HU. Now would to God I had that man now here
For the contemplation of my mind!
STU. If ye will, I shall for him inquire,
And bring him hither, if I can him find.
HU. Then might I say ye were to me right kind.
STU. I shall assay, by God that me dear bought,
For cunning is the thing that would be sought.
SEN. Well hit, quoth Hykman, when that he smote
His wife on the buttocks with a beer-pot.
Aha! now good even, fool, good even!
It is even thee, knave, that I mean.
Hast thou done thy babbling?
STU. Yea, peradventure, what then?
SEN. Then hold down thy head like a pretty man, and take my blessing.
Benedicite! I grant to thee this pardon,
And give thee absolution
For thy sooth saws; stand up, Jackdaw!
I beshrew thy father's son,
Make room, sirs, and let us be merry,
With huffa gallant, sing tirl on the berry,
And let the wide world wind![15]
Sing, frisky jolly, with hey troly lolly,
For I see well it is but a folly
For to have a sad mind:
For rather than I would use such folly,
To pray, to study, or be pope holy,
I had as lief be dead.
By Gog's body, I tell you true!
I speak as I think now, else I beshrew
Even my next fellow's head!
Master Humanity, sir, by your leave,
I were right loth you to grieve,
Though I do him despise;
For if ye knew him as well as I,
Ye would not use his company,
Nor love him in no wise.
HU. Sir, he looketh like an honest man,
Therefore I marvel that ye can
This wise him deprave.
SEN. Though he look never so well,
I promise you he hath a shrewd smell.
HU. Why so? I pray you tell.
SEN. For he savoureth like a knave.
STU. Hold your peace, sir, ye mistake me!
What, I trow, that ye would make me
Like to one of your kin.
SEN. Hark, sirs, hear ye not how boldly
He calleth me knave again by policy?
The devil pull off his skin!
I would he were hanged by the throat,
For by the mass I love him not:
We two can never agree;
I am content, sir, with you to tarry,
And I am for you so necessary,
Ye cannot live without me.
HU. Why, sir, I say, what man be ye?
SEN. I am called Sensual Appetite,
All creatures in me delight;
I comfort the wits five,
The tasting, smelling, and hearing;
I refresh the sight and feeling
To all creatures alive.
For when the body waxeth hungry
For lack of food, or else thirsty,
Then with drinks pleasant
I restore him out of pain,
And oft refresh nature again
With delicate viand.
With pleasant sound of harmony
The hearing alway I satisfy,
I dare this well report;
The smelling with sweet odour,
And the sight with pleasant figure
And colours, I comfort;
The feeling, that is so pleasant,
Of every member, foot, or hand,
What pleasure therein can be
By the touching of soft and hard,
Of hot or cold, nought in regard,
Except it come by me.
HU. Then I cannot see the contrary,
But ye are for me full necessary,
And right convenient.
STU. Yea, sir, beware yet what ye do,
For if you forsake my company so,
Lord Nature will not be content.
Of him ye shall never learn good thing,
Nother virtue nor no other cunning,
This dare I well say.
SEN. Marry, avaunt, knave! I thee defy!
Did Nature forbid him my company?
What sayest thou thereto? Speak openly.
HU. As for that I know well nay.
SEN. No, by God! I am right sure;
For he knoweth well no creature
Without me can live one day.
HU. Sir, I pray you be content,
It is not utterly mine intent
Your company to exile;
But only to have communication,
And a pastime of recreation
With this man for a while.
STU. Well, for your pleasure I will depart.
HU. Now go, knave, go! I beshrew thy heart!
The devil send thee forward!
SEN. Now, by my troth, I marvel greatly,
That ever ye would use the company
So mich of such a knave;
For if ye do no nother thing,
But ever study and to be musing,
As he would have you, it will you bring
At the last unto your grave!
Ye should ever study principal
For to comfort your life natural,
With meats and drinks delicate
And other pastimes and pleasures among,
Dancing, laughing, or pleasant song;
This is meet for your estate.
HU. Because ye say so, I you promise,
That I have mused and studied such wise,
Me thinketh my wits weary;
My nature desireth some refreshing,
And also I have been so long fasting,
That I am somewhat hungry.
SEN. Well, then, will ye go with me
To a tavern, where ye shall see
Good pastance, and at your liberty
Have whatsoever you will?
