A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vi Part 52

SIMPLICITY.

No, faith, Mistress Conscience, I'll not; for, and I should sell[205] broom, The maids would cosen me to competually with their old shoon.

And, too, I cannot work, and you would hang me out of the way; For when I was a miller, Will did grind the meal, while I did play.

Therefore I'll have as easy an occupation as I had when my father was alive.

Faith, I'll go even a-begging: why, 'tis a good trade; a man shall be sure to thrive; For I am sure my prayers will get bread and cheese, and my singing will get me drink.

Then shall not I do better than Mistress Conscience? tell me as you think.

Therefore G.o.d Pan in the kitchen, and G.o.d Pot in the b.u.t.tery, Come and resist me, that I may sing with the more meliosity.

But, sirs, mark my cauled countenance, when I begin.

But yonder is a fellow[206] that gapes to bite me, or else to eat that which I sing.

Why, thou art a fool; canst thou not keep thy mouth strait together?

And when it comes, snap at it, as my father's dog would do at a liver.

But thou art so greedy, That thou thinkest to eat it before it comes nigh thee.

SIMPLICITY _sings_.

_Simplicity sings it, and 'sperience doth prove, No biding in London for Conscience and Love.

The country hath no peer, Where Conscience comes not once a year; And Love so welcome to every town, As wind that blows the houses down.

Sing down adown, down, down, down.

Simplicity sings it, and 'sperience doth prove, No dwelling in London, no biding in London, for Conscience and Love_.

SIMPLICITY.

Now, sirrah, hast eaten up my song? and ye have, ye shall eat no more to-day, For everybody may see your belly is grown bigger with eating up our play.

He has fill'd his belly, but I am never a whit the better, Therefore I'll go seek some victuals; and 'member, for eating up my song you shall be my debtor.

[_Exit_ SIMPLICITY.

_Enter_ MERCATORE, _the Merchant, and_ GERONTUS, _a Jew_.

GERONTUS.

But, Signor Mercatore, tell me, did ye serve me well or no, That having gotten my money would seem the country to forego?

You know I lent you two thousand ducats for three months' s.p.a.ce, And, ere the time came, you got another thousand by flattery and thy smooth face.

So, when the time came that I should have received my money, You were not to be found, but was fled out of the country.

Surely, if we that be Jews should deal so one with another, We should not be trusted again of our own brother; But many of you Christians make no conscience to falsify your faith, and break your day.

I should have been paid at three[207] months' end, and now it is two years you have been away.

Well, I am glad you be come again to Turkey; now I trust I shall receive the interest of you, so well as the princ.i.p.al.

MERCATORE.

Ah, good Master Geronto! pray heartily, bear a me a little while, And me shall pay ye all without any deceit or guile: Me have much business for my pretty knacks to send to England.

Good sir, bear a me for five days, me'll despatch your money out of hand.[208]

GERONTUS.

Signor Mercatore, I know no reason why because you have dealt with me so ill: Sure, you did it not for need, but of set purpose and will; And, I tell ye,[209] to bear with ye four or five days goes sore against my mind, Lest you should steal away, and forget to leave my money behind.

MERCATORE.

Pray heartily, do tink a no such ting, my good friend, a me.

Be my trot' and fait', me pay you all, every penny.

GERONTUS.

Well, I'll take your faith and troth once more, and trust to your honesty, In hope that for my long tarrying you will deal well with me.

Tell me what ware you would buy for England, such necessaries as they lack?[210]

MERCATORE.

O no, lack some pretty fine toy, or some fantastic new knack; For da gentlewomans in England buy much tings for fantasy.

You pleasure a me, sir, vat me mean a dere buy?

GERONTUS.

I understand you, sir: but keep touch with me, and I'll bring you to great store, Such as I perceive you came to this country for; As musk, amber, sweet powders, fine odours, pleasant perfumes, and many such toys, Wherein I perceive consisteth that country gentlewomen's joys.

Besides, I have diamonds, rubies, emerands, sapphires, smaradines, opals, onacles, jacinths, agates, turquoise, and almost of all kind of precious stones, And many mo fit things to suck away money from such green-headed wantons.

MERCATORE.

Faith-a, my good friend, me tank you most heartly alway.

Me shall a content your debt within this two or tree day.

GERONTUS.

Well, look you do keep your promise, and another time you shall command me.

Come, go we home, where our commodities you may at pleasure see.

[_Exeunt_.

_Enter_ CONSCIENCE, _with brooms at her back, singing as followeth:

New brooms,[211] green brooms, will you buy any?

Come, maidens, come quickly, let me take a penny.

My brooms are not steeped, But very well-bound: My brooms be not crooked, But smooth-cut and round.

I wish it should please you To buy of my broom, Then would it well ease me, If market were done.

Have you any old boots, Or any old shoon; Pouch-rings or buskins To cope for new broom?

If so you have, maidens, I pray you bring hither, That you and I friendly May bargain together.

New brooms, green brooms, will you buy any?

Come, maidens, come quickly, let me take a penny_.

CONSCIENCE _speaketh_.

Thus am I driven to make a virtue of necessity; And, seeing G.o.d almighty will have it so, I embrace it thankfully, Desiring G.o.d to mollify and lessen[212] Usury's hard heart, That the poor people feel not the like penury and smart.

But Usury is made tolerable amongst Christians, as a necessary thing, So that, going beyond the limits of our law, they extort, and many to misery bring.

But if we should follow G.o.d's law, we should not receive above that we lend; For if we lend for reward, how can we say we are our neighbours' friend?

O, how blessed shall that man be, that lends without abuse, But thrice accursed shall he be, that greatly covets use; For he that covets over-much, insatiate is his mind, So that to perjury and cruelty he wholly is inclin'd: Wherewith they sore oppress the poor by divers sundry ways, Which makes them cry unto the Lord to shorten cutthroats' days.

Paul calleth them thieves that doth not give the needy of their store, And thrice accurs'd are they that take one penny from the poor.

But while I stand reasoning thus, I forget my market clean; And sith G.o.d hath ordained this way, I am to use the mean.

_Sing again.

Have ye any old shoes, or have ye any boots? have ye any buskins, or will ye buy any broom?

Who bargains or chops with Conscience? What, will no customer come?_

_Enter_ USURY.

USURY.

Who is it that cries brooms? What, Conscience, selling brooms about the street?