brewer's horse: the inside of a church! Com-
pany, villainous company, hath been the spoil
of me. 12
Bard. Sir John, you are so fretful, you can-
not live long.
Fal. Why, there is it: come, sing me a bawdy
song; make me merry. I was as virtuously given
as a gentleman need to be; virtuous enough:
swore little; diced not—above seven times a week;
went to a bawdy-house not above once in a
quarter—of an hour; paid money that I bor-
rowed—three or four times; lived well and in good
compass; and now I live out of all order, out of
all compass. 23
Bard. Why, you are so fat, Sir John, that
you must needs be out of all compass, out of all
reasonable compass, Sir John. 26
Fal. Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend
my life: thou art our admiral, thou bearest the
lantern in the poop, but 'tis in the nose of thee:
thou art the Knight of the Burning Lamp.
Bard. Why, Sir John, my face does you no harm. 32
Fal. No, I'll be sworn; I make as good use
of it as many a man doth of a Death's head, or
a memento mori: I never see thy face but I think
upon hell-fire and Dives that lived in purple;
for there he is in his robes, burning, burning. If
thou wert any way given to virtue, I would swear
by thy face; my oath should be, 'By this fire,
that's God's angel:' but thou art altogether
given over, and wert indeed, but for the light in
10 brewer's horse; cf. n.
28 admiral: flag-ship
35 memento mori; cf. n.
36 Dives; cf. n.
40 God's angel; cf. n.
