cry off: but for your curst sharps and
snaps, I never knew any good come of 'em.

ACRES
But my honour, David, my honour! I must be very careful of my honour.

DAVID
Ay, by the mass! and I would be very careful of it; and I think in
return my honour couldn't do less than to be very careful of me.

ACRES
Odds blades! David, no gentleman will ever risk the loss of his honour!

DAVID
I say then, it would be but civil in honour never to risk the loss of a
gentleman.--Look'ee, master, this honour seems to me to be a marvellous
false friend: ay, truly, a very courtier-like servant.--Put the case, I
was a gentleman (which, thank God, no one can say of me;) well--my
honour makes me quarrel with another gentleman of my
acquaintance.--So--we fight. (Pleasant enough that!) Boh!--I kill
him--(the more's my luck!) now, pray who gets the profit of it?--Why,
my honour. But put the case that he kills me!--by the mass! I go to the
worms, and my honour whips over to my enemy.

ACRES
No, David--in that case!--odds crowns and laurels! your honour follows
you to the grave.

DAVID
Now, that's just the place where I could make a shift to do without it.

ACRES
Zounds! David, you are a coward!--It doesn't become my valour to listen
to you.--What, shall I disgrace my ancestors?--Think of that,
David--think what it would be to disgrace my ancestors!

DAVID
Under favour, the surest way of not disgracing them, is to keep as long
as you can out of their company. Look'ee now, master, to go to them in
such haste--with an ounce of lead in your brains--I should think might
as well be let alone. Our ancestors are very good kind of folks; but
they are the last people I should choose to have a visiting
acquaintance with.

ACRES
But, David, now, you don't think there is such very, very, very great
danger, hey?--Odds life! people often fight without any mischief done!

DAVID
By the mass, I think 'tis ten to one against you!--Oons! here to meet
some lion-headed fellow, I warrant, with his damned double-barrelled
swords, and cut-and-thrust pistols!--Lord bless us! it makes me tremble
to think o't--Those be such desperate bloody-minded weapons! Well, I
never could abide 'em!--from a child I never could fancy 'em!--I
suppose there an't been so merciless a beast in the world as your
loaded pistol!

ACRES
Zounds! I won't be afraid!--Odds fire and fury! you shan't make me
afraid.--Here is the challenge, and I have sent for my dear friend Jack