The war loves danger, danger drink, drink dis- | (For understand them French beans, where the cipline, Which is society and lechery; These two beget commanders: Fear not, lady; Thy son shall lead. Jun. 'Tis a strange thing, Petillius, That so ridiculous and loose a mirth Can master your affections. Pet. Any mirth, And any way, of any subject, Junius, Is better than unmanly mustiness. What harm is in drink? in a good wholesome wench? I do beseech you, sir, what error? Yet It cannot out of my head handsomely, But thou wouldst fain be drunk: come, no more fooling; The general has new wine, new come over. fruits Are ripened like the people, in old tubs) men, Why, there is the point. 4 Sold. I'll fight no more. Pet. You'll hang then! A sovereign help for hunger. Ye eating rascals, Whose gods are beef and brewis! whose brave angers Do execution upon these, and chibbals! Jun. He must have new acquaintance for it too, Does Rome depend upon your resolution For I will none, I thank ye. Pet. 'None, I thank you? A short and touchy answer! 'None, I thank you?' You do not scorn it, do you? Jun. Gods defend you, sir! I owe him still more honour. Pet. None, I thank you?" For eating mouldy pye-crust? 3 Sold. Would we had it! Judas. I may do service, captain. Pet. In a fish-market. You, corporal Curry-comb, what will your fighting Profit the commonwealth? do you hope to triumph? No company, no drink, no wench, 'I thank you?" Or dare your vamping valour, goodman Cobler, You shall be worse entreated, sir. Jun. Petillius, As thou art honest, leave me! A modest and a decent resolution, And well put on. Yes; I will leave you, Junius, And leave you to the boys, that very shortly Shall all salute you, by your new sirname, Of Junius 'None I thank you." I would starve now, Hang, drown, despair, deserve the forks, lie open I have viewed you, and I have found you, by my skill, To be a fool of the first head, Junius, Enter JUDAS and four Soldiers. Judas. A bean? a princely diet, a full banquet, To what we compass. 1 Sold. Fight like hogs for acorns? 2. Sold. Venture our lives for pig-nuts? 3 Sold. If this hold, we are starved. Judas. For my part, friends, Which is but twenty beans a day (a hard world For oficers, and men of action!), And those so clipt by master mouse, and rotten Clap a new sole to the kingdom? 'Sdeath, ye dog whelps, You fight, or not fight? Pet. Out, ye flesh-flies! Nothing but noise and nastiness! Pet. Whereby hangs your valour? How long is it since thou eatest last? Wipe thy mouth, Judas. Alas, he lives by love, sir. [Exit Junius. And cannot you do so too? All my company Fall but in love now, as ye see example, And follow it but with all your thoughts, probatum, There is so much charge saved, and your hunger's ended. [Drum afar off. Away! I hear the general. Get ye in love all, Up to the ears in love, that I may hear No more of these rude murmurings; and discreetly Carry your stomachs, or I prophesy A pickled rope will choke ye. Jog, and talk not! [Exeunt. SCENE III. Enter SUETONIUS, DEMETRIUS, DECIUS, drum and colours. Suet. Demetrius, is the messenger dispatched To Penius, to command him to bring up The Volans regiment? Dem. He is there by this time. Suet. And are the horse well viewed, we brought from Mona? Dec. The troops are full and lusty. Suet. Good Petillius, Look to those eating rogues, that bawl for victuals, And stop their throats a day or two: Provision Waits but the wind to reach us. Pet. Sir, already I have been tampering with their stomachs, which I find As deaf as adders to delays: Your clemency Hath made their murmurs, mutinies; nay rebellions; Now, an they want but mustard, they are in uproars! No oil but Candy, Lusitanian figs, And wine from Lesbos, now can satisfy them; The British waters are grown dull and muddy, The fruit disgustful; Orontes must be sought for, And apples from the happy isles; the truth is, They are more curious now, in having nothing, Than if the sea and land turned up their trea sures. This lost the colonies, and gave Bonduca Suet. Nay, chide not, good Petillius! I confess And bear like thunder through their loudest tempests. They keep the field still? Dem. Confident and full. Pet. In such a number, one would swear they grew : The hills are wooded with their partizans, To charge upon, no room to strike. Say fortune women, That neither fear or shame e'er found, the devil Has ranked amongst them multitudes; say the men fail, They'll poison us with their petticoats; say they fail, They have priests enough to pray us into nothing. Suet. These are imaginations, dreams of nothing; The man, that doubts or fears Dec. I am free of both. Pet. And I as free as any; As careless of my flesh, of that we call life, As if it were my diet. Yet, noble general, To find advantage out; how, found, to follow it Suet. 