“Kemp. Few of the vniuersity pen plaies well; they smell too much of that writer Ouid, and that writer Metamorphosis,[xi:1] and talke too much of Proserpina and Juppiter. Why, heres our fellow Shakespeare puts them all downe, I,[xi:2] and Ben Jonson too. O that Ben Jonson is a pestilent fellow! he brought vp Horace giuing the Poets a pill,[xi:3] but our fellow Shakespeare hath giuen him a purge that made him beray his credit.
“Bur. Its a shrewd fellow indeed. I wonder these schollers stay so long; they appointed to be here presently that we might try them: oh, here they come.
[Enter Philomusus and Studioso.]
“Stud.
Take heart, these lets[xi:4] our clouded thoughts refine;
The sun shines brightest when it gins decline.
“Bur. M[aster] Phil. and M. Stud., God saue you.
“Kemp. M. Pil. and M. Otioso, well met.
“Phil. The same to you, good M. Burbage. What, M. Kempe, how doth the Emperour of Germany?
“Stud. God saue you, M. Kempe; welcome, M. Kempe, from dancing the morrice ouer the Alpes.[xi:5]
“Kemp. Well, you merry knaues, you may come to the honor of it one day: is it not better to make a foole of the world as I haue done, then to be fooled of the world as you schollers are? But be merry, my lads: you haue happened vpon the most excellent vocation in the world for money; they come North and South to bring it to our playhouse; and for honours, who of more report then Dick Burbage and Will Kempe? he is not counted a Gentleman that knowes not Dick Burbage and Wil Kempe; there’s not a country wench that can dance Sellengers Round[xii:1] but can talke of Dick Burbage and Will Kempe.