CROMWELL.
Content thee, man; here set up these two bills,
And let us keep our standing on the bridge:
The fashion of this country is such,
If any stranger be oppressed with want,
To write the manner of his misery,
And such as are disposed to succour him,
Will do it. What, hast thou set them up?
HODGE. Aye, they’re up; God send some to read them, and not only to read them, but also to look on us; and not altogether to look on us,
[One stands at one end, and one at tother.]
But to relieve us. O cold, cold, cold.
[Enter Friskiball, the Merchant, and reads the bills.]
FRISKIBALL.
What’s here? two Englishmen robbed by the Bandetti!
One of them seems to be a gentleman.
Tis pity that his fortune was so hard,
To fall into the desperate hands of thieves.
I’ll question him of what estate he is.
God save you, sir; are you an Englishman?
CROMWELL.
I am, sir, a distress Englishman.
FRISKIBALL.
And what are you, my friend?
HODGE. Who? I, sir? by my troth, I do not know my self what I am now, but, sir, I was a smith, sir, a poor Farrier of Putney. That’s my master, sir, yonder. I was robbed for his sake, sir.
FRISKIBALL.
I see you have been met by the Bandetti,
And therefore need not ask how you came thus.
But, Friskiball, why doost thou question them
Of their estate and not relieve their need?
Sir, the coin I have about me is not much:
There’s sixteen Ducats for to clothe your selves,
There’s sixteen more to buy your diet with,
And there’s sixteen to pay for your horse hire:
Tis all the wealth, you see, my purse possesses,
But if you please for to enquire me out,
You shall not want for ought that I can do.
My name is Friskiball, a Florence Merchant,
A man that always loved your nation.