Shakespeare

“ How Confidently we scorn beggery!
[Exit with his Son.]
SCENE V. A bed-room in the same. [Enter a maid with a child in her arms, the mother by her a step.]
MAID.
Sleep, sweet babe; sorrow makes thy mother sleep:
It bodes small good when heaviness falls so deep.
Hush, pretty boy, thy hopes might have been better.
Tis lost at Dice what ancient honour won:
Hard when the father plays away the son!
No thing but misery serves in this house.
Ruin and desolation, oh!
[Enter husband with the boy bleeding.]
HUSBAND.
Whore, give me that boy. ”

“ HUSBAND. If marriage be honourable, then Cuckolds are honourable, for they cannot be made without marriage. Fool! what meant I to marry to get beggars? now must my eldest son be a knave or nothing; he cannot live uppot’h fool, for he will have no land to maintain him: that mortgage sits like a snaffle upon mine inheritance, and makes me chaw upon Iron. My second son must be a promoter, and my third a thief, or an underputter, a slave pander. Oh beggery, beggery, to what base uses dost thou put a man! I think the Devil scorns to be a bawd. ”

“ I’m mad to be reveng’d. My strumpet wife,
It is thy quarrel that rips thus my flesh,
And makes my breast spit blood, but thou shalt bleed.
Vanquisht? got down? unable e’en to speak?
Surely tis want of money makes men weak.
Aye, twas that orethrew me; I’d nere been down else.
[Exit.]
SCENE III. The same. [Enter wife in a riding suit with a servingman.]
SERVINGMAN.
Faith, mistress, If it might not be presumption
In me to tell you so, for his excuse
You had small reason, knowing his abuse.
WIFE.
I grant I had; but, alas,
Why should our faults at home be spread abroad? ”

“ SAM. And I think she was blest in her Cradle, that he never came in her bed; why, he has consumed all, pawnd his lands, and made his university brother stand in wax for him—There’s a fine phrase for a scrivener! puh, he owes more then his skin’s worth.
OLIVER.
Is’t possible?
SAM. Nay, I’ll tell you moreover, he calls his wife whore as familiarly as one would call Mal and Dol, and his children bastards as naturally as can be.—But what have we here? I thought twas somewhat puld down my breeches: I quite forgot my two potingsticks. These came from London ”

“ SAM. Why, then, follow me; I’ll teach you the finest humor to be drunk in’t; they call it knighting in London, when they drink upon their knees.
AMBO. Faith, that’s excellent. Come, follow me: I’ll give you all the degrees ont in order.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE II. Another apartment in the same. WIFE.
What will become of us? all will away.
My husband never ceases in expense,
Both to consume his credit and his house;
And tis set down by heaven’s just decree,
That Riot’s child must needs be beggery.
Are these the vertues that his you did promise? ”

“ Your brother, a man who profited in his divine Imployments, might have made ten thousand souls fit for heaven, now by your careless courses cast in prison, which you must answer for, and assure your spirit it will come home at length. ”

“ OLIVER. Sirrah Ralph, my young Mistress is in such a pitiful passionate humor for the long absence of her love—
RALPH. Why, can you blame her? why, apples hanging longer on the tree then when they are ripe makes so many fallings; viz., Mad wenches, because they are not gathered in time, are fain to drop of them selves, and then tis Common you know for every man to take em up. ”

“ SAM. But speak in your conscience, yfaith, have not we as good Potingsticks ith Country as need to be put ith fire. The mind of a thing’s all, and as thou saidst e’en now, far fetcht is the best things for Ladies. ”