Act 5 — Scene I.[2042]

Love. Has there been such resort, say you? 1 Nei. Daily, Sir. 2 Nei. And nightly, too. 3 Nei. Ay, some as brave as lords. 4 Nei. Ladies and gentlewomen. 5 Nei. Citizens’ wives. 1 Nei. And knights. 6 Nei. In coaches. 2 Nei. Yes, and oyster-women. 1 Nei. Beside other gallants. 3 Nei. Sailors’ wives. 4 Nei. Tobacco men.5 5 Nei. Another Pimlico.[2043] Love. What should my knave advance, To draw this company? He hung out no banners Of a strange calf with five legs to be seen, Or a huge lobster with six claws? 6 Nei. No, sir. 3 Nei. We had gone in then, sir. Love. He has no gift10 Of teaching i’ the nose[2044] that e’er I knew of. You saw no bills set up that promis’d cure Of agues or the tooth-ache? 2 Nei. No such thing, sir! Love. Nor heard a drum struck for baboons or puppets? 5 Nei. Neither, sir. Love. What device should he bring forth now?15 I love a teeming wit as I love my nourishment: ’Pray God he ha’ not kept such open house, That he hath sold my hangings, and my bedding! I left him nothing else. If he have eat ’em,19 A plague o’ the moth, say I! Sure he has got Some bawdy pictures to call all this ging;[2045] The Friar and the Nun; or the new motion[2046] Of the knight’s courser covering the parson’s mare; The boy of six year old, with the great thing:24 Or ’t may be, he has the fleas that run at tilt Upon a table, or some dog to dance. When saw you him? 1 Nei. Who, sir, Jeremy? 2 Nei. Jeremy butler? We saw him not this month. Love. How! 4 Nei. Not these five weeks, sir. [6] Nei. These six weeks, at the least. Love. You amaze me, neighbours! 5 Nei. Sure, if your worship know not where he is,30 He’s slipt away. 6 Nei. Pray God he be not made away. He knocks. Love. Ha! it’s no time to question, then. 6 Nei. About Some three weeks since I heard a doleful cry, As I sat up a-mending my wife’s stockings. Love. This ’s strange that none will answer! Did’st thou hear35 A cry, sayst thou? 6 Nei. Yes, sir, like unto a man That had been strangled an hour, and could not speak. 2 Nei. I heard it, too, just this day three weeks, at two o’clock Next morning. Love. These be miracles, or you make ’em so! A man an hour strangled, and could not speak, And both you heard him cry? 3 Nei. Yes, downward, sir.41 Love. Thou art a wise fellow. Give me thy hand, I pray thee. What trade art thou on? 3 Nei. A smith, an ’t please your worship. Love. A smith! Then lend me thy help to get this door open. 3 Nei. That I will presently, sir, but fetch my tools—45 [Exit.] 1 Nei. Sir, best to knock again afore you break it.