HU. I am content so for to do,
If that ye will not fro me go,
But keep me company still.
SEN. Company, quotha? then that I shall point-device,
And also do you good and true service,
And thereto I plight my troth!
And if that I ever forsake you,
I pray God the devil take you!
HU. Marry, I thank you for that oath!
SEN. A mischief on it! my tongue, lo!
Will trip sometime, whatsoever I do;
But ye wot that I mean well.
HU. Yea, no force! let this matter pass;
But saidst even now thou knewest, where was
A good tavern to make solace?
Where is that? I pray thee tell.
SEN. Marry, at the door even hereby;
If we call anything on high,
The taverner will answer.
HU. I pray thee, then, call for him now.
SEN. Marry, I will! How, taverner, how!
Why dost thou not appear?
TAVERNER.
Who is that calleth so hastily?
I shrew thine heart, speak softly;
I tell thee I am not here.
SEN. Then I beshrew thee, page, of thine age!
Come hither, knave, for thine advantage;
Why makest thou it so tow?
TA. For mine advantage, marry, then I come.
Beware, sirs, ho! let me have room!
Lo, here I am! what sayest thou?
SEN. Marry, thus: here is a gentleman, I say,
That neither ate nor drank this day;
Therefore tell me, I thee pray,
If thou have any good wine.
TA. Ye shall have Spanish wine and Gascon,
Rose colour, white, claret, rampion,
Tyre, Capric, and Malvoisin,
Sack, raspice, Alicant, rumney,
Greek, ipocras, new-made clary,
Such as ye never had;
For if ye drink a draught or two,
It will make you, ere ye thence go,
By Gog's body, stark mad!
SEN. I wot thou art not without good wine;
But here is a gentleman hath list to dine,
Canst thou get him any good meat?
TA. What meat, master, would ye have?
HU. I care not, so God me save,
So that it be wholesome to eat:
I would we had a good stewed capon.
SEN. As for capons ye can get none,
The king's taker took up each one;
I wot well there is none to get.
TA. Though all capons be gone, what then?
Yet I can get you a stewed hen,
That is ready dight.
HU. If she be fat, it will do well.
TA. Fat or lean, I cannot tell,
But as for this I wot well
She lay at the stews all night.
HU. Thou art a mad guest, by this light!
SEN. Yea, sir, it is a fellow that never fails:
But canst get my master a dish of quails,
Small birds, swallows, or wagtails,
They be light of digestion?
TA. Light of digestion! for what reason?
SEN. For physic putteth this reason thereto,
Because those birds fly to and fro,
And be continual moving.
TA. Then know I a lighter meat than that.
HU. I pray thee, tell me what?
TA. If ye will needs know at short and long,
It is even a woman's tongue,
For that is ever stirring![16]
HU. Sir, I pray thee, let such fantasies be,
And come hither near, and hark to me,
And do after my bidding.
Go, purvey us a dinner even of the most
Of all manner of dishes both sod and roast,
That thou canst get: spare for no cost,
If thou make three course.
TA. Then ye get neither goose nor swan,
But a dish of dregs, a dish of bran,
A dish of draff, and I trow then
Ye cannot get three worse!
HU. What, whoreson! wouldst thou purvey
Bran, draff, and stinking dregs, I say;
I hold thee mad, I trow.
TA. Gog's passion! said ye not thus,
That I should purvey you three coarse dishes,
And these be coarse enou'!
HU. Three coarse dishes, quotha?
What, mad fool! thou mistakest me clean!
I see well thou wott'st not what I mean,
And understandest amiss;
I mean this wise, I would have thee
To purvey meat so great plenty,
That thou shouldst of necessity
Serve them at three courses.
That is to understand, at one word,
Thou shouldst bring them unto the board
At three several times.
TA. What then, I see well ye will make a feast.
HU. Yea, by the rood! even with the greatest.
SEN. By my troth, then do your best
Even after my mind;
But ye must have more company.
HU. That is true, and so would I gladly,
If I knew any to find.
SEN. Why, will ye follow my counsel?
HU. Yea.
SEN. Then we will have little Nell,
A proper wench, she danceth well,
And Jane with the black lace;
We will have bouncing Bess also,
And two or three proper wenches mo.
Right fair and smoother of face.
HU. Now be it so! thou art sans peer.
TA. Then I perceive ye will make good cheer.
HU. Why, what should I else do?
