Weav. The clerk of Chatham: he can write 96
and read and cast accompt.
Cade. O monstrous!
Weav. We took him setting of boys' copies.
Cade. Here's a villain! 100
Weav. Has a book in his pocket with red
letters in 't.
Cade. Nay, then he is a conjurer.
Butch. Nay, he can make obligations, and 104
write court-hand.
Cade. I am sorry for 't: the man is a proper
man, of mine honour; unless I find him guilty,
he shall not die. Come hither, sirrah, I must 108
examine thee. What is thy name?
Clerk. Emmanuel.
Butch. They use to write it on the top of
letters. 'Twill go hard with you. 112
Cade. Let me alone. Dost thou use to write
thy name, or hast thou a mark to thyself, like
a honest plain-dealing man?
Clerk. Sir, I thank God, I have been so well 116
brought up, that I can write my name.
All. He hath confessed: away with him! he's
a villain and a traitor.
Cade. Away with him, I say: hang him with 120
his pen and ink-horn about his neck.
Enter Michael.
Mich. Where's our general?
Cade. Here I am, thou particular fellow.
97 cast accompt: calculate
99 copies: models of handwriting
104 obligations: contracts
105 court-hand: type of handwriting used in legal documents
106 proper: good-looking
111, 112 They . . . letters; cf. n.
123 particular: as opposed to 'general'
