153Beg. For Gods sake a pot of small Ale.

1541.Ser. Wilt please your Lord drink a cup of sacke?

1552.Ser. Wilt please your Honor taste of these Con-

156serues?

1573.Ser. What raiment wil your honor weare to day.

158Beg. I am Christophero Sly, call not mee Honour nor

159Lordship: I ne're drank sacke in my life: and if you giue

160me any Conserues, giue me conserues of Beefe: nere ask

161me what raiment Ile weare, for I haue no more doub-

162lets then backes: no more stockings then legges: nor

163no more shooes then feet, nay sometime more feete then

164shooes, or such shooes as my toes looke through the o-

165uer-leather.

166Lord. Heauen cease this idle humor in your Honor.

167Oh that a mightie man of such discent,

168Of such possessions, and so high esteeme

169Should be infused with so foule a spirit.

170Beg. What would you make me mad? Am not I Chri-

171stopher Slie, old Sies sonne of Burton-heath, by byrth a

172Pedler, by education a Cardmaker, by transmutation a

173Beare-heard, and now by present profession a Tinker.

174Aske Marrian Hacket the fat Alewife of Wincot, if shee

175know me not: if she say I am not xiiii.d. on the score for

176sheere Ale, score me vp for the lyingst knaue in Christen

177dome. What I am not bestraught: here's---

1783.Man. Oh this it is that makes your Ladie mourne.

1792. Mar. Oh this is it that makes your seruants droop.

180Lord. Hence comes it, that your kindred shuns your (house

181As beaten hence by your strange Lunacie.

182Oh Noble Lord, bethinke thee of thy birth,

183Call home thy ancient thoughts from banishment,

184And banish hence these abiect lowlie dreames:

185Looke how thy seruants do attend on thee,

186Each in his office readie at thy becke.

187Wilt thou haue Musicke? Harke Apollo plaies, Musick

188And twentie caged Nightingales do sing.

189Or wilt thou sleepe? Wee'l haue thee to a Couch,

190Softer and sweeter then the lustfull bed

191On purpose trim'd vp for Semiramis.

192Say thou wilt walke: we wil bestrow the ground.

193Or wilt thou ride? Thy horses shal be trap'd,

194Their harnesse studded all with Gold and Pearle.

195Dost thou loue hawking? Thou hast hawkes will soare

196Aboue the morning Larke. Or wilt thou hunt,

197Thy hounds shall make the Welkin answer them

198And fetch shrill ecchoes from the hollow earth.

1991.Man.Say thou wilt course, thy gray-hounds are as (swift

200As breathed Stags: I fleeter then the Roe.

2012.M. Dost thou loue pictures? we wil fetch thee strait

202Adonis painted by a running brooke,

203And Citherea all in sedges hid,

204Which seeme to moue and wanton with her breath,

205Euen as the wauing sedges play with winde.

206Lord. Wee'l shew thee Io, as she was a Maid,

207And how she was beguiled and surpriz'd,

208As liuelie painted, as the deede was done.

2093.Man. Or Daphne roming through a thornie wood,

210Scratching her legs, that one shal sweare she bleeds,

211And at that sight shal sad Apollo weepe,

212So workmanlie the blood and teares are drawne.

213Lord. Thou art a Lord, and nothing but a Lord:

214Thou hast a Ladie farre more Beautifull,

215Then any woman in this waining age.

2161 Man. And til the teares that she hath shed for thee,

217Like enuious flouds ore-run her louely face,

218She was the fairest creature in the world,

219And yet shee is inferiour to none.

220Beg. Am I a Lord, and haue I such a Ladie?

221Or do I dreame? Or haue I dream'd till now?

222I do not sleepe: I see, I heare, I speake:

223I smel sweet sauours, and I feele soft things:

224Vpon my life I am a Lord indeede,

225And not a Tinker, nor Christopher Slie.

226Well, bring our Ladie hither to our sight,

227And once againe a pot o'th smallest Ale.

S3 2.Man

2282.Man. Wilt please your mightinesse to wash your

229 hands:

230Oh how we ioy to see your wit restor'd,

231Oh that once more you knew but what you are:

232These fifteene yeeres you haue bin in a dreame,

233Or when you wak'd, so wak'd as if you slept.

234Beg. These fifteene yeeres, by my fay, a goodly nap,

235But did I neuer speake of all that time.

2361.Man. Oh yes my Lord, but verie idle words,

237For though you lay heere in this goodlie chamber,

238Yet would you say, ye were beaten out of doore,

239And raile vpon the Hostesse of the house,

240And say you would present her at the Leete,

241Because she brought stone-Iugs, and no seal'd quarts:

242Sometimes you would call out for Cicely Hacket.

243Beg. I, the womans maide of the house.

2443.man.Why sir you know no house, nor no such maid

245Nor no such men as you haue reckon'd vp,

246As Stephen Slie, and old Iohn Naps of Greece,

247And Peter Turph, and Henry Pimpernell,

248And twentie more such names and men as these,

249Which neuer were, nor no man euer saw.

250Beg. Now Lord be thanked for my good amends.

251All. Amen.

253Beg. I thanke thee, thou shalt not loose by it.

254Lady. How fares my noble Lord?

255Beg. Marrie I fare well, for heere is cheere enough.

256Where is my wife?

257La. Heere noble Lord, what is thy will with her?

258Beg. Are you my wife, and will not cal me husband?

259My men should call me Lord, I am your good-man.

260La.My husband and my Lord, my Lord and husband

261I am your wife in all obedience.

262Beg. I know it well, what must I call her?

263Lord. Madam.

264Beg. Alce Madam, or Ione Madam?

265Lord. Madam, and nothing else, so Lords cal Ladies

266Beg. Madame wife, they say that I haue dream'd,

267And slept aboue some fifteene yeare or more.

268Lady. I, and the time seeme's thirty vnto me,

269Being all this time abandon'd from your bed.

270Beg. 'Tis much, seruants leaue me and her alone:

271Madam vndresse you, and come now to bed.

272La. Thrice noble Lord, let me intreat of you

273To pardon me yet for a night or two:

274Or if not so, vntill the Sun be set.

275For your Physitians haue expressely charg'd,

276In perill to incurre your former malady,

277That I should yet absent me from your bed:

278I hope this reason stands for my excuse.

279Beg. I, it stands so that I may hardly tarry so long:

280But I would be loth to fall into my dreames againe: I

281wil therefore tarrie in despight of the flesh & the blood

283Mes.Your Honors Players hearing your amendment,

284Are come to play a pleasant Comedie,

285For so your doctors hold it very mcete,

286Seeing too much sadnesse hath congeal'd your blood,

287And melancholly is the Nurse of frenzie,

288Therefore they thought it good you heare a play,

289And frame your minde to mirth and merriment,

290Which barres a thousand harmes, and lengthens life.

291Beg. Marrie I will let them play, it is not a Comon-

292tie, a Christmas gambold, or a tumbling tricke?

293Lady. No my good Lord, it is more pleasing stuffe.

294Beg. What, houshold stuffe.

295Lady. It is a kinde of history.

296Beg. Well, we'l see't:

297Come Madam wife sit by my side,

298And let the world slip, we shall nere be yonger.