D-ALL.
Let him alone, Peter; I'll temper him well enough. Sirrah, I hear say,
you must be married shortly. I'll make you pay a sweet fine for your
house for this. Ha, sirrah! am not I your landlord?

WILL CRICKET.
Yes, for fault of a better; but you get neither sweet fine nor sour
fine of me.

PLOD-ALL.
My masters, I pray you bear witness I do discharge him then.

WILL CRICKET.
My masters, I pray you bear witness my landlord has given me a general
discharge. I'll be married presently. My fine's paid; I have a discharge
for it. [_He offers to go away_.

PLOD-ALL.
Nay, prythee, stay.

WILL CRICKET.
No, I'll not stay. I'll go call the clerk. I'll be cried out upon i' the
church presently. What, ho! what, clerk, I say? where are you?

_Enter_ CLERK.

CLERK.
Who calls me? what would you with me?

WILL CRICKET.
Marry, sir, I would have you to make proclamation that, if any manner of
man, o' the town or the country, can lay any claim to Peg Pudding, let
him bring word to the crier, or else William Cricket will wipe his nose
of her.

CLERK.
You mean, you would be asked i' the church?

WILL CRICKET.
Ay, that's it. A bots on't, I cannot hit of these marrying terms yet.
And I'll desire my landlord here and his son to be at the celebration of
my marriage too. I' faith, Peter, you shall cram your guts full of
cheesecakes and custards there; and, sirrah clerk, if thou wilt say amen
stoutly, i' faith, my powder-beef-slave, I'll have a rump of beef for
thee, shall make thy mouth stand o' the tother side.

CLERK.
When would you have it done?

WILL CRICKET.
Marry, e'en as soon as may be. Let me see; I will be asked i' the church
of Sunday morning prayer, and again at evening prayer, and the next
holyday that comes, I will be asked i' the forenoon and married i' the
afternoon, for, do you mark, I am none of these sneaking fellows that
will stand thrumming of caps and studying upon a matter, as long as
Hunks with the great head has been about to show his little wit in the
second part of his paltry poetry,[156] but if I begin with wooing, I'll
end with wedding, and therefore, good clerk, let me have it done with
all speed; for, I promise you, I am very sharp-set.

CLERK.
Faith, you may be asked i' the church on Sunday at morning prayer, but
Sir John cannot 'tend[157] to do it at evening prayer, for there comes a
company of players to the town on Sunday i' the afternoon, and Sir John
is so good a fellow that