University of Virginia Library

Actus. v.

Scæna. j.

Gawyn Goodlucke.
Sym Suresby.
Sym Suresby my trustie man, nowe aduise thee well,
And see that no false surmises thou me tell,
Was there such adoe about Custance of a truth?

Sim Sure.
To reporte that I hearde and sawe, to me is ruth,
But both my duetie and name and propretie,
Warneth me to you to shewe fidelitie.
It may be well enough, and I wyshe it so to be,
She may hir selfe discharge and trie hir honestie,
Yet their clayme to hir me thought was very large,
For with letters rings and tokens, they dyd hir charge.
Which when I hearde and sawe I would none to you bring.

G. Goodl.
No by sainct Marie, I allowe thee in that thing.
Ah sirra, nowe I see truthe in the prouerbe olde,
All things that shineth is not by and by pure golde,
If any doe lyue a woman of honestie,
I would haue sworne Christian Custance had bene shee.

Sim Sure.
Sir, though I to you be a seruant true and iust.
Yet doe not ye therfore your faithfull spouse mystrust.
But examine the matter, and if ye shall it finde,
To be all well, be not ye for my wordes vnkinde.

G. Goodl.
I shall do that is right, and as I see cause why.
But here commeth Custance forth, we shal know by and by.

Scæna. ij.

C. Custance. Gawyn Goodlucke. Sym Suresby.
C. Custāce.
I Come forth to see and hearken for newes good,
For about this houre is the tyme of likelyhood,
That Gawyn Goodlucke by the sayings of Suresby,
Woulde be at home, and lo yond I see hym I.
What Gawyn Goodluck, the onely hope of my life,
Welcome home, and kysse me your true espoused wife.

Ga. Good.
Nay soft dame Custance, I must first by your licence,
See whether all things be cleere in your conscience,
I heare of your doings to me very straunge.

C. Custāce.
What feare ye? that my faith towardes you should chaunge?

Ga. Good.
I must needes mistrust ye be elsewhere entangled,
For I heare that certaine men with you haue wrangled
About the promise of mariage by you to them made.

C. Custāce.
Coulde any mans reporte your minde therein persuade?

Ga. Good.
Well, ye must therin declare your selfe to stande cleere,
Else I and you dame Custance may not ioyne this yere.

C. Custāce.
Then woulde I were dead, and faire layd in my graue,
Ah Suresby, is this the honestie that ye haue?
To hurt me with your report, not knowyng the thing.

Sim Sure.
If ye be honest my wordes can hurte you nothing.
But what I hearde and sawe, I might not but report.

C. Custāce
Ah Lorde, helpe poore widowes, destitute of comfort.
Truly most deare spouse, nought was done but for pastance.

G. Good.
But such kynde of sporting is homely daliance.

C. Custāce.
If ye knewe the truthe, ye would take all in good parte.

Ga. Good.
By your leaue I am not halfe well skilled in that arte.

C. Custāce.
It was none but Roister Doister that foolishe mome.

Ga. Good.
Yea Custance, better (they say) a badde scuse than none.

C. Custāce.
Why Tristram Trustie sir, your true and faithfull frende,
Was priuie bothe to the beginning and the ende.
Let him be the Iudge, and for me testifie.

Ga. Good.
I will the more credite that he shall verifie,
And bicause I will the truthe know een as it is,
I will to him my selfe, and know all without misse.
Come on Sym Suresby, that before my friend thou may
Auouch the same wordes, which thou dydst to me say.

Exeant.

Scæna. iij.

Christian Custance.
C. Custāce.
O Lorde , howe necessarie it is nowe of dayes,
That eche bodie liue vprightly all maner wayes,
For lette neuer so little a gappe be open,
And be sure of this, the worst shall be spoken
Howe innocent stande I in this for deede or thought?
And yet see what mistrust towardes me it hath wrought
But thou Lorde knowest all folkes thoughts & eke intents
And thou arte the deliuerer of all innocentes.
Thou didst helpe the aduoutresse that she might be amended,
Much more then helpe Lorde, that neuer yll intended.
Thou didst helpe Susanna, wrongfully accused,
And no lesse dost thou see Lorde, how I am now abused,
Thou didst helpe Hester, when she should haue died,
Helpe also good Lorde, that my truth may be tried.
Yet if Gawin Goodlucke with Tristram Trusty speake.
I trust of yll report the force shall be but weake,
And loe yond they come sadly talking togither,
I wyll abyde, and not shrinke for their comming hither.

