you to understand, and these gentlemen too, if they pleafe

Win-w. With all our hearts, fir.

Waf. That I have a charge, gentlemen.
Lit. They do apprehend, fir.

Waf. Pardon me, fir, neither they nor you can apprehend me yet. (You are an afs.) I have a young master, he is now upon his making and marring; the whole care of his well-doing is now mine. His foolish school-masters have done nothing, but run up and down the country with him to beg puddings and cakebread of his tenants, and almost spoiled him; he has learn'd nothing but to fing catches, and repeat Rattle Bladder, rattle, and O Madge! I dare not let him walk alone, for fear of learning of vile tunes, which he will fing at fupper, and in the fermon-times! if he meet but a carman i' the street, and I find him not talk to keep him off on him, he will whistle him and all his tunes over at night in his fleep! he has a head full of bees! I am fain now, for this little time I am absent, to leave him in charge with a gentlewoman : 'tis true, he is a juftice of peace his wife, and a gentlewoman o' the hood, and his natural fister: but what may happen under a woman's government, there's the doubt. Gentlemen, you do not know him; he is another manner of piece than you think for! but nineteen years old, and yet he is taller than either of you by the head, God bless him.

Quar. Well, methinks this is a fine fellow!

Win-w. He has made his mafter a finer by this defcription, I fhould think.

Quar. 'Faith, much about one, it's cross and pile, whether for a new farthing.

Waf. I'll tell you, gentlemen

Lit. Will't please you drink, master Waspe.

Waf. Why, Iha' not talk't fo long to be dry, fir

you

you
fee no duft or cobwebs come out o' my mouth:
do you? you'd ha' me gone, would you?

Lit. No, but you were in hafte e'en now, mr.
Numps.

Waf. What an' I were? fo I am still, and yet I will stay too; meddle you with your match, your Win there, fhe has as little wit as her husband, it seems: I have others to talk to.

Lit. She's my match indeed, and as little wit as I, good!

Waf. We ha' been but a day and a half in town, gentlemen, 'tis true; and yesterday i'the afternoon we walk'd London, to fhew the city to the gentlewoman he fhall marry, miftrefs Grace; but afore I will endure fuch another half day with him, I'll be drawn with a good gib-cat, through the great pond at home, as his uncle Hodge was! Why, we could not meet that heathen thing all the day, but ftaid him he would name you all the figns over, as he went, aloud: and where he spy'd a parrot or a monkey, there he was pitch'd, with all the little long-coats about him, male and female; no getting him away! I thought he would ha' run mad o' the black boy in Bucklers-bury, that takes the scurvy, roguy tobacco there.

Lit. You fay true, mafter Numps: there's fuch a one indeed.

Waf. It's no matter whether there be or no, what's that to you

?

Quar. He will not allow of John's reading at any

hand.

Cokes, Miftrefs Over-do, Wafpe, Grace, Quarlous, Winwife, Little-wit, Win.

Cok: O Numps! are you here, Numps? look where I am, Numps! and mistress Grace too! nay, do not

look

look angerly, Numps: my fifter is here and all, I do not come without her.

Waf. What the mifchief do you come with her? or fhe with you?

Cok. We came all to feek you, Numps.

Waf. To feek me? why, did you all think I was loft, or run away with your fourteen fhillings worth of fmall ware here? or that I had chang'd it i' the fair for hobby-horfes? S'precious -to feek me! Over.Nay, good mr. Numps, do you fhew discretion, though he be exorbitant (as mr. Över-do fays) and't be but for confervation of the peace.

Waf. Marry gip, goody She-justice, mistress Frenchhood! turd i' your teeth, and turd i' your Frenchhood's teeth too, to do you fervice, do you fee? muft you quote your Adam to me! you think you are madam Regent ftill, mistress Over-do; when I am in place? no fuch matter I affure you, your reign is out, when I am in, dame.

