 | [Ralph Roister Doister] |  |
Scæna. ij.
Rafe Roister Doister. Mathew Merygreeke.R. Royster.
Come death when thou wilt, I am weary of my life.
M. Mery.
I tolde you I, we should wowe an other wife.
R. Royster.
Why did God make me suche a goodly person?
M. Mery.
He is in by the weke, we shall haue sport anon.
R. Royster.
And where is my trustie friende Mathew Merygreeke?
M. Mery.
I wyll make as I sawe him not, he doth me seeke.
R. Roister.
I haue hym espyed me thinketh, yond is hee,
Hough Mathew Merygreeke my friend, a worde with thee.
M. Mery.
I wyll not heare him, but make as I had haste,
Farewell all my good friendes, the tyme away dothe waste,
And the tide they say, tarieth for no man.
R. Roister.
Thou must with thy good counsell helpe me if thou can.
M. Mery.
God keepe thee worshypfull Maister Roister Doister,
And fare well the lustie Maister Roister Doister.
R. Royster.
I muste needes speake with thee a worde or twaine.
M. Mery.
Within a month or two I will be here againe,
Negligence in greate affaires ye knowe may marre all.
R. Roister.
Attende vpon me now, and well rewarde thee I shall.
M. Mery.
I haue take my leaue, and the tide is well spent.
R. Roister.
I die except thou helpe, I pray thee be content,
Doe thy parte wel nowe, and aske what thou wilt,
For without thy aide my matter is all spilt.
M. Mery.
Then to serue your turne I will some paines take,
And let all myne owne affaires alone for your sake.
R. Royster.
My whole hope and trust resteth onely in thee,
M. Mery.
Then can ye not doe amisse what euer it bee.
Gramercies Merygreeke, most bounde to thee I am.
M. Mery.
But vp with that heart, and speake out like a ramme,
Ye speake like a Capon that had the cough now:
Bee of good cheere, anon ye shall doe well ynow.
R. Royster.
Upon thy comforte, I will all things well handle.
M. Mery.
So loe, that is a breast to blowe out a candle.
But what is this great matter I woulde faine knowe,
We shall fynde remedie therefore I trowe.
Doe ye lacke money? ye knowe myne olde offers,
Ye haue always a key to my purse and coffers.
R. Royster.
I thanke thee: had euer man suche a frende?
M. Mery.
Ye gyue vnto me: I must needes to you lende.
R. Royster.
Nay I haue money plentie all things to discharge.
M. Mery.
That knewe I ryght well when I made offer so large.
But it is no suche matter.
M. M.
What is it than?
Are ye in daunger of debte to any man?
If ye be, take no thought nor be not afraide,
Let them hardly take thought how they shall be paide.
R. Royster.
Tut I owe nought.
M. M.
What thē? fear ye imprisonment?
R. R.
No.
M. M.
No I wist ye offende, not so to be shent.
But if he had, the Toure coulde not you so holde,
But to breake out at all times ye would be bolde.
What is it? hath any man threatned you to beate?
R. Royster.
What is he that durst haue put me in that heate?
He that beateth me by his armes shall well fynde,
That I will not be farre from him nor runne behinde.
M. Mery.
That thing knowe all men euer since ye ouerthrewe,
The fellow of the Lion which Hercules slewe.
But what is it than?
R. R.
Of loue I make my mone.
M. Mery.
Ah this foolishe a loue, wilt neare let vs alone?
But bicause ye were refused the last day,
Ye sayd ye woulde nere more be intangled that way.
I woulde medle no more, since I fynde all so vnkinde.
R. Royster.
Yea, but I can not so put loue out of my minde.
But is your loue tell me first, in any wise,
In the way of Mariage, or of Merchandise?
If it may otherwise than lawfull be founde,
Ye get none of my helpe for an hundred pounde.
R. Royster.
No by my trouth I woulde haue hir to my Wife.
M. Mery.
Then are ye a good man, and God saue your life,
And what or who is she, with whome ye are in loue?
R. Royster.
A woman whome I knowe not by what meanes to moue.
M. Mery.
Who is it?
R. R.
A woman yond.
M. M.
What is hir name?
R. Royster.
Hir yōder.
M. M.
Whō?
R. R.
Mistresse ah.
M. M.
Fy fy for shame
Loue ye, and know not whome? but hir yonde, a Woman,
We shall then get you a Wyfe, I can not tell whan.
R. Royster.
The faire Woman, that supped wyth vs yesternight,
And I hearde hir name twice or thrice, and had it ryght.
M. Mery.
Yea, ye may see ye nere take me to good cheere with you,
If ye had, I coulde haue tolde you hir name now.
R. Royster.
I was to blame in deede, but the nexte tyme perchaunce:
And she dwelleth in this house.
M. M.
What Christiā Custance.
R. Royster.
Except I haue hir to my Wife, I shall runne madde.
M. Mery.
Nay vnwise perhaps, but I warrant you for madde.
R. Royster.
I am vtterly dead vnlesse I haue my desire.
M. Mery.
Where be the bellowes that blewe this sodeine fire?
R. Royster.
I heare she is worthe a thousande pounde and more.
M. Mery.
Yea, but learne this one lesson of me afore,
An hundred pounde of Marriage money doubtlesse,
Is euer thirtie pounde sterlyng, or somewhat lesse,
So that hir Thousande pounde yf she be thriftie,
Is muche neere aboute two hundred and fiftie,
Howebeit wowers and Widowes are neuer poore.
