MORE Nay, an it be no more but so, ye shall not tarry at a stand for that. We’ll not have our play marred for lack of a little good counsel. Till your fellow come I’ll give him the best counsel that I can. Pardon me, my Lord Mayor, I love to be merry.

[He rises and joins the players]

MORE as GOOD COUNSEL

O good Master Wit, thou art now on the bow hand,

And blindly in thine own opinion dost stand.

I tell thee, this naughty lewd Inclination

Does lead thee amiss in a very strange fashion.

This is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.

Therefore list to Good Counsel, and be ruled by me.

PLAYER of INCLINATION In troth, my lord, it is as right to Luggins’s part as can be. Speak, Wit.

MORE Nay, we will not have our audience disappointed if I can help it.

WIT

Art thou Good Counsel, and wilt tell me so?

Wouldst thou have Wit from Lady Wisdom to go?

Thou art some deceiver, I tell thee verily,

In saying that this is Lady Vanity.

MORE as GOOD COUNSEL

Wit, judge not things by the outward show.

The eye oft mistakes, right well you do know.

Good Counsel assures thee upon his honesty

That this is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.

Enter Luggins, with the beard

PLAYER of INCLINATION O my lord, he is come. Now we shall go forward.

MORE Art thou come? Well, fellow, I have holp to save

thine honesty a little. Now, if thou canst give Wit any

better counsel than I have done, spare not. There I leave

him to thy mercy.

But by this time I am sure our banquet’s ready.

My lord and ladies, we will taste that first,

And then they shall begin the play again,

Which through the fellow’s absence, and by me,

Instead of helping, hath been hindered.

[To Servants] Prepare against we come. Lights there, I

say.—

Thus fools oft-times do help to mar the play.

Exeunt. Players remain

PLAYER of WIT Fie, fellow Luggins, you serve us handsomely, do ye not think ye?

JUGGINS Why, Ogle was not within, and his wife would not let me have the beard, and, by my troth, I ran so fast that I sweat again.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Do ye hear, fellows? Would not my lord make a rare player? O, he would uphold a company beyond all ho, better than Mason among the King’s players. Did ye mark how extemp’rically he fell to the matter, and spake Luggins’s part almost as it is in the very book set down?

PLAYER of WIT Peace, do ye know what ye say? My lord a player? Let us not meddle with any such matters. Yet I may be a little proud that my lord hath answered me in my part. But come, let us go and be ready to begin the play again.

LUGGINS Ay, that’s the best, for now we lack nothing.

[Original Text (Munday)]

[Addition VI (Heywood)]

Enter a Servingman to the players, with a reward

SERVINGMAN Where be these players?

ALL THE PLAYERS

Here, sir.

SERVINGMAN My lord is sent for to the court,

And all the guests do after supper part;

And, for he will not trouble you again,

By me for your reward a sends eight angels,

With many thanks. But sup before you go.

It is his will you should be fairly entreated.

Follow, I pray ye.

PLAYER of WIT This, Luggins, is your negligence.

Wanting Wit’s beard brought things into dislike;

For otherwise the play had been all seen,

Where now some curious citizen disgraced it,

And, discommending it, all is dismissed.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Fore God, a says true. But hear ye, sirs: eight angels, ha! My lord would never give’s eight angels. More or less, for twelve pence: either it should be three pounds, five pounds, or ten pounds, there twenty shillings wanting, sure.

PLAYER of WIT Twenty to one, ’tis so. I have a trick. My lord comes; stand aside.

Enter More with attendants, with purse and mace

MORE

In haste, to Council? What’s the business now

That all so late his highness sends for me?—

What seek’st thou, fellow?

PLAYER of WIT

Nay, nothing. Your lordship sent eight angels by your

man,

And I have lost two of them in the rushes.

MORE

Wit, look to that! Eight angels? I did send them ten.

Who gave it them?

SERVINGMAN

I, my lord. I had no more about me;

But by and by they shall receive the rest.

MORE

Well, Wit, ‘twas wisely done. Thou play’st Wit well

indeed

Not to be thus deceived of thy right.

Am I a man by office truly ordained

Equally to divide true right his own,

And shall I have deceivers in my house?

Then what avails my bounty, when such servants

Deceive the poor of what the master gives?

Go one and pull his coat over his ears.

There are too many such. Give them their right.

Wit, let thy fellows thank thee; ’twas well done.

Thou now deservest to match with Lady Wisdom.

[Exeunt More and attendants]

PLAYER of INCLINATION God-a-mercy, Wit. [To the Servingman ] Sir, you had a master, Sir Thomas More. More? But now we shall have more.

LUGGINS God bless him, I would there were more of his mind! A loves our quality, and yit he’s a larned man and knows what the world is.

[PLAYER of INCLINATION] Well, a kind man, and more loving than many other, but I think we ha’ met with the first—

LUGGINS First sarved his man that had our angels; and he may chance dine with Duke Humphrey tomorrow, being turned away today. Come, let’s go.

[PLAYER of INCLINATION] And many such rewards would make us all ride, and horse us with the best nags in Smithfield.⌈Exeunt⌉

[Addition VI (Heywood)]

[Original Text (Munday)]

Sc. 10 Enter the Earls of Shrewsbury, Surrey, Bishop of Rochester, and other lords, [attended,] severally, doing courtesy to each other, Clerk of the Council waiting bare-headed

SURREY

Good morrow to my lord of Shrewsbury.