WORKE FOR CVTLERS. OR, A MERRY DIA- LOGVE BETWEENE Sword, Rapier, and Dagger. Acted in a Shew in the famous Vniuerjitie of Cambridge. LONDON Printed by Thomas Creede, for Richard Meighen and Thomas lones; and are to be sold at S. Clements Church without Temple-barre. 1615. WORKE FOR CVTLERS : or, a merry Dialogue betweene Swordy \ Rapier, f and C <■ Dagger. / Enter Sword, Sword. Ay Rapier, come foorth, come forth I say, He giue thee a crowne, though its be but a crackt one : what wilt not? art fo hard to be drawne forth Rapier? Enter 38 Worke for Cutlers Enter Rapier. 10 Rapier. S'foot thou fhalt know that Rapier dares enter : nay Backe-Sword. Enter Dagger, he holds Rapiers hands hehinde him. Rapier. Whofe this behinde me? Dagger. Tis Dagger fir; what will you neuer leaue your quarrelling? Rapier. Well Sword, Dagger hath defen- ded you a good many times ; but tis no mat- ter, another time fhall seme : fhall I get 20 you out Sword alone, that I may haue you Single-fword. Sword. Yes if youle be fingle Rapier too. Dag. Nay Sword, put the Cafe of Rapiers afide, that there were two of them, I hope you were able to buckle with them. Sword. He tell you what, if I goe into the Field with him, hang Sword vp if I doe not cut Rapiers poynts, and lafh him when I haue done : nay, you fhall finde Sword mettle to 30 the very backe : 's foot, my teeth be an edge at him. Dag. If you ofFer but to thruft towards him Worke for Cutlers 39 him Rapier, He ftrike you downe. Sword. Hang him, I defie him bafe Spa- niard. Rap. Defie me ? firrha Sword, Rapier fpits i' thy face : dar'ft meete mee i' the fields, cra- uenly Capon ? Sword. Capon ? Rapier. I Capon, fo I fay fir. 40 Dagg. Why any man may fee that thou art well caru'd Sword; and yet mee thinks that Rapier fhould not fpeake of that, for it's an hundred to one if he be not gilt too. Sword. Well Rapier, if thou goeft into the fields with me, He make a Capon of you before I haue done with you, you fhall nere come home vncut He warrant you. Dagger. Nay, you fhall finde Sword a notable Cutter. 50 Rapier. He a Cutter ? alas he nere went into the fields yet,' but he was foundly hackt before he came out. Sword. Nere talke you of hacking, for it's a hundred to one if you haue not the Foyle-Rapier. Rapier. 'S foot if you be fo Short-Sword, Rapier nere feares you : come a long. Dagger. Nay nere goe, for if you doe, He 40 Worke for Cutlers 60 He fende one after you, which fhall fcowre you both. The Cutler can doe it. I haue feene him handle you both brauely. Sword. The Cutler^ Alas wee are the beft Friends hee has, and if it were not for vs, the Cutler might foone fhut vp his fhoppe. Dagger. Alas Sword, you need not talke of his fhutting vp of Shoppe, and if it had not beene for him, you had broken by this time Sword, Nay, nere talke : For you know 70 hee can holde your nofe to the Grind-ftone, when hee lift. And as for you Rapier, you knowe hee brought you vp firft, and if you had ftayed with him ftill, it might haue bene better for you. Rapier. Better for mee ? Alas hee knewe not how to vfe mee. Dagger. Hee vfde you too well indeede : for when you were with him he furnifht you 80 with Siler and euery thing, but now you are worne out of all fafhion. You are euen like a Lapwing, you are no fooner Hatcht Ra- pier, but you runne abroade prefently from him. Rapier. Yet I fcorne to runne away from him. Sword. Worke for Cutlers 4 1 Sword. But it were more wifedome then to ftand : For the Cutler is a man as well Ar- med as any man I knowe, and has as good skill ins weapons. 