University of Virginia Library

Act 2.

sena. 1.

VVitte and VVill.
VVitte.
VVhat Will I say Wilboye come againe folishe elfe

VVill.
I crye you mercy sir you are a tall man your selfe.

VVitte.
Such a cokbraine as thou art I neuer saw ye like to it

VVill.
Truth in respect of you that are nothing els but Wit

VVitte.
Cāst thou tel me thy errād because thou art gone so sone,

VVill.
Can I remember a longe tale of a man in the moone,
With such a circumstaunce and such flym flam
I wyll tell at a worde whose seruante I am
Wherfore I come and what I haue to saye,
And cal for her aunswere, before I come awaye
What should I make a brode tree, of euery litell shrubbe,
And kepe her agreat whyle with a tale of a tubbe.

VVitte.
Yet thou must commend me to be rich, lusty pleasaunt and wyse.

VVill.
I can not commend you, but I must make twentie lies
Rich quoth you, that appeareth by the port that you kepe,
Euen as rich as a newe shorne sheepe
Of pleasaunt conceiptes, ten busshells to the pecke,
Lusty like a herringe, with a bell about his necke,
Wyse as a woodcocke: as brage as a bodylouse,
A man of your handes, to matche wyth a mouse:
How say you, are not these proper qualities to prayse you with.

VVitte.
Leaue these mad toyes of thyne and come to the pythe
One part of the errande should haue bene,
To giue her this picture of mine to be seene,
And to request her the same to accepte
Safely vntill my comminge to be kepte,
Which I suspende till thy returne and then
If it like her Ladyshipppe to appoint me where and when
I will waite vpon her gladly out of hande.

VVill.
Sir let me alone your mynde I vnderstand,
I will handle the matter so that you shall owe me thankes,
But what if she finde fault with these spindle shankes
Or els with these blacke spottes on your nose.

VVitte.
In fayth sir boye this talke deserueth blowes.

VVill.
You will not misvse your best seruant I suppose
For by his nayles, and by his fingers toe.
I will marre your mariage if you do clitter.

VVitte.
I praye the goe thy wayes and leaue this clatter.

VVill.
First shal I be so bold to breake to you a matter.

VVitte.
Tushe thou art disposed to spende wordes in wast,
And yet thou knowest this busines asketh hast

VVill.
But euen two wordes, and then I am gon.

VVitte.
If it be worth the hearing, say on.

VVill.
I would not haue you thinke that I for my part
From my promise or frō your seruice wil depart,
But yet now and then it goeth to my hart,
When I thinke how this mariage maye be to my smart

VVitte.
Why so?

VVill.
I would tell you the cause if I durst for shame.

VVitte.
Speke hardely what thou wilt without any blame.

VVill.
I am not disposed as yet to be tame,
And therfore I am loth to be vnder a Dame,
Now you are a Bachiler a man may sone win you
Me thinks there is some good felowshippe in you,
We may laugh and be meery at bord and at bedde,
You are not so testy as those that be wedde,
Myld in behauior and loth to fall out,
You may runne, you may ryde & roue roūd about,
With wealth at your will and all thinge at ease,
Free franke and lusty, esye to please,
But when you be clogged and tyed by the toe,
So faste that you shal not haue power to let goe,
You will tell me another lesson sone after
And cry peccaui too except your lucke be the better:
Then farewel goodfellowshyp then come at a call
Then waite at an inche you idle knaues all,
Then sparyng and pynchinge and nothing of gift,
No talke with our maister, but al for his thrift,
Solemne and sower and angry as a waspe,
Althinges must be kept vnder locke and haspe,
At that which will make me to fare ful ill.
All your care shalbe to hamper poore wyll.

VVitte.
I warrant the for that take thou no thought,
Thou shalt be made of, whosoeuer be set at nought
As dere to me, as myne owne dere brother,
Whosoeuer be one, thou shalt be an other.

VVill
Yea but your wyfe wyl play the shrew, perdy it is she that I feare

VVitte.
Thy message wyll cause her some fauor to beare,
For my sake and thy sake and for her owne likewyse
If thou vse thy selfe discretly in this enterpryse.

VVill.
She hath a father, a testy sower old man,
I doubt lest he and I, shall fall out nowe and than,

VVitte.
Gyue hym fayre words, forbeare him for his age,
Thou must consider hym to be auncient and sage,
Shew thy selfe officious and seruisable stil,
And then shall Reason make very muche of Will.

VVill.
If your wyfe be euer complayning, how then?

VVitte.
My wyfe wyll haue nothing to doe wyth my men.

VVill.
If she doe, beleue her not in any wyse.
And when you once perceyue her stomacke to aryse,
Then cut her short at the first and you shall see
A meruaylouse vertue in that medisen to bee,
Giue her not the bridle for a yeare or twayne
And you shal see her bridle it without a reine,
Breake her betymes and bring her vnder by force
Or elles the graye Mare, wil be the better horse.

VVitte.
If thou haue done begone, and spende no time in vayne.

VVill.
Where shal I fynde you, when I come againe.

VVitte.
At home.

VVill.
Good enough take your ease let me alone with this
Surely a treasure of all treasures it is,
To serue such a mayster, as I hope him to bee,
And to haue such a seruant as he hath of mee,
For I am quicke, nimbell, proper and nise,
He is ful good, gentle, sober and wyse,
He is full loth to chide or to checke,
And I am as willinge to serue at a becke,
He orders me well and speakes me so fayre
That for his sake no trauayle I must spare,
But now am I come to the gate of this Ladye,
I wyll pause awhyle to frame myne errante fynelye
And loe wher she commeth yet will I not come nye her,
But amonge these fellowes wyl I stande to eye her.

sena 2.

