BOBADILL: Gentle Master
Matthew!
World's Greatest Books - Volume 17 - Poetry and Drama
STEPHEN: 'Slid, I hope he laughs not at me; an he
do----
KNOWELL: Here was a letter, indeed, to be intercepted
by a man's father! Well, if he read this with
patience---- (_Seeing_ STEPHEN) What, my wise cousin!
Nay, then, I'll furnish our feast with one gull more.
How now, Cousin Stephen--melancholy?
STEPHEN: Yes, a little. I thought you had laughed
at me, cousin.
KNOWELL: Be satisfied, gentle coz, and, I pray you,
let me entreat a courtesy of you. I am sent for this
morning by a friend in the Old Jewry: will you bear me
company?
STEPHEN: Sir, you shall command me twice as far.
KNOWELL: Now, if I can but hold him up to his
height!
SCENE II. --BOBADILL'S _room, a mean chamber, in_ COB'S _house_.
BOBADILL _lying on a bench. Enter_ MATTHEW, _ushered
in by_ TIB.
MATTHEW: 'Save you, sir; 'save you, captain.
BOBADILL: Gentle Master Matthew! Sit down, I pray
you. Master Matthew in any case, possess no gentlemen
of our acquaintance with notice of my lodging. Not
that I need to care who know it! But in regard I would
not be too popular and generally visited, as some are.
MATTHEW: True, captain, I conceive you.
BOBADILL: For do you see, sir, by the heart of valour
in me except it be to some peculiar and choice spirit like
yourself--but what new book have you there?
MATTHEW: Indeed, here are a number of fine
speeches in this book.
"O eyes, no eyes, but fountains fraught with tears"--
There's a conceit! Another:
"O life, no life but lively form of death!
O world, no world but mass of public wrongs"--
O the Muses! Is't not excellent? But when will you come to see my
study? Good faith I can show you some very good things I have done of
late. But, captain, Master Well-bred's elder brother and I are fallen
out exceedingly.
BOBADILL: Squire Down-right, the half-brother was't not?