TA. If ye think so best, then will I
Go before, and make all things ready
Again ye come thereto.
HU. Marry, I pray thee, do so.
TA. Then, farewell, sirs; for I am gone.
HU. And we shall follow thee anon
Without any tarrying.
SEN. Then it is best, sir, ye make haste,
For ye shall spend here but time in waste,
And do no nother thing.
HU. If ye will, let us go by and by.
SEN. I pray you be it, for I am ready,
No man better willing.
Exeat Sen. et Hu. Intrat Experiens et Stu.
Now, cousin Experience, as I may say,
Ye are right welcome to this country
Without any feigning.
EX. Sir, I thank you thereof heartily,
And I am as glad of your company
As any man living.
STU. Sir, I understand that ye have been
In many a strange country,
And have had great facility
Strange causes to seek and find.
EX. Right far, sir, I have ridden and gone,
And seen strange things many one,
In Africa, Europe, and India;
Both east and west I have been far,
North also, and seen the south star
Both by sea and land,
And been in sundry nations,
With people of divers conditions,
Marvellous to understand.
STU. Sir, if a man have such courage,
Or devotion in pilgrimage,
Jerusalem unto
For to account the next way,
How many miles is it, I you pray,
From hence thither to go?
EX. Sir, as for all such questions,
Of towns to know the situation,
How far they be asunder,
And other points of cosmography,
Ye shall never learn them more surely
Than by that figure yonder;
For who that figure did first devise,
It seemeth well he was wise,
And perfect in this science;
For both the sea and land also
Lie true and just as they should do,
I know by experience.
STU. Who, think you, brought here this figure?
EX. I wot not.
STU. Certes, Lord Nature,
Himself not long agone,
Which was here personally
Declaring high philosophy,
And laft this figure purposely
For Humanity's instruction.
EX. Doubtless, right nobly done.
STU. Sir, this realm you know is called England,
Sometimes Britain, I understand;
Therefore, I pray you, point with your hand
In what place it should lie.
EX. Sir, this is England lying here,
And that is Scotland that joineth him near,
Compassed about everywhere
With the ocean sea around;
And next from them westwardly,
Here by himself alone, doth lie
Ireland, that wholesome ground.
Here then is the narrow sea,
To Calais and Boulogne the next way,
And Flanders in this part;
Here lieth France next him joining,
And Spain southward from them standing,
And Portugal in this quarter.
This country is called Italy,
Behold where Rome in the midst doth lie,
And Naples here beyond;
And this little sea that here is
Is called the Gulf of Venice,
And here Venice doth stand.
As for Almaine lieth this way;
Here lieth Denmark and Norway;
And northward on this side
There lieth Iceland where men doth fish,
But beyond that so cold it is,
No man may there abide.
This sea is called the Great Ocean,
So great it is that never man
Could tell it, since the world began,
Till now, within this twenty years,
Westward be found new lands,
That we never heard tell of before this
By writing nor other means,
Yet many now have been there;
And that country is so large of room,
Much lenger than all Christendom,
Without fable or guile;
For divers mariners had it tried,
And sailed straight by the coast side
Above five thousand mile!
But what commodities be within,
No man can tell nor well imagine;
But yet not long ago
Some men of this country went,
By the king's noble consent,
It for to search to that intent,
And could not be brought thereto;
But they that were th' adventurers[17]
Have cause to curse their mariners,
False of promise and dissemblers,
That falsely them betrayed,
Which would take no pains to sail farther
Than their own list and pleasure;
Wherefore that voyage and divers other
Such caitiffs have destroyed.
Oh, what a thing had be then,
If that they that be Englishmen
Might have been the first of all
That there should have take possession,
And made first building and habitation,
A memory perpetual!
And also what an honourable thing,
Both to the realm and to the king,
To have had his dominion extending
There into so far a ground,
Which the noble king of late memory,
The most wise prince the seventh Herry,
Caused first for to be found.
