the life of sir john oldcastle-第4章
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Hath sent for me。
COBHAM。
Comfort your self my lord; I warrant you。
HARPOOLE。
Fellow; what ails thee? doost thou quake? dost thou
shake? dost thou tremble? ha?
COBHAM。
Peace; you old fool! Sirra; convey this gentleman
in the back way; and bring the other into the walk。
HARPOOLE。
Come; sir; you are welcome; if you love my lord。
POWIS。
God have mercy; gentle friend。
'Exeunt。'
COBHAM。
I thought as much: that it would not be long;
Before I heard of something from the King
About this matter。
'Enter Harpoole with Master Butler。'
HARPOOLE。
Sir; yonder my lord walks; you see him;
I'll have your men into the Cellar the while。
COBHAM。
Welcome; good master Butler。
BUTLER。
Thanks; my good lord: his Majesty doth commend
His love unto your lordship;
And wills you to repair unto the court。
COBHAM。
God bless his Highness; and confound his enemies!
I hope his Majesty is well。
BUTLER。
In health; my lord。
COBHAM。
God long continue it! Me thinks you look
As though you were not well: what ails you; sir?
BUTLER。
Faith; I have had a foolish odd mischance;
That angers me: coming over Shooters hill;
There came a fellow to me like a Sailor;
And asked me money; and whilst I stayed my horse
To draw my purse; he takes th' advantage of
A little bank and leaps behind me; whips
My purse away; and with a sudden jerk;
I know not how; threw me at least three yards
Out of my saddle。 I never was so robbed
In all my life。
COBHAM。
I am very sorry; sir; for your mischance。 We will send
our warrant forth; to stay such suspicious persons as
shall be found。 Then; master Butler; we will attend you。
BUTLER。
I humbly thank your lordship; I will attend you。
ACT II。 SCENE I。 The same。
'Enter the Sumner。'
SUMNER。
I have the law to warrant what I do; and though the
Lord Cobham be a noble man; that dispenses not
with law: I dare serve process were a five noble men。
Though we Sumners make sometimes a mad slip in a
corner with a pretty wench; a Sumner must not go always
by seeing: a man may be content to hide his eyes; where
he may feel his profit。 Well; this is my Lord Cobham's
house if I can devise to speak with him; if not; I'll clap
my citation upon's door: so my lord of Rochester bid
me。 But me thinks here comes one of his men。
'Enter Harpoole。'
HARPOOLE。
Welcome; good fellow; welcome; who wouldst thou
speak with?
SUMNER。
With my lord Cobham I would speak; if thou be one of
his men。
HARPOOLE。
Yes; I am one of his men; but thou canst not speak with
my lord。
SUMNER。
May I send to him then?
HARPOOLE。
I'll tell thee that; when I know thy errand。
SUMNER。
I will not tell my errand to thee。
HARPOOLE。
Then keep it to thy self; and walk like a knave as thou
camest。
SUMNER。
I tell thee; my lord keeps no knaves; sirra。
HARPOOLE。
Then thou servest him not; I believe: what lord is thy
master?
SUMNER
My lord of Rochester。
HARPOOLE。
In good time! And what wouldst thou have with my
lord Cobham?
SUMNER。
I come; by virtue of a process; to ascite him to appear
before my lord in the court at Rochester。
HARPOOLE。
'Aside。' Well; God grant me patience! I could eat this
conger。 My lord is not at home; therefore it were good;
Sumner; you carried your process back。
SUMNER。
Why; if he will not be spoken withal; then will I leave
it here; and see you that he take knowledge of it。
HARPOOLE。
Swounds; you slave; do you set up your bills here! go to;
take it down again。 Doest thou know what thou dost?
Dost thou know on whom thou servest process?
SUMNER。
Yes; marry; do I; Sir John Old…castle; Lord Cobham。
HARPOOLE。
I am glad thou knowest him yet: and; sirra; dost not thou
know; that the lord Cobham is a brave lord; that keeps
good beef and beer in his house; and every day feeds a
hundred poor people at's gate; and keeps a hundred tall
fellows?
SUMNER。
What's that to my process?
HARPOOLE。
Marry; this; sir! is this process parchment?
SUMNER。
Yes; marry。
HARPOOLE。
And this seal wax?
