Kite. Why, how now, brother, who inforc'd this brawl! Down. A sort of leud rake-hells, that care neither for God, nor the devil: and they must come here to read ballads, and roguery, and trash! I'll mar the knot of 'em ere I sleep, perhaps; especially Bob, there: he that's all manner of shapes! and songs and sonnets, his fellow. But I'll follow 'em.

Bridge. Brother, indeed, you are too violent, Too sudden in your humour:

There was one civil gentleman,

And very worthily demean'd himself.

Kite. O, that was some Love of yours, Sister.

[xit.

Bridge. A love of mine? I would it were no worse, Brother! You'd pay my portion sooner than you think

for.

[Exit.

Dame. Indeed, he seem'd to be a gentleman of exceeding fair disposition, and of very excellent good parts. What a coil and stir is here?

Kite. Her love, by heaven! my wife's minion! Fair disposition, excellent good parts!

Death, these phrases are intolerable!

Well, well, well, well, well, well!

Is it too plain, too clear: Thomas, come hither.
What, are they gone!

Cash. Ay, sir, they went in.

My mistress, and your sister

Kite. Are any of the gallants within?

Cash. No, sir, they are all gone.

Kite. Art thou sure of it?

Cush. I can assure you, Sir,

[Exit.

Kite. What gentleman was that they prais'd so, Thomas. Cash. One, they call him master Kno'well, a handsome young gentleman, Sir.

Kite. Ay, I thought so: my mind gave me as much. I'll die, but they have hid him i' the house

Somewhere; I'll go and search: go with me, Thomas,
Be true to me, and thou shalt find me a master. [Exeunt.

SCENE II.

MORE-FIELDS.

Euter E. KNO'WELL, WEL-BRED, and BRAIN-WORM.

E. Kко.

E. Kno. Well, Brain-worm, perform this business happily, and thou makest a purchase of my love for ever.

Well. I' faith, now let thy spirits use their best faculties ; but at any hand remember the messuage to my brother: for there's no other means, to start him out of his house.

Brain. I warrant you, sir, fear nothing: I have a nimble soul has wak'd all forces of my phant'sy by this time, and put 'em in true motion. What you have possest me withal, I'll discharge it amply, sir. Make it no question. [Exit.

Well. Forth, and prosper, Brain-worm. Faith, Ned how dost thou approve of my abilities in this advice?

E. Kno. Troth, well, howsoever; but it will come excellent, if it take.

Well. Take, man? why, it cannot chuse but take, if the circumstanees miscarry not; but tell me ingeniously, dost thou affect my sister Bridget, as thou pretend'st?

E. Kno. Friend am I worth belief?

Well. Come do not protest. In faith, she is a maid, of good ornament, and much modesty and, except I conceiv'd very worthily of her, thou should'st not have her.

E. Kno. Nay, that I am afraid will be a question yet whether I shall have her or no.

Well. 'Slid, hou shalt have her; by this light thou shalt. E. Kno. Nay, do not swear.

Well. By this hand, thou shalt have her: I'll go fetch her presently. Point but where to meet, and as I am an honest man, i'll bring her.

E. Kno. Hold, hold, be emperate.

Well. Why, by-what shall I swear by? thou shalt have her, as I am.

E. Kno. Pray thee, be at peace, I am satisfied: and do believe thou wilt omit no offered occasion, to make my desires compleat.

Well. Thou shalt see and know, I will not.

Enter FORMAL, and Kno’WELL.

Form, Was your man-a soldier, sir?

Exeunt

Kno. Ay, a knave, I took him begging 'o the way, This morning, as I came over More-fields!

Enter BRAIN-WORM.

O here he is! you have made fair speed, believe me:

Where

Where i' the name of sloth, could you be thus

Brain. Marry, peace be my comfort, where I thought I should have had little comfort of your worship's service, Kno. How so?

Brain. O, sir, your coming to the city, your entertainment of me, and your sending me to watch-indeed all the circumstances either of your charge, or my employment, are as open to your son, as to yourself!

Kno. How should that be! unless that villain, Brainworm,

Have told him of the letter, and discover'd

All that I strictly charged him to conceal? tis so!

Brain. I am partly o' that faith, 'tis so!

Kno. But how should he know thee to be my man? Brain. Nay, sir, I cannot tell; unless it be by the black

art! is not your son a scholar, sir?

Kno. Yes, but I hope his soul is not allied
Unto such hellish practice: if it were

I had just cause to weep my part in him,
And curse the time of his creation.

But where didst thou find them, Fitz-Sword?