'Tis true, Petillius, And worthily remembered: The rule is certain, Our swords and manhoods be best counsellors, But there to bear the field, then to be conquerors, And having forced his spirit, ere he cools, Due to this day of ruin, but destruction; The soldier's order first, and then his anger. Dem. No doubt they dare redeem all. Suet. Then no doubt The day must needs be ours. That the proud woman Is infinite in number better likes me, I'll tell ye all my fears; one single valour, More doubts me than all Britain: He's a soldier Pet. Ready for all employments, Suet. 'Tis well governed; To-morrow we'll draw out, and view the cohorts: Pet. In his cabin, sick of the mumps, sir. Pet. In love, indeed in love, most lamentably loving, To the tune of Queen Dido. Dec. Alas, poor gentleman! Suet. 'Twill make him fight the nobler. . With what lady? I'll be a spokesman for him. Suet. Who is it? Pet. The devil's dam, Bonduca's daughter, Her youngest, cracked in the ring. Suet. I'm sorry for him: But sure his own discretion will reclaim him; 'Till more come in; tell them, if now they con quer, The fat of all the kingdom lies before them. Pen. Set me to lead a handful of my men Against an hundred thousand barbarous slaves, That have marched name by name with Rome's best doers? Serve them up some other meat; I'll bring no To stop the jaws of all those hungry wolves; Cur. Penius, where lies the host? Pen. The battle's lost. Cur. So soon? Pen. No; but 'tis lost, because it must be won; Cur. Do not you hold it a most famous end, Pen. Yes, Curius; but mark this too: Room for his execution? what air to cool us, curses, Where we lie buried quick above the ground, And are with labouring sweat, and breathless pain, Killed like to slaves, and cannot kill again? Drus. Penius, mark antient wars, and know, that then A captain weighed an hundred thousand men, He gave the overthrow, that saved his men. Reg. The soldiers are desirous, Pen. Who drew up? Regulus? Drawn out? why, who commands, sir? on whose warrant Durst they advance? Reg. I keep mine own obedience. Drus, Tis like the general cause, their love of honour, Relieving of their wants Pen. Without my knowledge? Am I no more? my place but at their pleasures? Drus. By heaven, sir, I am ignorant. [Drum softly within, then enter Soldiers, with drum and colours. Pen. What! am I grown a shadow?— Hark! they march. I'll know, and will be myself. Stand! Disobe- He, that advances one foot higher, dies for it. Reg. We'll do our best. [Exe. Drus. and Reg. Oh, gods, to disobedience? Command, farewell! Noteless, and out of name, both rude and naked :: And ye be witness with me, all things sacred, Nor can Rome task us with impossibilities, Into this Britain gulf, this quicksand ruin, I have no share in these mens' shames! March, And seek your own sad ruins; your old Penius 1 Sold. Captain! 2 Sold. Captain! 3 Sold. Dear, honoured captain! Which made ye weary of me, and heaven yet knows, Though in your mutinics, I dare not hate you; Take your own wills! 'tis fit your long experience | Of what strange violence, that, like the plague, Should now know how to rule yourselves; wrong ye, In wishing ye to save your lives and credits, To keep your necks whole from the axe hangs o'er ye: Alas, I much dishonoured ye; go, seek the Britons, And say ye come to glut their sacrifices; But do not say I sent ye. What ye have been, Enter DRUSIUS and REGULUS. Drus. Oh, turn again, great Penius! see the soldier In all points apt for duty. Reg. See his sorrow For his disobedience, which he says was haste, And haste, he thought, to please you with. See, captain, The toughness of his courage turned to water; See how his manly heart melts. Pen. Go; beat homeward; There learn to eat your little with obedience; And henceforth strive to do as I direct ye. Macer. My answer, sir. [Exeunt soldiers. Pen. Tell the great general, My companies are no faggots to fill breaches; Myself no man that must, or shall, can carry : Bid him be wise, and where he is, he's safe then; And when he finds out possibilities, He may command me. Commend me to the cap tains. It works upon our spirits? Blind they feign him; I'm sure, I find it so Pet. A dog shall lead you. Jun. His fond affections blinder Jun. My company, content, almost my fashion Pet. Yes, and your weight too, if you follow it. Jun. 'Tis sure the plague, for no man dare That wanton fools call fashion, thus abuse me? Take me beyond my reason? Why should not I Doat on my horse well trapt, iny sword well hatched? They are as handsome things, to me more useful, And possible to rule too. Did I but love, Yet 'twere excusable, my youth would bear it; But to love there, and that no time can give me, Mine honour dare not ask (she has been ravished), My nature must not know (she hates our nation), Thus to dispose my spirit! Pet. Stay a little; he will declaim again. Jun. I will not love! I am a man, have reason, And I will use it; I'll no more tormenting, Nor whining for a wench; there are a thousand Pet. Hold thee there, boy! Jun. A thousand will entreat me. Pet. Ten thousand, Junius. Jun. I am young and lusty, And to my fashion valiant. I will be man again. |