And what a great meritorious deed
It were to have the people instructed
To live more virtuously,
And to learn to know of men the manner,
And also to know God their Maker,
Which as yet live all beastly;
For they nother know God nor the devil,
Nor never heard tell of heaven nor hell,
Writing nor other scripture;
But yet, in the stead of God Almighty,
They honour the sun for his great light,
For that doth them great pleasure;
Building nor house they have none at all,
But woods, cots, and caves small,
No marvel though it be so,
For they use no manner of iron,
Neither in tool nor other weapon,
That should help them thereto:
Copper they have, which is found
In divers places above the ground,
Yet they dig not therefore;
For, as I said, they have none iron,
Whereby they should in the earth mine,
To search for any wore:
Great abundance of woods there be,
Most part fir and pine-apple tree,
Great riches might come thereby,
Both pitch and tar, and soap ashes,
As they make in the east lands,
By brenning thereof only.
Fish they have so great plenty,
That in havens take and slain they be
With staves, withouten fail.
Now Frenchmen and other have found the trade,
That yearly of fish there they lade
Above a hundred sail;
But in the south part of that country
The people there go naked alway,
The land is of so great heat:
And in the north part all the clothes
That they wear is but beasts' skins,
They have no nother fete;
But how the people first began
In that country, or whence they came,
For clerks it is a question.
Other things mo I have in store,
That I could tell thereof, but now no more
Till another season.
STU. Then at your pleasure show some other thing;
It liketh me so well your communing,
Ye cannot talk amiss.
EX. Then will I turn again to my matter
Of cosmography, where I was ere:
Behold, take heed to this;
Lo, eastward, beyond the great ocean,
Here entereth the sea called Mediterranean,
Of two thousand miles of length:
The Soldan's country lieth hereby,
The great Turk on the north side doth lie,
A man of marvellous strength.
This said north part is called Europa,
And this south part called Africa,
This east part is called India;
But this new lands found lately
Been called America, because only
Americus did first them find.
Lo, Jerusalem lieth in this country,
And this beyond is the Red Sea,
That Moses maketh of mention;
This quarter is India Minor,
And this quarter India Major,
The land of Prester John:
But northward this way, as ye see,
Many other strange regions there be,
And people that we not know.
But eastward on the sea side
A prince there is that ruleth wide,
Called the Can of Catowe.
And this is called the great east sea,
Which goeth all along this way
Towards the new lands again;
But whether that sea go thither directly,
Or if any wilderness between them do lie,
No man knoweth for certain:
But these new lands, by all cosmography,
From the Can of Catowe's land cannot lie
Little past a thousand miles:
But from those new lands men may sail plain
Eastward, and come to England again,
Where we began erewhile.
Lo, all this part of the earth, which I
Have here descrived openly,
The north part we do it call;
But the south part on the other side
Is as large as this full, and as wide,
Which we know nothing at all,
Nor whether the most part be land or sea,
Nor whether the people that there be
Be bestial or cunning;
Nor whether they know God or no,
Nor how they believe, nor what they do,
Of this we know nothing.
Lo, is not this a thing wonderful?
How that— [Et subito Studious Desire dicat.
STU. Peace, sir, no more of this matter!
Behold where Humanity cometh here.
SEN. How say you, Master Humanity?
I pray you have ye not be merry,
And had good recreation?
HU. Yes, I thank thee thereof every deal,
For we have fared marvellously well,
And had good communication.
TA. What, how, master! where be ye now?
SEN. What! I shrew thee! what haste hast thou,
That thou speakest so high?
TA. So high, quotha? I trow ye be mad, by St Gile!
For did ye not erewhile
Make pointment openly.
To come again all to supper,
There as ye were to-day at dinner?
And yet ye pointed not plain,
What meat that ye will have dressed,
Nor what delicacies ye love best.
Methink you far oversayne.
HU. As for mine own part I care not;
Dress what meat thou lovest, spare not
Whatsoever thou dost best think.
TA. Now, if ye put it to my liberty,
Of all meats in the world that be,
By this light, I love best drink.[18]
SEN. It seemeth by thy face so to do,
But my master will have meat also,
Whatsoever it cost.
TA. By God, sir, then ye must tell what.
HU. At thy discretion: I force not,
Whether it be sodden or roast.
TA. Well, sir, then care not! let me alone;
Ye shall see that all things shall be done,
And ordained well and fine.
HU. So I require thee heartily,
And in any wise specially,
Let us have a cup of new wine.
TA. Ye shall have wine as new as can be,
For I may tell you in privity,
It was brewed but yesternight.
HU. But that is nothing for my delight.
TA. But then I have for your appetite
A cup of wine of old claret;
There is no better, by this light!
HU. Well, I trust thee well enou'.
