THE ELDER BROTHER A COMEDIE Acted at the Blacke Friers by his Maiesties Servants Printed according to the true Copie Written by Iohn Fletcher Gent. LONDON Imprinted by F. K. for I. W. and I. B. 1637 The Speakers of the Play LEVVIS a Lord MIRAMONT a Gentleman BRISAC a Iustice brother to Miramont CHARLES a Scholar EUSTACE a Courtier Sonnes to Brisac EGREMONT COVVSY two Courtiers Friends to Eustace ANDREVV Servant to Charles COOKE BUTLER Servants to Brisac PRIEST NOTARY SERVANTS OFFICERS ANGELLINA Daughter to Lewis SYLVIA her Woman LILLY Wife to Andrew LADIES Lectori Would'st thou all wit all Comicke art survay Reade here and wonder FLETCHER writ the Play Prologue BUt that it would take from our modesty To praise the Writer or the Comedie Till your faire suffrage crowne it I should say Y' are all most welcome to no vulgar Play And so farre we are confident And if he That made it still lives in your memory You will expect what we present to night Should be judg'd worthy of your eares and sight You shall heare Fletcher in it his true straine And neate expressions living he did gaine Your good opinions But now dead commends This Orphan to the care of noble friends And may it raise in you content and mirth And be receiv'd for a legitimate birth Your grace erects new Trophies to his fame And shall to after times preserve his name The Elder Brother A Comedie Actus I. Scoena I. LEVVIS ANGELLINA SYLVIA NAy I must walke you farther Ang. I am tyr'd Sir And nere shall foot it home Lew. 'T is for your health The want of exercise takes from your beauties And sloth dries up your sweetnesse That you are My onely Daughter and my heire is granted And you in thankfulnesse must needs acknowledge You ever finde me an indulgent Father And open handed Ang. Nor can you taxe me Sir I hope for want of duty to deserve These favours from you Lew. No my Angellina I love and cherish thy obedience to me Which my care to advance thee shall confirme All that I aime at is to winne thee from The practise of an idle foolish state Us'd by great Women who thinke any labour Though in the service of themselves a blemish To their faire fortunes Ang. Make me understand Sir What 't is you point at Lew. At the custome how Virgins of wealthy families waste their youth After a long sleepe when you wake your woman Presents your breakfast then you sleepe againe Then rise and being trimm'd up by others hands Y' are led to dinner and that ended either To Cards or to your Couch as if you were Borne without motion After this to Supper And then to bed And so your life runnes round Without variety or action Daughter Syl. Here 's a learned Lecture Lew. From this idlenesse Diseases both in body and in minde Grow strong upon you where a stirring nature With wholsome exercise guards both from danger I 'de have thee rise with the Sunne walke daunce or hunt Visite the groves and springs and learne the vertues Of Plants and Simples Doe this moderately And thou shalt not with eating chalke or coales Leather and oatmeale and such other trash Fall into the greene sicknesse Syl. With your pardon Were you but pleas'd to minister it I could Prescribe a remedy for my Ladies health And her delight too farre transcending those Your Lordship but now mention'd Lew. What is it Sylvia Syl. What i' st A noble Husband In that word a Noble Husband all content of Woman Is wholly comprehended He will rowse her As you say with the Sunne and so pipe to her As she will daunce ne're doubt it and hunt with her Upon occasion untill both be weary And then the knowledge of your Plants and Simples As I take it were superfluous A loving And but adde to it a game some Bedfellow Being the sure Physician Lew. Well said Wench Ang. And who gave you Commission to deliver Your verdict Minion Syl. I deserve a fee And not a frowne deare Madam I but speake Her thoughts my Lord and what her modesty Refuses to give voyce to Shew no mercy To a Maidenhead of fourteene but off with 't Let her loose no time Sir fathers that deny Their Daughters lawfull pleasure when ripe for them In some kindes edge their appetites to taste of The fruit that is forbidden Lew. T is well urg'd And I approve it no more blushing Girle Thy woman hath spoke truth and so prevented What I meant to move to thee There