PROS. Beshrew me, but it was an absolute good jest, and exceedingly well carried.
LOR. JU. Ay, and our ignorance maintain'd it as well, did it not?
PROS. Yes, faith, but was't possible thou should'st not know him?
LOR. JU. 'Fore God, not I, an I might have been join'd patten with one of the nine worthies for knowing him. 'Sblood, man, he had so writhen himself into the habit of one of your poor Disparview's here, your decayed, ruinous, worm-eaten gentlemen of the round: such as have vowed to sit on the skirts of the city, let your Provost and his half dozen of halberdiers do what they can; and have translated begging out of the old hackney pace, to a fine easy amble, and made it run as smooth off the tongue as a shove-groat shilling, into the likeness of one of these lean Pirgo's, had he moulded himself so perfectly, observing every trick of their action, as varying the accent: swearing with an emphasis. Indeed, all with so special and exquisite a grace, that (hadst thou seen him) thou would'st have sworn he might have been the Tamberlane, or the Agamemnon on the rout.
PROS. Why, Musco, who would have thought thou hadst been such a gallant?
LOR. JU. I cannot tell, but (unless a man had juggled begging all his life time, and been a weaver of phrases from his infancy, for the apparelling of it) I think the world cannot produce his rival.
PROS. Where got'st thou this coat, I marle?
MUS. Faith, sir, I had it of one of the devil's near kinsmen, a broker.
PROS. That cannot be, if the proverb hold, a crafty knave needs no broker.
MUS. True, sir, but I need a broker, ergo, no crafty knave.
PROS. Well put off, well put off.
LOR. JU. Tut, he has more of these shifts.
MUS. And yet where I have one, the broker has ten, sir.
[ENTER PIS.
PIS. Francisco, Martino, ne'er a one to be found now: what a spite's this?
PROS. How now, Piso? is my brother within?
PIS. No, sir, my master went forth e'en now, but Signior Giuliano is within. Cob, what, Cob! Is he gone too?
PROS. Whither went thy master? Piso, canst thou tell?
PIS. I know not, to Doctor Clement's, I think, sir. Cob.
[EXIT PIS.
LOR. JU. Doctor Clement, what's he? I have heard much speech of him.
PROS. Why, dost thou not know him? he is the Gonfaloniere of the state here, an excellent rare civilian, and a great scholar, but the only mad merry old fellow in Europe: I shewed him you the other day.
LOR. JU. Oh, I remember him now; Good faith, and he hath a very strange presence, methinks, it shews as if he stood out of the rank from other men.
I have heard many of his jests in Padua; they say he will commit a man for taking the wall of his horse.
PROS. Ay, or wearing his cloak on one shoulder, or any thing indeed, if it come in the way of his humour.
PIS. Gaspar, Martino, Cob: 'Sheart, where should they be, trow?
[ENTER PISO.
BOB. Signior Thorello's man, I pray thee vouchsafe us the lighting of this match.
PIS. A pox on your match, no time but now to vouchsafe? Francisco, Cob.
[EXIT.
BOB. Body of me: here's the remainder of seven pound, since yesterday was sevennight. It's your right Trinidado: did you never take any, signior?
STEP. No, truly, sir; but I'll learn to take it now, since you commend it so.