SUMNER。
It is so。
HARPOOLE。
If this be parchment; & this wax; eat you this
parchment and this wax; or I will make parchment
of your skin; and beat your brains into wax: Sirra
Sumner; dispatch; devour; sirra; devour。
SUMNER。
I am my lord of Rochester's Sumner; I came to do
my office; and thou shalt answer it。
HARPOOLE。
Sirra; no railing; but betake you to your teeth。 Thou
shalt eat no worse than thou bringst with thee: thou
bringst it for my lord; and wilt thou bring my lord
worse than thou wilt eat thy self?
SUMNER。
Sirra; I brought it not my lord to eat。
HARPOOLE。
O; do you sir me now? all's one for that: but I'll make
you eat it; for bringing it。
SUMNER。
I cannot eat it。
HARPOOLE。
Can you not? sblood I'll beat you until you have a
stomach。
'He beats him。'
SUMNER。
O hold; hold; good master serving…man! I will eat it。
HARPOOLE。
Be champing; be chawing; sir; or I'll chaw you; you
rogue! the purest of the honey! Tough wax is the
purest of the honey。
SUMNER。
O Lord; sir! oh! oh!
'He eats。'
HARPOOLE。
Feed; feed! wholesome; rogue; wholesome! Cannot you;
like an honest Sumner; walk with the devil your brother;
to fetch in your Bailiffs' rents; but you must come to a
noble man's house with process? Sblood! if thy seal were
as broad as the lead that covers Rochester church; thou
shouldst eat it。
SUMNER。
O; I am almost choked! I am almost choked!
HARPOOLE。
Who's within there? will you shame my Lord? is there
no beer in the house? Butler! I say。
'Enter Butler。'
BUTLER。
Here; here。
HARPOOLE。
Give him Beer。
'He drinks。'
There; tough old sheepskin's bare; dry meat。
SUMNER。
O sir; let me go no further; I'll eat my word。
HARPOOLE。
Yea; marry; sit! so I mean: you shall eat more than your
own word; for I'll make you eat all the words in the process。
Why; you drab monger; cannot the secrets of all the wenches
in a shire serve your turn; but you must come hither with a
citation? with a pox! I'll cite you。 'He has then done。' A
cup of sack for the Sumner。
BUTLER。
Here; sir; here。
HARPOOLE。
Here; slave; I drink to thee。
SUMNER。
I thank you; sir。
HARPOOLE。
Now if thou findst thy stomach wellbecause thou shalt
see my Lord keep's meat in's houseif thou wilt go in;
thou shalt have a piece of beef to the break fast。
SUMNER。
No; I am very well; good Master serving…man; I thank
you; very well sir。
HARPOOLE。
I am glad on't。 Then be walking towards Rochester to keep
your stomach warm; and Sumner; if I may know you disturb
a good wench within this Diocese; if I do not make thee eat
her petticoat; if there were four yards of Kentish cloth in't;
I am a villain。
SUMNER。
God be with you; Master serving…man。
'Exit。'
HARPOOLE。
Farewell; Sumner。
'Enter Constable。'
CONSTABLE。
God save you Master Harpoole。
HARPOOLE。
Welcome; Constable; welcome; Constable; what news with thee?
CONSTABLE。
And't please you; Master Harpoole; I am to make hue and cry;
for a fellow with one eye that has robbed two Clothiers; and am
to crave your hindrance; for to search all suspected places; and
they say there was a woman in the company。
HARPOOLE。
Hast thou been at the Alehouse? hast thou sought there?
CONSTABLE。
I durst not search; sir; in my Lord Cobham's liberty; except I
had some of his servants; which are for my warrant。
HARPOOLE。
An honest Constable! an honest Constable! Call forth him
that keeps the Alehouse here。
CONSTABLE。
Ho! who's within there?
'Enter Ale…man。'
ALE MAN。
Who calls there? come near a God's name! Oh; is't you;
Master Constable and Master Harpoole? you are welcome
with all my heart。 What make you here so early this morning?
HARPOOLE。
Sirra; what strangers do you lodge? there is a robbery done
this morning; and we are to search for all suspected persons。
ALE MAN。
God's bores! I am sorry for't: yfaith; sir; I lodge no body but
a good honest merry priest;they call him sir John a Wrotham
and a handsome woman that is his niece; that he says he has
some suit in law for; and as they go up & down to London;
sometimes the