University of Virginia Library

SCENE II.

A Cattle-stall outside the Cottage of Griselda. Enter Marquis, Courtiers, Knights, and Ladies.
MARQUIS.
Farther than this we will not wend to-day.

PIETRO MALA.
My liege! this is the poorest hut of all,
Dwelt in by one who never in his days
Had for to-morrow. He's at war with death;
And each day that he lives is a hard battle—
Won with a broken sword.

MARQUIS.
Why, then, 'twere well
We looked upon so brave a soldier!
Hath not the man a daughter?

PIETRO MALA.
They do say so.

MARQUIS.
Griselda?

PIETRO MALA.
Even so.

MARQUIS.
And very fair?

PIETRO MALA.
They that have seen her say as fair as may be.

MARQUIS.
Fair as may be, for fairer may not be;
I rede you, learn betimes, to do her honour;
'Twill be the task and lesson of your life.
Look where she comes! Dio! how beautiful!
Griselda!

Enter Griselda and Lenette.
GRISELDA.
(aside).
Lenette! Lenette! the Trader is the Prince.
Ah! me.

MARQUIS.
Griselda, set thy pitcher down.
Come to me here! Nay, not upon thy knee!
Where is thy father?

GRISELDA.
Lord! he is alone
Within the house.

MARQUIS.
I pray you fetch him forth.
[Exit Griselda.
Stand by me in your order, gentles all,
And doff the jewelled bonnets from your brows,—
Ye have beheld your Queen.

Enter Griselda and Janicola.
GRISELDA.
to Janicola.
Said I not well?
See what an angry cloud sits on his brow;
Let's kneel and pray it pass us.

JANICOLA.
Wherefore, child?
We owe him nothing but the air we breathe;
If he hath come to take the price of it,
Let him say on.

GRISELDA.
Dost thou not know the face,—
The trader's cap changed to a princely crown?
Kneel, father! 'tis thy guest of yester-eve
Come back a King!

JANICOLA.
Alas! I knew him not. (To the Marquis.)
Oh my Lord Marquis, I was over-bold
The yesternight when thou wert masking it.

MARQUIS.
Nay! I can bear to hear the truth of me,
And thank a true man for it; and to-day
I came to try thy love and not to chide it.
Give me thine ear.
[They walk aside.
I think thou lovest me,
As honest liegeman loveth rightful lord,
And therefore am I bold to ask a boon.

JANICOLA.
What boon is mine to give or not to give?
My liege! I am a very poor old man,
Whose loyalty and service, if its worth
Be rated by its givings, beggars me
As much in service as in worldly store.

MARQUIS.
Nay! but thou hast a thing dearer to me
Than all the pearls and rubies of the earth;
Which, an thou givest me, I would honour less
The monarch who should load an argosy
With ingots of red gold, and call them mine,
Than thou whose loyalty from nothingness
Gavest me more than all.

JANICOLA.
Thou knowest, lord,
That I have nothing; therefore, gracious lord,
If thou wilt take from nithing, wherefore ask
A beggar's leave to take it?

MARQUIS.
Wilt thou know
Why thy ungracious answer cannot move
My patience to a frown?—I love thy daughter,—
So well that I must have her for my wife!
What wilt thou say?

JANICOLA.
Alas! alas! my lord,
I did deserve correction, but not mocking.
This is no prince's palace!—you are strayed
Out of the way. Those gaudy gentlemen
Will tell you I am old Janicola
That eat o' the roots, with his white daughter there.

MARQUIS.
How wilt thou credit me?—Give me an oath.

JANICOLA.
Thou saidst, I love her.

MARQUIS.
Aye! with heart and soul.

JANICOLA.
Thou sayest, She must be my wife and lady.

MARQUIS.
I did.

JANICOLA.
Griselda?

MARQUIS.
Even she.

JANICOLA.
My daughter?

MARQUIS.
Yea! and my soul's sworn love.

JANICOLA.
Indeed, I think
That thou art sad in this, but yet 'tis strange!
Oh! give me grace, my lord, these hairs are grey,
She's the last thing I have. Dost thou so love her?

MARQUIS.
Yea! by mine honour and my hope of ruth.

JANICOLA.
'Tis over strange; yet I will credit thee.
Speak to her, good my lord; let the surprise
Paint her cheek red and white; and what she says
I'll say it too.

MARQUIS.
Why, then give me thy hand;
And I will ask her if her will doth serve.
Look you now pale she is! Now I shall bring
The blood into her cheek again;—Griselda!
Leave trembling, maiden, and come here to us.
[Griselda approaches and kneels.
Nay! thou must never kneel. Come near to me,
Lay thy true hand in this true hand of mine,
And take good heart and listen earnestly.
I have thy father's warrant for my words,
Who heareth what I swear. Before the God
Who made us both, Griselda, of one clay,
And knoweth what he made, and readeth hearts;
I love thee truly, royally, and well:
If thou wilt love me loyally and truly,
Never to change, and never to repent,
Whatever chance or change in life betide,
Half of my throne, and all my love, is thine.