Reason, Experience, Science and VVill.
Science.
My Parentes ye knowe, howe many fall in lappes
That do ascribe to me the cause of their mishappes?
Howe many seeke that come to short of their desyre?
Howe many do attempt that dayly do retire?
Howe many roue about the marke on euery syde?
How many thinke to hit when they are much to wyde?
Howe many runne to farre how many light to lowe?
Howe fewe to good effecte, their trauayle do bestowe,
And howe all these impute their losses vnto mee.
Should I haue ioye to thinke of mariage nowe trowe yee
What doth the worlde my loue alone say they
Is bought so dere that life and goodes for it must paye
Stronge youth must spende it selfe, and yet when al is done,
We here of fewe or none that haue this Lady wonne.
On me they make outcryes and charge me with the bloud
Of those that for my sake aduenture life and good
This griefe doth wound my hart so, yt suters more as yet
I se no cause nor reason why I shold admyt.

Reason.
Ah daughter say not so there is great cause and skill,
For which you shold mislike to liue vnmaried thus alone
What comfort can you haue remayning thus vnknowne
How shal the common wealth by you aduaunced be
If you abide enclosed here where no man may you see
It is not for your state, your selfe to take the payne
All straungers that resort to you to entertayne
To suffer free accesse of all that come and goe
To be at eche mannes cal to trauayle too and fro,
What thē, synce god hath plast such treasure in your brest
Wherwith so many thousand thinke by you to be refresht
Needes must you haue some one of hyd and secret trust
By whom these things may be, well ordered and discuste:
To him you must disclose the depth of all your thought
By him as time shall serue all matters must be wrought
To hym aboue you must content your selfe to be at call
Ye must be his, he must be yours, he must be al in all.

Experience.
My Lord your father telles you truth perdie
And that in time your selfe shall fynde and trye.

Science.
I could aledge more then as yet I haue sayde,
But I must yelde, and you muste be obayed
Fall oute as it will there is no helpe I see,
Some one or other in time must mary mee,

VVill.
In time nay out of hand, Madame if it please you,
In fayth I knowe a yonker that will ease you,
A lyuelye younge gentilman, as freshe as any flower,
That wyll not sticke to marye you within this hower.

Science.
Such haste myght hapelye turne to wast to sum,
But I pray thee my pretye boye whence art thou come.

VVill.
If it pleace youre good Ladyshype to accepte me soo,
I haue a solemne message to tel or I goe,
Not anye thynge in secrete your honour to stayne,
But in the presence and hearinge of you twayne.

Reason.
Speake.

VVill.
The Lady of this world which Lady Nature hyght,
Hath one a peereles sonne in whom she taketh delyght,
On hym she chargeth men to be antendant styll,
Both kynde to her, hys name is Witte, my name is Will,
The noble chyld doth feele the force of cupydes flame
And sendeth now for ease by counsel of hys dame,
Hys mother taught hym fyrst to loue whyle he was younge
Which loue wt age encreaseth sore and waxeth wondrous stronge
For verye fame displayes youre bountye more and more,
And at thys pyntch he burneth so as neuer heretofore
Not fanteses force, not vayne and Idle toyes of loue,
Not hope of that whych commenlye doth other suiters moue,
But fixed fast good wyll that neuer shall relent,
And vertues force yt shines in you bade him geue this attempte,
He hath no neade of wealth, he wooes not for youre good,
His kynred is such he nede not to seke to match with noble bloud,
Such store of fryndes that where he lest he may commaunde,
And none so hardy to presume hys pleasure to withstand,
Youre self it is, your vertue and youre grace,
Youre noble giftes youre endles prayes in euery place,
You alone I saye the marke that he would hit,
The hoped ioye the dearest pray that can befale to witte,

Experience.
I haue not harde a meyssage more trymlee done,

Scince.
Nor I, what age art thou of my good sonne,

VVill.
Betwene eleuen and xii, Madame more or lesse.

Reason.
He hath bene instructed this errand as I gesse.

Science,
How old is the gentilman thy maister canst thou tell?

VVill.
Seuentene or there aboute I wote not verye well.

Science.
What stature of what makyng what kynde of port beares he

VVill.
Such as youre Ladyshipe can not myslike trust me.
Well growen, wel made, a stripling clean and taule,
Wel fauored, somwhat black and manlye therewithal,
And that you may conceaue hys personage the better,
Lo heare of hym the vearye shape and liuely picture,
Thys hath he sente to you to viewe and to behoulde,
I dare aduouch no Ioynt therin no Iote to be controulde,

Science.
In good fayth I thancke thy mayster with my hart,
I perceyue that nature in him, hath done her part.

VVill.
Farther, if it please your honour to knowe:
My master would be glad to runne ryde or goe,
At your commaundment to any place farre or neere,
To haue but a sight of your Ladyshippe there,
I beseech you appoint him the place and the hower,
You shal se how redyly to you he wil scoure.

Reason.
Do soe.

Experience.
Ye in any wise daugher, for heere you mee,
He semeth a right worthy and trymme younge man to bee.

Science.
Commend me then to Witte, and let him vnderstande,
That I accept with all my hart this present at his hande,
And that I would be glad, when he doth see his tyme,
To heare and se him face to face, within this house of myne
Then maye he breake his mind and talke with me his fyll,
Tyll then adew both hee and thou myne owne swete little Will.

Exent science, Reason Experience.

sena 3.

[VVill.]
Ah flattering Queene, how neatly she can talke
How minionly she tryps, how sadlye she can walke
Well wanton yet beware that ye be sound and sure,
Fayre wordes are wont oft times, fayre women to allure,
Nowe must I get me home and make report of this:
To him that thinkes it longe, till my returne I wys.