A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vi Part 23

Ah, good my lord, my good lord Hermione!

HERMIONE.

I am, indeed, as thou dost say, Hermione; For that I am Hermione, I am The unhappiest wight that ever hither came.

PENULO.

Ah, my good lord! would G.o.d, poor Penulo Might any way but mitigate this woe.

And pleaseth it your honour to command My service, or the help of head or hand, Penulo, my worthy lord, would prove as just, As he whom best your honour likes to trust.

Say what it is, wherein my secrecy May aid your lords.h.i.+p in this extremity?

HERMIONE.

Penulo, since thou so friendly here dost proffer me The uttermost of aid that lies in thee, I do remember that which, brought to pa.s.s, Would make me half so happy as I was.

PENULO.

Say it, my lord, and constantly I vow it, It shall go hard, but Penulo will do it.

HERMIONE.

Gramercy, gentle friend: then, thus it is:-- The lady of my life Fidelia is; Of whom I am, I know, belov'd no less Than she of me, my gracious mistress, Sever'd by Fortune and our cruel foe, My lord her brother, Prince Armenio.

Now could'st thou, Penulo, thyself behave On trust to bring my lady to the cave, Where whilome (lovers) we were wont to meet, In secret sort each other for to greet.

She wots it well, and every corner knows, And every uncouth[88] step that thither goes: For what is not sharpsighted lovers see?

This is the sum of my desire to thee.

Accomplish this, and, this in silence done, My happiness will be again begun.

PENULO.

My lord, I see whereunto this talk doth tend: I have this lesson at my finger-end.

No more ado; betake you to your flight: We'll make a plaister for the sore ere night.

[_Aside_.] But such an one as, if it be applied, Shall do more grief than ease, when it is tried.

HERMIONE.

Penulo, I yield my life into thy hands.

PENULO.

Ye do, sir, as now the matter stands. [_Aside_.

HERMIONE.

Hold, Penulo, and I will look for thee.

PENULO.

You will not look for them that come with me. [_Aside_.

HERMIONE.

I will be gone, and live to see my dear.

[_Exit_.

PENULO.

Do so, sir, and perchance be never the near.

This is a step that first we use to climb: We that, forsooth, take hold on every time.

Men of all hours, whose credit such as spites, In heat forsooth hath call'd us parasites.

But let them spite, and we will bite as fast.

But, Penulo, thou spendest words in waste.

A fool, Hermione, that for hurting thee On[89] slender trust will give a knave his fee.

[_Exit_.

_Strike up_ FORTUNE'S _triumphs with drums and trumpets_.

FORTUNE.

Behold what Fortune, if she list, can do, High mistress of the rolling wheel of chance, To overturn, and who can do thereto, Or graciously, when please her, to advance.

Lo, lordings, this is Fortune's impery, And in her pleasure to be changing still: Herein consisteth Fortune's sovereignty; That Fortune can on earth do what she will.

When men have builded on the surest grounds, Their strong devices Fortune's power confounds.

_Enter_ VENUS.

VENUS.

Not all in haste; you do not so intend: You have begun, but I must make an end.

THE THIRD ACT.

_Enter_ BOMELIO _solus, like an_ HERMIT.

BOMELIO.

He that hath lost his hope, and yet desires to live, He that is overwhelm'd with woe, and yet would counsel give; He that delights to sigh, to walk abroad alone, To drive away the weary time with his lamenting moan; He that in his distress despaireth of relief, Let him begin to tell his tale, to rip up all his grief, And if that wretched man can more than I recite Of fickle Fortune's froward check and her continual spite, Of her inconstant change, of her discourtesy, I will be partner with that man to live in misery.

When first my flow'ring years began to bud their prime, Even in the April of mine age and May-month of my time; When, like the tender kid new-weaned from the teat, In every pleasant springing mead I took my choice of meat; When simple youth devis'd to length[en] his delight, Even then, not dreaming I on her, she poured out her spite: Even then she took her key, and tuned[90] all her strings To sing my woe: list, lordings, now my tragedy begins.

Behold me, wretched man, that serv'd his prince with pain, That in the honour of his praise esteem'd my greatest gain: Behold me, wretched man, that for his public weal Refused not with thousand foes in b.l.o.o.d.y wars to deal: Behold me, wretched man, whose travail, pain, and toil Was ever prest to save my friends from force of foreign spoil; And see my just reward, look on my recompense: Behold by this for labours past what guerdon cometh thence!

Not by my fiercest foes in doubtful fight with us, But by my fawning friend[91] I was confounded thus.

One word of his despite in question call'd my name; Two words of his untrusty tongue brought me to open shame.

Then was I banished the city, court and town; Then every hand that held me up began to pull me down.

O, that the righteous G.o.ds should ever grant the power, That smoothest sands and greenest bogs should soonest me devour.

Yet that I might descry the better their device, Here have I liv'd almost five years, disguis'd in secret wise: And now somewhat it is, but what I cannot tell, Provokes me forward more than wont to leave my darksome cell, And in my crooked age, instead of mirth and joy, With broken sighs in doleful tunes to sing of mine annoy.

[_Song_.

Go walk the path of plaint, go wander, wretched, now In uncouth ways, blind corners fit for such a wretch as thou.

There feed upon thy woe; fresh[92] thoughts shall be thy fare, Musing shall be thy waiting-maid, thy carver shall be care; Thy dainty dish shall be of fretting melancholy, And broken sobs with hollow sighs thy savoury sauce shall be.

But further ere I walk, my servant I will send Into the town to buy such things as now he can intend.

What, Lentulo! [_To_ LENTULO _within_.

LENTULO.

Anon, forsooth.

BOMELIO.

What, Lentulo, come forth.

LENTULO.

Anon, forsooth.