R. Royster.
Is she a Widowe? I loue hir better therefore.
M. Mery.
But I heare she hath made promise to another.
R. Royster.
He shall goe without hir, and he were my brother.
M. Mery.
I haue hearde say, I am right well aduised,
That she hath to Gawyn Goodlucke promised.
What is that Gawyn Goodlucke?
M. M.
a Merchant man.
R. Royster.
Shall he speede afore me? nay sir by sweete Sainct Anne.
Ah sir, Backare quod Mortimer to his sowe,
I wyll haue hir myne owne selfe I make God a vow.
For I tell thee, she is worthe a thousande pounde.
M. Mery.
Yet a fitter wife for your maship might be founde:
Suche a goodly man as you, might get one wyth lande,
Besides poundes of golde a thousande and a thousande,
And a thousande, and a thousande, and a thousande,
And so to the summe of twentie hundred thousande,
Your most goodly personage is worthie of no lesse.
R. Royster.
I am sorie God made me so comely doubtlesse.
For that maketh me eche where so highly fauoured,
And all women on me so enamoured.
M. Mery.
Enamoured quod you? haue ye spied out that?
Ah sir, mary nowe I see you know what is what.
Enamoured ka? mary sir say that againe,
But I thought not ye had marked it so plaine.
R. Royster.
Yes, eche where they gaze all vpon me and stare.
M. Mery.
Yea malkyn, I warrant you as muche as they dare.
And ye will not beleue what they say in the streete,
When your mashyp passeth by all such as I meete,
That sometimes I can scarce finde what aunswere to make.
Who is this (sayth one) sir Launcelot du lake?
Who is this, greate Guy of Warwike, sayth an other?
No (say I) it is the thirtenth Hercules brother.
Who is this? noble Hector of Troy, sayth the thirde?
No, but of the same nest (say I) it is a birde.
Who is this? greate Goliah, Sampson, or Colbrande?
No (say I) but it is a brute of the Alie lande.
Who is this? greate Alexander? or Charle le Maigne?
No, it is the tenth Worthie, say I to them agayne:
I knowe not if I sayd well.
R. R.
Yes for so I am.
M. Mery.
Yea, for there were but nine worthies before ye came.
And so as well as I can I aunswere them all.
Sir I pray you, what lorde or great gentleman is this?
Maister Ralph Roister Doister dame say I, ywis.
O Lorde (sayth she than) what a goodly man it is,
Woulde Christ I had such a husbande as he is.
O Lorde (say some) that the sight of his face we lacke:
It is inough for you (say I) to see his backe.
His face is for ladies of high and noble parages,
With whome he hardly scapeth great mariages.
With muche more than this, and much otherwise.
R. Royster.
I can thee thanke that thou canst suche answeres deuise:
But I perceyue thou doste me thoughly knowe.
M. Mery.
I marke your maners for myne owne learnyng I trowe,
But suche is your beautie, and suche are your actes,
Suche is your personage, and suche are your factes,
That all women faire and fowle, more and lesse,
They eye you, they lubbe you, they talke of you doubtlesse.
Your peasant looke maketh them all merie,
Ye passe not by, but they laugh till they be werie,
Yea and money coulde I haue the truthe to tell,
Of many, to bryng you that way where they dwell.
R. Royster.
Merygreeke for this thy reporting well of mee:
M. Mery.
What shoulde I else sir, it is my duetie pardee.
R. Royster.
I promise thou shalt not lacke, while I haue a grote.
M. Mery.
Faith sir, and I nere had more nede of a newe cote.
R. Royster.
Thou shalte haue one to morowe, and golde for to spende.
M. Mery.
Then I trust to bring the day to a good ende.
For as for mine owne parte hauing money inowe,
I coulde lyue onely with the remembrance of you.
But nowe to your Widowe whome you loue so hotte.
R. Royster.
By cocke thou sayest truthe, I had almost forgotte.
M. Mery.
What if Christian Custance will not haue you what?
R. Roister.
Haue me? yes I warrant you, neuer doubt of that,
M. Mery.
In deede meete it were some body should it breake.
R. Roister.
She looked on me twentie tymes yesternight,
And laughed so.
M. M.
That she coulde not sitte vpright,
R. Roister.
No faith coulde she not.
M. M.
No euen such a thing I cast.
R. Royster.
But for wowyng thou knowest women are shamefast.
But and she knewe my minde, I knowe she would be glad,
And thinke it the best chaunce that euer she had.
M. Mery.
Too hir then like a man, and be bolde forth to starte,
Wowers neuer speede well, that haue a false harte.
R. Roister.
What may I best doe?
M. M.
Sir remaine ye a while,
Ere long one or other of hir house will appere.
Ye knowe my minde.
R. R.
Yea now hardly lette me alone.
M. Mery.
In the meane time sir, if you please, I wyll home,
And call your Musitians, for in this your case
It would sette you forth, and all your wowyng grace,
Ye may not lacke your instrumentes to play and sing.
R. Royster.
Thou knowest I can doe that.
M. M.
As well as any thing.
Shall I go call your folkes, that ye may shewe a cast?
R. Royster.
Yea runne I beseeche thee in all possible haste.
M. Mery.
I goe. Exeat.
R. R.
Yea for I loue singyng out of measure,
It comforteth my spirites and doth me great pleasure.
But who commeth forth yond from my swete hearte Custance?
My matter frameth well, thys is a luckie chaunce.
| [Ralph Roister Doister] | |