University of Virginia Library

Scæna. iij.

Christian Custance. Sym Suresby. Ralph Roister. Mathew Merygreke. Trupeny.
C. Custāce.
What meane these lewde felowes thus to trouble me stil?
Sym Suresby here perchance shal therof deme som yll,
And shall supect in me some point of naughtinesse,
And they come hitherward.

Sym S.
What is their businesse?

C. Custāce.
I haue nought to them, nor they to me in sadnesse.

Sim Sure.
Let vs hearken them, somewhat there is I feare it.

R. Royster.
I will speake out aloude best, that she may heare it.

M. Mery.
Nay alas, ye may so feare hir out of hir wit.

R. Royster.
By the crosse of my sworde, I will hurt hir no whit.

M. Mery.
Will ye doe no harme in deede, shall I trust your worde?

R. Royster.
By Roister Doisters fayth I will speake but in borde.

Sim Sure.
Let vs hearken them, somwhat there is I feare it.

R. Royster.
I will speake out aloude, I care not who heare it:
Sirs, see that my harnesse, my tergat, and my shield,
Be made as bright now, as when I was last in fielde,
As white as I shoulde to warre againe to morrowe:
For sicke shall I be, but I worke some folke sorow.
Therfore see that all shine as bright as sainct George,
Or as doth a key newly come from the Smiths forge.
I woulde haue my sworde and harnesse to shine so bright,
That I might therwith dimme mine enimies sight,
I would haue it cast beames as fast I tell you playne,
As doth the glittryng grasse after a showre of raine.
And see that in case I shoulde neede to come to arming,
All things may be ready at a minutes warning,
For such chaunce may chaunce in an houre, do ye heare?

M. Mery.
As perchance shall not chaunce againe in seuen yeare.

R. Royster.
Now draw we neare to hir, and here what shall be sayde.

M. Mery.
But I woulde not haue you make hir too muche afrayde.

R. Royster.
Well founde sweete wife (I trust) for al this your soure looke.

C. Custāce.
Wife? why cal ye me wife?

Sim S.
wife? this gear goth acrook.

M. Mery.
Nay mistresse Custance, I warrant you, our letter
Is not as we redde een nowe, but much better,
And where ye halfe stomaked this gentleman afore,
For this same letter, ye wyll loue hym nowe therefore,
Nor it is not this letter though ye were a queene,
That shoulde breake marriage betweene you twaine I weene.

C. Custāce.
I did not refuse hym for the letters sake.

R. Royster.
Then ye are content me for your husbande to take.

C. Custāce.
You for my husbande to take? nothing lesse truely.

R. Royster.
Yea say so, sweete spouse, afore straungers hardly.

M. Mery.
And though I haue here his letter of loue with me,
Yet his ryng and tokens he sent, keepe safe with ye.

C. Custāce.
A mischiefe take his tokens, and him and thee too.
But what prate I with fooles? haue I nought else to doo?
Come in with me Sym Suresby to take some repast.

Sim Sure.
I must ere I drinke by your leaue, goe in all hast,
To a place or two, with earnest letters of his.

C. Custāce.
Then come drink here wt me.

S. S.
I thāk you.

C. C.
Do not misse
You shall haue a token to your maister with you.

Sym Surs.
No tokens this time gramercies, God be with you.

Exeat.
C. Custāce.
Surely this fellowe misdeemeth some yll in me,
Which thing but God helpe, will go neere to spill me.

R. Royster.
Yea farewell fellow, and tell thy maister Goodlucke
That he commeth to late of thys blossome to plucke.
Let him keepe him there still, or at least wise make no hast,
As for his labour hither he shall spende in wast.
His betters be in place nowe.

M. M.
As long as it will hold.

C. Custāce.
I will be euen with thee thou beast, thou mayst be bolde.

R. Royster.
Will ye haue vs then?

C. Custance.
I will neuer haue thee.

R. Royster.
Then will I haue you?

C. Cust.
No, the deuill shal haue thee.
I haue gotten this houre more shame and harme by thee,
Than all thy life days thou canst do me honestie.

