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_ ACT IV - SCENE VI
[Enter ROBIN, DICK, the HORSE-COURSER, and a CARTER.]
CARTER.
Come, my masters, I'll bring you to the best beer in
Europe.--What, ho, hostess! where be these whores?
[Enter HOSTESS.]
HOSTESS.
How now! what lack you? What, my old guess! [201] welcome.
ROBIN.
Sirrah Dick, dost thou [202] know why I stand so mute?
[Footnote 201: guess: A corruption of guests (very frequent in our early dramatists) which occurs again at p. 130. first col. So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "guests." See note 226. ]
[Footnote 202: thou: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]
DICK.
No, Robin: why is't?
ROBIN.
I am eighteen-pence on the score. but say nothing; see
if she have forgotten me.
HOSTESS.
Who's this that stands so solemnly by himself? What,
my old guest!
ROBIN.
O, hostess, how do you? I hope my score stands still.
HOSTESS.
Ay, there's no doubt of that; for methinks you make no
haste to wipe it out.
DICK.
Why, hostess, I say, fetch us some beer.
HOSTESS.
You shall presently.--Look up into the hall there, ho!
[Exit.--Drink is presently brought in.]
DICK.
Come, sirs, what shall we do now [203] till mine hostess comes?
CARTER.
Marry, sir, [204] I'll tell you the bravest tale how a
conjurer served me. You know Doctor Faustus?
[Footnote 203: now: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]
[Footnote 204: sir: Qy. "sirs"? but see the next speech of the Carter, and the next speech but one of the Horse-courser, who, in his narrative, uses both "sirs" and "sir."]
HORSE-COURSER.
Ay, a plague take him! here's some on's have cause
to know him. Did he conjure thee too?
CARTER.
I'll tell you how he served me. As I was going to
Wittenberg, t'other day, [205] with a load of hay,
he met me, and asked me what he should give me for
as much hay as he could eat. Now, sir, I thinking
that a little would serve his turn, bad him take
as much as he would for three farthings: so he
presently gave me my [206] money and fell to
eating; and, as I am a cursen [207] man, he never
left eating till he had eat up all my load of hay.
[Footnote 205: As I was going to Wittenberg, t'other day, &c.: See THE HISTORY OF DOCTOR FAUSTUS, Chap. xxxv,--"How Doctor Faustus eat a load of hay."--The Carter does not appear in the earlier play.]
[Footnote 206: my: So 4to 1616.--Not in 4tos 1624, 1631.]
[Footnote 207: cursen: i.e. christened.]
ALL.
O, monstrous! eat a whole load of hay!
ROBIN.
Yes, yes, that may be; for I have heard of one
that has eat a load of logs.
HORSE-COURSER.
Now, sirs, you shall hear how villanously he served me. I went to him yesterday to buy a horse of him, and he would by no means sell him under forty dollars. So, sir, because I knew him to be such a horse as would run over hedge and ditch and never tire, I gave him his money. So, when I had my horse, Doctor Faustus bad me ride him night and day, and spare him no time; but, quoth he, in any case, ride him not into the water. Now, sir, I thinking the horse had had some quality [208] that he would not have me know of, what did I but rid [209] him into a great river? and when I came just in the midst, my horse vanished away, and I sate straddling upon a bottle of hay.
[Footnote 208: some quality: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "some RARE quality."]
[Footnote 209: rid: So 4to 1616.--2tos 1624, 1631, "ride."]
ALL.
O, brave doctor!
HORSE-COURSER.
But you shall hear how bravely I served him for
it. I went me home to his house, and there I found
him asleep. I kept a hallooing and whooping in his
ears; but all could not wake him. I, seeing that,
took him by the leg, and never rested pulling till
I had pulled me his leg quite off; and now 'tis at
home in mine hostry.
ROBIN.
And has the doctor but one leg, then? that's excellent;
for one of his devils turned me into the likeness
of an ape's face.
CARTER.
Some more drink, hostess!
ROBIN.
Hark you, we'll into another room and drink a while,
and then we'll go seek out the doctor.
[Exeunt.] _
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