Chapter XXVII: Prologue (3)

LIGHT. Amen, say I; for, should our last trick be known, great Croesus's shade would have a conjured time on't.

HAD. 'Tis true, his castle of adamant would scarce hold him; but come, this will be good cause for laughter hereafter.

Then we'll relate how this great bird was pull'd
Of his rich feathers, and most finely gull'd. [_Exeunt._

_Enter_ OLD LORD WEALTHY, _with_ CARRACUS, MARIA, _and_ ALBERT.

O. LORD W. More welcome, Carracus, than friendly truce
To a besieged city all distress'd:
How early this glad morning are you come
To make me happy? for pardon of your offence
I've given a blessing, which may heaven confirm
In treble manner on your virtuous lives!

CAR. And may our lives and duty daily strive
To be found worthy of that loving favour,
Which from your reverend age we now receive
Without desert or merit!

_Enter_ YOUNG LORD WEALTHY, HOG, _and_ PETER.

Y. LORD W. Room for a desirer of justice! what, my sister
Maria! who thought to have met you here.

MARIA. You may see, brother, unlooked-for guests prove often troublesome.

Y. LORD W. Well, but is your husband there any quieter than he was?

CAR. Sir, I must desire you to forget all injuries, if, in not being myself, I offered you any.

ALB. I'll see that peace concluded.

Y. LORD W. Which I agree to;
For patience is a virtue, father Hog.

O. LORD W. Was it you, son, that cried so loud for justice?

Y. LORD W. Yes, marry was it, and this the party to whom it appertains.

HOG. O, my most honoured lord, I am undone, robbed, this black night, of all the wealth and treasure which these many years I have hourly laboured for.

O. LORD W. And who are those have done this outrage to you?

HOG. O, knew I that, I then, my lord, were happy.

O. LORD W. Come you for justice then, not knowing 'gainst whom the course of justice should extend itself? Nor yet suspect you none?

HOG. None but the devil.

Y. LORD W. I thought he was a cheater, e'er since I heard two or three Templars[400] swear at dice, the last Christmas, that the devil had got all.

_Enter_ HADDIT _and_ LIGHTFOOT.

HAD. My kind acquaintance, joy to thy good success.

CAR. Noble and freeborn Haddit, welcome.

LIGHT. Master Hog, good day.

HOG. [Good day], for I have had a bad night on't.

LIGHT. Sickness is incident to age: what, be the writings ready to be sealed we entreated last day?

HOG. Yes, I think they are; would the scrivener were paid for making them.

LIGHT. He shall be so, though I do't myself. Is the money put up, as I appointed?

HOG. Yes, 'tis put up: confusion seize the receivers!

LIGHT. Heaven bless us all! what mean you, sir?

HOG. O sir, I was robb'd this night of all I had;
My daughter too is lost, and I undone.

LIGHT. Marry, God forbid! after what manner, I pray?

HOG. O, to recount, sir, will breed more ruth
Than did the tale of that high Trojan duke[401]
To the sad-fated Carthaginian queen.

HAD. What exclamation's that?

LIGHT. What you will grieve at, coz;
Your worshipful friend, Master Hog, is robb'd.

HAD. Robb'd! by whom, or how?

LIGHT. O, there's the grief: he knows not whom to suspect.

HAD. The fear of hell o'ertake them, whosoe'er they be. But where's your daughter? I hope she is safe.

_Enter_ REBECCA.

HOG. Thank heaven, I see she's now so. Where hast thou been, my girl?

REB. Alas! sir, carried by amazement I know not where; pursued by the robbers, forced to fly amazed, affrighted, through the city streets, to seek redress; but that lay fast asleep in all men's houses, nor would lend an ear to the distressed.

HAD. O heavy accident! but see, you grieve too much,
Being your daughter's found, for th' other loss,
Since 'tis the will of heaven to give and take,
Value it as nothing: you have yet sufficient
To live in bless'd content, had you no more
But my small mortgage for your daughter here,
Whom I have ever lov'd in dear'st affection.
If so you please so much to favour me,
I will accept her, spite of poverty,
And make her jointure of some store of land,
Which, by the loss of a good aged friend,
Late fell to me: what, is't a match or no?

HOG. It is.

HAD. Then I'll have witness on't: my lord and gentlemen,
Please you draw near to be here witnesses
To a wish'd contract 'twixt this maid and I.

OMNES. We are all willing.

HOG. Then, in the presence of you all, I give my daughter freely to this gentleman as wife; and to show how much I stand affected to him, for dowry with her, I do back restore his mortgaged lands; and, for their loves, I vow ever hereafter to detest, renounce, loathe, and abhor all slavish avarice,

Which doth ascend from hell, sent by the devil,
To be 'mongst men the actor of all evil.

OMNES. A bless'd conversion.

O. LORD W. A good far unexpected. And now, gentlemen,
I do invite you all to feast with me
This happy day, that we may all together
Applaud his good success: and let this day be spent
In sports and shows, with gladsome merriment.
Come, bless'd converted man,[402] we'll lead the way,
As unto heaven I hope we shall.

HOG. Heaven grant we may!

CAR. Come, my Maria and repentant friend,
We three have tasted worst of misery,
Which now adds joy to our felicity.

HAD. We three are happy we have gain'd much wealth,
And though we have done it by a trick of stealth,
Yet all, I trust, are pleased, and will our ills acquit,
Since it hath sav'd a soul was hell's by right.

Y. LORD W. To follow after, then, our lot doth fall;
Now rhyme it, Peter.

P. SER. A good night to all. [_Exeunt omnes._

FOOTNOTES:

[394] [Old copy, _him_.]

[395] Verstegan, in his "Restitution of Decayed Intelligence," 1634,
p. 126, gives the following account of the origin of this term: "As
this Lady (_i.e._, Rowena) was very beautiful, so was she of a very
comely deportment, and Hingistus, having invited King Vortiger to a
supper at his new-builded castle, caused that after supper she came
foorth of her chamber into the King's presence, with a cup of gold
filled with wine in her hand, and making in very seemly manner a low
reverence unto the King, sayd, with a pleasing grace and countenance,
in our ancient language, _Waes heal hlaford Cyning,_ which is, being
rightly expounded according to our present speech, _Be of health, Lord
King_, for as _was_ is our verbe of the preterimperfect tense, or
preterperfect tense, signifying _have bin_, so _was_ being the same
verb in the imperative mood, and now pronounced _wax_, is as much as
to say _grow, be_, or _become;_ and _waes-heal_, by corruption of
pronunciation, afterwards became to be _wassaile_. The King not
understanding what shee said, demaunded it of his chamberlaine, who
was his interpreter, and when he knew what it was, he asked him how he
might againe answer her in her owne language, whereof being informed,
he sayd unto her _Drinc heal_, that is to say, _Drink health_."--See
also a note to "The Ordinary," in vol. xii.

[396] _Didst_ in the old copy, where these lines are printed as a
stage direction.

[397] The 4º reads--

"I overslip what Croesus _suit_ command."

--_Collier._

[398] Or muscadel. A kind of wine so called, because for sweetness and
smell it resembles musk. "From Bosco Helerno we soon came to
Montefiascone, standing upon a hill. It's a bishop's seate, and
_famous for excellent Muscatello wine_," &c.--Lassells' "Voiage of
Italy," 8º, 1670, 244.--_Gilchrist._

[399] [Referring to some tale of the day. Compare p. 468.]

[400] See note to "A Match at Midnight," act i. sc. i. (vol. xiii.)

[401] Æneas.

[402] [Meaning Hog.]