Volume Ii Part 58 (1/2)

Mild in behaviour and loth to fall out, You may run, you may ride and rove round about, With wealth at your will and all thing at ease, Free, frank and l.u.s.ty: easy to please.

But when you be clogged and tied by the toe, So fast that you shall not have pow'r to let go, You will tell me another lesson soon after.

And cry _peccavi_ too, except your luck be the better.

Then farewell good fellows.h.i.+p! then come at a call!

Then wait at an inch, you idle knaves all: Then sparing and pinching, and nothing of gift: No talk with our master, but all for his thrift!

Solemn and sour, and angry as a wasp, All things must be kept under lock and hasp; All[386] that which will make me to fare full ill.

All your care shall be to hamper poor Will.

WIT.

I warrant thee, for that take thou no thought, Thou shalt be made of, whosoever be set at nought: As dear to me, as mine own dear brother, Whosoever be one, thou shalt be another.

WILL.

Yea, but your wife will play the shrew; perde, it is she that I fear.

WIT.

The message will cause her some favour to bear, For my sake and thy sake, and for her own likewise, If thou use thyself discreetly in this enterprise.

WILL.

She hath a father, a testy, sour old man: I doubt lest he and I shall fall out now and then.

WIT.

Give him fair words, forbear him for his age; Thou must consider him to be ancient and sage.

Shew thyself officious and serviceable still, And then shall Reason make very much of Will.

WILL.

If your wife be ever complaining, how then?

WIT.

My wife will have nothing to do with my men.

WILL.

If she do, believe her not in any wise.

And when you once perceive her stomach to arise, Then cut her short at the first, and you shall see A marvellous virtue in that medicine to be.

Give her not the bridle for a year or twain, And you shall see her bridle it without a rein, Break her betimes, and bring her under by force, Or else the grey mare will be the better horse.

WIT.

If thou have done, begone, and spend no time in vain.

WILL.

Where shall I find you, when I come again?

WIT.

At home.

WILL.

Good, enough, take your ease: let me alone with this.

[_Exit Wit_.

Surely a treasure of all treasures it is To serve such a master, as I hope him to be, And to have such a servant as he hath of me; For I am quick, nimble, proper and nice; He is full good, gentle, sober and wise.

He is full both to chide or to check, And I am as willing to serve at a beck, He orders me well, and speaks me so fair, That for his sake no travail I must spare.