dwelles neere us A Gentleman of blood Monsieur Brisac Of a faire state sixe thousand Crownes per annum The happy Father of two hopefull Sonnes Of different breeding Th' elder a meere Scholar The younger a queint Courtier Ang. Sir I know them By publique fame though yet I never saw them And that oppos'd antipathy betweene Their various dispositions renders them The generall discourse and argument One part inclining to the Scholar Charles The other side preferring Eustace as A man compleat in Courtship Lew. And which way If of these two you were to chuse a husband Doth your affection sway you Ang. To be plaine Sir Since you will teach me boldnesse As they are Simply themselves to neither Let a Courtier Be never so exact Let him be blest with All parts that yeeld him to a Virgin gracious If he depend on others and stand not On his owne bottomes though he have the meanes To bring his Mistresse to a Masque or by Conveyance from some great ones lippes to taste Such favour from the kings or grant he purchase Precedency in the Country to be sworne A servant Extraordinary to the Queene Nay though he live in expectation of Some huge preferment in reversion If He Want a present fortune at the best Those are but glorious dreames and onely yeeld him A happinesse in posse not in esse Nor can they fetch him silkes from th' Mercer nor Discharge a Taylors bill nor in full plenty Which still preserves a quiet bed at home Maintaine a family Lew. Aptly consider'd And to my wish but what 's thy censure of The Scholar Ang. Troth if he be nothing else As of the Courtier all his Songs and Sonnets His Anagrams Acrosticks Epigrammes His deepe and Philosophicall discourse Of natures hidden secrets makes not up A perfect husband He can hardly borrow The Starres of the Celestiall crowne to make me A tire for my head nor Charles Waine for a Coach Nor Ganimede for a Page nor a rich gowne From Juno's Wardrobe nor would I lye in For I despaire not once to be a mother Under heavens spangled Canopy or banquet My guests and Gossips with imagin'd Nectar Pure Orleans would doe better no no father Though I could be well pleas'd to have my husband A Courtier and a Scholar young and valiant These are but gawdy nothings If there be not Something to make a substance Lew. And what 's that Ang. A full estate and that said I 've
than Dunce Hollingshead The Englishman that writes of snowes and Sheriffes Enter LEVVIS Bri. Well take your pleasure here 's one I must talke with Lew. Good day Sir Bri. Faire to you Sir Lew. May I speake w' yee Bri. With all my heart I was waiting on your goodnesse Lew. Good morrow Monsieur Miramont Mir. O sweet Sir Keepe your good morrow to coole your Worships pottage A couple of the worlds fooles met together To raise up dirt and dunghils Lew. Are they drawne Bri. They shall be ready Sir within these two houres And Charles set his hand Lew. 'T is necessary For he being a joint purchaser though your state Was got by your owne industrie unlesse He seale to the Conveyance it can be Of no validity Bri. He shall be ready And doe it willingly Mir. He shall be hang'd first Bri. I hope your daughter likes Lew. She loves him well Sir Young Eustace is a bait to catch a woman A budding spritely fellow y' are resolv'd then That all shall passe from Charles Bri. All all hee 's nothing A bunch of bookes shall be his patrimony And more than he can manage too Lew. Will your brother Passe over his land too to your sonne Eustace You know he has no heire Mir. He will be flead first And horse-collers made of 's skin Bri. Let him alone A wilfull man my state shall serve the turne Sir And how does your Daughter Lew. Ready for the houre And like a blushing Rose that staies the pulling Bri. Tomorrow then 's the day Lew. Why then to morrow I le bring the Girle get you the Writings ready Mir. But harke you Monsieur have you the vertuous conscience To helpe to robbe an heire an Elder Brother Of that which nature and the Law flings on him You were your fathers eldest sonne I take it And had his Land would you had had his wit too Or his discretion to consider nobly What 't is to deale unworthly in these things You 'll say hee 's none of yours hee 's his sonne And he will say he is no sonne to inherit Above a shelfe of Bookes Why did he get