NAy Rapier , come foorth , come forth I say , I le giue thee a crowne , though it be but a crackt one : what wilt not ? art so hard to be drawne forth Rapier ?

S'foot thou shalt know that Rapier dares enter : nay Backe-Sword .

Whos 's this behinde me ?

T is Dagger sir ; what will you neuer leaue your quarrelling ?

Well Sword , Dagger hath defended you a good many times ; but t is no matter , another time shall serue : shall I get you out Sword alone , that I may haue you Single-sword .

Yes if you le be single Rapier too .

Nay Sword , put the Case of Rapiers aside , that there were two of them , I hope you were able to buckle with them .

I le tell you what , if I goe into the Field with him , hang Sword vp if I doe not cut Rapiers poynts , and lash him when I haue done : nay , you shall finde Sword mettle to the very backe : 'sfoot , my teeth be an edge at him .

If you offer but to thrust towards him Rapier , I le strike you downe .

Hang him , I defie him base Spaniard .

Defie me ? sirrha Sword , Rapier spits i' thy face : dar'st meete mee i' the fields , crauenly Capon ?

Capon ?

I Capon , so I say sir .

Why any man may see that thou art well caru'd Sword ; and yet mee thinks that Rapier should not speake of that , for it 's an hundred to one if he be not gilt too .

Well Rapier , if thou goest into the fields with me , I le make a Capon of you before I haue done with you , you shall nere come home vncut I le warrant you .

Nay , you shall finde Sword a notable Cutter .

He a Cutter ? alas he nere went into the fields yet , but he was soundly hackt before he came out

Nere talke you of hacking , for it 's a hundred to one if you haue not the Foyle-Rapier .

'Sfoot if you be so Short-Sword , Rapier nere feares you : come a long .

Nay nere goe , for if you doe , I le sende one after you , which shall scowre you both . The Cutler can doe it . I haue seene him handle you both brauely .

The Cutler , Alas wee are the best Friends hee has , and if it were not for vs , the Cutler might soone shut vp his shoppe .

Alas Sword , you need not talke of his shutting vp of Shoppe , and if it had not beene for him , you had broken by this time Sword , Nay , nere talke : For you know hee can holde your nose to the Grind-stone , when hee list .

And as for you Rapier , you knowe hee brought you vp first , and if you had stayed with him still , it might haue bene better for you .

Better for mee ? Alas hee knewe not how to vse mee .

Hee vsde you too well indeede : for when you were with him he furnisht you with Siler and euery thing , but now you are worne out of all fashion . You are euen like a Lapwing , you are no sooner Hatcht Rapier , but you runne abroade presently from him .

Yet I scorne to runne away from him .

Ha Sworde , is the winde in that Doore ? Faith nowe I see which waye you stand bent Sworde , you had rather sleepe in a whole skinne , then goe into the Fields to trye your selfe .

Syr , Sword has bene proou'd before now , and yet hee le prooue himselfe againe with you , if you dare follow him .

Doe you heare Sworde ? If you goe , looke for Dagger at your backs presentlie ; For I am a Iustice of Peace , and am sworne to keepe and defend the Peace .

Syr , wee will fight , and doe you take it in Dudgeon Dagger if you please : if you once offer to hinder vs , I le so Pummell you Dagger , that you were neuer better Pummeld in your life ; And howsoeuer , I hope there s Lawe against you as well as others , and Rapier can put vp a Case against you .

Alas I care not if you were both Plaintifes against mee , you shall finde Dagger your Defendant I le warrant you : I , and if neede bee , I could put vp an Action of Batterie against you .

What talke you of Law ? Sword scornes to haue any other Law then Martiall law , and that vpon you Rapier .

Away Sworde , the Time was indeed when thou wast a notable Swash-buckler , but now thou art growne olde Sword .

I , you doe well , to excuse his Cowardise .

Why Sir , t is well knowne that Sword has flourisht in his dayes .

Flourisht ? yfaith Syr I , I haue seene Sword hang with nothing but Scarffes ere now .

With Scarffes ? with a Halter , if he had beene well seru'de , For hee s a notable Theefe .

A Theefe ?

I , a Thiefe . Did you nere heare of Cutting-Dicke , this is the very same man .

Nay Rapier , nere hit Sword i th teeth with that : for you know you were both Indited for treason before now , and were in danger to be hangd , and drawn too , and had escapt well if you had not bene quarterd .

I hope knows how to keep his quarters

You are a craftie Foxe Sword : It were well if you knewe howe to keepe your friendship too , for Gentlemen and Friendes should not fall out .

Rapier a Gentleman ?

A Gentleman ? and has Armes .

