THO. Ha, how many are there, sayest thou?
COB. Marry, sir, your brother, Signior Prospero.
THO. Tut, beside him: what strangers are there, man?
COB. Strangers? let me see, one, two; mass, I know not well, there's so many.
THO. How? so many?
COB. Ay, there's some five or six of them at the most.
THO. A swarm, a swarm?
Spite of the devil, how they sting my heart!
How long hast thou been coming hither, Cob?
COB. But a little while, sir.
THO. Didst thou come running?
COB. No, sir.
THO. Tut, then I am familiar with thy haste.
Ban to my fortunes: what meant I to marry?
I that before was rank'd in such content, My mind attired in smooth silken peace, Being free master of mine own free thoughts, And now become a slave? what, never sigh, Be of good cheer, man: for thou art a cuckold, 'Tis done, 'tis done: nay, when such flowing store, Plenty itself falls in my wife's lap, The Cornucopiae will be mine, I know. But, Cob, What entertainment had they? I am sure My sister and my wife would bid them welcome, ha?
COB. Like enough: yet I heard not a word of welcome.
THO. No, their lips were seal'd with kisses, and the voice Drown'd in a flood of joy at their arrival, Had lost her motion, state, and faculty.
Cob, which of them was't that first kiss'd my wife?
(My sister, I should say,) my wife, alas, I fear not her: ha? who was it, say'st thou?
COB. By my troth, sir, will you have the truth of it?
THO. Oh ay, good Cob: I pray thee.
COB. God's my judge, I saw nobody to be kiss'd, unless they would have kiss'd the post in the middle of the warehouse; for there I left them all, at their tobacco, with a pox.
THO. How? were they not gone in then ere thou cam'st?
COB. Oh no, sir.
THO. Spite of the devil, what do I stay here then?
Cob, follow me.
[EXIT THO.
COB. Nay, soft and fair, I have eggs on the spit; I cannot go yet sir: now am I for some divers reasons hammering, hammering revenge: oh, for three or four gallons of vinegar, to sharpen my wits: Revenge, vinegar revenge, russet revenge; nay, an he had not lien in my house, 'twould never have grieved me; but being my guest, one that I'll be sworn my wife has lent him her smock off her back, while his own shirt has been at washing: pawned her neckerchers for clean bands for him: sold almost all my platters to buy him tobacco; and yet to see an ingratitude wretch strike his host; well, I hope to raise up an host of furies for't: here comes M.
Doctor.
[ENTER DOCTOR CLEMENT, LORENZO SENIOR, PETO.
CLEM. What's Signior Thorello gone?
PET. Ay, sir.
CLEM. Heart of me, what made him leave us so abruptly? How now, sirrah;what make you here? what would you have, ha?
COB. An't please your worship, I am a poor neighbour of your worship's.
CLEM. A neighbour of mine, knave?
COB. Ay, sir, at the sign of the Water-tankard, hard by the Green Lattice:
I have paid soot and lot there any time this eighteen years.
CLEM. What, at the Green Lattice?
COB. No sir: to the parish: marry, I have seldom scaped scot-free at the Lattice.
CLEM. So: but what business hath my neighbour?
COB. An't like your worship, I am come to crave the peace of your worship.