90 Rapier. Ha Sworde, is the winde in that Doore ? Faith nowe I fee which waye you ftand bent Sworde, you had rather fleepe in a whole skinne, then goe into the Fields to trye your felfe. Sword. Syr, Sword has been proou'd be- fore now, and yet heele prooue himfelfe a- gaine with you, if you dare follow him. Dagger. Doe you heare Sworde ? If you goe, looke for Dagger at your backs prefent- 100 lie ; For I am a luftice of Peace, and am fworne to keepe and defend the Peace. Rapier. Syr, wee will fight, and doe you take it in Dudgeon Dagger if you pleafe : if you once offer to hinder vs. He fo Pummell you Dagger, that you were neuer better Pummeld in your life ; And howfoeuer, I hope theres Lawe againft you as well as o- thers, and Rapier can put vp a Cafe againft you. no Dagger. Alas I care not if you were both Plaintifes againft mee, you fhall finde Dag- ger your Defendant He warrant you: I, and 42 Worke for Cutlers I, and if neede bee, I could put vp an Action of Batterie againft you. Sword. What talke you of Law? Sword fcornes to haue any other Law then MartiaU law, and that vpon you Rapier. Dagger. Away Sworde, the Time was in- 120 deed when thou waft a notable Swafh-buck- ler, but now thou art growne olde Sword. Rapier. I, you doe well, to excufe his Cowardife. Sword. Why Sir, tis well knowne that Sword has ilourifht in his dayes. Dagger. Flourifht ? yfaith Syr I, I haue feene Sword hang with nothing but ScarfFes ere now. Rapier. With ScarfFes ? with a Halter, if 130 he had beene well feru'de. For hees a nota- ble Theefe. Dagger. A Theefe ? Rapier. I, a Thiefe. Did you nere heare of Cutting-Dicie, this is the very fame man. Dagger. Nay Rapier, nere hit Sword ith teeth with that : for you know you were both Indited for treafon before now, and were in danger to be hangd, and drawn too, and had efcapt well if you had not bene quarterd. 140 Sword. I hope knows how to keep his quarters. Dagger. You are a craftie Foxe Sword: It were Worke for Cutlers 43 were well if you knewe howe to keepe your friendfhip too, for Gentlemen and Friendes fhould not fall out. Sword. Rapier a Gentleman ? Rap. A Gentleman ? and has Armes. Dag. But mee thinkes Sworde by the very founding of his Name fhould bee the better Gentleman, and has the better Armes too : for if the truth were well known e, Rapier hath 150 but one arme. Rapier. Sword beare Armes ? Hees a bafe companion. Alas I haue knowne you beare a Basket Sword. Dag. If you looke ith booke of Armorie., He warrant you, you fhall finde Sworde of more antiquitie then you Rapier: Hee deriues his Pedigree from Morglay^ Beuis of South-hamp- tons fword ; and that from S. George his fword, that killd the Draggon. 160 Rapier. I, the draggon in Sussex, the other day : But He warrant you Rapiers of as good a blood as hee for his hart. Dag. Byth maffe, I thinke indeed, you are both we'll fanguind. Your both of one blood, only thers this difference, that fword coms of the elder brother, & you Rapier of the yoger. Rapier. And oftentimes the younger bro- ther prooues the better Souldier. Dag. 44 Worke for Cutlers 170 Dagger. Nay, Dagger will defende you both for good Souldiers. Sworde. Rapier a Souldier? When did you ere knowe Rapier fight a Battell ? Dagger. Yes Rapier is a Souldier, and a Man as well Armed at all poyntes as anie one. Sword. No, no, its Sworde that's the no- table Souldier; Why, theres none of all you Captaines could doe anie thing in Warre 180 without him. Rapier. I hope Rapier hath not beene at Fencing-Schoole all this while for nothing. Dagger. Alas there's none Maifter of De- fence but Dagger: But yet if you fpeake of Souldiers, the'rs Bow, Bill, and Gunne, worth twenty fuch as wee are. Rapier. Indeed they fay that Bow has bin an olde Souldier. Sword, Yet hees not fit for a Souldier, 190 any man may bende him as hee lift. Rapier, And as for Bow-ftring, I dare vn- dertake to whip him my felfe. Sword. Then let mee alone to tickle Bowes ownes nocke yfaith. Dagger. But what fay you to BillP hees a notable fturdy villai'ne. Sword. Worke for Cutlers 45 Sword. Bill, He