Scæna. iiij.

Gawyn Goodlucke, Tristram Trustie. C. Custance. Sym Suresby.
Ga. Good.
And was it none other than ye to me reporte?

Tristram.
No, and here were ye wished to haue seene the sporte.

Ga. Good.
Woulde I had, rather than halfe of that in my purse.

Sim Sure.
And I doe muche reioyce the matter was no wurse,
And like as to open it, I was to you faithfull,
So of dame Custance honest truth I am ioyfull.
For God forfende that I shoulde hurt hir by false reporte.

Ga. Good.
Well, I will no longer holde hir in discomforte.

C. Custāce.
Nowe come they hitherwarde, I trust all shall be well.

G. Good.
Sweete Custance neither heart can thinke nor tongue tell,
Howe much I ioy in your constant fidelitie,
Come nowe kisse me the pearle of perfect honestie.

C. Custāce.
God lette me no longer to continue in lyfe,
Than I shall towardes you continue a true wyfe.

G. Goodl.
Well now to make you for this some parte of amendes,
I shall desire first you, and then suche of our frendes,
As shall to you seeme best, to suppe at home with me,
Where at your fought fielde we shall laugh and mery be.

Sim Sure.
And mistresse I beseech you, take with me no greefe,
I did a true mans part, not wishyng your repreefe.

C. Custāce.
Though hastie reportes through surmises growyng,
May of poore innocentes be vtter ouerthrowyng,
Yet bicause to thy maister thou hast a true hart,
And I know mine owne truth, I forgiue thee for my part.

G. Goodl.
Go we all to my house, and of this geare no more.
Goe prepare all things Sym Suresby, hence, runne afore.

Sim Sure.
I goe. Ex.


G. Good.
But who commeth yond, M. Merygreeke?

C. Custāce.
Roister Doisters champion, I shrewe his best cheeke.

T. Trusty.
Roister Doister selfe your wower is with hym too.
Surely some thing there is with vs they haue to doe.

Scæna. v.

M. Merygreeke. Ralph Roister. Gawyn Goodlucke. Tristram Trustie. C. Custance.
M. Mery.
Yond I see Gawyn Goodlucke, to whome lyeth my message,
I wyll first salute him after his long voyage,
And then make all thing well concerning your behalfe.

R. Royster.
Yea for the pashe of God.

M. M.
Hence out of sight ye calfe,
Till I haue spoke with them, and then I will you fet,

R. Royster.
In Gods name.

M. M.
What master Gawin Goodluck wel met
And from your long voyage I bid you right welcome home.

Ga. Good.
I thanke you.

M. M.
I come to you from an honest mome.

Ga. Good.
Who is that?

M. M.
Roister Doister that doughtie kite.

C. Custāce.
Fye, I can scarce abide ye shoulde his name recite.

M. Mery.
Ye must take him to fauour, and pardon all past,
He heareth of your returne, and is full yll agast.

Ga. Good.
I am ryght well content he haue with vs some chere.

C. Custāce.
Fye vpon him beast, then wyll not I be there.

Ga. Good.
Why Custance doe ye hate hym more than ye loue me?

C. Custāce.
But for your mynde sir, where he were would I not be?

T. Trusty.
He woulde make vs al laugh.

M. M.
Ye nere had better sport.

Ga. Good.
I pray you sweete Custance, let him to vs resort.

C. Custāce.
To your will I assent.

M. M.
Why, suche a foole it is,
As no man for good pastime would forgoe or misse.

G. Good.
Fet him to go wyth vs.

M. M.
He will be a glad man.

Ex.
T. Trusty.
We must to make vs mirth, maintaine hym all we can.
And loe yond he commeth and Merygreeke with him.