Over. I am content to be in abeyance, fir, and be govern'd by you; fo fhould he too, if he did well; but 'twill be expected you should also govern your paffions.

Waf. Will't fo, forfooth? good Lord! how sharp you are, with being at Beth'lem yesterday! Whetstone has fet an edge upon you, has he?

Over. Nay, if you know not what belongs to your dignity, I do yet to mine.

Waf. Very well then.

Cok. Is this the licence, Numps? for love's fake let me fee't; I never faw a licence.

Waf. Did you not fo? why, you shall not fee't then.

Cok. An' you love me, good Numps.

Waf. Sir, I love you,and yet I do not love you i'these fooleries; fet your heart at reft, there's nothing in't but hard words; and what would you fee't for?

Cok.

Cok. I would fee the length and the breadth on't, that's all; and I will fee't now, fo I will.

Waf. You fha' not fee it here.

Cok. Then I'll fee't at home, and I'll look upon the cafe here.

Waf. Why, do fo; a man muft give way to him a little in trifles, gentlemen. These are errors, diseases of youth; which he will mend when he comes to judgment and knowledge of matters. I pray you conceive fo, and I thank you. And I pray you pardon him, and I thank you again.

Quar. Well, this dry-nurfe, I say still, is a delicate

man.

Win. And I am, for the coffet his charge! did you ever fee a fellow's face more accufe him for an afs? Quar. Accufe him? it confeffes him one without accufing. What pity 'tis yonder wench should marry fuch a Cokes?

Win-w. 'Tis true.

Quar. She feems to be difcreet, and as fober as fhe is handfome.

Win-w. I, and if you mark her, what a reftrain'd fcorn fhe cafts upon all his behaviour and speeches? Cok. Well, Numps, I am now for another piece of business more, the Fair, Numps, and then

Waf. Blefs me! deliver me, help, hold me! the Fair. Cok. Nay, never fidge up and down, Numps, and vex it felf. I am refolute Bartholomew in this; I'll make no fuit on't to you; 'twas all the end of my journey indeed, to fhew mrs. Grace my Fair. I call❜t my Fair, because of Bartholomew: you know my name is Bartholomew, and Bartholomew Fair.

Lit. That was mine afore, gentlemen: this morning. I had that i' faith upon his licence, believe me, there he comes after me.

Quar. Come, John, this ambitious wit of (I am afraid) will do you no good i' the end.

yours

Lit. No? why, fir?

Quar. You grow fo infolent with it, and over-doing, John; that if you look not to it, and tie it up, it will bring you to fome obfcure place in time, and there 'twill leave you.

Win-w. Do not truft it too much, John, be more fparing, and use it but now and then; a wit is a dangerous thing in this age; do not over-buy it.

Lit. Think you fo, gentlemen? I'll take heed on't hereafter.

Win. Yes, do, John.

Cok. A pretty little foul, this fame mrs. Little-wit, would I might marry her.

Gra. So would I, or any body else, so I might scape you.

Cok. Numps, I will fee it, Numps, 'tis decreed: never be melancholy for the matter.

Waf. Why, fee it, fir, fee it, do, fee it! who hinders you? why do you not go fee it? 'id fee it.

Cok. The Fair, Numps, the Fair.

Waf. Would the Fair, and all the drums and rattles in't, were i' your belly for me: they are already i' your brain he that had the means to travel your head now, should meet finer fights than any are i' the Fair, and make a finer voyage on't; to fee it all hung with cockle-fhells, pebbles, fine wheat-ftraws, and here and there a chicken's feather, and a cob-web.

Quar. Good faith, he looks, methinks, an' you mark him, like one that were made to catch flies, with his fir Cranion-legs.

Win-w. And his Numps, to flap 'em away.

Waf. God be w' you, fir, there's your bee in a box, and much good do't you.

Cok. Why, your friend, and Bartholomew; an' you be fo contumacious.

Quar. What mean you, Numps?

Waf. I'll not be guilty, I, gentlemen.