Brain. You should rather ask, where they found me, sir; for I'll be sworn I was going along in the street, thinking nothing, when (of a sudden) a voice calls, Mr. Kno'well's man; another cries, soldier; and thus, half a dozen of 'em, 'till they had call'd me within a house, where I no sooner came, but out flew all their rapiers at my bosom, with some three or four score oaths to accompany 'em, and all to tell me, I was a dead man, if I did not confess where you were, and how I was employed, and about what; which when they could not get out of me (as I protest they must have dissected me, and made an anatomy of me first, and so I told 'em (they lock'd me up into a room i' the top of a high house, whence, by great miracle, having a light heart, I slid down by a bottom of packthread into the street, and so 'scap'd. But, sir, thus much I can assure you, for I heard it while. I was lock'd up, there were a great many rich merchants and brave citizens wives with 'em at the feast, and your son Mr Edward, withdrew with one of 'em, and has 'pointed to meet her anon, at one Cob's house, a water-bear-er, that dwells by the wall. Now, there your worship shall be sure to take him, for there he preys, and fail he will not.

Kno. Nor will I fail, to break this match I'doubt not. Go thou along with justice Clement's man,

And tay there for me.

At one Cob's house, say'st thou ? Brain Ay, str, there you shall have him. [Exit Knowell.

Yes! invisible? much wench, or much son! 'Slight, when he has stayed there three or four hours, travelling with the expectation of wonders, and at length be delivered of air: O, the sport that I should then take to look on him, if I durst! but now I mean to appear no more before him in this shape. I have another trick to act yet. Sir, I make you stay somewhat long.

For. Not a whit, sir.

You have been lately in the wars, sir, it seems.

Brain. Marry have I, sir, to my loss; and expence of all, almost

Form. Troth, sir, I would be glad to bestow a bottle of. wine o' you, if it please you to except it

Bran. O, sir,

Form. But to hear the manner of your services and your devices in the wa:s: they say they be very strange, and not like those a man reads in the Koman histories, or sees at Mile end.

Brain. No, I assure you, sir; why at any time when it please you, I shall be ready to discourse to you all I know; and more too, somewhat.

Form. No better time than now sir; we'll go to the wind mill, there we shall have a cup of neat grist, as we call it. I pray you, sir, let me request you, to the windmill.

Brain. I'll follow you, sir, and make grist o' you, if I have good luck.

[Exeunt

Enter MATTHEW, Ed, KNO'WELL, BOBADIL, and.

STEPHEN.

Mat. Sir, did your eyes ever taste the like clown of him, where we were to day, Mr. Well-bred's half brother? I think the whole earth cannot shew his parallel, by this daylight.

E. Kno. We are now speaking of him: captain Bobadil tells me, he is fall'en foul o' you too.

Mat. O, ay, sir! he threatened me, with the banado, VOL. I

I

Во

Bob. Ay, but I think I taught you prevention this morning, for that You shall kill him; beyond question; if you be so generously minded.

Mat. Indeed it is a most excellent trick!

Bob. O, you do not give spirit enough to your motion, you are too tardy, too heavy! O, it must be done like light'ning hey? [be practises at a post.

Mat. Rare captain !

Bob. Tut, 'tis nothing, an't be not done in a-punto! E. Kno. Captain, did you ever prove yourself upon any of our masters of defence here?

Mat. O, good, sirs! yes I hope he has.

Bob. I will tell you, sin. They have assaulted me some three, four, five, six of them together, as I have walk'd alone in divers skirts o' the town, where I have driven them before me the whole length of a street, in the open view of all our gallants pitying to hurt them, believe me. Yet all this lenity will not overcome their spleen; they will be doing with the pismire, raising a hill a man may spurn abroad with his foot, at pleasure. By myself I could have stain them all, but I delight not in murder. I am loth to bear any other than this bastinado for 'em yet I_hold it good policy not to go disarm'd, for tho'l be skilful, I may be oppress'd with multitudes.

E. Kno. Ay, believe me, may you; and, in my conceit, our whole nation should sustain the loss by it, if it were so. Bob, Alas, no; what's a peculiar man, to a nation? not

teen.

E. Kno. O, but your skill, Sir !

Bob. Indeed, that might be some loss: but who respects it? I will tell you, sir, by the way of private, and under seal; I am a gentleman, and live here obscure and to myself: but, were I known to his majesty, and the lords (observe me) I would undertake (upon this poor head and life) for the public benefit of the state, not only to spare the entire lives of his subjects in general, but to save the one half nay, three parts of his yearly charge in holding war, and against what enemy soever. And how would I do it, think

you?

E. Kno. Nay, I know not nor can I conceive.

Bob. Why thus, sir. I would select nineteen more to myself, throughout the land; gentlemen they should be, of good spirit, strong and able constitution; I would choose

them