C. Custāce.
At his first entrance ye shall see I wyll him trim.
But first let vs hearken the gentlemans wise talke.

T. Trusty.
I pray you marke if euer ye sawe crane so stalke.

Scæna. vj.

R. Roister. M. Merygreeke. C. Custance. G. Goodlucke, T. Trustie. D. Doughtie. Harpax.
R. Royster.
May I then be bolde?

M. M.
I warrant you on my worde,
They say they shall be sicke, but ye be at theyr borde.

R. Royster.
Thei wer not angry then.

M. M.
Yes at first, & made strāge
But when I sayd your anger to fauour shoulde change,
And therewith had commended you accordingly,
They were all in loue with your mashyp by and by.
And cried you mercy that they had done you wrong.

R. Royster.
For why, no man, woman, nor childe can hate me long.

M. Mery.
We feare (quod they) he will be auenged one day,
Then for a peny giue all our liues we may.

R. Royster.
Sayd they so in deede.

M. M.
Did they? yea, euen with one voice
He will forgiue all (quod I) Oh how they did reioyce.

R. Royster.
Ha, ha, ha.

M. Mery.
Goe fette hym (say they) while he is in good moode,
For haue his anger who lust, we will not by the Roode.

R. Royster.
I pray God that it be all true, that thou hast me tolde,
And that she fight no more.

M. M.
I warrant you, be bolde.
Too them, and salute them.

R. R.
Sirs, I greete you all well.

Omnes.
Your maistership is welcom.

C. Cust.
Sauyng my quarell.
For sure I will put you vp into the Eschequer.

M. Mery.
Why so? better nay: Wherfore?

C. Cust.
For an vsurer.

R. Royster.
I am no vsurer good mistresse by his armes.

M. Mery.
When tooke he gaine of money to any mans harmes?

C. Custāce.
Yes, a fowle vsurer he is, ye shall see els.

R. Royster.
Didst not thou promise she would picke no mo quarels?

C. Custāce.
He will lende no blowes, but he haue in recompence
Fiftene for one, whiche is to muche of conscience.

R. Royster.
Ah dame, by the auncient lawe of armes, a man
Hath no honour to soile his handes on a woman.

C. Custāce.
And where other vsurers take their gaines yerely,
This man is angry but he haue his by and by.

Ga. Goodl.
Sir, doe not for hir sake beare me your displeasure.

M. Mery.
Well, he shall with you talke therof more at leasure.
Upon your good vsage, he will now shake your hande.

R. Royster.
And much heartily welcome from a straunge lande.

M. Mery.
Be not afearde Gawyn to let him shake your fyst.

Ga. Goodl.
Oh the moste honest gentleman that ere I wist.
I beseeche your mashyp to take payne to suppe with vs.

M. Mery.
He shall not say you nay and I too, by Iesus.
Bicause ye shall be friends, and let all quarels passe.

R. Royster.
I wyll be as good friends with them as ere I was.

M. Mery.
Then let me fet your quier that we may haue a song.

R. Royster.
Goe.

G. Goodluck.
I haue hearde no melodie all this yeare long.

M. Mery.
Come on sirs quickly.

R. R.
Sing on sirs, for my frends sake.

D. Dough.
Cal ye these your frēds?

R. R.
Sing on, & no mo words make.

Here they sing.
Ga. Good.
The Lord preserue our most noble Queene of renowne,
And hir vertues rewarde with the heauenly crowne.

C. Custāce.
The Lorde strengthen hir most excellent Maiestie,
Long to reigne ouer vs in all prosperitie.

T. Trusty.
That hir godly proceedings the faith to defende,
He may stablishe and maintaine through to the ende.

M. Mery.
God graunt hir as she doth, the Gospell to protect,
Learning and vertue to aduaunce, and vice to correct.

R. Royster.
God graunt hir louyng subiects both the minde and grace,
Hir most godly procedyngs worthily to imbrace.

Harpax.
Hir highnesse most worthy counsellers God prosper,
With honour and loue of all men to minister.

Omnes.
God graunt the nobilitie hir to serue and loue,
With all the whole commontie as doth them behoue.