 | Liberalitie and Prodigalitie |  |
SCENE V.
Enter Tipstaues, Liberality, Equity, Sherife, Clerks, Cryer, Prodigality, and the Iudge.Tip.
Roome, my Masters, giue place, stand by.
Sir, Equity hath sent me to let you vnderstand,
That hither he will resort out of hand,
Lib.
In good time.
Tip.
Behold, he comes.
Lib.
Now, Equity, how falles the matter out?
Equit.
That Prodigality is guiltie of the fact, no doubt,
And therefore for furtherance of Iustice effectually,
My Lord the Iudge comes to sit vpon him presently:
Wherein we craue your assistance.
Lib.
Ile wayte vpon you.
Tip.
Roome, my masters, roome for my Lord: stand by.
The Iudge placed, and the Clerkes vnder him.
Iudge.
Call for the prisoner.
Clerk.
Make an oyes, cryer.
Cryer.
Oyes, oyes, oyes!
Clerk.
Sherife of Middlesex.
Cryer.
Repeat, Sherife, &c.
Clerk.
Bring forth the prisoner.
Cryer.
Bring, &c.
Clerk.
Prodigalitie.
Cryer.
Prodigalitie.
Clerk.
Paine of the perill shall fall thereon.
Cryer.
Paine of, &c.
Sherif.
Here, sir.
Clerk.
Prodigality, hold vp thy hand.
Thou art indited here by the name of Prodigality, for that thou,
the fourth day of February, in the three & fortie yeere of the prosperous
raigne of Elizabeth our dread Soueraigne, by the grace of
God, of England, France, and Ireland Queene, defender of the
faith, &c. together with two other malefactors yet vnknowne, at
High-gate in the County of Middlesex aforesaid, didst felloniously
take from one Tenacity of the parish of Pancridge yeoman, in
the said County, one thousand pounds of gold and siluer starling:
price twenty shillings, then and there cruelly didst giue the saide
Tenacitie vpon the head, one mortall wound, whereof hee is now
dead, contrarie to the Queenes peace, her Crowne and dignitie.
Iudge.
How saist thou, Prodigalitie, to this robberie, felonie, and
murther? art thou guiltie, or not guiltie?
Prod.
My Lord, I beseech you, graunt me councell to plead my cause.
Iudg.
That may not be, it standeth not with our lawes.
Prod.
Then, good my Lord, let me some respite take.
Iudg.
Neyther may that be: thus doth the inditement lie,
Thou art accus'd of murther, and of robberie,
To which thou must now answere presently,
Whether thou be thereof guiltie or not guiltie.
Prod.
Well, since there is no other remedie,
And that my fact falles out so apparantly,
I will confesse, that indeed I am guilty,
Most humbly appealing to the Princes mercy.
Iudg.
Then what canst thou say for thy selfe, Prodigalitie,
That according to the law thou shouldst not die?
Prod.
Nothing, my Lord: but still appeale to the Princes mercy.
Iudg.
Then hearken to thy iudgement.
Thou, Prodigalitie, by that name haste bin indited and arraigned
here, of a robbery, murther, and felonie, against the lawes committed
by thee: the inditement whereof being read vnto thee here,
thou confessest thy selfe to be guilty therein: whereupon I Iudge
thee, to be had from hence, to the place thou camst fro, and from
thence to the place of execution, there to be hangd till thou be
dead, God haue mercy on thee.
Prod.
My Lord, I most humbly beseech you to heare mee.
Iudg.
Say on.
Prod.
I confesse, I haue runne a wanton wicked race,
Which now hath brought me to this wofull wretched case:
I am heartily sorrie, and with teares doe lament
My former lewd, and vile misgouernment.
I finde the brittle stay of trustlesse Fortunes state,
My heart now thirsteth after Vertue, all too late:
To be a meane for him, that meaneth to amend.
The Prince is mercifull, of whose great mercy,
Full many haue largely tasted already:
Which makes me appeale thereto more boldly.
Iudg.
Prodigalitie, I not mislike your wailefull disposition,
And therefore, for you to the Prince, there shall be made Petition,
That though your punishment be not fully remitted,
Yet in some part, it may be qualified.
Prod.
God saue your life.
Vertue, Equitie, Liberalitie, Iudge, and all come downe before the Queene, and after reuerence made, Vertue speaketh.
| Liberalitie and Prodigalitie | |