[mary. And get me in some boughs. 35 Tur. You take up dority still to vouch, against me. [your authors. All the twelve smocks i' the house, zur, are Get some fresh hay then, to lay under foot; Some holly and ivy to make vine the posts: Is't not son Valentine's day? and Mrs. Awdrey, [Clay Your young dame to be married? I wonder Should be so tedious: he's to play son Valentine! [born yet! And the clown sluggard's not come fro' KilMed. Do you call your son i' law clown, an't please your worship? Tur. Yes and vor worship too, my neighbour Medlay. A Middlesex clown, and one of Finsbury. They were the first colons o' the kingdom here: The primitory colons, my D'ogenes says. Where's D'ogenes, my writer, now? what were those You told me, D'ogenes, were the first colons O'the country, that the Romans brought in here? Scri. The coloni. Sir, colonus is an inhabitant: A clown original: as you'ld say a farmer, a tiller o' th' carth, E'er sin the Romans planted their colony first; Which was in Middlesex. Tur. Why so I thank you heartily, good I had rather be an antient colon, (as they Or gentleman of any other county Pan. Out-cept Kent, for there they landed All gentlemen, and came in with the con I like that yet: and his long sausidge-hose, Like the commander of four smoking tilekills, Which he is captain of: captain of Kilborn: Clay with his hat turn'd up o' the leer side [night, too: As if he would leap my daughter yet ere And spring a new Turfe to the old house. Look, and the wenches ha' not found 'un out, And do parzent 'un with a van of rosemary, And bays, to vill a bow-pot, trim the head Of my best vore-horse; we shall all ha' bride-laces, [liant, Or points, I zce; my daughter will be va And prove a very Mary Ambry i' the bu siness. Cle. They zaid, your worship had 'sur'd her to 'squire Tub Fon't. Of Totten-Court here; all the hundred rings Tur. A tale of a Tub, sir, a mere Tale of a Tub. Lend it no ear, I pray you: the 'squire Tub Is a fine man, but he is too fine a man, And has a lady Tub too to his mother: I'll deal with none o' these vine silken Tubs John Clay, and cloth-breech for my money and daughter. [colours, Here comes another old boy too, vor his [Enter father Rosin. Will stroke down my wive's udder of purses, empty 3 You take up DORITY still to couch against me.] The word dority is here given as a proper names the folio reads 'dority, which I suppose is a blunder in the speaker for authority; for we have no woman of the name of Dorothy either in the Dramatis Personæ, or alluded to in any part of the play. 4 -My daughter will be valiant, And prove a very MARY ANBRY in the business.] Anbry is a corruption; the true name is Mary Ambry, or Ambree: we have this heroine mentioned more than once before. They zaid, your worship HAD FURD HER to 'squire Tub.] This has no meaning. I read had 'sur'd her, i. e. assured or promised. Act 1. Scene 5.] LIGNAN UNIVERSITY A TALE OF A TUB. Of all her milk-money, this winter-quarter: And all his two boys, for a day and a half, Cle. I'll ha' Tom Tiler, Pan. I'll ha' the jovial tinker for To-Pan's Tur. We'll all be jovy this day, vor son My sweet son John's sake. Scri. There's another reading now: My master reads it Son, and not Sin Valentine. Pup. Nor Zim: and he's i' the right. He is high constable. And who should read above 'un, or avor We'll zerve under his colours: lead the And Puppy, see the bells ring. Press all ness. Does any wight perzent hir majesty's person, Tur. Use our authority then, to the ut most on't. SCENE V Hugh, Preamble, Metaphor. Hugh. So, you are sure, sir, to prevent 'hem all; And throw a block i' the bridegroom's way, [John Clay, That he will hardly leap o'er. Pre. I conceive you, Sir Hugh; as if your rhetorick would say, He aims no higher than to match in clay; Hugh. Right, justice Bramble: amble -Metaphor! you ha' scen 639 your good worship would not let me thus run Longer in error, but would take me up I would not have you stray; but the incor- Pre. True, true, sir Hugh, here comes My clerk: he is the man shall carry it, canon, Hugh. He will do't ad unguem: Miles Metaphor! he is a pretty fellow. To foil a business. Metaphor! you ha' seen Met. Sir, that I have: And have set down the pomp. Pre. Therefore I ask'd you, [chamber, Ha' you observ'd the messengers o' the Met. Yes, minor coats. Unto the guard, a dragon, and a grey-hound, Pre. Well mark'd; You know not any of 'em? In Maribone. Pre. Ha' you acquaintance with him, [breast. Met. The taberd of his office, I will call it, Or the coat-armour of his place: and so Insinuate with him by that trope Pre. I knew your powers of rhetoric, Metaphor. [say. Fetch him off in a fine figure for his coat, I [Metaphor goes out. Hugh. I'll take my leave, sir, of your worship too: Because I may expect the issue anon. Pre. Stay, my diviner counsel, take your A king ride forth in state:] Our old chronicles and historians are very large in their descriptions of such pageants: and Stow, in his Survey, gives us many instances of the sovereigns riding in great state through the city, attended by his guards and nobles. There are a brace of angels to support you Hugh. I' your worship's service: Pre. I like your project. [Preamble goes out. Hugh. And I, of this effect of two to one; It worketh i' my pocket, 'gainst the 'squire, And his half bottom here, of half a piece: Which was not worth the stepping o'er the stile for: His mother has quite marr'd him : lady Tub, SCENE