gentleman, a younger brother, I doubt not but God will treble reftore it back again; one that never before this time demanded penny, half-penny, nor farthing.

Cit. Wife. Stay, Alexander. Now by my troth a very proper man; and 'tis great pity. Hold, my friend; there's all the money I have about me, a couple of fhillings; and God bless thee.

8

M. Flow. Now God thank you, fweet lady. If you have any friend, or garden-houfe where you may employ a poor gentleman as your friend, I am yours to command in all fecret fervice.

Cit. Wife. I thank you good friend; I pr'ythee let me fee that again I gave thee; there is one of them a brafs fhilling: give me them, and here is half a crown in gold. [He gives the money to her.] Now out upon thee, rafcal: fecret fervice! what doft thou make of me? It were a good deed to have thee whipp'd Now I have my money again, I'll fee thee hang'd before I give thee a penny. Secret fervice!On, good Alexander.

[Exeunt Citizen's Wife and Servant. M. Flow. This is villainous luck; I perceive difhonefty will not thrive. Here comes more. God forgive me, fir Arthur and mafter Oliver. Afore God I'll fpeak to them.

Enter Sir Arthur, and Oliver.

God fave you, fir Arthur; God fave you, mafter Oliver.

Oli. Been you there, zirrah? come will you ytaken yourself to your tools, coystrel?

8- or garden houfe,-] So in Greene in Conceipt, 1598:a garden-boufe having round about it many flowers and much deflowring." Many of the illicit meetings between the fexes in former times appear to have happened in these receptacles.

L13

STEEVENS.

M. Flow.

M. Flow. Nay, mafter Oliver, I'll not fight with
you.

Alas, fir, you know it was not my doings;
It was only a plot to get fir Lancelot's daughter :
By God I never meant you harm.

Oli. And where is the gentlewoman thy wife, mezel? where is the, zirrah, ha?

M. Flow. By my troth, mafter Oliver, fick, very fick and God is my judge, I know not what means to make for her, good gentlewoman.

Oli. Tell me true; is fhe fick ? tell me true, ich 'vife thee.

M. Flow, Yes 'faith, I tell you true, mafter Oliver: if you would do me the small kindness but to lend me forty fhillings, fo God help me, I will pay you fo foon as my ability shall make me able;-as I am a gentleman.

Oli. Well, thou zaift thy wife is zick; hold, there's vorty fhillings; give it to thy wife. Look thou give it her, or I fhall zo veeze thee, thou wert not zo veezed this zeven year; look to it.

Sir Arth. I'faith, mafter Oliver, 'tis in vain,
To give to him that never thinks of her.
Oli. Well, would che could yvind it,

M. Flow. I tell you true, fir Arthur, as I am a gentleman.

Oli. Well, farewel zirrah: come, fir Arthur.

[Exeunt Sir Arthur and Oliver.

M. Flow. By the lord, this is excellent ; Five golden angels compafs'd in an hour: If this trade hold, I'll never seek a new, Welcome, fweet gold, and beggary adieu.

Enter Flowerdale Junior and Flowerdale Senior. Flow. Jun. See, Kester, if you can find the house,

zo veeze thee,-] i. e. feaze, or pheese. Taming of a Shrew, last edit. vol. iii. p. 395, &c.

See note on the
STEEVEN!.
M. Flow.

M. Flow. Who's here? My uncle, and my man Kefter? By the mafs 'tis they. How do you uncle? how doft thou, Kefter? By my troth, uncle, you muft needs lend me fome money. The poor gentlewoman my wife, fo God help me, is very fick: I was robb'd of the hundred angels you gave me; they

are gone.

Flow. Jun. Ay, they are gone indeed. Come, Kefter, away.

M. Flow. Nay, uncle; do you hear, good uncle? Flow. Jun. Out, hypocrite, I will not hear thee fpeak: come, leave him, Kefter.

M. Flow. Kefter, honeft Kefter.

Flow. Sen. Sir, I have nought to fay to you. Open the door to me, 'Kin: thou had'ft beft lock it fast, for there's a falfe knave without.

