WILL CRICKET. 
Marry, to pretty Peg, Mistress Lelia’s nurse’s daughter.  O, ’tis the
dapp’rest wench that ever danced after a tabor and pipe—­

For she will so heel it,
And toe it, and trip it;—­
O, her buttocks will quake like a custard.

PETER PLOD-ALL. 
Why, William, when were you with her?

WILL CRICKET.  O Peter, does your mouth water at that?  Truly, I was never with her; but I know I shall speed:  ’for t’other day she looked on me and laughed, and that’s a good sign, ye know.  And therefore, old Silver-top, never talk of charging or discharging:  for I tell you, I am my father’s heir; and if you discharge me, I’ll discharge my pestilence at you:  for to let my house before my lease be out, is cut-throatery; and to scrape for more rent, is poll-dennery;[143] and so fare you well, good grandsire Usury.  Come, father, let’s be gone.

[Exeunt WILL and his father.

PLOD-ALL.  Well, I’ll make the beggarly knaves to pack for this:  I’ll have it every cross, income and rent too.

Enter CHURMS with a letter.

But stay, here comes one.  O, ’tis Master Churms:  I hope he brings me some good news.  Master Churms, you’re well-met; I am e’en almost starved for money:  you must take some damnable course with my tenants; they’ll not pay.

CHURMS. Faith, sir, they are grown to be captious knaves:  but I’ll move them with a habeas corpus.

PLOD-ALL.  Do, good Master Churms, or use any other villanous course shall please you.  But what news abroad?

CHURMS. Faith, little news; but here’s a letter which Master Gripe desired me to deliver you:  and though it stand not with my reputation to be a carrier of letters, yet, not knowing how much it might concern you, I thought it better something to abase myself, than you should be anyways hindered.

PLOD-ALL. 
Thanks, good sir; and I’ll in and read it.

[Exeunt PLOD-ALL and his son.  Manet CHURMS.

CHURMS.
Thus men of reach must look to live: 
I cry content, and murder where I kiss. 
Gripe takes me for his faithful friend,
Imparts to me the secrets of his heart;
And Plod-all thinks I am as true a friend
To every enterprise he takes in hand,
As ever breath’d under the cope of heaven: 
But damn me if they find it so. 
All this makes for my [own] avail;
I’ll ha’ the wench myself, or else my wits shall fail.

    Enter LELIA and NURSE, gathering of flowers.

LELIA. 
See how the earth this fragrant spring is clad,
And mantled round in sweet nymph Flora’s robes: 
Here grows th’alluring rose, sweet marigolds
And the lovely hyacinth.  Come, nurse, gather: 
A crown of roses shall adorn my head,
I’ll prank myself with flowers of the prime;
And thus I’ll spend away my primrose-time.

NURSE. 
Rufty-tufty, are you so frolic?  O, that you knew as much as I do;
’twould cool you.