pay him foundly, if ere I reach him. Dagger. Its more then you can doe, Ime afFraide ; For Bill's a Tall-fellow ons hands, 200 and will quickly be Wood : and then theres Gunne, fuch another Bouncing-fellow too. Rapier. Gunne, Alas hees No-body : any little Boy will make him roare. I haue made him goe off 'oth Fieldes, a good many times my felfe. Dagger. Well, is Gunne No-bodie ? Ime fure heel giue fome blowes fometimes. Sword. Its' nere but when Powder ouer- charges him, then indeed heel be fomewhat 210 hote oth matter. Rapier. I think that Powder is a vile brag- ger, he doth nothing but cracke. Dagger. Faith I knowe not what Souldi- er hee is, but they fay, Hees an excellent pol- litician. Rapier, Hee a PoUitician ? Dagger. Why, hee has an excellent wit? Sword. Pifh, Its nothing but a flafh. Dagger. Ime fure I can remember fince 220 he was a Parlement-man. Rapier. Hee a Parlement-man : For what Shyre ? Dag. 46 Worke for Cutlers Dag. Nay ber-lady, it was for the whole Countrey. Sword. I wonder they fhould chufe him : Why he does euery thing on the fudden. Dag. Oh he plottes fhrevvdly. If they had not look't too it, Hee had vndermined the 230 whole parlement-houfe. Sword. I but hees No-body now-»dayes, Hees blovvne vp long agoe. Dagger. Well, if eyther you, or any body elfe fhuld meete with Powder, yet its a hun- dred to one, if he meete not with his match. Rapier. Nay, you fhould let him alone Dagger, and you fhould fee that Swords' as notable a bragger as Powder. He thinks hee fhall nere be matcht too : but hee fhall, and 240 ouer-matcht too, by Rapier ; I warrant him. Come Sworde, after your long Parley, Dare you goe into the Fieldes ? Sword. Dare I ? You fhall foone fee that : Goe, and He follow you. Dag. Well faide, defperate Dicke, Sword, You may be afham'd to offer it. You knowe you are t\vo-Ya.nisA-Sworde, and Rapier has but one hand (vnleffe I helpe him) to do any good withall, and yet youde haue him go in- 250 to the Fieldes with you. Come, theres ney- ther of you fhall goe. Doe not you knowe that Worke for Cutlers 47 that Duells are put downe ? Youle bee bound to'th Peace euer heere- after, if you ftrike but one ftroke. Therefore you had beft let me decide your controuerfie for you. Sword. Why, you are a backe-Friend to vs both Dagger. Dagger. Nay, you knowe Ime equally al- lyed to you both, and therefore fhall proue 260 an impartiall ludge : How fay you, will you be rulde by me ? Rapier. Nay let him choofe. Rapiers at a good poynt, whether he will or no. Dagger. Why are you fo long Sword before you fpeake ? Sworde. Are duells put downe ? Then 1 am forc'de to be Friends : Speake then. Dagger. Then in briefe it fhall bee thus. Sworde, you fhall beare Chiefe force ith 270 Campe, and be made Generall of the Field, to beare fway euery where. As for you Ra- pier , fince Duells are put downe, you fhall liue quietly and peacablie heere 'ith Court, and goe euery day in Veluet : You fhall be Frendes with euerie one, and bee on euery ones fide, that if occafion ferue, and Sworde be absent, fo that matters are driuS to a pufh. Rapier 48 Worke for Cutlers Rapier fhall be the onely man to performe a 280 Combate : And I my felfe will backe you both, as occafion fhall feme. How fay yee, are yee content ? Rapier. Wee are. Dagger. Then goe before to my Houfe, to the Dagger in Cheape: and there weele conclude all. Rapier. A Long-Sword. Exeunt^ Sworde and Rapier. Dagger. 290 Our weapons drawne., and yet no hurt yee finde. Did Dagger then defend vnto your minde? Hee that defended others not long fence. At laft hee dares not ftand ins owne defence ; But this hee hopes, with you it will fuffize. To craue a pardon for a Schollers Prize. FINIS
A great Bascinet? This one is from about 1440. it has a good foot combat visor on it. It even has a catch.
