Imatges de pàgina
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Wash'd me from fhore to fhore, and left me breath
Nothing to think on, but enfuing death:
Let it fuffice the greatness of your powers,
To have bereft a prince of all his fortunes;
And having thrown him from your watry grave,
Here to have death in peace, is all he'll crave.

Enter three Fishermen.

1 Fish. What, ho, Pilch!

2 Fish. Ho! come, and bring away the nets. 1 Fish. What, Patch-breech, I fay!

3 Fish. What fay you, master?

1 Fish. Look how thou firreft now! come away, or I'll fetch thee with a wannion.

3 Fish. 'Faith, mafter, I am thinking of the poor men that were caft away before us, even now.

1 Fish. Alas, poor fouls, it grieved my heart to hear what pitiful cries they made to us, to help them, when, well-a-day, we could fcarce help ourselves.

3 Fish. Nay, mafter, faid not I as much, when I faw the porpus, how he bounced and tumbled? they say, they .are half fish, half flesh: a plague on them, they ne'er come, but I look to be wash'd. Master, I marvel how the fishes live in the fea.

1 Fish. Why, as men do a-land; the great ones eat up the little ones I can compare our rich misers to nothing fo fitly as to a whale; 'a plays and tumbles, driving the poor fry before him, and at laft devours them all at a mouthful. Such whales have I heard on a'the land, who never leave gaping, till they've swallow'd the whole parish, church, steeple, bells and all.

Per. A pretty moral.

3 Fish.

3 Fish. But, mafter, if I had been the fexton, I would have been that day in the belfry.

2 Fish. Why, man?

3 Fish. Because he should have fwallow'd me too: and when I had been in his belly, I would have kept such a jangling of the bells, that he should never have left, till he caft bells, steeple, church, and parish, up again. But if the good king Simonides were of my mind

Per. Simonides?

3 Fish. We would purge the land of these drones that rob the bee of her honey.

Per. How from the finny subject of the sea

These fishers tell the infirmities of men;
And from their watry empire recollect
All that may men approve, or men detect!
Peace be at your labour, honest fishermen.

2 Fish. Honeft! good fellow, what's that? if it be a day fits you, fcratch it out of the calendar, and no body will look after it.

Per. Nay, see, the sea hath caft upon your coast

2 Fish. What a drunken knave was the fea, to caft thee in our way!

Per. A man whom both the waters and the wind,

In that vaft tennis-court, hath made the ball

For them to play upon, entreats you pity him;

He asks of you, that never us'd to beg.

1 Fish. No, friend, cannot you beg? here's them in our country of Greece, gets more with begging than we can do with working.

2 Fish. Can't thou catch any fishes then?

Per. I never practis'd it.

2 Fish. Nay, then thou wilt ftarve fure; for here's nothing to be got now a-days, unless thou can't fish for't. Per. What I have been, I have forgot to know;

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But what I am, want teaches me to think on;
A man shrunk up with cold: my veins are chill,
And have no more of life, than may fuffice

To give my tongue that heat, to ask your help;
Which if you fhall refufe, when I am dead,

For I am a man, pray fee me buried.

1 Fish. Die quoth-a? Now gods forbid! I have a gown here; come, put it on; keep thee warm. Now, afore me, a handsome fellow! Come, thou shalt go home, and we'll have flesh for holidays, fish for fafting-days, and moreo'er puddings and flap-jacks; and thou shalt be wel

come.

Per. I thank you, fir.

2 Fish. Hark you, my friend, you faid you could not beg.

Per. I did but crave.

2 Fish. But crave? Then I'll turn craver too, and so I fhall 'scape whipping.

Per. Why, are all your beggars whipp'd then?

2 Fib. O, not all, my friend, not all; for if all your beggars were whipp'd, I would with no better office, than to be beadle. But, master, I'll go draw up the net.

[Exeunt two of the Fishermen. Per. How well this honeft mirth becomes their labour! 1 Fish. Hark you, fir! do you know where you are? Per. Not well.

1 Fish. Why I'll tell you: this is called Pentapolis, and our king, the good Simonides.

Per. The good king Simonides, do you call him?

1 Fish. Ay, fir; and he deserves fo to be call'd, for his peaceable reign, and good government.

Per. He is a happy king, fince from his fubjects He gains the name of good, by his government.

How far is his court diftant from this fhore?

For, by his rufty outfide, he appears

To have practis'd more the whipftock, than the lance.
2 Lord. He well may be a stranger, for he comes
To an honour'd triumph, strangely furnished.

3 Lord. And on fet purpose let his armour ruft Until this day, to scour it in the dust.

Sim. Opinion's but a fool, that makes us scan
The outward habit by the inward man.

But stay, the knights are coming; we'll withdraw
Into the gallery.

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[Exeunt.

[Great fbouts, and all cry, The mean knight.

SCENE III.

The fame. A Hall of State.-A Banquet prepared.

Enter SIMONIDES, THAISA, Lords, Knights, and Attend

Sim. Knights,

ants.

To say you are welcome, were superfluous.

To place upon the volume of your deeds,
As in a title-page, your worth in arms,

Were more than you expect, or more than's fit,
Since every worth in fhow commends itself.
Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feaft:
You are my guests.

Thai.

But you, my knight and guest;

To whom this wreath of victory I give,

And crown you king of this day's happiness.

Per. 'Tis more by fortune, lady, than my merit.
Sim. Call it by what you will, the day is yours;
And here, I hope, is none that envies it.
In framing artists, art hath thus decreed,
To make fome good, but others to exceed;

And

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And you're her labour'd fcholar.

feaft,

Come, queen o'the

(For, daughter, so you are,) here take your place: Marshal the reft, as they deserve their grace.

Knights. We are honour'd much by good Simonides. Sim. Your prefence glads our days; honour we love, For who hates honour, hates the gods above.

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Marh. Sir, yond's your place.

'Per.

Some other is more fit.

1 Knight. Contend not, fir; for we are gentlemen, That neither in our hearts, nor outward eyes,

Envy the great, nor do the low defpife.
Per. You are right courteous knights.
Sim.

Sit, fit, fir; fit.

Per. By Jove, I wonder, that is king of thoughts, These cates refift me, fhe not thought upon.

Thai. By Juno, that is queen

Of marriage, all the viands that I eat

Do feem unfavoury, wishing him my meat?
Sure he's a gallant gentleman.

Sim.

A country gentleman :

He's but

He has done no more than other knights have done;
Broken a staff, or fo; fo let it pass.

Thai. To me he feems like diamond to glass.

Per. Yon king's to me, like to my father's picture,
Which tells me, in that glory once he was;
Had princes fit, like ftars, about his throne,
And he the fun, for them to reverence.
None that beheld him, but like leffer lights,
Did vail their crowns to his fupremacy;

Where now his fon's a glow-worm in the night,
The which hath fire in darkness, none in light;
Whereby I fee that time's the king of men,

For

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