 | The Fatal Marriage |  |
68
Sc. xv
Enter prince Isabella, Clowne,pr:
sweet wee are past some daungers though not all
yor prisson I haue chaung'd to liberty
although yor ffreedome haue respect to ffeare
Isa:
oh sir yor ffather is severe and harsh
should hee surprise vs twere beyond pardon
I should noe more inioy yor wished sight
nor you my being
Clo:
nay sir if once yor ffather heare of vs, there
wilbe noe more left of mee a bare servingman
but my liuery the rest is forfit to the halter or
the whipping poast,
pr:
sirra poast you to the neighboring villages, thence
bring such victualles as the place affoordes,
Clo:
I warrant yee sir Ile bring yee flesh to a haire
and powltry to a ffether, shall I bring noe wine
Isa:
o yes in any case, but make quick speed
for wee grow faint wt h trauell.
Clo:
I hope you are not soe nere trauell but you may
stay till I come back againe, if yee be my Mr
has plaid the part of a man, for my owne part
I trauell too, marry tis vpon a hungry stomack
& long to be deliuered on't the very thought
makes mee, I'm gone.
Exit
pr:
now sitt faire loue and let vs freely take
that wc h the prisson obdurately denide
thates sight of thee, neuer did nimph soe bewtify a grou[OMITTED]
venus in her full pride when paris first
beheld her in the Idean mount lookd not soe louely
69
in these leavy groues, a iauelin in this hand
in that a bow, a baldrish thwart thy shoulders
and at thy back, a golden quiuer full of fethred
shaftes, I should haue tooke thee for the queene
of maides diana bright diana.
Isa:
oh you flatter sir
but had I past these shadowes vnawares
and spide you like a huntsman clad in greene
I should haue thought of young hippolitus
whom phedra in her fire of loue pursude
or young adonis when he laid his head
on venus lap on the mount hellicon
where pillowed shee kist him oft a sleepe
apparelld like a woodman
how came yee by all this reading gentle loue
70
nor could soe base a lodge be dignifide
to foster such rare bewty
Isa:
oh my lord, my ffather was not altogether soe
basely bredd as hee appeares, but borne to
better meanes, and I was enter'd in his first estate
pr
of this weele more hereafter ithe meane time
I loue thee Isabella
Enter duke disguis'd,
du.
By strict inquiry I haue backt their steps
euen to the fforrest side, by the breake of day
I mett a man that iust describd them to mee
the rather I thinke tw'as they because they leaue
the beaten way and tread vntrodden pathes
o see where they are, had I weapons
now would I pierce them throught they shall not
scape mee, and, to surprise 'em, the boy is arm'd
and may in this disguise, lay violent handes
vpon mee tho his ffather, hee that would breake
his loue and loyaltie, why should I trust his
spleene helpe mee disguise, if this transhape
my body, for my voice I haue art to alter
that, Ile boord 'em presently, blesse yee
faire paire of Creatures.
pr:
rise faire loue wee are betraid, but doe not
feare surprise, Ile guard thee from all daunger
Isa:
his salute
has chast away my bloud and frighted mee
soe that my heart still trembles
du:
nay faire paire
71
of one thattes old and lame, bearing noe armes
saue orisons and this to propmee vp
pray tell mee, are you of these neighbor villages
pr:
why aske yee father
du:
marry because tis straunge to see a couple
of yor faire persons, habittes, priuate alone
birlady should some see't they'de suspect
yor perposes were scarce honest
pr:
they should much mistake vs then, but I hope
yor consure wilbe much more charitable
du
Ile thinke as you would haue mee
pr:
pray sir is yor dwelling nie
du:
at the next Coate
pr:
& what cause drew you hither
72
Ile tell yee sir, I had a young wild colt
a young indeed, whom I did foster vp
in my owne house, a faire beast was hee marry
I and I can tell yee of the best breed
in all the towne onely he had one ffault
hee was too head strong, thoe I tenderd him
aboue all my other cattle, suffer'd him
to doe noe labour but haue liberty
he not wt h standing all my loue and care
hath wt h a neighbours ffilly wantonly
broke out of my groundes & left mee, saw yee none su[OMITTED]
Isa:
noe Ile assure yee
du:
they haue soe vext mee
pr:
las they doe their kind
the ffault is in the liberty not them
du
but if I can catch 'em
pr:
what then
du:
I'de cutt of their heades
pr:
oh that were tirrany
for being beastes they are not capable
of reason, such as is infusd in Man
du:
I care not I should doe't
pr
well leaving this whattes the, best newes abroad
du:
oh sir tis rumor'd, that the prince is fledd
