A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Vi Part 35

VENUS.

Brother Mercury, as I have never been So obstinate, or bent so frowardly, But that I could some time relent the ill-- A woman must a little have her will; So am I now resolved for to do Whatso my father shall entreat me to.

FORTUNE.

And all the world by me perceiveth well Of course my fancy, favour,[125] and my skill: And when my cause a little course hath had, I am well pleased, and no longer sad.

MERCURY.

Then thus our father Jupiter concludes, To lay the stroke of your unceasing strife.

As heretofore betwixt these lovers twain Ye have express'd your powers upon their life, So now he wills you to withhold your hands.

Enough sufficeth to confirm your might; And to conjoin ye both in friendly bands Of faithful love, wherein the G.o.ds delight, His pleasure is that, Lady Venus, you Shall be content never to hinder them, To whom Dame Fortune shall her[126] friends.h.i.+p show, Of wretched to procure them happy men.

Ne shall you, Fortune, once presume to take The credit of the honour in your hand: If Lady Venus do them quite forsake, You shall not seem in their[127] defence to stand; But whomsoever one of you prefer, The other shall be subject unto her; For thus hath Jupiter determined now.

VENUS.

I must and will subscribe my will to you.

FORTUNE.

And I most gladly thereof do allow.

VENUS.

Whom Fortune favours I will not despise.

FORTUNE.

Whom Love rejects by me shall never rise.

MERCURY.

To this conclusion do you both agree?

VENUS.

For my part.

FORTUNE.

And I, most willingly.

MERCURY.

Then let your union be confirmed again By proper course, each one in his descent Over mortal men and worldly things to reign By interchange, as Jupiter hath meant.

And[128] friendly Fortune, let me entreat, alone-- Sith by your means these lovers hind'red were, And now ye two are reconcil'd in one, You grant the[m] grace their honour up to rear.

FORTUNE.[129]

Sweet Mercury, I give thee my consent.

I will forthwith advance them to renown: And their destruction better to prevent, They shall relieve them, that did throw them down.

MERCURY.[130]

And I my gracious favour will bestow Upon them all, according to desert; And I will help his frenzy ere I go.

That bedlam up and down he[re] plays[131] his part.

_Enter_ BOMELIO _with_ HERMIONE _and_ FIDELIA, _with a cope and dagger_.

BOMELIO.

Cot's[132] wounds! ye wh.o.r.e, I am not for your diet. Hang, rascal, make a leg to me, [or,] by Gog's blood, I'll stab thee through. What the devil, the devil, and all my books be gone! O most accursed man Bomelio!

Go hide thyself, go hide thyself! go hang thyself, go hang! I'll hang the wh.o.r.e out of hand; and as for you, villain,--stand, rascal! stand!

FIDELIA.

Good father, hear me. Come, take a little rest: Yea, my sweet father, come, sleep upon my breast.

BOMELIO.

Hark the wh.o.r.e! See what an impudent wh.o.r.e it is. Sleep, you wh.o.r.e?

I'll sleep with you anon, Gog's blood, you wh.o.r.e, I'll hang you up!

[_He threatens her_.

FIDELIA.

Help, help, Hermione!

HERMIONE.

Good father, let her alone. Come, let us go.

[_Enter_ MERCURY _invisible_.]

MERCURY.

Now with my music I'll recure his woe.

[_Play_.

BOMELIO.

Hark, hark, my hearts! Pipes, fiddles! O brave! I shall have my books again. Dance about. Robin Hood is a good knave. Come, Bess, let's go sleep. Come, Bess; together, together.

MERCURY.

Now will I charm him, that he shall not wake, Until he be relieved in this place.

Then take her blood, and cast it on this brake, And therewithal besprinkle all his face, And he shall be restored to his sense, His health and memory, as heretofore.

Do this, for I must now depart from hence, And so your sorrows shall increase no more.

HERMIONE.

Fidelia, what hast thou heard, my dear?

O comfortable words, were they but true!

If any G.o.d or G.o.ddess be so near, Vouchsafe of pity on our pains to rue.

Delude not with a feigned fantasy The wretched mind[s] of men in misery.

FIDELIA.

Alas! Hermione, let us not feed And flatter ourselves with any[133] good surmise: We are too much accursed so to speed, Or any hope thereof for to devise.

Resolve yourself, dear friend, another way, And let us never look for happy day.

_Enter_ PHIZANTIES, ARMENIO, PENULO, _and_ LENTULO.

PHIZANTIES.

When thirst of hot revenge inflameth high desire: When malice kindleth so the minds of them that would aspire, That to enlarge their names they reck not his despite, That overseeth all their work, their doings to requite: Mark, then, what followeth, when princes ye provoke: The deeper and the larger wound, when longest is the stroke!

And this hath moved me to leave my court awhile, To be content in sweat of brows, in trouble, pain and toil, To seek out wretches, them that have abus'd me so, And to reward their villainy according, ere we go.

PENULO.

May it please your honour, it is excellent done.

Gog's blood! and I were a prince, and had such a n.o.ble son, That should be so highly abused as he hath been, Would I put it up? no; by his wounds, I would never lin, Till I had made such a mingle-mangle upon their nose, That their skin should serve to make me a doublet and a pair of hose.

LENTULO.