NO WIT LIKE A WOMAN'S, A HELP COMEDY: BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Virtuous Poverty. 'LIFE, had he not his answer? what strange impudence Governs in man when lust is lord of him! Thinks he me mad? 'cause I've no moneys on earth, That I'll go forfeit my estate in heaven, And live eternal beggar? he shall pardon me, That's my soul's jointure; I'll starve ere I sell that. Comfort. husband, Wake, wake, and let not patience keep thee poor, Good and Ill Fortune. I feel a hand of mercy O my blessing! lift me up Out of a world of waters, and now sets me And scarce can feed himself! the streams of fortune, 'Gainst which he tugs in vain, still beat him down, And will not suffer him (past hand to mouth) Parting in Amity. Let our parting Be full as charitable as our meeting was; That the pale envious world, glad of the food And nuptial strifes, may not feed fat with ours. Meeting with a Wife supposed dead. O my reviving joy! thy quickening presence I cannot make thy welcome rich enough Mother's Forgiveness. Mother. Why do your words start back? are they afraid Of her that ever loved them? Philip. I have a suit to you, madam. Mother. You have told me that already; pray, what is 't. If 't be so great, my present state refuse it, I shall be abler, then command and use it. Whatever 't be, let me have warning to provide for 't. Philip. Provide forgiveness then, for that's the want My conscience feels. O, my wild youth has led me Into unnatural wrongs against your freedom once. I spent the ransom which my father sent, To set my pleasures free; while you lay captive. Mother. And is this all now? You use me like a stranger: pray, stand up. Philip. Rather fall flat: I shall deserve yet worse. Mother. Whate'er your faults are, esteem me still a friend; Or else you wrong me more in asking pardon Than when you did the wrong you ask'd it for : And since you have prepared me to forgive you, Pray let me know for what; the first fault 's nothing. Philip. Here comes the wrong then that drives home the rest. I saw a face at Antwerp, that quite drew me And that yourself was dead.-You see the wrong. Mother. This is but yourself still I forgive thee As freely as thou didst it. For, alas! This may be call'd good dealing, to some parts THE CHASTE MAID IN CHEAPSIDE, A COMEDY: BY THE SAME AUTHOR, 1630. Citizen to a Knight complimenting his Daughter. PISH, stop your words, good knight,-'twill make her blush else, IX. 289 T Which [are] wound too high for the daughters of the freedom. Honour and faithful servant! they are compliments MASTER ALLWIT (a Wittol) describes his contentment. Finding a table furnish'd to his hand, As mine is still for me, prays for the founder,- Not only keeps my wife, but he keeps me. He gets me all my children, and pays the nurse In Gresham's Burse about her; then her restoratives, And richly store the foreman of a drug shop; Her sugars by whole loaves, her wines by rundlets. I see these things, but, like a happy man, I pay for none at all; yet fools think 's mine; 1 A rich old knight, who keeps Allwit's wife. |