him Why was he brought up to write and reade and know things Why was he not like his father a dumbe Justice A flat dull peece of flegme shap'd like a man A reverend I doll in a peece of auras Can you lay disobedience want of manners Or any capitall crime to his charge Lew. I doe not Nor doe not weigh your words they bite not me Sir This man must answer Bri. I have don 't already And giv'n sufficient reason to secure me And so good morrow brother to your patience Lew. Good morrow Monsieur Miramont Mir. Good night-caps Keepe your braines warme or Maggots will breed in 'm Well Charles thou shalt not want to buy thee bookes yet The fairest in thy study are my gift And the University Lovaine for thy sake Hath tasted of my bounty and to vexe Th' old doting foole thy father and thy brother They shall not share a Solz of mine betweene them Nay more I le give thee eight thousand Crownes a yeere In some high straine to write my Epitaph Exit Actus II. Scoena II. EUSTACE EGREMONT COVVSY How doe I looke now to my elder Brother Nay 't is a handsome Suite Cow All courtly courtly Eust. I le assure ye Gentlemen my Tailor has travail'd And speakes as lofty language in his bills too The cover of an old Booke would not shew thus Fye fie what things these Academicks are These book-wormes how they looke Egr. Th' are meere Images No gentle motion nor behaviour in 'em They 'll prattle yee of primum mobile And tell a story of the state of Heaven What Lords and Ladies governe in such houses And what wonders they doe when they meet together And how they spit snow fire and haile like a Jugler And make a noise when they are drunke which we call Thunder Cow They are the sneaking'st things and the contemptiblest Such small beere braines but aske 'em any thing Out of the Element of their understanding And they stand gaping like a roasted Pig Doe they know what a Court is or a Councell Or how th' affaires of Christendome are manag'd Doe they know any thing but a tyr'd hackney And they cry absurd as the Horse understood 'em They have made a faire youth of your elder brother A pretty peece of flesh Eust. I thanke 'm for it Long may he study to give me his state Saw you my Mistresse Egre. Yes shee s a sweet young woman But be sure you keepe her from learning Eust. Songs she May have and reade a little unbak'd Poetry Such as the Dablers of our time contrive That has no weight nor wheele to move the minde Nor indeed nothing but an empty sound She shall have cloathes but not made by Geometrie Horses and Coach but of no immortall race I will not have a Scholar in mine house Above a gentle Reader They corrupt The foolish women with their subtle problems I le have my house call'd Ignorance to fright Prating Philosophers from enterteinment Cow It will doe well love those that love good fashions Good clothes and rich they invite men to admire 'm That speake the lispe of Court Oh 't is great learning To ride well daunce well sing well or whistle Courtly Th' are rare endowments that have seene farre Countries And can speake strange things though they speake no truths For then they make things common When are you marryed Eust. To morrow I thinke we must have a Masque Boyes And of our owne making Egre. T is not halfe an houres worke A Cupid and a fiddle and the thing 's done But let 's be handsome shall 's be Gods or Nymphs Eust. What Nymphs with beards Cow That 's true wee 'll bee Knights then Some wandring Knights that light here on a sudden Eust. Let 's goe let 's goe I must goe visite Gentlemen And marke what sweet lips I must kisse to morrow Exeunt Actus II. Scoena II. COOKE ANDREVV BUTLER And how do's my Master And. Is at 's booke peace Coxcombe That such an unlearn'd tongue as thine should aske for him Co. Do's he not studie conjuring too And. Have you Lost any plate Butler But No but I know I shall tomorrow at dinner And. Then to morrow You shall be turn'd out of your place for 't we meddle With no spirits o th' Buttry they taste too small for us Keepe me a pye in folio I beseech thee And thou shalt see how learnedly I le translate him Shall 's have good cheere to morrow Coo. Ex'Lent good cheere Andrew And. The spight on 't is that much about that time I shall be arguing or deciding rather Which are the Males and Females of red Herrings And whether they be taken in the red Sea onely A question found out by Copernicus The learned Motion-maker Co. I marry Butler Here are rare things a man that look'd upon him Would sweare he
