Roister Doister Part 14

+M. Mery.+ Be of good cheere man, and let the worlde pa.s.se.

+R. Royster.+ What shall I doe or say nowe that it will not bee.

+M. Mery.+ Ye shall haue choise of a thousande as good as shee, And ye must pardon hir, it is for lacke of witte.

+R. Royster.+ Yea, for were not I an husbande for hir fitte?

Well what should I now doe?

+M. Mery.+ In faith I can not tell.

+R. Royster.+ I will go home and die.

+M. Mery.+ Then shall I bidde toll the bell?

+R. Royster.+ No.

+M. Mery.+ G.o.d haue mercie on your soule, ah good gentleman, That er ye shuld th[u]s dye for an vnkinde woman.

Will ye drinke once ere ye goe.

+R. Royster.+ No, no, I will none.

+M. Mery.+ How feele your soule to G.o.d.

+R. Royster.+ I am nigh gone.

+M. Mery.+ And shall we hence streight?

+R. Royster.+ Yea.

+M. Mery.+ _Placebo dilexi._ Maister Doister Doister will streight go home and die. _vt infra._*

[Footnote *: _See pp. 87, 88._]

[Transcriber's Note: "Ut infra" directions refer to "Certaine Songs" printed separately at the end of the play. The text "Maister Doister Doister" is unchanged.]

+R. Royster.+ Heigh how, alas, the pangs of death my hearte do breake.

+M. Mery.+ Holde your peace for shame sir, a dead man may not speake.

_Nequando_: What mourners and what torches shall we haue?

+R. Royster.+ None.

+M. Mery.+ _Dirige._ He will go darklyng to his graue, _Neque, lux, neque crux, neque_ mourners, _neque_ clinke, He will steale to heauen, vnknowing to G.o.d I thinke.

_A porta inferi_, who shall your goodes possesse?

+R. Royster.+ Thou shalt be my sectour, and haue all more and lesse.

+M. Mery.+ _Requiem aeternam._ Now G.o.d reward your mastershyp.

And I will crie halfepenie doale for your worshyp.

[Sidenote: _Euocat seruos militis._]

Come forth sirs, heare the dolefull newes I shall you tell.

Our good maister here will no longer with vs dwell, But in spite of Custance, which hath hym weried, Let vs see his mashyp solemnely buried.

And while some piece of his soule is yet hym within, Some part of his funeralls let vs here begin.

_Audiui vocem_, All men take heede by this one gentleman, Howe you sette your loue vpon an vnkinde woman.

For these women be all such madde pieuishe elues, They will not be wonne except it please them selues.

But in fayth Custance if euer ye come in h.e.l.l, Maister Roister Doister shall serue you as well.

And will ye needes go from vs thus in very deede?

+R. Royster.+ Yea in good sadnesse?

+M. Mery.+ Now Iesus Christ be your speede.

Good night Roger olde knaue, farewell Roger olde knaue, Good night Roger olde knaue, knaue knap. _vt infra.**_ Pray for the late maister Roister Doisters soule, And come forth parish Clarke, let the pa.s.sing bell toll.

[Sidenote: _Ad seruos militis._]

Pray for your mayster sirs, and for hym ring a peale.

He was your right good maister while he was in heale.

_Qui Lazarum._

[Footnote **: See p. 88.]

+R. Royster.+ Heigh how.

+M. Mery.+ Dead men go not so fast In Paradisum.

+R. Royster.+ Heihow.

+M. Mery.+ Soft, heare what I haue cast

+R. Royster.+ I will heare nothing, I am past.

+M. Mery.+ Whough, wellaway.

Ye may tarie one houre, and heare what I shall say, Ye were best sir for a while to reuiue againe, And quite them er ye go.

+R. Royster.+ Trowest thou so?

+M. Mery.+ Ye plain.

+R. Royster.+ How may I reuiue being nowe so farre past?

+M. Mery.+ I will rubbe your temples, and fette you againe at last.

+R. Royster.+ It will not be possible.

+M. Mery.+ Yes for twentie pounde.

+R. Royster.+ Armes what dost thou?

+M. Mery.+ Fet you again out of your sound By this crosse ye were nigh gone in deede, I might feele Your soule departing within an inche of your heele.

Now folow my counsell.