But mee thinkes Sworde by the very sounding of his Name should bee the better Gentleman , and has the better Armes too : for if the truth were well knowne , Rapier hath but one arme .

Sword beare Armes ? Hee s a base companion . Alas I haue knowne you beare a Basket Sword .

If you looke i th booke of Armorie , I le warrant you , you shall finde Sworde of more antiquitie then you Rapier : Hee deriues his Pedigree from Morglay , Beuis of South-hamptons sword ; and that from S. George his sword , that killd the Draggon .

I , the draggon in Sussex , the other day : But I le warrant you Rapiers of as good a blood as hee for his hart .

By th masse , I thinke indeed , you are both wel sanguind . Your both of one blood , only ther s this difference , that sword coms of the elder brother , & you Rapier of the yonger .

And oftentimes the younger brother prooues the better Souldier .

Rapier a Souldier ? When did you ere knowe Rapier fight a Battell ?

Yes Rapier is a Souldier , and a Man as well Armed at all poyntes as anie one .

No , no , its Sworde that 's the notable Souldier ; Why , there s none of all you Captaines could doe anie thing in Warre without him .

I hope Rapier hath not beene at Fencing-Schoole all this while for nothing .

Alas there 's none Maister of Defence but Dagger : But yet if you speake of Souldiers , the'r s Bow , Bill , and Gunne , worth twenty such as wee are .

Indeed they say that Bow has bin an olde Souldier .

Yet hee s not fit for a Souldier , any man may bende him as hee list .

And as for Bow-string , I dare vndertake to whip him my selfe .

Then let mee alone to tickle Bowes ownes nocke yfaith .

But what say you to Bill ? hee s a notable sturdy villaine .

It s more then you can doe , I me affraide ; For Bill's a Tall-fellow on s hands , and will quickly be Wood : and then there s Gunne , such another Bouncing-fellow too .

Gunne , Alas hee s No-body : any little Boy will make him roare .

I haue made him goe off 'o th Fieldes , a good many times my selfe .

Well , is Gunne No-bodie ? I me sure hee l giue some blowes sometimes .

Its ' nere but when Powder ouer-charges him , then indeed hee l be somewhat hote o th matter .

I think that Powder is a vile bragger , he doth nothing but cracke .

Faith I knowe not what Souldier hee is , but they say , Hee s an excellent pollitician .

Hee a Pollitician ?

Why , hee has an excellent wit ?

Pish , It s nothing but a flash .

I me sure I can remember since he was a Parlement-man .

Hee a Parlement-man : For what Shyre ?

I wonder they should chuse him : Why he does euery thing on the sudden .

Oh he plottes shrewdly . If they had not look't too it , Hee had vndermined the whole parlement-house .

I but hee s No-body now-adayes , Hee s blowne vp long agoe .

Well , if eyther you , or any body else shuld meete with Powder , yet it s a hundred to one , if he meete not with his match .

Nay , you should let him alone Dagger , and you should see that Swords ' as notable a bragger as Powder . He thinks hee shall nere be matcht too : but hee shall , and ouer-matcht too , by Rapier ; I warrant him . Come Sworde , after your long Parley , Dare you goe into the Fieldes ?

Dare I ? You shall soone see that : Goe , and I le follow you .

Well saide , desperate Dicke . Sword , You may be asham'd to offer it . You knowe you are two-handed - Sworde , and Rapier has but one hand ( vnlesse I helpe him ) to do any good withall , and yet you de haue him go into the Fieldes with you . Come , there s neyther of you shall goe . Doe not you knowe that Duells are put downe ?

You le bee bound to 'th Peace euer heere-after , if you strike but one stroke . Therefore you had best let me decide your controuersie for you .

Why , you are a backe-Friend to vs both Dagger .

Nay , you knowe I me equally allyed to you both , and therefore shall proue an impartiall Iudge : How say you , will you be rulde by me ?

Nay let him choose , Rapiers at a good poynt , whether he will or no.

Why are are you so long Sword before you speake ?

Are duells put downe ? Then I am forc'de to be Friends : Speake then .

Then in briefe it shall bee thus . Sworde , you shall beare Chiefe force i th Campe , and be made Generall of the Field , to beare sway euery where . As for you Rapier , since Duells are put downe , you shall liue quietly and peaceablie heere 'i th Court , and goe euery day in Veluet : You shall be Frendes with euerie one , and bee on euery ones side , that if occasion serue , and Sworde be absent , so that matters are driuen to a push , Rapier shall be the onely man to performe a Combate : And I my selfe will backe you both , as occasion shall serue .

How say yee , are yee content ?

Wee are .

Then goe before to my House , to the Dagger in Cheape : and there wee le conclude all .

A Long-Sword .