TA. But one thing, if it please you now—
Ye see well I take much pain for you,
I trust ye will see to me.
HU. Yea, I promise thee, get thee hence,
And in this matter do thy diligence,
And I shall well reward thee.
SEN. Because thou lookest for a reward,
One thing for thee I have prepared,
That here I shall thee give.
Thou shalt have a knave's skin,
For to put thy body therein,
For term of thy life!
TA. Now, gramercy, my gentle brother;
And therefore thou shalt have another,
For voiding of strife.
SEN. Now, farewell, gentle John!
TA. Then farewell, fool, for I am gone!
SEN. Abide, turn once again! hark what I say!
Yet there is another thing
Would do well at our master's washing.
HU. What thing is that, I thee pray?
SEN. Marry thus, canst thou tell us yet,
Where is any rose water to get?
TA. Yea, that I can well purvey,
As good as ever you put to your nose,
For there is a false wench called Rose
Distilleth a quart every day.
SEN. By God! I would a pint of that
Were poured even upon thy pate
Before all this presence.
TA. Yet I had liever she and I
Were both together secretly
In some corner in the spence;
For, by God, it is a pretty girl!
It is a world[19] to see her whirl,
Dancing in a round;
O Lord God! how she will trip!
She will bounce it, she will whip,
Yea, clean above the ground!
HU. Well, let all such matters pass, I say,
And get thee hence, and go thy way
About this other matter.
TA. Then I go straight; lo! fare ye well.
SEN. But look yet thou remember every deal
That I spake of full ere.
TA. Yes, I warrant you, do not fear.
[Exit Taverner.
HU. God's Lord! seest not who is here now?
What, Studious Desire! what news with you?
STU. Ye shall know, sir, ere I go.
SEN. What, art thou here? I see well, I,
The mo knaves the worse company.
STU. Thy lewd conditions thou dost still occupy,
As thou art wont to do.
HU. But, I say, who is this here in presence?
STU. Sir, this is the man called Experience,
That I spake of before.
HU. Experience! why, is this he?
Sir, ye are right welcome unto me
And shall be evermore!
EX. Sir, I thank you thereof heartily,
But I assure you faithfully
I have small courage here to tarry,
As long as this man is here.
SEN. Why, whoreson! what ailest at me?
EX. For thou hast ever so lewd a property,
Science to despise, and yet thou art he
That nought canst nor nought wilt learn.
SEN. Marry, avaunt, knave! I make God avow,
I think myself as cunning as thou,
And that shall I prove shortly!
I shall put thee a question now; come near,
Let me see how well thou canst answer:
How spellest this word Tom Couper
In true orthography?
EX. Tom Couper, quotha? a wise question hardly!
SEN. Yea, I tell thee again yet—Tom Couper, how spellest it?
Lo! he hath forgotten, ye may see,
The first word of his a b c.
Hark, fool, hark, I will teach thee,
P.a—pa.—t.e.r—ter—do together Tom Couper.
Is not this a sore matter?
Lo! here you see him proved a fool!
He had more need to go to school,
Than to come hither to clatter.
STU. Certain, this is a solution
Meet for such a boy's question.
HU. Sensual Appetite, I pray thee
Let pass all trifles and vanity
For a while, it shall not long be,
And depart, I thee require;
For I would talk a word or two
With this man here, ere he hence go,
For to satisfy my desire.
SEN. Why, Gog's soul! will ye so shortly
Break pointment with yonder company,
Where you should come to supper?
I trust you will not break promise so.
HU. I care not greatly, if I do;
It is but a tavern matter.
SEN. Then will I go show them what you say.
HU. Spare not, if thou wilt go thy way,
For I will here tarry.
SEN. Then adieu for a while, I tell you plain,
But I promise you, when I come again,
I shall make yonder knaves twain
To repent and be sorry!
EX. Now I am full glad that he is gone!
STU. So am I, for good will he do none
To no man living.
But this is the man with whom ye shall,
I trust, be well content withal,
And glad of his coming;
For he hath expound cunningly
Divers points of cosmography,
In few words and short clause.
HU. So I understand he hath good science,
And that he hath by plain experience
Learned many a strange cause.
STU. Yea, sir, and I say for my part,
He is the cunningest man in that art
That ever I could find;
For ask what question ye will do,
How the earth is round, or other mo,
He will satisfy your mind.
