Jer. Can be resolved! Gad, if she gives me but a cross word, I'll leave her to-night, and come to you. But now I have got money, I'll go to Jack-of-all-Trades, at t'other end of the Hall, and buy the neatest purest things—
Free. [Aside.] And I'll follow the great boy, and my blow at his mother. Steal away the calf, and the cow will follow you. [Exit Jerry, followed by Freeman.
Re-enter, on the other side, Manly, Widow Blackacre, and Major Oldfox.
Man. Damn your cause, can't you lose it without me? which you are like enough to do, if it be, as you say, an honest one: I will suffer no longer for't.
Wid. Nay, captain, I tell you, you are my prime witness; and the cause is just now coming on, Mr. Splitcause tells me. Lord, methinks you should take a pleasure in walking here, as half you see now do; for they have no business here, I assure you.
Man. Yes; but I'll assure you then, their business is to persecute me. But d'ye think I'll stay any longer, to have a rogue, because he knows my name, pluck me aside and whisper a news-book secret to me with a stinking breath? a second come piping angry from the court, and sputter in my face his tedious complaints against it? a third law-coxcomb, because he saw me once at a reader's dinner, come and put me a long law case, to make a discovery of his indefatigable dulness and my wearied patience? a fourth, a most barbarous civil rogue, who will keep a man half an hour in the crowd with a bowed body, and a hat off, acting the reformed sign of the Salutation tavern, to hear his bountiful professions of service and friendship, whilst he cares not if I were damned, and I am wishing him hanged out of my way?—I'd as soon run the gauntlet, as walk t'other turn.
Re-enter Jerry Blackacre, without his bags, but laden with trinkets, which he endeavours to hide from his Mother, and followed at a distance by Freeman.
Wid. O, are you come, sir? but where have you been, you ass? and how came you thus laden?
Jer. Look here, forsooth, mother; now here's a duck, here's a boar-cat, and here's an owl. [Making a noise with catcalls and other such like instruments.