouble the 1395gentlewoman too much?

3.2.651396And what news flies abroad, Mattheo?

Troth, none. O, signor, we haʼ been merry in our 1398days!

And no doubt shall again. 1400The divine powers

3.2.68Never shoot darts at 1401mortal men to kill them.

You say true.

Why should we grieve at want? 1404Say the world made thee

3.2.71Her minion, that 1405thy head lay in her lap,

3.2.72And that she danced thee 1406on her wanton knee,

3.2.73She could but give thee a whole 1407world. Thatʼs all,

3.2.74And that allʼs nothing; the worldʼs 1408greatest part

3.2.75Cannot fill up one corner of thy heart.

3.2.761409Say the three corners were all filled; alas,

3.2.771410Of what art thou possessed? A thin-blown glass

3.2.781411Such as by boys is puffed into the air.

3.2.791412Were twenty kingdoms thine, thouʼdst live in care:

3.2.801413Thou couldst not sleep the better nor live longer,

3.2.811414Nor merrier be, nor healthfuller, nor stronger.

3.2.821415If, then, thou wantst, thus make that want thy pleasure;

3.2.831416No man wants all things, nor has all in measure.

I am the most wretched fellow; sure some 1418left-handed priest christened me, I am so unlucky. I am never 1419out of one puddle or another, still falling.

3.2.851421[To her] Fill out wine to my little finger. [To Lodovico] 1422With my heart, iʼfaith.

Thanks, good Mattheo. 1424To your own sweet self. [He drinks.]

[Aside to Mattheo] All the brokersʼ hearts, sir, are made of flint. I can 1426with all my knocking strike but six sparks of fire out of 1427them. Hereʼs six ducats, if youʼll take them.

[Aside to him] Give me them. [Taking money] An evil conscience gnaw them all! 1429Moths and plagues hang upon their lousy wardrobes!

Is this your man, Mattheo? An old servingman?

You may give me tʼother half too, sir – 1432thatʼs the beggar.

[To Mattheo] What hast there? Gold?

A sort of rascals are in my debt God knows 1435what, and they feed me with bits, with crumbs. A pox 1436choke them!

A word, Mattheo. Be not angry with me.

3.2.941438Believe it that I know the touch of time

3.2.951439And can part copper, though it be gilded oʼer,

3.2.961440From the true gold. The sails which thou dost spread

3.2.971441Would show well if they were not borrowèd.

3.2.981442The sound of thy low fortunes drew me hither;

3.2.991443I give myself unto thee – prithee use me.

3.2.1001444I will bestow on you a suit of satin

3.2.1011445And all things else to fit a gentleman,

3.2.1021446Because I love you.

Because I love you. Thanks, good, noble knight.

Call on me when you please. 1449Till then, farewell.

[To Bellafront] Hast angled? Hast cut up this fresh salmon?

Wouldst have me be so base?

Itʼs base to steal, itʼs base to be a whore.

3.2.1071453Thouʼt be more base: Iʼll make thee keep a door.

I hope he will not sneak away with all the money, 1455will he?

Thou seest he does.

Nay, then, itʼs well I set my brains upon an upright 1458last. Though my wits be old, yet they are like a withered 1459pippin, wholesome. Look you, mistress, I told him I had but six 1460ducats of the knave broker, but I had eight, and kept 1461these two for you.

Thou shouldst have given him all.

Thou shouldst have given him all. What, to fly high?

Like waves, my misery drives on misery.

Sell his wifeʼs clothes from her back? Does any 1466poultererʼs wife pull chickens alive? He riots all abroad, 1467wants all at home; he dices, whores, swaggers, swears, 1468cheats, borrows, pawns. Iʼll give him hook and line 1469a little more for all this;

3.2.1141470Yet sure iʼthʼ end heʼll delude all my hopes,

3.2.1151471And show me a French trick danced on the ropes.