[Flowerdale Senior and Flowerdale Junior go in. M. Flow. You are an old lying rafcal, fo you are.

Enter, from Civet's house, Luce.

Luce. Vat is de matter? Vat be you, yonker? M. Flow. By this light a Dutch Frow; they fay they are called kind. By this light, I'll try her.

Luce. Vat bin you, yonker? why do you not speak? M. Flow. By my troth, fweet heart, a poor gentleman that would defire of you, if it stand with your liking, the bounty of your purfe.

Re-enter Flowerdale Senior.

Luce. O hear God! fo young an armin '!

Open the door to my kin,] Thus all the copies. It appears in a former scene that Luce affumed the name of Tanikin, to whom Flowerdale Sen. I believe, here addreffes himself. The author therefore, I fuppofe, wrote-Open the door to me, 'Kin; i. e. Tanikin. MALONE.

1-fo young an armin !] i. e. a beggar. Arm in Dutch fignifies poor and needy. So arm-worden to grow poor-arm-maken to empoverish. STEEVENS.

L14

M. Flow.

M. Flow. Armin, fweet-heart? I know not what you mean by that; but I am almost a beggar.

Luce. Are you not a married man? vere bin your vife? Here is all I have; take dis.

M. Flow. What gold, young frów? this is brave. Flow. Sen. If he have any grace, he'll now repent. Luce. Why fpeak you not? vere be your vife?

M. Flow. Dead, dead; fhe's dead, 'tis fhe hath undone me. Spent me all I had, and kept rafcals under my nofe to brave me.

Luce. Did you use her vell?

M. Flow. Ufe her! there's never a gentlewoman in England could be better ufed than I did her. I could but coach her; her diet ftood me in forty pound a month but fhe is dead; and in her grave my cares are buried.

:

Luce. Indeed dat vas not fcone *.

Flow. Sen. He is turn'd more devil than he was before.

M. Flow. Thou doft belong to master Civet here, doft thou not?

Luce. Yes, me do.

M. Flow. Why there's it! there's not a handful of plate but belongs to me. God's my judge, if I had fuch a wench as thou art, there's never a man in England would make more of her, than I would do— fo the had any flock.

[Within, O, why Tanikin. Luce. Stay; one doth call; I fhall come by and by again.

[Exit. M. Flow. By this hand, this Dutch wench is in love with me. Were it not admirable to make her fteal all Civet's plate, and run away?

Indeed dat vas not fcone.] There is here, I believe, fome corruption. Luce fays below" dat is not good; dat is not feen." The fame word was probably meant in both places.

MALONE.

Flor

Flow. Sen. It were beaftly. O mafter Flowerdale, Have you no fear of God, nor confcience? What do you mean by this vile courfe you take? M. Flow. What do I mean? why, to live; that I

mean.

Flow. Sen. To live in this fort? Fie upon the courfe :

Your life doth fhow you are a very coward.

M. Flow. A coward! I pray in what?

Flow. Sen. Why you will borrow fix-pence of a boy, M. Flow. 'Snails, is there fuch cowardice in that? I dare borrow it of a man, ay, and of the tallest man in England,—if he will lend it me: let me borrow it how I can, and let them come by it how they dare: And it is well known, I might have rid out a hundred times if I would, fo I might.

Flow. Sen. It was not want of will, but cowardice. There is none that lends to you, but know they gain :

And what is that but only ftealth in you?

Delia might hang you now, did not her heart.
Take pity of you for her fifter's fake.

Go get you hence, left ling'ring here your stay,
You fall into their hands you look not for.

M. Flow. I'll tarry here, 'till the Dutch frow comes, if all the devils in hell were here.

[Flowerdale Senior goes in to Civet's house.

Enter Sir Lancelot, Mafter Weathercock, and Artichoke.

Sir Lanc. Where is the door? are we not paft it, Artichoke ?

Art. By the mafs here's one; I'll ask him. Do you hear, fir? What, are you so proud? Do you hear? Which is the way to mafter Civet's house?

3- I might have rid out-] i. e. I might have been a highwayman, this fraternity always travelling on borseback.

STEEVENS.

What,