 | Iacob and Esau |  |
Scæna quarta.
Isaac the husbande, Rebecca, the wife. Mido, the ladde that leadeth blinde Isaac.Isaac.
Where art thou my boy Mido, when I doe thee lacke?
Mido.
Who calleth Mido? here good maister Isaac.
Isaac.
Come leade me forth of doores a little I thee pray.
Mido.
Lay your hande on my shoulder, and come on this way.
Rebecca.
Now O Lorde of heauen, the fountaine of all grace,
If it be thy good will that my will shall take place:
Sende successe to Iacob, according to thy worde,
That his elder brother may serue hym as his lorde.
Mido.
Syr, whyther would ye goe, now that abroade ye be?
Isaac.
To myfe Rebecca.
Mido.
Yonder I doe hir see.
Rebecca.
Lorde, thou knowest Iacob to be thy seruant true,
And Esau all frowarde thy wayes to ensue.
Mido.
Yonder she is speaking, what euer she doth say:
By holdyng vp hir handes, it seemeth she doth pray.
Isaac.
Where be ye wife Rebecca? where be ye woman?
Rebecca.
Who is that calleth? Isaac my good man?
Isaac.
Where be ye wyfe Rebecca, lette me vnderstande?
Mido.
She commeth to you apace.
Rebecca.
Here my lorde, at hande.
Isaac.
Sauing that what so euer God doth is all right,
No small griefe it were for a man to lacke his sight.
But what the Lord doth sende or worke by his high will,
Rebecca.
Can not but be the best, no such thing can be yll.
Isaac.
All bodily punishement or infirmitie,
With all mannes of nature, what euer they be,
Yea and all other afflictions temporall:
As losse, persecution, or troubles mortall,
Are nothing but a triall or probation.
And what is he that firmely trusteth in the Lorde,
And knoweth him to be the God omnipotent,
That feedeth and gouerneth all that he hath sent:
Protecting his faithfull in euery degree,
And them to relieue in all their necessitie?
What creature (I say) that doth this vnderstande,
Will not take all thing in good parte at Gods hande?
Shall we at Gods hand receyue prosperitie,
And not be content likewise with aduersitie?
We ought to be thankefull what euer God doth sende,
And our selues wholy to his will to commende.
Rebecca.
So should it be, and I thanke my lorde Isaac,
Suche dayly lessons at your hande I doe not lack.
Isaac.
Why then should not I thanke the Lorde, if it please him
That I shall nowe be blynde, and my sight waxe all dim.
For who so to olde age will here liue and endure,
Must of force abide all suche defautes of nature.
Mido.
Why must I be blinde too, if I be an olde man?
How shall I grope the way, or who shall leade me than?
Isaac.
If the Lorde haue pointed thee such olde dayes to see,
He wil also prouide that shall be meete for thee.
Mido.
I trowe if I were blinde, I coulde goe well inowe,
I coulde grope the way thus, and goe as I do nowe.
I haue done so ere now both by day and by night,
As I see you grope the way, and haue hitte it right.
Rebecca.
Yea syr boy, will ye play any suche childishe knack?
As to counterfaite your blinde maister Isaac:
That is but to mocke him for his impediment.
Mido.
Nay I neuer dyd it in any suche intent.
Rebecca.
Nay it is to tempt God before thou haue neede:
Wherby thou mayst prouoke hym in very deede,
With some great misfortune or plague to punish thee.
Mido.
Then will I neuer more do so while I may see:
But against I be blinde, I will be so perfight,
That though no man leade me, I will go at midnight.
Nowe wife, touching the purpose that I sought for you.
Rebecca.
What sayth my lorde Isaac to his handemayde now?
Isaac.
Ye haue ofte in couerte wordes ben right earnest
To haue me graunt vnto you a boune and request:
But ye neuer tolde me yet plainly what it was,
Therfore I haue euer yet lette the matter passe.
And now of late by ofte being from me absent,
I haue halfe suspected you to be scarce content.
But wife Rebecca, I woulde not haue you to mourne,
As though I did your honest petition wourne.
For I neuer ment to denie in all my life
Any lawfull or honest request to my wyfe.
But in case it be a thing vnreasonable,
Then must I needes be to you vntractable.
Now therfore say on, and tell me what is your case.
Rebecca.
I woulde, if I were sure in your heart to fynde grace:
Else syr I woulde be lothe.
Isaac.
To speake do not refraine,
And if it be reasonable ye shall obtaine:
Otherwise, ye must pardon me gentle sweete wife.
Rebecca.
Sir, ye knowe your sonne Esau, and see his life,
Howe looce it is, and howe stiffe he is and stubberne,
Howe retchelesly he doth him selfe misgouerne:
He geueth himselfe to hunting out of reason,
And serueth the Lorde and vs at no time or season.
These conditions can not be acceptable
In the syght of God, nor to men allowable.
Nowe his brother Iacob your yonger sonne and mine,
Dothe more applie his heart to seeke the wayes diuine.
He liueth here quietly at home in the Tent,
There is no man nor childe but is with him content.
Isaac.
Oh wife, I perceiue ye speake of affection,
To Iacob ye beare loue, and to his brother none.