in the Writing If not found all the Land Lew. These are small Devills That care not who has mischiefe so they make it They live upon the meere scent of dissension T is well t is well Are you contented Girle For your will must be knowne Ang. A husband's welcome And as an humble wife I le entertaine him No soveraignty I aime at 't is the mans Sir For she that seekes it killes her husbands honour The Gentleman I have seene and well observ'd him Yet finde not that grac'd excellence you promise A pretty Gentleman and he may please too And some few flashes I have hear'd come from him But not to admiration as to others Hee 's young and may be good yet he must make it And I may helpe and helpe to thanke him also It is your pleasure I should make him mine And 't has been still my duty to observe you Lew. Why then let 's goe and I shall love your modesty To horse and bring the Coach out Angellina To morrow you will looke more womanly Ang. So I looke honestly I feare no eyes Sir Exeunt Actus III. Scoena II. BRISAC ANDREVV COOKE LILLY Waite on your Master he shall have that befits him And. No inheritance Sir Bri. You speake like a foole a coxcombe He shall have annuall meanes to buy him bookes And finde him cloathes and meat what would he more Trouble him with Land 't is flat against his nature I love him too and honour those gifts in him And. Shall Master Eustace have all Bri. All all he knowes how To use it hee 's a man bred in the world T' other i th' heavens my masters pray be wary And serviceable and Cooke see all your sawces Be sharpe and poynant in the pallat that they may Commend you looke to your roast and bak'd meates handsomely And what new kickshawes and delicate made things Is th' musicke come But. Yes Sir th' are here at breakfast Bri. There will be a Masque too you must see this roome cleane And Butler your doore open to all good fellowes But have an eye to your plate for there be Furies My Lilly welcome you are for the linnen Sort it and see it ready for the Table And see the bride-bed made and looke the cords be Not cut a sunder by the Gallants too There be such knacks abroad harke hither Lilly To morrow night at twelve a clocke I le suppe w' ye Your husband shall be safe I le send ye meate too Before I cannot well stip from my company And. Will ye so will you so Sir I le make one to eate it I may chance make you stagger too Bri. No answer Lilly Lil. One word about the linnen I le be ready And rest your worships still And. And I le rest w' yee You shall see what rest 't will be Are ye so nimble A man had need have ten paire of eares to watch you Bri. Waite on your Master for I know he wants ye And keepe him in his study that the noise Doe not molest him I will not faile my Lilly Come in sweet hearts all to their severall duties Exeunt And. Are you kissing ripe Sir Double but my farme And kisse her till thy heart ake these smocke vermin How eagerly they leape at old mens kisses They licke their lippes at profit not at pleasure And if 't were not for th' scurvie name of Cuckold He should lye with her I know shee 'll labour at length With a good Lordship If he had a wife now But that 's all one I le fit him I must up Unto my Master hee 'll be mad with studie Exit Actus III. Scoena III CHARLES What noise is in this house my head is broken Within a Parenthesis in every corner As if the earth were shaken with some strange Collect There are stirres and motions What Planet rules this house Enter ANDREVV Who 's there And. T is I Sir faithfull Andrew Cha. Come neere And lay thine eare downe hear'st no noise And. The Cookes Are chopping hearbs and mince meat to make pies And breaking Marrow-bones Char. Can they set them againe And. Yes yes in brothes and puddings and they grow stronger For th' use of any man Cha. What sque a king 's that Sure there is a massacre And. Of Pigs and Geese Sir And Turkeys for the spit The Cookes are angry Sir And that makes up the medly Cha. Doe they thus At every dinner I nere mark'd them yet Nor know who is a Cooke And. Th' are sometimes sober And then they beat as gently