PERV. DOC. Of thee! ha, ha, ha! what, of thee! thou art mad.
NEW CUS. Surely in my sort I am both sober and sad.[13]
PERV. DOC. Why, how old art thou? tell me, I pray thee heartily.
PERV. DOC. What, older than I! The young knave, by the mass, not fully thirty, Would be elder than I, that am above sixty!
NEW CUS. A thousand and a half, that surely is my age: Ask and inquire of all men of knowledge.
PERV. DOC. A thousand years? God's precious soul, I am out of my wits; He is possessed of some devil or of some evil sp'rits. Why, thou art a young knave of that sort, I say, That brought into this realm but the other day This new learning and these heresies, and such other things mo, With strange guises invented not long ago.[14] And I pray thee tell me, is not thy name New Custom?
NEW CUS. Truly so I am called of some, As of such as want both wit and understanding, As you do now, I know by your talking: But woe be to those that make no distinction Between many things of diverse condition; As naught to be good, and hot to be cold, And old to be new, and new to be old. Wherefore these deceits you daily invent, The people to seduce unto your advertisement, While with tales you assay, and with lies you begin, The truth to deface, and your credit to win.
PERV. DOC. What is thy name, then? I pray thee make declaration.
NEW CUS. In faith, my name is Primitive Constitution.
PERV. DOC. Who? who, _Prava Constitutio_? even so I thought, I wist that it was some such thing of nought.[15] Like lettuce,[16] like lips; a scabb'd horse for a scald squire.
NEW CUS. _Primitive Constitution_ I said, if you hear, Such orders as in the primitive church heretofore Were used, but not now, the more pity therefore.
PERV. DOC. Ha, ha! in good time, sir, well might you fare, Primitive Constitution, That is your true name, you say, without all delusion. Primitive Constitution (quodestow[17]) as much as my sleeve! The devil on him which will such liars believe! For my part, if I credit such an hairy nowl,[18] The foul fiend of hell fetch me, body and soul!
NEW CUS. Truth cannot prevail, where Ignorance is in place.
IGNORANCE. Peace, or I will lay my beads on thy face: Hast thou nothing to rail at but Ignorance, I trow?