EX. Why, what doubt have ye therein found?
Think ye the earth should not be round?
Or else how suppose ye?
HU. One way it is round, I must consent,
For this man proved it evident;
Toward the east and occident
It must needs round be.
EX. And likewise from the south to north.
HU. That point to prove were some thank worth.
EX. Yes, that I can well prove,[20]
For this ye know as well as I,
Ye see the North Star in the sky,
Mark well, ye shall unneth it spy,
That ever it doth remove.
But this I assure you, if you go
Northward an hundredth mile or two,
Ye shall think it riseth,
And how that it is near approached
The point over the top of your head,
Which is called your zenith.
Yet if ye go the other way,
Southward ten or twelve days' journey,
Ye shall then think anon
It descended, and come more nigh
The circle parting the earth and sky,
As ye look straight with your eye,
Which is called your horizon;
But ye may go southward so far,
That at the last that same star
Will seem so far down right,
Clear underneath your horizon,
That sight thereof can you have none,
The earth will stop your sight.
This proveth of necessity
That the earth must needs round be:
This conclusion doth it try.
HU. Now that is the properest conclusion
That ever I heard, for by reason
No man may it deny.
But, sir, if that a man sail far
Upon the sea, will then that star
Do there as on the ground?
EX. Yea, doubtless, sail northward, rise it will,
And sail southward, it falleth still,
And that proveth the sea round.
STU. So doth it in mine opinion;
But know you any other conclusion
To prove it round, save that alone?
EX. Yea, that I know right well,
As thus: mark well when the sea is clear,
That no storm nor wave thereon doth 'ppear,
This mariners can tell;
Then if a fire be made on night
Upon the shore, that giveth great light,
And a ship in the sea far,
They in the top the fire see shall,
And they on hatch nothing at all,
Yet they on hatches be near;
Also on the sea, where men be sailing
Far from land, they see nothing
But the water and the sky;
Yet when they draw the land more near,
Then the hill-tops begin to appear,
Still they near more high and high,
As though they were still growing fast
Out of the sea till, at last,
When they come the shore to,
They see the hill, top, foot, and all;
Which thing so could not befal,
But the sea lay round also.
HU. Methinketh your argument somewhat hard.
EX. Then ye shall have it more plainly declared,
If ye have great desire;
For here, lo, by mine instruments,
I can show the plain experiments.
HU. Thereto I you require.
EX. With all my heart it shall be done;
But for the first conclusion,
That I speak of the fire,
Be this the sea that is so round,
And this the fire upon the ground,
And this the ship that is here;
You know well that a man's sight
Can never be but in a line right.
HU. Just you say; that is clear.
EX. Mark well then; may not that man's eye.
[Eight leaves are here wanting.]
IGNORANCE. With arguing here their foolish [saws]
That is not worth three straws.
I love not this whoreson 'losophers,
Nor this great cunning extromers,
That tell how far it is to the stars;
I hate all manner cunning!
I would ye knew it, I am Ignorance!
A lord I am of greater puissance
Than the king of England or France,
Yea, the greatest lord living!
I have servants at my retinue,
That long to me, I assure you,
Herewith in England,
That with me, Ignorance, dwell still,
And term of life continue will,
Above five hundred thousand.
SEN. Gog's nails, I have paid some of them, I trow.
IGN. Why, man, what aileth thee so to blow?
SEN. For I was at a shrewd fray.
IGN. Hast thou any of them slain, then?
SEN. Yea, I have slain them every man,
Save them that ran away.
IGN. Why, is any of them scaped and gone?
SEN. Yea, by Gog's body, every one,
All that ever were there.
IGN. Why, then, they be not all slain.
SEN. No, but I have put some to pain,
For one whoreson there was, that turned again,
And straight I cut off his ear.
IGN. Then thou hast made him a cutpurse.
SEN. Yea, but yet I served another worse!
I smote off his leg by the hard arse,
As soon as I met him there.
IGN. By my troth, that was a mad deed!
Thou shouldst have smit off his head,
Then he should never have troubled thee more.
SEN. Tush! then I had been but mad,
For there was another man that had
Smit off his head before!
IGN. Then thou hast quit thee like a tall knight!
SEN. Yea, that I have, by this light!
But, I say, can you tell me right
Where became my master?
IGN. What, he that you call Humanity?
SEN. Yea.
