The PURITAN: or, The WIDOW
of Watling-street.
Actus Primus.
1Enter the Lady Widdow-Plus, her two Daughters, Frank 2 and Moll, her husbands Brother an old Knight Sir 3 Godfrey, with her Son and Heir Master Edmond, all 4 in mourning apparell, Edmond in a Cypresse Hat. 5 The Widow wringing her hands, and bursting out into 6 passion, as newly come from the Buriall of her hus-
90H, that ever I was born, that ever I was born!
10Sir Godfrey. Nay good
sister, dear
sister,
11sweet
sister, be of good comfort,
shew your
12self a woman, now or never.
13Wid. Oh, I have lo
st the deare
st man, I have buried
14the
sweete
st hu
sband that ever lay by woman.
15Sir God. Nay give him his due, he was indeed an ho
- 16ne
st, virtuous, di
screet wi
se man,---he was my Brother,
18Wid. O, I
shall never forget him, never forget him,
19he was a man
so well given to a woman---oh!
20Sir God. Nay, but kind
sister, I could weep as much
21as any woman, but alass, our teares cannot call him again:
22me thinks you are well read,
sister, and know that death
23is as common as
Homo, a common name to all men;---a
24man
shall be taken when he's making water,---nay,
25did not the learned Par
son Ma
ster
Pigman tell us e'ne
26now, that all Fle
sh is frail, we are born to die, Man has
27but a time: with
such like deep and profound per
swa
si- 28ons, as he is a rare fellow you know, and an excellent
29Reader: and for example, (as there are examples abun
- 30dance) did not Sir
Humphrey Bubble die tother day,
31there's a lu
sty Widow, why
she cri'd not above half an
32hour---for
shame, for
shame: then followed him old Ma
- 33ster
Fulsome the U
surer, there's a wi
se Widow, why
she
34cry'd ne're a whit at all.
35Wid. O ranck not me with tho
se wicked women, I
36had a hu
sband out-
shin'd 'em all.
37Sir God. I that he did, ifaith, he out-
shin'd 'em all.
38Wid. Do
st thou
stand there and
see us all weep, and
39not once
shed a tear for thy fathers death? oh thou un
- 40gracious
son and heir thou?
41Edm. Troth, Mother, I
should not weep I'me
sure;
42I am pa
st a Child I hope, to make all my old School-fel
- 43lowes laugh at me; I
should be mockt,
so I
should; pray
44let one of my
sisters weep for me, I'le laugh as much for
46Wid. O thou pa
st-Grace thou, out of my
sight, thou
47gracele
sse Imp, thou grieve
st me more then the death of
48thy Father: oh thou
stubborn onely Son: had
st thou
such
49an hone
st man to thy Father---that would deceive all the
50world to get riches for thee, and can
st thou not a
fford a
51little
salt water? he that
so wi
sely did quite overthrow
52the right heir of tho
se Lands, which now you re
spe
ct not:
53up every morning betwixt four and
five,
so duely at
West- 54minster-
Hall every Tearm-time, with all his Cards and
55Writings, for thee, thou wicked
Absalon---oh dear hu
s- 57Edm. Weep, quotha? I prote
st I am glad he's Chur
- 58ched? for now he's gone I
shall
spend in quiet.
59Fran.Dear Mother, pray cea
se, half your teares
su
ffice,
60'Tis time for you to take truce with your eyes,
62Wid. O
such a dear Knight,
such a
sweet Hu
sband have
63I lo
st, have I lo
st?----if ble
ssed be the Coar
se the rain
64rains upon, he had it, pouring down?
65Sir. God. Si
ster, be of good cheer, we are all mortall
66our
selves, I come upon you fre
shly, I ne're
speak without
67comfort, hear me what I
shall
say;---my brother has left
68you wealthy, y'are rich.
70Sir God. I
say y'are rich: you are al
so fair.
72Sir God. Go to, y'are fair, you cannot
smother it,
73beauty will come to light; nor are your yeares
so far en
- 74ter'd with you, but that you will be
sought after, and
75may very well an
swer another hu
sband; the world is
76full of
fine Gallants, choyce enow,
sister,---for what
77should we doe with all our Knights I pray? but to marry
78rich Widowes, wealthy Citizens Widowes; lu
sty fair
- 79brow'd Ladies; go to, be of good comfort I
say, leave
80snobbing and weeping---yet my Brother was a kind
- 81hearted man---I would not have the Elf
see me now?
82---come, pluck up a womans heart---here
stands your
83Daughters, who be well e
stated, and at maturity will al
so
84be enquir'd after with good hu
sbands,
so all the
se teares
85shall be
soon dried up, and a better world then ever----
86what, Woman? you mu
st not weep
still? he's dead, he's
87buried---yet I cannot chu
se but weep for him.
88Wid. Marry again! no, let me be buried quick then!
89And that
same part of Quire whereon I tread
90To
such intent, O may it be my grave:
91And that the Prie
st may turn his wedding prayers,