PETO. Was your man a soldier, sir?
LOR. SE. Ay, a knave, I took him up begging upon the way, This morning as I was coming to the city.
Oh! Here he is; come on, you make fair speed:
Why, where in God's name have you been so long?
MUS. Marry, (God's my comfort) where I thought I should have had little comfort of your worship's service.
LOR. SE. How so?
MUS. O God, sir! Your coming to the city, and your entertainment of men, and your sending me to watch; indeed, all the circumstances are as open to your son as to yourself.
LOR. SE. How should that be? Unless that villain Musco Have told him of the letter, and discovered All that I strictly charged him to conceal? 'tis so.
MUS. I'faith, you have hit it: 'tis so indeed.
LOR. SE. But how should he know thee to be my man?
MUS. Nay, sir, I cannot tell; unless it were by the black art? Is not your son a scholar, sir?
LOR. SE. Yes; but I hope his soul is not allied To such a devilish practice: if it were, I had just cause to weep my part in him.
And curse the time of his creation.
But where didst thou find them, Portensio?
MUS. Nay, sir, rather you should ask where they found me? For I'll be sworn I was going along in the street, thinking nothing, when (of a sudden)one calls, 'Signior Lorenzo's man': another, he cries 'soldier': and thus half a dozen of them, till they had got me within doors, where I no sooner came, but out flies their rapiers and all bent against my breast, they swore some two or three hundred oaths, and all to tell me I was but a dead man, if I did not confess where you were, and how I was employed, and about what; which, when they could not get out of me, (as God's my judge, they should have kill'd me first,) they lock'd me up into a room in the top of a house, where, by great miracle, (having a light heart) I slid down by a bottom of packthread into the street, and so scaped: but, master, thus much I can assure you, for I heard it while I was lock'd up: there were a great many merchants and rich citizens' wives with them at a banquet, and your son, Signior Lorenzo, has 'pointed one of them to meet anon at one Cob's house, a water-bearer's, that dwells by the wall: now there you shall be sure to take him: for fail he will not.
LOR. SE. Nor will I fail to break this match, I doubt not;Well, go thou along with master Doctor's man, And stay there for me; at one Cob's house, say'st thou?
[EXIT.
MUS. Ay, sir, there you shall have him: when can you tell? Much wench, or much son: 'sblood, when he has stay'd there three or four hours, travelling with the expectation of somewhat; and at the length be delivered of nothing: oh, the sport that I should then take to look on him if Idurst; but now I mean to appear no more afore him in this shape: I have another trick to act yet; oh, that I were so happy as to light upon an ounce now of this Doctor's clerk: God save you, sir.
PETO. I thank you, good sir.
MUS. I have made you stay somewhat long, sir.
PETO. Not a whit, sir, I pray you what, sir, do you mean? You have been lately in the wars, sir, it seems.
MUS. Ay, marry have I, sir.
PETO. Troth, sir, I would be glad to bestow a bottle of wine on you, if it please you to accept it.
MUS. O Lord, sir.
PETO. But to hear the manner of your services, and your devices in the wars, they say they be very strange, and not like those a man reads in the Roman histories.
MUS. O God, no, sir, why, at any time when it please you, I shall be ready to discourse to you what I know: and more too somewhat.
PETO. No better time than now, sir, we'll go to the 'Mermaid': there we shall have a cup of neat wine, I pray you, sir, let me request you.
MUS. I'll follow you, sir, he is mine own, I'faith.
[EXEUNT.
ENTER BOBADILLA, LORENZO JUN., MATHEO, STEPHANO.
MAT. Signior, did you ever see the like clown of him where we were to-day:
Signior Prospero's brother? I think the whole earth cannot shew his like, by Jesu.
LOR. JU. We were now speaking of him, Signior Bobadillo tells me he is fallen foul of you too.
MAT. Oh ay, sir, he threatened me with the bastinado.
BOB. Ay, but I think I taught you a trick this morning for that. You shall kill him without all question, if you be so minded.
MAT. Indeed, it is a most excellent trick.
BOB. Oh, you do not give spirit enough to your motion; you are too dull, too tardy: oh, it must be done like lightning, hay!
MAT. Oh, rare.
BOB. Tut, 'tis nothing an't be not done in a --LOR. JU. Signior, did you never play with any of our masters here?
MAT. Oh, good sir.
BOB. Nay, for a more instance of their preposterous humour, there came three or four of them to me, at a gentleman's house, where it was my chance to be resident at that time, to intreat my presence at their schools, and withal so much importuned me, that (I protest to you as I am a gentleman) Iwas ashamed of their rude demeanour out of all measure: well, I told them that to come to a public school they should pardon me, it was opposite to my humour, but if so they would attend me at my lodging, I protested to do them what right or favour I could, as I was a gentleman, etc.
LOR. JU. So sir, then you tried their skill.
BOB. Alas, soon tried: you shall hear, sir, within two or three days after they came, and by Jesu, good Signior, believe me, I graced them exceedingly, shewed them some two or three tricks of prevention hath got them since admirable credit, they cannot deny this; and yet now they hate me, and why? Because I am excellent, and for no other reason on the earth.
LOR. JU. This is strange and vile as ever I heard.