IGN. I wot never, except he be
Hid here in some corner.
SEN. Gog's body! and true ye say,
For yonder, lo! behold, ye may
See where the mad fool doth lie.
IGN. Now, on my faith and truth,
It were even great alms
To smite his head from his body!
SEN. Nay, God forbid ye should do so,
For he is but an innocent, lo!
In manner of a fool.
For as soon as I speak to him again,
I shall turn his mind clean,
And make him follow my school.
IGN. Then bid him rise, let us hear him speak.
SEN. Now, rise up, Master Huddypeke,
Your tail toteth out behind!
Fear not, man, stand up by and by;
I warrant you rise up boldly!
Here is none but is your friend.
HU. I cry you mercy, master dear!
IGN. Why, what is cause thou hidest thee here?
HU. For I was almost for fear,
Even clean out of my mind.
SEN. Nay, it is the study that ye have had
In this foolish losophy hath made you mad,
And no other thing, i-wis.
IGN. That is as true as the gospel!
Therefore I have great marvel,
That ever thou wilt follow the counsel
Of yonder two knaves.
HU. O sir, ye know right well this,
That when any man is
In other men's company,
He must needs follow the appetite
Of such things as they delight
Some time among, perdy!
IGN. But such knaves would alway have thee
To put all thy mind and felicity
In this foolish cunning to study;
Which, if thou do, will make thee mad,
And alway to be pensive and sad;
Thou shalt never be merry.
SEN. Merry, quotha? no, I make God avow!
But I pray thee, master, hark! one word now,
And answer this thing:
Whether thought you it better cheer
At the tavern, where we were ere,
Or else to clatter with these knaves here
Of their foolish cunning?
HU. Nay, I cannot say the contrary
But that I had mich merrier company
At the tavern than in this place.
SEN. Then if ye have any wit or brain,
Let us go to the tavern again,
And make some merry solace.
IGN. If he will do so, then doth he wisely.
HU. By my troth, I care not greatly,
For I am indifferent to all company,
Whether it be here or there.
SEN. Then I shall tell you what we will do;
Master Ignorance, you and he also
Shall tarry both still here,
And I will go fet hither a company,
That ye shall hear them sing as sweetly
As they were angels clear;
And yet I shall bring hither another sort
Of lusty bloods to make disport;
That shall both dance and spring,
And turn clean above the ground
With friskas and with gambawds round,
That all the hall shall ring.
And that done, within an hour or twain,
I shall at the town again
Prepare for you a banket
Of meats that be most delicate,
And most pleasant drinks and wines thereat,
That is possible to get,
Which shall be in a chamber fair,
Prepared point-device[21]
With damask water made so well,
That all the house thereof shall smell,
As it were paradise.
And after that, if ye will touch
A fair wench naked[22] in a couch[23]
Of a soft bed of down,
For to satisfy your wanton lust,
I shall appoint you a trull of trust,
Not a fairer in this town!
And when ye have taken your delight,
And thus satisfied the appetite
Of your wits five,
Ye may say then I am a servant
For you so necessary and pleasant,
I trow none such alive!
HU. Now, by the way that God did walk,
It comforteth mine heart to hear thee talk,
Thy match was never seen!
IGN. Then go thy way by and by,
And bring in this company,
And he and I will here tarry,
Till thou come again.
HU. And I pray thee heartily also.
SEN. At your request so shall I do.
Lo! I am gone, now farewell!
I shall bring them into this hall,
And come myself foremost of all,
And of these revels be chief marshal,
And order all things well.
IGN. Now, set thy heart on a merry pin,
Against these lusty bloods come in,
And drive fantasies away.
HU. And so I will, by heaven's King!
If they either dance or sing,
Have among them, by this day!
IGN. Then thou takest good and wise ways,
And so shalt thou best please
All this whole company;
For the foolish arguing that thou hast had
With that knave Experience, that hath made
All these folk thereof weary;
For all that they be now in this hall,
They be the most part my servants all,
And love principally
Disports, as dancing, singing,
Toys, trifles, laughing, jesting;
For cunning they set not by.
HU. I see well such company evermore,
As Sensual Appetite is gone for,
Will please well this audience.
IGN. Yea, that I suppose they will;
But peace, hark! I pray thee be still,
I ween they be not far hence.
[Then the dancers without the hall sing this wise, and they within answer, or else they may say it for need.[24]