 | Iacob and Esau |  |
scæna quarta.
Isaac. Mido. Esau.Isaac.
Mido , come Mido, where art thou litle Mido?
Mido.
Here redy maister Isaac, what shall I do?
Isaac.
Come leade me to mine old place, that I may sit doune
Mido.
That can I as well as any boy in this towne.
Isaac.
O Lorde my God, how deepe and vnsercheable
Are all thy iudgements, and how immutable?
Of thy iustice, whom it pleaseth thee, thou doest reiect,
Of thy mercy, whome pleaseth thee, thou doest electe.
In my two sonnes O Lord, thou hast wrought thy will,
And as thy pleasure hath wrought, so shall it stand still.
Sence thou hast set Iacob in Esau his place:
I committe him to the gouernaunce of thy grace.
Esau.
Now where is Isaac that he may come and eate?
Lo where he is sitting abroade vpon his seate.
Deare father Isaac, the Lord thy God thee saue.
Isaac.
Who art thou my son? & what thing woldest thou haue?
Esau.
I am your eldest sonne Esau by my name,
Newe come home from hunting, where I had ioyly game,
I haue made meate therof for your owne appetite,
Meate for your owne tooth, wherin ye will much delite.
Come eate your part, dere father, that when ye haue don,
Your soule may blesse me as your heire and eldest son.
Isaac.
Ah Esau, Esau, thou commest to late,
An other to thy blessing was predestinate,
And cleane gone it is from thee Esau.
Esau.
Alas,
Then am I the vnhappiest that euer was,
I would the saluage beastes had my body torne.
Isaac.
The blessing that thou sholdest haue had, an other hath
Esau.
Alas, what wretched villaine hath done me such scath?
Isaac.
Thy brother Iacob came to me by subtiltee,
I eate with him ere thou camst, and with my good will,
Blessed him I haue, and blessed he shall be still.
Esau.
Ah Iacob, Iacob, well may he be called so:
For he hath vndermined me times two.
For first mine heritage he toke away me fro,
And see, now hath he awaye my blessing also.
Ah father, father, though Iacob hath done this thing:
Yet let me Esau also haue thy blessing.
Shall all my good huntings for thee be in vaine?
Isaac.
That is done and past, can not be called againe.
Mine act must now stand in force of necessitie.
Esau.
And hast thou neuer a blessing then left for me?
Isaac.
Behold, I haue made thy brother Iacob thy Lord.
Esau.
A most poinant sworde vnto my heart is that word.
Isaac.
All his mothers children his seruantes haue I made.
Esau.
That worde is to me sharper than a rasers blade.
Isaac.
I haue also stablished him with wine and corne.
Esau.
Wo be the day and houre that euer I was borne.
Isaac.
What am I able to do for thee my sonne?
Esau.
Ah Iacob, Iacob, that thou hast me thus vndone.
Oh vnhappy happe: oh misfortune, well away,
That euer I should liue to see this wofull day.
But hast thou one blissing and no mo my father?
Let me also haue some blessing good sweete father.
Isaac.
Well, nature pricketh me some remorse on thee to haue.
Behold, thy dwelling place the earthes fatnesse shal haue,
And the dew of heauen whiche doune from aboue shall fall:
And with dinte of sworde thy liuing get thou shall.
And to thy brother Iacob thou shalt be seruant.
Esau.
Oh, to my yonger brother must I be seruant?
Oh, that euer a man should be so oppressed.
Isaac.
Thine owne fault it is that thou art dispossessed.
Esau.
Father, chaunge that piece of thy sentence & iudgement.
Isaac.
Things done can not be vndone, therfore be content,
Let me be in quiet, and trouble me no more.
Esau.
Oh woulde not this chafe a man, and fret his guts out?
To liue as an vnderling vnder such a loute?
Ah hypocrite, ah hedgecreeper, ah sembling wretche:
I will be euen with thee for this subtill fetche.
O God of Abraham, what reason is herein,
That to slea ones enimy it should be made sinne?
Were not one as good his part of heauen forgoe,
As not to be reuenged on his deadly foe?
God was angry with Caim for killing Abell:
Els might I kill Iacob meruellously well.
I may fortune one day him to dispatche and ridde:
The Lord will not see all things, some thing may be hid.
But as for these misers within my fathers tent,
Which to the supplanting of me put their consent,
Not one, but I shal coyle them till they stinke for pain,
And then for their stinking, coyle them of freshe again.
I will take no daies, but while the matter is hotte,
Not one of them shall scape but they shall to the potte.
| Iacob and Esau | |