M. Mery.
Why nowe may ye see what it comth too in the ende,
To make a deadly foe of your most louing frende:
And ywis this letter if ye woulde heare it now.

C. Custāce.
I will heare none of it.

M. M.
In faith would rauishe you.

C. Custāce.
He hath stained my name for euer this is cleare.

R. Royster.
I can make all as well in an houre.

M. M.
As ten yeare.
How say ye, wil ye haue him?

C. C.
No.

M. M.
Wil ye take him?

C. Custāce.
I defie him.

M. M.
At my word?

C. Cust.
A shame take him.
Waste no more wynde, for it will neuer bee.

M. Mery.
This one faulte with twaine shall be mended, ye shall see.
Gentle mistresse Custance now, good mistresse Custance,
Honey mistresse Custance now, sweete mistresse Custance,
Golden mistresse Custance now, white mistresse Custance,
Silken mistresse Custance now, faire mistresse Custance.

C. Custāce.
Faith rather than to mary with suche a doltishe loute,
I woulde matche my selfe with a begger out of doute.

M. Mery.
Then I can say no more, to speede we are not like,
Except ye rappe out a ragge of your Rhetorike.

C. Custāce.
Speake not of winnyng me: for it shall neuer be so.

R. Royster.
Yes dame, I will haue you whether ye will or no,
I commaunde you to loue me, wherfore shoulde ye not?
Is not my loue to you chafing and burning hot?

M. Mery.
Too hir, that is well sayd.

R. R.
Shall I so breake my braine
To dote vpon you, and ye not loue vs againe?

M. Mery.
Wel sayd yet.

C. Cust.
Go to yu goose.

R. R.
I say Kit Custāce,
In case ye will not haze, well, better yes perchaunce.

C. Custāce.
Auaunt lozell, picke thee hence.

M. M.
Wel sir, ye perceiue,
For all your kinde offer, she will not you receiue.

R. Royster.
Then a strawe for hir, and a strawe for hir againe,
She shall not be my wife, woulde she neuer so faine,
No and though she would be at ten thousand pounde cost.

M. Mery.
Lo dame, ye may see what an husbande ye haue lost.

C. Custāce.
Yea, no force, a iewell muche better lost than founde.

M. Mery.
Ah, ye will not beleue how this doth my heart wounde.
How shoulde a mariage betwene you be towarde,
If both parties drawe backe, and become so frowarde.

R. Royster.
Nay dame, I will fire thee out of thy house,
And destroy thee and all thine, and that by and by.

M. Mery.
Nay for the passion of God sir, do not so.

R. Royster.
Yes, except she will say yea to that she sayde no.

C. Custāce.
And what, be there no officers trow we, in towne
To checke idle loytrers braggyng vp and downe?
Where be they, by whome vacabunds shoulde be represt?
That poore sillie Widowes might liue in peace and rest.
Shall I neuer ridde thee out of my companie?
I will call for helpe, what hough, come forth Trupenie.

Trupenie.
Anon. What is your will mistresse? dyd ye call me?

C. Custāce.
Yea, go runne apace, and as fast as may be,
Pray Tristram Trusty, my moste assured frende,
To be here by and by, that he may me defende.

Trupenie.
That message so quickly shall be done by Gods grace,
That at my returne ye shall say, I went apace.

Exeat.
C. Custāce.
Then shall we see I trowe, whether ye shall do me harme,

R. Royster.
Yes in faith Kitte, I shall thee and thine so charme,
That all women incarnate by thee may beware.

C. Custāce.
Nay, as for charming me, come hither if thou dare,
I shall cloute thee tyll thou stinke, both thee and thy traine,
And coyle thee mine owne handes, and sende thee home againe.

R. Royster.
Yea sayst thou me that dame? dost thou me threaten?
Goe we, I will see whether I shall be beaten.

M. Mery.
Nay for the paishe of God, let me now treate peace,
For bloudshed will there be in case this strife increace.
Ah good dame Custance, take better way with you.

C. Custāce.
Let him do his worst.

M. M.
Yeld in time.

R. R.
Come hēce thou.

Exeāt Roister & Mery.