JUGGLER. Marry, sir, I will show you a trick of cleanly conveyance—Hei, fortuna furim nunquam credo—with a cast of clean conveyance. Come aloft, Jack, for thy master's advantage. He's gone, I warrant ye.
[SPECTRUM is conveyed away, and WILY BEGUILED stands in the place of it.
PROLOGUE.
Mass, and 'tis well done! Now I see thou canst do something. Hold thee; there is twelvepence for thy labour.
Go to that barm-froth poet, and to him say,
He quite hath lost the title of his play;
His calf-skin jests from hence are clean exil'd.
Thus once you see, that Wily is beguil'd.
[Exit the JUGGLER.
Now, kind spectators, I dare boldly say,
You all are welcome to our author's play:
Be still awhile, and, ere we go,
We'll make your eyes with laughter flow.
Let Momus' mates judge how they list.
We fear not what they babble;
Nor any paltry poet's pen
Amongst that rascal rabble.
But time forbids me further speech,
My tongue must stop her race;
My time is come, I must be dumb,
And give the actors place.
[Exit.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
GRIPE, an Usurer.
PLOD-ALL, a Farmer.
SOPHOS, a Scholar.
CHURMS, a Lawyer.
ROBIN GOODFELLOW.
FORTUNATUS, Gripe's son.
LELIA, Gripe's daughter.
Nurse.
PETER PLOD-ALL, Plod-all's son.
PEG, Nurse's daughter.
WILL CRICKET.
MOTHER MIDNIGHT.
An Old Man.
SYLVANUS.
Clerk.