Ost. [within.] Anon, anon.
First Car. I prithee, Tom, beat Cut's saddle,
put a few flocks in the point: the poor jade is
wrung in the withers out of all cess. 8
Enter another Carrier.
Sec. Car. Peas and beans are as dank here as
a dog, and that is the next way to give poor
jades the bots; this house is turned upside down
since Robin Ostler died. 12
First Car. Poor fellow! never joyed since the
price of oats rose; it was the death of him.
Sec. Car. I think this be the most villainous
house in all London road for fleas: I am stung
like a tench. 17
First Car. Like a tench! by the mass, there
is ne'er a king christen could be better bit than
I have been since the first cock. 20
Sec. Car. Why, they will allow us ne'er a
jordan, and then we leak in the chimney; and
your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach.
First Car. What, ostler! come away and be
hanged, come away. 25
Sec. Car. I have a gammon of bacon and
two razes of ginger, to be delivered as far as
Charing-cross. 28
First Car. Godsbody! the turkeys in my
pannier are quite starved. What, ostler! A
plague on thee! hast thou never an eye in thy
6 Cut: slang name for a horse with a docked tail
7 flocks: tufts of wool
point: head of the saddle
8 wrung: galled
withers: neck
out of all cess: beyond all reckoning
9 dank: mouldy
10 next: most direct, surest
11 bots: disease of horses caused by worms
17 tench; cf. n.
19 king christen: Christian king
22 jordan: chamber-pot
23 chamber-lie: urine
loach: a fish that breeds several times a year
27 razes: roots
28 Charing-cross; cf. n.