from the Court wt h the woodmans daughter
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sdeath is that talk'd of here
du:
at wc h the Duke's soe mightily incens'd
that he hath sworne by all his roialties
if hee can catch 'em they both shall dy for't
and this his vow'd revenge, noe praiers nor
teares can alter
Isa:
my lord, what shall wee doe, these habittes are
not safe, if wee be tooke wee dy
pr
tis well advisd but shew noe signes of feare
ffather wilt thou chaunge habittes wt h a gentlem«an»
that for some reasons, would liue obscur'd
this Cloake Ile giue thee for thy gowne
this hatt for thine I and some gold to boote
du:
pray mock mee not thoe I be old and poore
pr:
I protest father I speake seriously
du
say soe sir, marry wt h all my heart
sure I rose betime and said my praiers wt h zeale
this morning to light on such good happ
how shall I strutt it to my neighbours by the[OMITTED]
will not know mee, who can say I'm old,
74
had I but a sword I soone should talke of vallour
sir let me haue that and all
pr:
what my sword noe ffrend I'le not part wt h my sword
du:
nay then tis noe match I shall not shew a gallant
to the life wt hout a sword, ha,
pr:
noe ffrend not my sword by noe meanes
du:
then giue mee back my hatt and gowne againe
pr:
ha:
du:
or elce Ile follow yeto the village and say yee
robd mee, Ile be compleat or not at all
Isa:
prthee sweet giue't him wee haue noe vse for steele
pr:
at thy request he shall haue't, here ffellow take my
sword I'm loth to part wt h it I tell thee, tw'as my fathers
and hee lou'd it derely
du:
I loue't the better
pr
now Isabella feare not, this disguise
will keepe vs from all daunger
du:
now know yor stolne sword is in his hand yt owes it
and knowes best to yor ruinnes, not his owne to vse it
now my straid Colt and ffilly I haue found
Ile proue the faithfull mr of my word
of shall yor heades, nay spare yor knee
yor leges owe him more service
75
spare his life and let the iustice of ye law take mine
pr:
dispence wt h her whose guilt'es noe more then truth
and make mine capitall ransome
du
if that in beastes
yt haue nor sence nor reason, this be punisheable
what ist in humaine Creatures, yor owne tongues
shalbe yor sentences, rise and get you on wt h mildnes
and wt h patience, or degenerate to vs, here shall shee
leaue her bloud and breathles body, to the rapin of
wolues and tigers, weele first beginn wt h her and
after deale wt h thee
pr:
you deale wt h mee sir vpon advantages
elce remembring her, I should forget I had a ffather here
and tug wt h you for maistery.
du:
goe get you on, yet stay,
Enter Clowne
I can neither get pig goose nor capon for my lord
nor my lady here's a savory crust for my selfe
and a peece of beefe, as good as ere catch'd cold
and was stuff'd wt h parceley, but what an asse
was I to forget mustard and vineger I must back
againe,
du:
here's another traytor I must haue him in the
compasse of my droue
Clo:
yet now I remember my selfe, for want of
76
my mr, little does hee know what newes I heard
in the village, there's rodes in pisse for somebody
du
well sir whattes the best newes
Cl:
such newes, that if wee get not quickly out of the
dukedome wee shalbe pepperd ifaith, yor ffather
sweares by nothing but noble men and Courtiers
that hee'le powder vs, I when he can catch vs,
Mr be ru'ld by mee, here will wee liue as merry
as the daies long in the Country and laugh at
the old ffoole yor ffather whilst he ffretes his heart
out in the Court, looke yee sir here's a peece of
beefe, I durst vndertake, an't were a neates tounge
t'would say come eat mee, then here's a bottle of sack[OMITTED]
ten times better then that wee had for mr s Isabell
when wee mett wt h yor ffather, troth now I thinke
on't I cannot choose but laughto thinke what
an asse wee made on him tot her day,
du:
how how I prthee
Cl:
why when you went halfe like a doctor and
halfe like a woodman, and that night did I set
the watch together and then you know you stole
the lady out of the prisson, as wise as yor ffather
takes him selfe to bee I made a gull on him
that night
du:
a pretious villen, sirra dee know mee
Cl:
oh lord, now will I giue my head for the hanging
any man that will take the paines shall haue't
for his labour, oh mr how came you in this case
77
well sirra does all this villany rest in you
get you on together hee dies that steps aside
Clo:
oh old Ieronimo, now doe I thinke on thee when
thou wast aliue, needes must they goe wc h the
deuill driue.
Exeunt
| The Fatal Marriage | |