University of Virginia Library

The .v. scene

Here pamphylus & misis speke ich of them to them self awhile.
Pamphilus the yong man. Misis.
Is this a gentill dede or a good beginnyng
Is this trow ye a fathers dewte
what menith this.

P.
owt alas this thing
yf this be not a dispyte what may it than be


He hath ordenid this day a wyfe for me
That I shold haue knowen this had it not behouyd
And in communycacōn furst to be mouyd

My.
wo is me wrech what do I here

Pam.
what of Chremes whych denyde to me
As a wyfe to gyue his doughter
Than chaungid he that purpose bycause he
Saw me vnchaungeable euer to be
Doth Chremes his deuer so obstynatly
To make me lyke a wretch forsake glycery
which if it so be then I wot well
For euermore I am vndone vtterly
O is there anyman that can tell
where is ony so infortunat as I
Owt well away now I can not truly
By no maner menys that I can se
Of chremes to auoyd the affinite
By how many ways am I dyspysed
And set at nought for for certayne
All thingys topsytiruia be turned
Now put away & now calde agayn
wherfore? for nothing but as I think playn
They haue some monster of her & because she
Can be put to no body they offer her to me.

My.
I am almost mad for fere wyth thys seyng

Pam.
But of my fader now what shall I sey
So neclygently to do so gret a thing
He met me in the market & sayd go thy way
Home/for thou shalt be maryed thys day
I had as leue he had sayd vnto me
Go home & hang vp thy self on a tre.
I was amasyd than & think ye that I
Coud speke any word or at the lest lay
Any folysh excuse trew or faynyngly
No I was domb/but if I had hard say
Of this before & one had askyd to day


what I wold haue done in this case what
I wold haue done an other & not that.
But what shall I do so many chargys
Do let me which draw my mynd dyuersly
As loue pyte the fere of the mariagis
Then shame of my fader which so tenderly
Hath soffred me euer to lyue plesantly
Tyll this day/o shuld I now him be agayn
what shall I do now I am vncertayn

M.
what this will come to gretly I fere
But now he must speke wyth her somewhat
Or I somewhat to him must speke of her
while hys mynd such dout is at
Sone it is intysyd to his or to that

P.
who spekyth here mysys good euyn tothe now

My.
Good euyn pāphilus.

Pa.
but how doth she now.

My.
Ask ye she laboreth wyth chyld euyn now alas
And of this day she is agreuyd sore
For long ago the mariage was
As she hard say this same day ordeynyd for
But yet this lo she feryth furthermore
That ye will leue her this is all her drede

Pam.
Alas alas shuld I do such a dede.
Shuld I suffer her for me to be dysseyuyd
which hath put her hope & trust alonely
In me and whom I haue purposyd
My wife to be in my mynd firmely
which euer yet honestly & chastely
Hath be brought vp/shuld I for pouerte
Suffer it to be changed nay it shall neuer be

M.
yf it lay in the I fere yt not
But thow canst not resist thy fathers might

P.
O thinkist thow me so grete an Ideot
Or so vnmanly or so vnkinde a wight
Or so mad or of maner so light
That nother aquoyntaunce shame nor loue


To kepe my fayth shold me styr or moue

My.
She hath deseruid well I know well this
That ye shold remember her interely

Pam.
Shold I remember her O misis misis
Now chrysis wordis of that of glycery
Be writtin in my mynde for when she shold dy
She callid me I cam ye were away
we two were alone thus gan she say
My pāphilus now here mayst thow note & se
Her bewty & youth ād right well thow dost know
How vnproffitable both the thingis be
To chastyte and to the keping of her self also
Therfore I charge the by thy fayth and troth to
And bycause she is destytute I the pray
Neuer forsake her nor put her away
And sith I haue euer aboue all
Louyd the as a brother and she euer
Hath bene to the good & most speciall
In all poyntis I gyue the now to her
As a husband frend tutour & father
And all my goodys here I comytt to the
And to thy fayth now I recōmend me
She gaue her in my hand and by & by tho
Deth toke Chrysis and I toke glycery
which takīg I shall kepe.

M.
I trust ye will so

P.
But thow comyst from her now tell me why

My.
I go for the mydwyfe.

P.
mary than hy
But herist not one word beware thow tell
Nothing of the weddingys lest perhappis therby
Her sorow shold īcreace.

M.
I perceyue you well.