Act II
Scene I Country Between Feversham and London
Bradshaw. See you them that comes yonder, Master Greene?
Greene. Ay, very well: do you know them?
Here enters Black Will and Shakebag.
Bradshaw. The one I know not, but he seems a knave
Chiefly for bearing the other company;
For such a slave, so vile a rogue as he,
Lives not again upon the earth.
Black Will is his name. I tell you, Master Greene,
At Boulogne he and I were fellow-soldiers,
Where he played such pranks
As all the camp feared him for his villainy 10
I warrant you he bears so bad a mind
That for a crown he’ll murder any man.
Greene. The fitter is he for my purpose, marry!
Will. How now, fellow Bradshaw? Whither away so early?
Bradshaw. O Will, times are changed: no fellows now,
Though we were once together in the field;
Yet thy friend to do thee any good I can.
Will. Why, Bradshaw, was not thou and I fellow-soldiers
at Boulogne, where I was a corporal, and
thou but a base mercenary groom? No fellows
now! because you are a goldsmith and have a little
plate in your shop! You were glad to call me
‘fellow Will,’ and with a curtsey to the earth, ‘One
snatch, good corporal,’ when I stole the half ox
from John the victualer, and domineer’d with it
amongst good fellows in one night.
Bradshaw. Ay, Will, those days are past with me. 27
Will. Ay, but they be not past with me, for I keep that
same honourable mind still. Good neighbour Bradshaw,
you are too proud to be my fellow; but were
it not that I see more company coming down the
hill, I would be fellows with you once more, and
share crowns with you too. But let that pass, and
tell me whither you go.
Bradshaw. To London, Will, about a piece of service,
Wherein haply thou mayest pleasure me.
Will. What is it?
Bradshaw. Of late Lord Cheiny lost some plate,
Which one did bring and sold it at my shop,
Saying he served Sir Antony Cooke. 40
A search was made, the plate was found with me,
And I am bound to answer at the ’size.
Now, Lord Cheiny solemnly vows, if law
Will serve him, he’ll hang me for his plate.
Now I am going to London upon hope
To find the fellow. Now, Will, I know
Thou art acquainted with such companions.
Will. What manner of man was he?
Bradshaw. A lean-faced writhen knave,
Hawk-nosed and very hollow-eyed, 50
With mighty furrows in his stormy brows;
Long hair down his shoulders curled;
His chin was bare, but on his upper lip
A mutchado, which he wound about his ear.
Will. What apparel had he?
Bradshaw. A watchet satin doublet all-to torn,
The inner side did bear the greater show;
A pair of thread-bare velvet hose, seam rent,
A worsted stocking rent above the shoe,
A livery cloak, but all the lace was off; 60
’Twas bad, but yet it served to hide the plate.
Will. Sirrah Shakebag, canst thou remember since we
trolled the bowl at Sittingburgh, where I broke the
tapster’s head of the Lion with a cudgel-stick?
Shakebag. Ay, very well, Will.
Will. Why, it was with the money that the plate was
sold for. Sirrah Bradshaw, what wilt thou give him
that can tell thee who sold thy plate?
Bradshaw. Who, I pray thee, good Will?
Will. Why, ’twas one Jack Fitten. He’s now in Newgate
for stealing a horse, and shall be arraigned the next ’size. 72
Bradshaw. Why, then let Lord Cheiny seek Jack Fitten forth,
For I’ll back and tell him who robbed him of his plate.
This cheers my heart; Master Greene, I’ll leave you,
For I must to the Isle of Sheppy with speed.
Greene. Before you go, let me intreat you
To carry this letter to Mistress Arden of Feversham
And humbly recommend me to herself.
Bradshaw. That will I, Master Greene, and so farewell. 80
Here, Will, there’s a crown for thy good news.
[Exit Bradshaw.
Will. Farewell, Bradshaw; I’ll drink no water for thy
sake whilst this lasts.—Now, gentleman, shall we
have your company to London?
Greene. Nay, stay, sirs:
A little more I needs must use your help,
And in a matter of great consequence,
Wherein if you’ll be secret and profound,
I’ll give you twenty angels for your pains. 89
Will. How? twenty angels? give my fellow George
Shakebag and me twenty angels? And if thou’lt
have thy own father slain, that thou may’st inherit
his land, we’ll kill him. 93
Shakebag. Ay, thy mother, thy sister, thy brother,
or all thy kin.
Greene. Well, this it is: Arden of Feversham
Hath highly wronged me about the Abbey land,
That no revenge but death will serve the turn.
Will you two kill him? here’s the angels down,
And I will lay the platform of his death. 100
Will. Plat me no platforms; give me the money, and
I’ll stab him as he stands pissing against a wall, but
I’ll kill him.
Shakebag. Where is he?
Greene. He is now at London, in Aldersgate Street.
Shakebag. He’s dead as if he had been condemned by
an Act of Parliament, if once Black Will and I
swear his death.
Greene. Here is ten pound, and when he is dead,
Ye shall have twenty more. 110
Will. My fingers itches to be at the peasant. Ah, that
I might be set a work thus through the year, and
that murder would grow to an occupation, that a
man might follow without danger of law:—zounds, I
warrant I should be warden of the company! Come,
let us be going, and we’ll bait at Rochester, where
I’ll give thee a gallon of sack to handsel the match
withal.
[Exeunt.
II. i. 51. Mr. Bullen says that such a line as this ‘might have come straight out of Tamburlaine.’ He goes on, ‘but in no other part of the play can we find a trace of Marlowe’s influence.’ Cf.—
‘He sent a shaggy tottered staring slave,
That when he speaks draws out his grisly beard,
And winds it twice or thrice about his ear;
Whose face has been a grindstone for men’s swords.’
Jew of Malta, IV. v. 6.
and Shakespeare’s—
‘They brought one Pinch, a hungry lean-faced villain...
A needy hollow-ey’d, sharp-looking wretch,
A living dead man.’
Com. of Errors, V. i. 237.
II. i. 56. all to torn; ‘entirely torn.’ To in the sense of ‘asunder’ was commonly emphasised by all. Cf. ‘Her wings... were all to ruffled.’—Comus, 380.
II. i. 58. seam rent: torn at the seams; ‘Seam rent fellows,’—Ben Jonson.
II. i. 101. Imitated in Yarington’s Two Tragedies (iii. 2):—
‘Grace me no graces, I respect no grace,
But with a grace to give a graceless stab.’
II. i. 114. I have inserted follow.