GRISELDA.
My lord!

MARQUIS.
I pray thee, be not so dismayed;
The cold marsh-ague could not shake thee so
As these my words. Look up again, dear heart!
I'll say the oath a thousand several times,
So thou'lt believe it better.

GRISELDA.
My good lord!

MARQUIS.
Nay! do not weep; I bade thee lift thine eyes,
And thou hast dimmed them with so big a tear
I cannot see their meaning. Dear Griselda,
Is it so hard a thing to love a prince?

GRISELDA.
I'll not think that you jest thus; 'twere too base
And too unprincely. No! you could not do it.
I pray you hold me not unmaidenly,
If I shall look fixedly on your face,
And I will answer as a subject should,
And as a maiden may.

MARQUIS.
Why, gaze thy fill!
Canst thou see aught writ on this brow of mine,
Or in these eyes, whose meaning thou dost read
Book-like, but love,—true love, sweet wonderer,
And knightly faith and honour.

GRISELDA.
Dear my lord!
I do believe you from my very soul;
And for your kind love I return you here,
For ever and for ever while I live,
The little all I have,—a maiden heart,
A most unchanging loyalty and love,
Obedience that shall never faint or fail,
And thankful service that shall task itself
To serve yet better, and to love still more.
And the dear God, who knoweth I say true,
Be witness for me!

MARQUIS.
And for me, who seal
The oath of two lips with one loving kiss.
Kiss me back boldly, lovingly, Griselda;
And our sweet match is made. So! that is well!—
I will be merchant, sweetheart, once again,
To make exchanges at so fair a mart.

(Kisses her again.)
GRISELDA.
Alas! my lord, thy trade will beggar thee,
I pay thee nothing, and thou givest me all.

MARQUIS.
Thou wrong'st thyself, thyself not valuing;
Thou dost give love, and takest sovereignty,
So we are honest traders. Nay! they say
That loving arms cling closer than the purple,
And to be master of a faithful heart
Is more than ruling kingdoms; thus is love
Greater than sovereignty, and thou art wronged.

GRISELDA.
Then is the wrong so sweet a wrong, my lord,
That thanks for ever leave the wrong unthanked.
I would my lip could take from that of thine
The trick of queening it, as thine hath taken
From this of mine its love.

MARQUIS.
Thou shalt make trial
Presently with thy liegemen. Nobles all,
Your lady waits your leal welcoming,

PIETRO MALA.
I will be tongue and lip to their dumb welcome,
And make it loyally. Most noble lady,
Whose worthy beauty wins to-day a throne,
We hail thee for the Queen of us and ours,
And tender true allegiance. These our swords
Are thine to sheathe and draw. If we could bare
Our hearts, as we can bare our honest blades,
We'd show thee, written in the cores of them,
The record of our love. We greet you well.

GRISELDA.
I thank you,—and I thank you humbly, lords,
Mindful of what I was, and not forgetting
All that I am and shall be; for your love,
In that I was not better than the worst,
I thank you humbly, and will task myself
Still to deserve it;—for your fealty,
Ye pay it to your lady, and as she,
I take mine own with thanks.

MARQUIS.
Why! bravely spoken.
Take here thine own! (Crowning her)
Do you, fair ladies, fetch
The miniver, the ermines, and the zone,
And robe your mistress as a queen doth robe.
We will await you here.
[Exeunt.
Let music sound,
And play a strain that hath no sorrow in't.
Sorrow is out of tune.

[Music plays, presently enter Griselda attired regally with gems, &c.
MARQUIS.
Indeed, I did not know thou wert so fair.
Speak, speak, my queen, and make the music dull.

GRISELDA.
Shall not my father go along with us,
And this my friend too?

JANICOLA.
Ask him, good my daughter!
For leave to live unstirred. I love not courts,
Though thou be lady there.

MARQUIS.
I would thy boon
Were something worthier; thou shouldst be, good sir,
In yonder palace, even with the best;
Yet have thy will. Thou that hast lost thy mate
Shall find her yet, and love her as thy lady,
Doing all nearest service. Nay! your thanks
Must be to her; lead out my horse again,
And bring the palfrey with the cloth of gold.
Our road lies to the Palace. Sweetheart! come!

[Exeunt Omnes.
PIETRO MALA.
to Janicola.

This is rare to you, sir!

JANICOLA.

Nay, nay! I have seen a company of daws ere now about a dove. Will you not follow your feather, Signors? [Exit Janicola.

PIETRO MALA.

He hath a strange manner.

ANTONIO.

Aye, and matter, for that.—If thou wilt, let us discourse on this to-morrow in the gardens of the house.

PIETRO MALA.

We will, and now to follow them. [Exeunt.