FIRK

[To servant going out] Touch the gold, creature, if you dare!

You’re best be trudging. Here, Jane, take thou it. Now let’s

home, my hearts!

HODGE

Stay, who comes here? Jane, on again with thy mask.

LINCOLN

Yonder’s the lying varlet mocked us so.

100

OATLEY

Come hither, sirrah.

FIRK

Ay sir, I am sirrah. You mean me, do you not?

LINCOLN

Where is my nephew married?

FIRK

Is he married? God give him joy, I am glad of it. They have a fair

day, and the sign is in a good planet - Mars in Venus.

105

OATLEY

Villain, thou told’st me that my daughter Rose

This morning should be married at Saint Faith’s.

We have watched there these three hours at the least,

Yet see we no such thing.

FIRK

Truly, I am sorry for’t. A bride’s a pretty thing.

110

HODGE

Come to the purpose. Yonder’s the bride and bridegroom you

look for, I hope. Though you be lords, you are not to bar by

your authority men from women, are you?

OATLEY

See, see, my daughter’s masked.

LINCOLN True; and my nephew,

To hide his guilt, counterfeits him lame.

115

FIRK

Yea, truly, God help the poor couple, they are lame and blind.

OATLEY

I’ll ease her blindness.

LINCOLN I’ll his lameness cure.

FIRK

[Aside to shoemakers] Lie down, sirs, and laugh! My fellow

Ralph is taken for Roland Lacy, and Jane for Mistress Damask

Rose! This is all my knavery.

120

OATLEY

[To JANE] What, have I found you, minion!

LINCOLN [To RALPH] O base wretch!

Nay, hide thy face; the horror of thy guilt

Can hardly be washed off. Where are thy powers?

What battles have you made? O yes, I see

Thou fought’st with shame, and shame hath conquered thee.

125

This lameness will not serve.

OATLEY [To JANE] Unmask yourself.

LINCOLN

Lead home your daughter.

OATLEY Take your nephew hence.

RALPH

Hence? ‘Swounds, what mean you? Are you mad? I hope you

cannot enforce my wife from me. Where’s Hammon?

OATLEY

Your wife?

130

LINCOLN

What Hammon?

RALPH

Yea, my wife; and therefore the proudest of you that lays hands

on her first, I’ll lay my crutch ‘cross his pate!

FIRK

To him, lame Ralph! - Here’s brave sport!

RALPH

Rose call you her? Why, her name is Jane. Look here else.

135

[Unmasks her] Do you know her now?

LINCOLN

Is this your daughter?

OATLEY No, nor this your nephew.

My Lord of Lincoln, we are both abused

By this base crafty varlet.

FIRK

Yea, forsooth, no varlet, forsooth, no base; forsooth, I am but

140

mean. No crafty neither, but of the Gentle Craft.

OATLEY

Where is my daughter Rose? Where is my child?

LINCOLN

Where is my nephew Lacy married?

FIRK

Why, here is good laced mutton, as I promised you.

LINCOLN

Villain, I’ll have thee punished for this wrong.

145

FIRK

Punish the journeyman villain, but not the journeyman

shoemaker.