Civ. I am glad you're come, fifter Delia, to give order for fupper: they will be here foon.

Art. Ay, but if good luck had not ferv'd, fhe had not been here now. Filching Flowerdale had like to have pepper'd us: but for mafter Oliver, we

had been robb'd.

Del. Peace, firrah, no more.

Flow. Sen. Robb'd! by whom?

Art. Marry by none but by Flowerdale; he is turn'd thief.

Civ. By my faith, but that is not well; but God be prais'd for your escape. Will you draw near, fifter?

Flow. Sen. Sirrah, come hither. Would Flowerdale, he that was my mafter, have robbed you? I pr'ythee tell me true.

Art. Yes i'faith, even that Flowerdale that was thy

mafter.

Flow. Sen. Hold thee; there is a French crown, and fpeak no more of this.

[Afide. Art. Not I, not a word.-Now do I fmell knavery: in every purfe Flowerdale takes, he is half; and gives me this to keep counsel :-not a word, 1.

Flow. Sen. Why God-a-mercy.

Fran. Sifter, look here; I have a new Dutch maid, and the speaks fo fine, it would do your heart good.

Civ. How do you like her, fister?

Del. I like your maid well.

Civ. Well, dear fifter, will you draw near, and give directions for fupper? Guests will be here prefently.

Del. Yes, brother; lead the way, I'll follow you. [Exeunt all but Delia and Luce.

Hark you, Dutch frow, a word.

Luce Vat is your vill wit me?

Del. Sifter Luce, 'tis not your broken language,

Nor

Nor this fame habit, can difguife your face

From I that know you. Pray tell me, what means

this.

Luce. Sifter, I fee you know me; yet be fecret.. This borrowed fhape that I have ta'en upon me, Is but to keep myself a space unknown, Both from my father, and my nearest friends; Until I fee how time will bring to pafs

The defperate courfe of mafter Flowerdale.

Del. O he is worfe than bad; I pr'ythee leave

him;

And let not once thy heart to think on him.

Luce. Do not perfwade me once to fuch a thought. Imagine yet that he is worse than naught;

Yet one hour's time may all that ill undo
That all his former life did run into.

Therefore, kind fifter, do not difclofe my eftate;
If e'er his heart doth turn, 'tis ne'er too late.

Del. Well, feeing no counfel can remove your mind,

I'll not difclofe you that are wilful blind.

Luce. Delia, I thank you. I now must please her

apparently a mifprint for hour's, which in the old fpelling was

bouer's. MALONE.

VOL. II.

L 1

ACT

ACT V.

SCENE I

Street before Civet's house.

. Enter M. Flowerdale.

M. Flow. On goes he that knows no end of his journey. I have pafs'd the very utmoft bounds of Thifting; I have no courfe now but to hang myself. I have liv'd fince yesterday two o'clock on a spicecake I had at a burial; and for drink, I got it at an ale-house among porters, fuch as will bear out a man if he have no money indeed; I mean-out of their companies, for they are men of good carriage'. Who comes here? the two coney-catchers that won all my money of me. I'll try if they'll lend me

any.

Enter Dick and Ralph.

What mafter Richard, how do you? How doft thou, Ralph By God, gentlemen, the world grows bare with me; will you do as much as lend me an angel between you both? You know, you won a hundred of me the other day.

Ralph. How! an angel? God damn us if we loft not every penny within an hour after thou wert gone.

a fpice-cake I had at a burial;] The ufual entertainment. at ancient funerals.-Rich cakes were given to the mourners, poorer ones distributed to the populace, among whom the Prodigal appears to have been one. STEEVENS.

s-for they are men of good carriage.] A quibble between car rying burdens, and demeanour. MALONE.

The fame quibble occurs in Romeo and Juliet. See last editvol. x. p. 41. STEEVENS.

6 the two coney-catchers,—] A coney-catcher was a cheat; a gambler. MALONE.

See note on the Merry Wives of Windfor, last edit. vol. i. p. 228.

STEEVENS.

M. Flow.

M. Flow. I pr'ythee lend me fo much as will pay for my fupper: I'll pay you again, as I am a gen tleman.

Ralph. I'faith, we have not a farthing, not a mite.

wonder at it, mafter Flowerdale,

You will fo carelefly undo yourself.

Why you will lofe more money in an hour,
Than any honeft man fpends in a year.
For fhame betake you to fome honeft trade,
And live not thus fo like a vagabond,

[Exeunt Dick and Ralph.
M. Flow. A vagabond indeed; more villains you!
They give me counsel that first cozen'd me.
Thofe devils first brought me to this I am,
And being thus, the first that do me wrong.
Well, yet I have one friend left me in store.
Not far from hence there dwells a cockatrice 7,
One that I first put in a fattin gown;

And not a tooth that dwells within her head,
But ftands me at the leaft in twenty pound:
Her will I vifit now my coin is gone;

And as I take it here dwells the gentlewoman. [Knocks.
What ho, is mistress Apricock within ?

Enter Ruffian.

Ruf. What fawcy rafcal's that which knocks fo bold?

O, is it you, old spend-thrift? Are you here?
One that is-turned cozener 'bout the town?

My miftrefs faw you, and fends this word by me;
Either be packing quickly from the door,

7 Not far from hence there dwells a cockatrice,] A harlot. So in the Gul's Hornbook, by Decker, 1609 :—— provide yourTelf a lodging by the water-fide; for above the convenience that it brings to fhun fhoulder-clapping, and to ship away your cockatrice betimes in the morning, it adds, &c." Cotgrave renders the word by Putaine. MALONE.

Or you fhall have fuch a greeting fent you ftraight
As you will little like on : you had best be gone.
[Exit.
M. Flow. Why fo, this is as it fhould be; being

poor,

Thus art thou ferv'd by a vile painted whore.
Well, fince thy damned crew do so abuse thee,
I'll try of honeft men, how they will ufe me.

Enter an ancient Citizen.

Sir, I beseech you to take compaffion of a man; one whofe fortunes have been better than at this inftant they feem to be: but if I might crave of you fo much little portion as would bring me to my friends, I would reft thankful until I had requited fo great a courtesy.

Cit. Fie, fie, young man! this course is very bad. Too many fuch have we about this city; Yet for I have not feen you in this fort, Nor noted you to be a common beggar, Hold; there's an angel to bear your charges down. Go to your friends; do not on this depend : Such bad beginnings oft have worfer end.

[Exit Citizen.

M. Flow. Worfer end! nay, if it fall out no worfe than in old angels, I care not. Nay, now I have had fuch a fortunate beginning, I'll not let a fixpenny purfe efcape me :-By the mafs here comes another.

Enter a Citizen's Wife and a Servant with a torch before ber.

*

of

God bless you, fair miftrefs. Now would it pleasc you, gentlewoman, to look into the wants of a poor I'll not let a fixpenny purfe efcape me.] In the first part K. Henry IV. Gadhill fays he is joined with no "long staff fr penny ftrikers." See note on this paffage, laft edit. vol. v. p. 296, &c. STEEVENS.

gen