The Complete Works of William Shakespeare · William Shakespeare
SCENE I. Rochester. An Inn-Yard.
Enter a Carrier with a lantern in his hand. FIRST CARRIER. Heigh-ho! an it be not four by the day, I’ll be hang’d. Charles’ wain is over the new chimney, and yet our horse not pack’d.—What, ostler! OSTLER. [_within._] Anon, anon. FIRST CARRIER. I prithee, Tom, beat Cut’s saddle, put a few flocks in the point; poor jade is wrung in the withers out of all cess. Enter another Carrier. SECOND CARRIER. Peas and beans are as dank here as a dog, and that is the next way to give poor jades the bots. This house is turned upside down since Robin ostler died. FIRST CARRIER. Poor fellow never joyed since the price of oats rose, it was the death of him. SECOND CARRIER. I think this be the most villainous house in all London road for fleas. I am stung like a tench. FIRST CARRIER. Like a tench! By the Mass, there is ne’er a king christen could be better bit than I have been since the first cock. SECOND CARRIER. Why, they will allow us ne’er a jordan, and then we leak in your chimney, and your chamber-lye breeds fleas like a loach. FIRST CARRIER. What, ostler! Come away and be hanged, come away. SECOND CARRIER. I have a gammon of bacon and two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as Charing Cross.
FIRST CARRIER. God’s body! The turkeys in my pannier are quite starved.—What, ostler! A plague on thee! Hast thou never an eye in thy head? Canst not hear? An ’twere not as good deed as drink to break the pate on thee, I am a very villain. Come, and be hanged. Hast no faith in thee? Enter Gadshill. GADSHILL. Good morrow, carriers. What’s o’clock? FIRST CARRIER. I think it be two o’clock. GADSHILL. I prithee, lend me thy lantern, to see my gelding in the stable. FIRST CARRIER. Nay, by God, soft! I know a trick worth two of that, i’faith. GADSHILL. I pray thee, lend me thine. SECOND CARRIER. Ay, when? Canst tell? “Lend me thy lantern,” quoth he! Marry, I’ll see thee hanged first. GADSHILL. Sirrah carrier, what time do you mean to come to London? SECOND CARRIER. Time enough to go to bed with a candle, I warrant thee. Come, neighbour Mugs, we’ll call up the gentlemen. They will along with company, for they have great charge. [_Exeunt Carriers._] GADSHILL. What, ho! Chamberlain! Enter Chamberlain. CHAMBERLAIN. At hand, quoth pick-purse. GADSHILL. That’s even as fair as “at hand, quoth the chamberlain,” for thou variest no more from picking of purses than giving direction doth from labouring; thou layest the plot how. CHAMBERLAIN. Good morrow, Master Gadshill. It holds current that I told you yesternight: there’s a franklin in the Wild of Kent hath brought three hundred marks with him in gold. I heard him tell it to one of his company last night at supper; a kind of auditor, one that hath abundance of charge too, God knows what. They are up already, and call for eggs and butter. They will away presently.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.