Rebecca.
I deede syr, I can not loue Esau so well
As I doe Iacob, the plaine truth to you to tell.
I scarse know where I haue a sonne of hym or not.
He goeth abroade so early before day light,
And returneth home againe so late in the night,
And vneth I sette eye on hym in the whole weeke:
No sometime not in twaine, though I doe for hym seeke.
And all the neighbours see him as seldome as I.
But when they would take rest, they heare hym blow & cry.
Some see him so seldome, they aske if he be sicke:
Somtimes some demaunde whether he be dead or quicke.
But to make short tale, such his conditions be,
That I wishe of God he had nere bene borne of me.
Isaac.
Well wyfe, I loue Esau, and must for causes twaine.
Rebecca.
Surely your loue is bestowed on him in vayne.
Isaac.
Fyrst actiue he is, as any yong man can be:
And many a good morsell he bringeth home to me.
Then he is myne eldest and first begotten sonne.
Rebecca.
If God were so pleased, I woulde that were fordonne.
Isaac.
And the eldest sonne is called the fathers might.
Rebecca.
If yours rest in Esau, God giue vs good night.
Isaac.
A prerogatiue he hath in euery thing.
Rebecca.
More pitie he shoulde haue it without deseruing.
Isaac.
Of all the goodes his porcion is greater.
Rebecca.
That the worthy should haue it, I thinke much better.
Isaac.
Emong his bretherne, he hath the preeminence.
Rebecca.
Where Esau is chiefe, there is a gay presence.
Isaac.
Ouer his bretherne he is soueraigne and lorde.
Rebecca.
Such dignitie in Esau doth yll accorde.
Isaac.
He is the head of the fathers succession.
Rebecca.
I woulde Esau had loste that possession.
Isaac.
And he hath the chiefe title of inheritaunce.
Rebecca.
Wisedome woulde in Esau chaunge that ordinaunce.
Isaac.
To the eldest sonne is due the fathers blessing.
Rebecca.
That should be Iacobs, if I might haue my wishing.
Isaac.
And the chiefe endowement of the fathers substance.
Which will thriue well in Esau his gouernance.
Isaac.
By title of Eldership he hath his birthright.
Rebecca.
And that would I remoue to Iacob if I might.
Isaac.
He must haue double porcion to an other.
Rebecca.
That were more fitte for Iacob hys yonger brother.
Isaac.
In all maner of things diuided by a rate.
Rebecca.
Well gyuen goodes to him that the Lorde doth hate.
Isaac.
Why say ye so of Esau mine eldest sonne?
Rebecca.
I say true, if he proceede as he hath begonne.
Isaac.
Is he not your sonne too, as well as he is myne?
Wherfore do ye then against him thus sore repine?
Rebecca.
Bicause that in my spirite verily I know,
God will set vp Iacob, and Esau downe throwe.
I haue shewed you many a tyme ere this day,
What the Lorde of them beyng in my wombe dyd say.
I vse not for to lye: And I beleue certaine,
That the Lorde spake not these wordes to me in vaine.
And Iacob it is (I know) in whome the Lorde will
His promises to you made, and to your seede fulfyll.
Isaac.
I doubt not his promise made to me and my seede,
Leauing to his conueyaunce howe it shall proceede.
The Lorde after his way chaunge thinheritance,
But I may not wetingly breake our ordinance.
Rebecca.
Nowe woulde God, I coulde persuade my lorde Isaac,
Iacob to preferre, and Esau to put backe.
Isaac.
I may not do it wife, I pray you be content.
The title of birthright that commeth by descent,
Or the place of eldershyp comming by due course
I may not chaunge nor shift, for better nor for wourse.
Natures lawe it is, the eldest sonne to knowlage,
And in no wise to barre hym of his heritage.
And ye shall of Esau one day haue comforte.
Rebecca.
Set a good long day then, or else we shal come short.
Isaac.
I warrant you, he will doe well inough at length.
Rebecca.
You must nedes cōmend him being your might & strēgth.
Well, nowe go we hence, little Mido where art thou?
Mido.
I haue stoode here all thys while, listning howe you
And my Dame Rebecca haue bene laying the lawe,
But she hath as quicke answeres as euer I sawe.
Ye coulde not speake any thing vnto hir so thicke,
But she had hir answere as ready and as quicke.
Isaac.
Yea, womens answeres are but fewe times to seeke.
Mido.
But I did not see Esau neither all this same weeke:
Nor I do loue your sonne Esau so well,
As I do loue your sonne Iacob by a great deale.
Isaac.
No doest thou Mido, and tell me the cause why?
Mido.
Why? for I doe not: And none other cause knowe I.
But euery body as well one as other,
Doe wish that Iacob had bene the elder brother.
Isaac.
Well, come on, let vs goe.
Mido.
And who shall leade you? I?
Rebecca.
No, it is my office as long as I am by.
And I woulde all wiues, as the worlde this day is,
Woulde vnto their husbandes likewise do their office.
Mido.
Why dame Rebecca, then al wedded men shold be blind.
Rebecca.
What thou foolish ladde, no such thing was in my minde.
| Iacob and Esau | |