VI. Lady Tub, Pol-Martin. Lady. Is the nag ready, Martin? call the 'squire. This frosty morning we will take the air, About the fields: for I do mean to be Somebody's Valentine, i' my velvet gown, This morning, though it be but a beggar man. Why stand you still, and do not call my son? Pol. Madam, if he had couched with the lamb, He had no doubt been stirring with the lark: But he sat up at play, and watch'd the cock, Till his first warning chid him off to rest. Late watchers are no early wakers, madam: But if your ladyship will have him call'd. Lady. Will have him call'd? wherefore did I, sir, bid him Be call'd, you weazel, vermin of an huisher? Pol. I am gone. [Pol-Martin goes out. l' your come off and make amends, you Was ever such a full-mart for an huisher, 7 Not a drop of salt, he have He says, he let him forth an hour ago. Lady. An hour ago! what business COL This So early? where is his man, grave Baske His guide and governor ? Pol. Gone with his master. Lady. Is he gone too? O that same sur knave, Is his right-hand; and leads my son amis He has carried him to some drinking mat or other : Pol-Martin, I will call you so again: He cannot be gone far, being a-foot. love [with pain We mothers bear our sons, we ha' broug Or PETRE in her!] The quibble, such as it is, may possibly escape the reader: must let him know then, he means, she had nothing of her husband's temper, who wa Peter Tub. • Was ever such a FULL-MART.] One of the names for a polecat. 9 -And not to be pronounc'd [without a reverence. In any lady's presence; my very heart e'en earn'd, seeing the fellow. The text is given very oddly; part of it is got into the margin, and the verses are but the whole should be read thus; And not to be pronounc'd Without a rev'rence, in any lady's presence; Young, pretty disjointed We mothers bear our sons, we ha' BOUGHT with pain.] The mistake was easily made, and the reader, I imagine, has prevented me by substituting the right word, brougth. The bravest, richest, and the properest man [pense time. "As all their husbands jealous of them.] I have put in the monosyllable too, which helps out the measure, and makes the sentiment rather clearer than before. Tur. Z leg avore: WON Clay, cheer up, the better This is a veat is once done, and no more. Cla. And then 'tis done vor ever, as they say. Med. Right! vor a man ha' his hour, and a dog his day. Tur. True, neighbour Medlay, you are still in-and-in. Med. I would be Mr. constable, if ch' could win. Pan. I zay, John Clay keep still on his old gate: Wedding and hanging both go at a rate. Tur. Well said, To-Pan; you ha' still the hap to hit The nail o' the head at a close: I think there never ment, ha' had Marriage was managed with a more avise- Upstantial persons; men that ha' borne office; To eat our dinner. What? dear meat's a thief: [volk; I know it by the butchers and the marketHum drum I cry No half ox in a pye: A man that's bid to bride-ale, if he ha' cake And drink enough, he need not vear his stake. Cle. 'Tis right: he has spoke as true as a gun: believe it. Tur. Come, Sybil, come: did not I tell you o' this? This pride and muster of women would mar all? Six women to one daughter, and a mother! The queen (God save her) ha' no more herself. D. Tur. Why, if you keep so many, Mr. Turfe, Why should not all present our service to her? Tur. Your service? good! I think you'll write to her shortly, Your very loving and obedient mother. Come, send your maids off, I will have 'em sent Home again, wife: I love no trains o' Kent, Or Christendom, as they say. Scri. We will not back, And leave our dame. Mad. Why should her worship lack Her tail of maids, more than you do of men? All. Else we'll guard our dame. Tur. I ha' zet the nest of wasps all on a flame. D. Tur. Come, you are such another, Mr. Turfe: [stable: A clod (you should be call'd) of a high conTo let no music go afore your child To church, to chear her heart up this cold morning. Tur. You are for father Rosin and his consort [less: Of fiddling boys, the great Feates and the Because you have entertain'd them all from Highgate. To shew your pomp, you'ld have your daughters and maids Dance o'er the field like faies to church, Hilts bearded, booted, and spurr'd. [Te them.] Hil. Well overtaken, gentlemen! I pray you, Lycu Which is the queen's high constable among Pup. The tallest man: who should be else, do you think? Hil. It is no matter what I think, young Your answer savours of the cart. And clown? do you know whose team you speak to? Hil. No, nor I care not: whose jade may you be? Pup. Jade? cart, and clown? O for lash of whip-cord! Three knotted cord! Hil. Do you mutter! sir, snorle this way, That I may hear, and answer what you say With my school-dagger 'bout your costard, [sure: sir. Look to't, young growse: I'll lay it on, and Cle. Nay, 'pray you gentleman 'Dance o'er the fields like FAIRIES.] The folio much better, Dance o'er the fields like faies—— Faies is the more grotesque expression, and fairies spoils the measure of the verse. What follows in the next line, I'll ha' no rondels, I, i' the queen's paths, alludes to rings or circles made in the grass, as the country superstition used to say, by the dancing of fairies. ITE. She is i' the right, sir.] It does not appear who this speaker is, for the initial letters Ite. are applicable to none now on the stage. I have therefore given it to Clench, a the error was easy from the similitude of those letters to Cle. |