as a Tabor Char. What loades are these Andr. Meate meate Sir for the Kitchin And stinking fowles the Tenants have sent in They 'll nere be found out at a generall eating And there 's fat Venison Sir Cha. What 's that And. Why Deere Those that men fatten for their private pleasures And let their Tenants starve upon the Commons Cha. I 've read of Deere but yet I nere eate any And. There 's a Fishmongers boy with Caviar Sir Anchoves and Potargo to make ye drinke Cha. Sure these are moderne very moderne meates For I understand 'em not And. No more do's any man From Caca merda or a substance worse Till they be greas'd with oyle and rub'd with onions And then flung out of doores they are rare Sallads Cha. And why is all this prithee tell me Andrew Are there any Princes to dine here to day By this abundance sure there should be Princes I 've read of entertainment for the gods At halfe this charge will not fine dishes serve 'em I never had but one and that a small one And. Your Brother 's married this day hee 's married Your younger brother Eustace Cha. What of that And. And all the friends about are bidden hither There 's not a dogge that knowes the house but comes too Cha. Marryed to whom And. Why to a dainty Gentlewoman Young sweet and modest Cha. Are there modest women How doe they looke And. O you 'ld blesse your selfe to see them He parts with 's booke he nere did so before yet Cha. What do's my father for 'em And. Gives all his Land And makes your brother heire Cha. Must I have nothing And. Yes you must study still and hee 'll maintaine you Cha. I am his eldest brother And. True you were so But he has leap'd one your shoulders Sir Cha. T is well Hee 'll not inherit my understanding too And. I thinke not hee 'll scarce finde Tenants to let it Out to Cha. Harke harke Andr. The Coach that brings the faire Lady Enter LEVVIS ANGELLINA Ladies NOTARY c. And. Now you may see her Cha. Sure this should be modest But I doe not truly know what women make of it Andrew she has a face lookes like a story The story of the Heavens lookes very like her And. She has a wide face then Cha. She has a Cherubins Cover'd and vail'd with modest blushes Eustace be happy whiles poore Charles is patient Get me my booke
againe and come in with me Exeunt Enter BRISAC EUSTACE EGREMONT COVVSY MIRAMONT Bri. Welcome sweet Daughter welcome noble brother And you are welcome Sir with all your writings Ladies most welcome What my angry brother You must be welcome too the feast is flat else Mir. I am not come for your welcome I expect none I bring no joyes to blesse the bed withall Nor songs nor Masques to glorifie the Nuptialls I bring an angry minde to see your folly A sharpe one too to reprehend you for it Bri. You 'll stay and dine though Mir. All your meate smelles musty Your Table will shew nothing to content me Bri. I le answer you here 's good meate Mira. But your sawce is scurvie It is not season'd with the sharpnesse of discretion Eust. It seemes your anger is at me deare Uncle Mir. Thou are not worth my anger th' art a boy A lumpe o' thy fathers lightnesse made of nothing But anticke cloathes and cringes looke in thy head And 't will appeare a football full of fumes And rotten smoke Lady I pitie you You are a handsome and a sweet young Lady And ought to have a handsome man yoak'd t' yee An understanding too this is a Gincracke That can get nothing but new fashions on you For say he have a thing shap'd like a childe T will either prove a tumbler or a Tailor Eust. These are but harsh words Uncle Mir. So I meane 'em Sir you play harsher play w' your elder brother Eust. I would be loth to give you Mir. Doe not venter I le make your wedding-cloathes sit closer t' ee then I but disturbe you I le goe see my nephew Lew. Pray take a peece of rosemary Mir. I le weare it But for the Ladies sake and none of yours May be I le see your table too Bri. Pray doe Sir Ang. A mad old Gentleman Bri. Yes faith sweet daughter He has been thus his whole age to my knowledge He has made Charles his heire I know that certainly Then why should he grudge Eustace any thing Ang. I would not have a light head nor one laden With too much learning as they say this Charles is That makes his booke his Mistresse Sure there 's something Hid in this old mans