PLAYER. No, faith, he is not come: alas, what shall we do? INCLINATION. Forsooth, we can go no further till our fellowLuggins come; for he plays Good Council, and now he should enter, to admonish Wit that this is Lady Vanity, and not Lady Wisdom.
MORE. Nay, and it be no more but so, ye shall not tarry at a stand for that; we'll not have our play marred for lack of a little good council: till your fellow come, I'll give him the best council that I can.--Pardon me, my Lord Mayor; I love to be merry.--Oh...Wit, thou art now on the bow hand, And blindly in thine own opinion dost stand. I tell thee, this naughty lewd Inclination Does lead thee amiss in a very strange fashion: This is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity; Therefore list to Good Council, and be ruled by me.
INCLINATION. In troth, my lord, it is as right to Lugginses part as can be.--Speak, Wit.
MORE. Nay, we will not have our audience disappointed, if I can helpit.
WIT. Art thou Good Council, and will tell me so? Wouldst thou haveWit from Lady Wisdom to go? Thou art some deceiver, I tell thee verily, In saying that this is Lady Vanity.
MORE. Wit, judge not things by the outward show; The eye oft mistakes, right well you do know: Good Council assures thee upon his honesty, That this is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.
[Enter Luggins with the beard.]
INCLINATION. Oh, my lord, he is come; now we shall go forward.
MORE. Art thou come? well, fellow, I have hoped to save thine honesty a little. Now, if thou canst give Wit any better council than I have done, spare not: there I leave him to they mercy. But by this time, I am sure, our banquet's ready: My lord and ladies, we will taste that first, And then they shall begin the play again, Which through the fellow's absence, and by me, Instead of helping, hath been hindered.-- Prepare against we come.--Lights there, I say!-- Thus fools oft times do help to mar the play.
[Exeunt all but players.]
WIT. Fie, fellow Luggins, you serve us handsomely; do ye not, thinkye?
LUGGINS. Why, Oagle was not within, and his wife would not let me have the beard; and, by my troth, I ran so fast that I sweat again.
INCLINATION. Do ye hear, fellows? would not my lord make a rare player? oh, he would uphold a company beyond all hope, better than Mason among the king's players! Did ye mark how extemprically he fell to the matter, and spake Lugginses part almost as it is in the very book set down?
WIT. Peace; do ye know what ye say? my lord a player! let us not meddle with any such matters: yet I may be a little proud that my lord hath answered me in my part. But come, let us go, and be ready to begin the play again. LUGGINS. I, that's the best, for now we lack nothing.
[Enter a Servingman.]
MAN. Where be these players? ALL. Here, sir.
MAN. My lord is sent for to the court, And all the guests do after supper part; And, for he will not trouble you again, By me for your reward a sends 8 angels, With many thanks. But sup before you go: It is his will you should be fairly entreated: Follow, I pray ye.
WIT. This, Luggins, is your negligence; Wanting Wit's beard brought things into dislike; For otherwise the play had been all seen, Where now some curious citizen disgraced it, And discommending it, all is dismissed.
VICE. Fore God, a says true. But hear ye, sirs: 8 angels, ha! my lord would never give 8 angels more or less for 12d; other it should be 3l, 5l, or ten li.; there's 20s wanting, sure.
WIT. Twenty to one, tis so. I have a trick: my lord comes; stand aside. [Enter More, with Attendants with Purse and Mace.]
MORE. In haste to counsel! what's the business now, That all so late his highness sends for me?-- What seekst thou, fellow?
WIT. Nay, nothing: your lordship sent 8 angels by your man, and I have lost two of them in the rishes.
MORE. Wit, look to that:--8 angels! I did send them ten.--Who gave it them?
MAN. I, my lord; I had no more about me; But by and by they shall rescue the rest.
MORE. Well, Wit, twas wisely done; thou playest Wit well indeed, Not to be thus deceived of thy right.-- Am I a man, by office truly ordained Equally to decide true right his own, And shall I have deceivers in my house? Then what avails my bounty, when such servants Deceive the poor of what the Master gives? Go on, and pull his coat over his ears: There are too many such.--Give them their right.-- Wit, let thy fellows thank thee: twas well done; Thou now deservest to match with Lady Wisdom.
[Exit More with Attendants.]
VICE. God a mercy, Wit!--Sir, you had a master Sir Thomas More more; but now we shall have more.
LUGGINS. God bless him! I would there were more of his mind! a loves our quality; and yet he's a learned man, and knows what the world is.
CLOWN. Well, a kind man, and more loving than many other: but I think we ha' met with the first....
LUGGINS. First served his man that had our angels; and he may chance dine with Duke Humphrey tomorrow, being turned away today. Come, let's go.
CLOWN. And many such rewards would make us all ride, and horse us with the best nags in Smithfield.
[Exeunt.]
