The London Prodigal Part 2

Sblood, how should my father come dead?

FATHER.

Yfaith, sir, according to the old Proverb: The child was born and cried, became man, After fell sick, and died.

UNCLE.

Nay, cousin, do not take it so heavily.

FLOWERDALE.

Nay, I cannot weep you extempore: marry, some two or three days hence, I shall weep without any stintance. But I hope he died in good memory.

FATHER.

Very well, sir, and set down every thing in good order; and the Katherine and Hue you talked of, I came over in: and I saw all the bills of lading, and the velvet that you talked of, there is no such aboard.

FLOWERDALE.

By G.o.d, I a.s.sure you, then, there is knavery abroad.

FATHER.

I'll be sworn of that: there's knavery abroad, Although there were never a piece of velvet in Venice.

FLOWERDALE.

I hope he died in good estate.

FATHER.

To the report of the world he did, and made his will, Of which I am an unworthy bearer.

FLOWERDALE.

His will! have you his will?

FATHER.

Yes, sir, and in the presence of your Uncle I was willed to deliver it.

UNCLE.

I hope, cousin, now G.o.d hath blessed you with wealth, you will not be unmindful of me.

FLOWERDALE.

I'll do reason, Uncle, yet, yfaith, I take the denial of this ten pound very hardly.

UNCLE.

Nay, I denied you not.

FLOWERDALE.

By G.o.d, you denied me directly.

UNCLE.

I'll be judged by this good fellow.

FATHER.

Not directly, sir.

FLOWERDALE.

Why, he said he would lend me none, and that had wont to be a direct denial, if the old phrase hold. Well, Uncle, come, we'll fall to the Legacies: (reads) 'In the name of G.o.d, Amen. Item, I bequeath to my brother Flowerdale three hundred pounds, to pay such trivial debts as I owe in London. Item, to my son Matt Flowerdale, I bequeath two bale of false dice; Videlicet, high men and low men, fullomes, stop cater traies, and other bones of function.'

Sblood, what doth he mean by this?

UNCLE.

Proceed, cousin.

FLOWERDALE.

"These precepts I leave him: let him borrow of his oath, for of his word no body will trust him. Let him by no means marry an honest woman, for the other will keep her self. Let him steal as much as he can, that a guilty conscience may bring him to his destinate repentance."--I think he means hanging. And this were his last will and Testament, the Devil stood laughing at his bed's feet while he made it. Sblood, what, doth he think to fop of his posterity with Paradoxes?

FATHER.

This he made, sir, with his own hands.

FLOWERDALE.

Aye, well; nay, come, good Uncle, let me have this ten pound. Imagine you have lost it, or been robbed of it, or misreckoned your self so much: any way to make it come easily off, good Uncle.

UNCLE.

Not a penny.

FATHER.

Yfaith, lend it him, sir. I my self have an estate in the City worth twenty pound: all that I'll engage for him; he saith it concerns him in a marriage.

FLOWERDALE.

Aye, marry, it doth. This is a fellow of some sense, this: Come, good Uncle.

UNCLE.

Will you give your word for it, Kester?

FATHER.

I will, sir, willingly.

UNCLE.

Well, cousin, come to me some hour hence, you shall have it ready.

FLOWERDALE.

Shall I not fail?

UNCLE.

You shall not, come or send.

FLOWERDALE.

Nay, I'll come my self.

FATHER.

By my troth, would I were your wors.h.i.+p's man.

FLOWERDALE.

What, wouldst thou serve?

FATHER.