Now, Cupid, come you on. Cup. You worthy wights, king, lords, and knights, Ven. 'Tis a good child, speak out; hold up your head, Love. Cup. And which Cupid—and which Cupid Ven. Do not shake so, Robin; if thou be'st acold, I have some warm waters for thee here. Chris. Come, you put Robin Cupid out with your waters and your fisling; will you be gone? Ven. Ay, forsooth, he's a child, you must conceive, and must be used tenderly; he was never in such an assembly before, forsooth, but once at the Warmoll Quest, forsooth, where he said grace as prettily as any of the sheriff's hinchboys, forsooth. Chris. Will you peace, forsooth? Cup. And which Cupid-and which Cupid Ven. Ay, that's a good boy, speak plain, Robin; how does his majesty like him, I pray? will he give eight-pence a day, think you? Speak out, Robin. The Masque of Christmas. 141 Chris. Nay, he is out enough. You may take him away, and begin your dance; this it is to have speeches. Ven. You wrong the child, you do wrong the infant; I 'peal to his majesty. Here they dance. Chris. Well done, boys, my fine boys, my bully boys! THE EPILOGUE. Sings. Nor do you think that their legs is all For at the Artillery garden they shall And march as fine as the Muses nine, And in their brave tires, to give their false Especially Tom my son. Now if the lanes and the allies afford At Christmas next, if they keep their Can the children of Cheapside miss? Though, put the case, when they come in place, They should not dance, but hop: Their very gold lace, with their silk, would 'em grace, Having so many knights o' the shop. But were I so wise, I might seem to advise And this way spend some of their pelf. Ay, and come to the court, for to make you some sport, At the least once every year, As Christmas hath done, with his seventh or eighth son, And his couple of daughters dear. And thus it ended. Ben Jonson. Santa Claus. “His back, or rather burden showed As if it stooped with its own load. To poise this, equally he bore A paunch of the same bulk be |