anger that declares him Not a meere Sot Bri. Come shall we goe and seale brother All things are ready and the Priest is here When Charles has set his hand unto the Writings As he shall instantly then to the Wedding And so to dinner Lew. Come let 's seale the booke first For my daughters Joynture Bri. Let 's be private in 't Sir Exeunt Actus III. Scoena IV. Enter CHARLES MIRAMONT ANDREVV Mir. Nay y' are undone Cha. hum Mira. Ha' ye no greater feeling And. You were sensible of the great booke Sir When it fell on your head and now the house Is ready to fall Doe you feare nothing Cha. Will He have my bookes too Mir. No he has a booke A faire one too to reade on and reade wonders I would thou hadst her in thy studie Nephew And 't were but to new string her Cha. Yes I saw her And me thought 't was a curious peece of learning Handsomely bound and of a dainty letter And. He flung away his booke Mir. I like that in him Would he had flung away his dulnesse too And spake to her Cha. And must my brother have all Mir. All that your father has Cha. And that faire woman too Mir. That woman also Cha. He has enough then May I not see her sometimes and call her Sister I will doe him no wrong Mir. This makes me mad I could now cry for anger these old fooles Are the most stubborne and the wilfullest Coxcombs Farewell and fall to your booke forget your brother You are my heire and I le provide y'a wife I le looke upon this marriage though I hate it Exit Enter BRISAC Where is my sonne And. There Sir casting a figure What chopping children his brother shall have Bri. He do's well How do'st Charles still at thy booke And. Hee 's studying now Sir who shall be his father Bri. Peace you rude Knave Come hither Charles be merry Cha. I thanke you I am busie at my booke Sir Bri. You must put your hand my Charles as I would have you Unto a little peece of parchment here Onely your name you write a reasonable hand Cha. But I may doe unreasonably to write it What is it Sir Bri. To passe the Land I have Sir Unto your younger brother Cha. Is 't no more Bri. No no 't is nothing you shall be provided for And new bookes you shall have still and new studies And have your meanes brought in without the care boy And one still to attend you Cha. This shewes your love father Bir. I 'm tender to you And. Like a stone I take it Cha. Why father I le goe downe an 't please you let me Because I de see the thing they call the Gentlewoman I see no women but through contemplation And there I le doe 't before the company And wish my brother fortune Bri. Doe I prithee Cha. I must not stay for I have things above Require my study Bri. No thou shalt not stay Thou shalt have a brave dinner too And Now has he Orethrowne himselfe for ever I will downe Into the Celler and be starke drunke for anger Exeunt Actus III. Scoena V. Enter LEVVIS ANGELLINA EUSTACE Priest Ladies COVVSY Notary MIRAMONT Not. Come let him bring his sonnes hand and all 's done Is yours ready Pr. Yes I le dispatch ye presently Immediately for in truth I am a hungry Eust. Doe speake apace for we beleeve exactly Doe not we stay long Mistris Ang. I finde no fault Better things well done than want time to doe them Uncle why are you sad Mir. Sweet smelling blossome Would I were thine Uncle to thine owne content I de make thy husbands state a thousand better A yearely thousand thou hast mist a man But that he is addicted to his study And knowes no other Mistresse than his minde Would weigh downe bundles of these empty kexes Ang. Can he speake Sir Mir. Faith yes but not to women His language is to heaven and heavenly wonder To Nature and her darke and secret causes Ang. And does he speake well there Mir. O admirably But hee 's too bashfull to behold a woman There 's none that sees him nor her troubles none Ang. He is a man Mir. Yes and a cleare sweet spirit Ang. Then conversation me thinkes Mir. So thinke I too But it is his rugged fate and so I leave you Ang. I like thy noblenesse Eust. See my mad Uncle Is courting my faire Mistresse Lew. Let him alone There 's nothing that allayes an angry minde So soone as a sweet beauty hee 'l come to us Enter BRISAC CHARLES Eust. My father 's here my brother too that 's a wonder Broke like a spirit from his Cell Bri. Come hither Come neerer Charles 'T