Chapter LXXXI: Prologue (3)

An honest crew, disposed to be merry,
Came to a tavern by, and call’d for wine.
The drawer brought it, smiling like a cherry,
And told them it was pleasant, neat[2942] and fine.
‘Taste it,’ quoth one. He did so. ‘Fie!’ (quoth he) 5
‘This wine was good; now ’t runs too near the lee.’

Another sipp’d, to give the wine his due,
And said unto the rest, it drunk too flat;
The third said, it was old; the fourth, too new;
Nay, quoth the fifth, the sharpness likes me not. 10
Thus, gentlemen, you see how, in one hour,
The wine was new, old, flat, sharp, sweet, and sour.

Unto this wine we do allude[2943] our play,
Which some will judge too trivial, some too grave:
You as our guests we entertain this day, 15
And bid you welcome to the best we have.
Excuse us, then; good wine may be disgrac’d,
When every several mouth hath sundry taste.

THE KNIGHT OF THE BURNING PESTLE

BY FRANCIS BEAUMONT AND JOHN FLETCHER

[DRAMATIS PERSONAE