Shakespeare Portal

Act 1, Scene 3

An ante-chamber in the palace.

  1. [Enter the Lord Chamberlain and Lord Sandys.]
  2. Lord Chamberlain
  3. 545 Is't possible the spells of France should juggle
  4. 546 Men into such strange mysteries?
  5. Lord Sandys
  6. 547 New customs,
  7. 548 Though they be never so ridiculous,
  8. 549 Nay, let 'em be unmanly, yet are follow'd.
  9. Lord Chamberlain
  10. 550 As far as I see, all the good our English
  11. 551 Have got by the late voyage is but merely
  12. 552 A fit or two o' the face; but they are shrewd ones;
  13. 553 For when they hold 'em, you would swear directly
  14. 554 Their very noses had been counsellors
  15. 555 To Pepin or Clotharius, they keep state so.
  16. Lord Sandys
  17. 556 They have all new legs, and lame ones. One would take it,
  18. 557 That never saw 'em pace before, the spavin
  19. 558 Or springhalt reign'd among 'em.
  20. Lord Chamberlain
  21. 559 Death! my lord,
  22. 560 Their clothes are after such a pagan cut too,
  23. 561 That, sure, they've worn out Christendom.
  24. [Enter Sir Thomas Lovell.]
  25. Lord Chamberlain
  26. 562 How now!
  27. 563 What news, Sir Thomas Lovell?
  28. Sir Thomas Lovell
  29. 564 Faith, my lord,
  30. 565 I hear of none, but the new proclamation
  31. 566 That's clapp'd upon the court-gate.
  32. Lord Chamberlain
  33. 567 What is't for?
  34. Sir Thomas Lovell
  35. 568 The reformation of our travell'd gallants,
  36. 569 That fill the court with quarrels, talk, and tailors.
  37. Lord Chamberlain
  38. 570 I'm glad 'tis there. Now I would pray our monsieurs
  39. 571 To think an English courtier may be wise,
  40. 572 And never see the Louvre.
  41. Sir Thomas Lovell
  42. 573 They must either,
  43. 574 For so run the conditions, leave those remnants
  44. 575 Of fool and feather that they got in France,
  45. 576 With all their honourable points of ignorance
  46. 577 Pertaining thereunto, as fights and fireworks,
  47. 578 Abusing better men than they can be,
  48. 579 Out of a foreign wisdom, renouncing clean
  49. 580 The faith they have in tennis and tall stockings,
  50. 581 Short blist'red breeches, and those types of travel,
  51. 582 And understand again like honest men,
  52. 583 Or pack to their old playfellows. There, I take it,
  53. 584 They may, "cum privilegio," wear away
  54. 585 The lag end of their lewdness and be laugh'd at.
  55. Lord Sandys
  56. 586 'Tis time to give 'em physic, their diseases
  57. 587 Are grown so catching.
  58. Lord Chamberlain
  59. 588 What a loss our ladies
  60. 589 Will have of these trim vanities!
  61. Sir Thomas Lovell
  62. 590 Ay, marry,
  63. 591 There will be woe indeed, lords; the sly whoresons
  64. 592 Have got a speeding trick to lay down ladies.
  65. 593 A French song and a fiddle has no fellow.
  66. Lord Sandys
  67. 594 The devil fiddle 'em! I am glad they are going,
  68. 595 For, sure, there's no converting of 'em. Now
  69. 596 An honest country lord, as I am, beaten
  70. 597 A long time out of play, may bring his plainsong
  71. 598 And have an hour of hearing; and, by 'r Lady,
  72. 599 Held current music too.
  73. Lord Chamberlain
  74. 600 Well said, Lord Sandys;
  75. 601 Your colt's tooth is not cast yet.
  76. Lord Sandys
  77. 602 No, my lord;
  78. 603 Nor shall not, while I have a stump.
  79. Lord Chamberlain
  80. 604 Sir Thomas,
  81. 605 Whither were you a-going?
  82. Sir Thomas Lovell
  83. 606 To the Cardinal's.
  84. 607 Your lordship is a guest too.
  85. Lord Chamberlain
  86. 608 O, 'tis true:
  87. 609 This night he makes a supper, and a great one,
  88. 610 To many lords and ladies; there will be
  89. 611 The beauty of this kingdom, I'll assure you.
  90. Sir Thomas Lovell
  91. 612 That churchman bears a bounteous mind indeed,
  92. 613 A hand as fruitful as the land that feeds us;
  93. 614 His dews fall everywhere.
  94. Lord Chamberlain
  95. 615 No doubt he's noble;
  96. 616 He had a black mouth that said other of him.
  97. Lord Sandys
  98. 617 He may, my lord; has wherewithal; in him
  99. 618 Sparing would show a worse sin than ill doctrine.
  100. 619 Men of his way should be most liberal;
  101. 620 They are set here for examples.
  102. Lord Chamberlain
  103. 621 True, they are so;
  104. 622 But few now give so great ones. My barge stays;
  105. 623 Your lordship shall along. Come, good Sir Thomas,
  106. 624 We shall be late else; which I would not be,
  107. 625 For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guildford,
  108. 626 This night to be comptrollers.
  109. Lord Sandys
  110. 627 I am your lordship's.
  111. [Exeunt.]