 | The Scottish Historie of Iames the fourth |  |
Enter Aster Oberō, King of Fayries, an Antique, who dance aboue a Tombe, plac'st conueniently on the Stage, out of the which, suddainly starts vp as they daunce, Bohan a Scot, attyred like a ridstall man, from whom the Antique flyes.
Oberon Manet.
Bohan.
Ay say, whats thou?
Oberon.
Thy friend Bohan.
Bohan.
What wot I, or reck
I that, whay guid man, I reck
no friend, nor ay reck no foe, als
ene to me, git the ganging, and
trouble not may whayet, or ays
gar the recon me nene of thay friend, by the mary masse, sall I.
Ober.
Why angrie Scot, I visit thee for loue: then what
mooues thee to wroath?
Bohan.
The deele awhit reck I thy loue. For I knowe
too well, that true loue tooke her flight twentie winter sence to
heauen, whither till ay can, weele I wot, ay sal nere finde loue:
an thou lou'st me, leaue me to my selfe. But what were those
Puppits that hopt and skipt about me year whayle?
Oberon.
My subiects.
Thay subiects, whay art thou a King?
Ober.
I am.
Bohan.
The deele thou art, whay thou look'st not so big as
the king of Clubs, nor so sharpe as the king of Spades, nor so
faine as the king Adaymonds, be the masse ay take thee to bee
the king of false harts: therfore I rid thee away, or ayse so curry
your Kingdome, that yous be glad to runne to saue your life.
Ober.
Why stoycall Scot, do what thou dar'st to me, heare is
my brest strike.
Boh.
Thou wilt not threap me, this whiniard has gard many
better mē to lope thē thou: but how now? Gos sayds what wilt
not out? whay thou wich, thou deele, gads fute may whiniard.
Ober.
Why pull man: but what an twear out, how then?
Boh.
This then, thou weart best begon first: for aylso lop
thy lyms, that thouse go with half a knaues carkasse to the deele
Ober.
Draw it out, now strike foole, canst thou not?
Boh.
Bread ay gad, what deele is in me, whay tell mee thou
skipiack what art thou?
Ober.
Nay first tell me what thou wast from thy birth, what
thou hast past hitherto, why thou dwellest in a Tombe, & leauest
the world? and then I will release thee of these bonds, before
not.
Boh.
And not before, then needs must needs sal: I was borne
a gentleman of the best bloud in all Scotland, except the king,
when time brought me to age, and death tooke my parents, I
became a Courtier, where though ay list not praise my selfe, ay
engraued the memory of Boughon on the skin-coate of some of
them, and reueld with the proudest.
Ober.
But why liuing in such reputation, didst thou leaue to
be a Courtier?
Boh.
Because my pride was vanitie, my expence losse, my reward
faire words and large promises, & my hopes spilt, for that
after many yeares seruice, one outran me, and what the deele
should I then do there. No no, flattering knaues that can cog
and prate fastest, speede best in the Court.
To what life didst thou then betake thee?
Boh.
I then chang'd the Court for the countrey, and the wars
for a wife: but I found the craft of swaines more vile, then the
knauery of courtiers: the charge of children more heauie then
seruants, and wiues tongues worse then the warres it selfe: and
therefore I gaue ore that, & went to the Citie to dwell, & there
I kept a great house with smal cheer, but all was nere the neere.
Ober.
And why?
Boh.
because in seeking friends, I found table guests to eate
me, & my meat, my wiues gossops to bewray the secrets of my
heart, kindred to betray the effect of my life, which when I noted,
the court ill, the country worse, and the citie worst of all, in
good time my wife died: ay wood she had died twentie winter
sooner by the masse, leauing my two sonnes to the world, and
shutting my selfe into this Tombe, where if I dye, I am sure I
am safe from wilde beasts, but whilest I liue, cannot be free frō
ill companie. Besides, now I am sure gif all my friends faile me,
I sall haue a graue of mine owne prouiding: this is all. Now
what art thou?
Ober.
Oberon King of Fayries, that loues thee because thou
hatest the world, and to gratulate thee, I brought those Antiques
to shew thee some sport in daunsing, which thou haste
loued well.
Bohan.
Ha, ha, ha, thinkest thou those puppits can please
me? whay I haue two sonnes, that with one scottish gigge shall
breake the necke of thy Antiques.
Ober.
That would I faine see.
Boha.
Why thou shalt, howe boyes.
Enter Slipper and Nano.
Hand your clacks lads, trattle not for thy life, but gather vppe
your legges and daunce me forthwith a gigge worth the sight.
Slip.
Why I must talk on I dy fort, wherfore was my tongue
made.
Boha.
Prattle an thou darst ene word more, and ais dab this
whiniard in thy wembe.
Be quiet Bohan, Ile strike him dumbe, and his brother
too, their talk shal not hinder our gyg, fall to it, dance I say mā.
Boh.
Dance Humer, dance, ay rid thee.
The two dance a gig deuised for the nonst.
Now get you to the wide world with more thē my father gaue
me, thats learning enough, both kindes, knauerie & honestie:
and that I gaue you, spend at pleasure.
Ober.
Nay for their sport I will giue them this gift, to the
Dwarfe I giue a quicke witte, prettie of body, and a warrant his
preferment to a Princes seruice, where by his wisdome he shall
gaine more loue then cōmon. And to loggerhead your sonne,
I giue a wandering life, and promise he shall neuer lacke: and
auow that if in all distresses he call vpon me to helpe him: now
let them go.
Exeunt with curtesies.
Boh.
Now King, if thou bee a King, I will shew thee whay I
hate the world by demonstration, in the yeare 1520. was in
Scotland, a king ouerruled with parasites, misled by lust, & many
circumstances, too long to trattle on now, much like our
court of Scotland this day, that story haue I set down, gang with
me to the gallery, & Ile shew thee the same in Action, by guid
fellowes of our country men, and then when thou seest that,
iudge if any wise man would not leaue the world if he could.
Ober.
That will I see, lead and ile follow thee.
Exeunt.
| The Scottish Historie of Iames the fourth | |