A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ix Part 58

I'll warrant ye; fear it not.

WILL CRICKET.

Why, then, go you to Sir John, and I'll to my wench, and bid her give her maidenhead warning to prepare itself; for the destruction of it is at hand.

[_Exeunt_.

_Enter_ LELIA _sola_.

LELIA.

How love and fortune both with eager mood, Like greedy hounds, do hunt my tired heart, Rous'd forth the thickets of my wonted joys!

And Cupid winds his shrill-note buglehorn, For joy my silly heart so near is spent: Desire, that eager cur, pursues the chase, And fortune rides amain unto the fall; Now sorrow sings, and mourning bears a part, Playing harsh descant on my yielding heart.

_Enter_ NURSE.

Nurse, what news?

NURSE.

Faith, a whole sackful of news. You love Sophos, and Sophos loves you, and Peter Plod-all loves you, and you love not him, and you love not Master Churms, and he loves you; and so, here's love and no love, and I love and I love not, and I cannot tell what; but of all and of all Master Churms must be the man you must love.

LELIA.

Nay, first I'll mount me on the winged wind, And fly for succour to the furthest Ind.

Must I love Master Churms?

NURSE.

Faith, you must, and you must not.

LELIA.

As how, I pray thee?

NURSE.

Marry, I have commendations to you.

LELIA.

From whom?

NURSE.

From your brother Fortunatus.

LELIA.

My brother Fortunatus!

NURSE.

No, from Sophos.

LELIA.

From my love?

NURSE.

No, from neither.

LELIA.

From neither?

NURSE.

Yes, from both.

LELIA.

Prythee, leave thy foolery, and let me know thy news.

NURSE.

Your brother Fortunatus and your love to-morrow night will meet you by the forest-side, there to confer about I know not what: but it is like that Sophos will make you of his privy council, before you come again.

LELIA.

Is Fortunatus then returned from the wars?

NURSE.

He is with Sophos every day: but in any case you must not let your father know; for he hath sworn he will not be descried, until he have effected your desires; for he swaggers and swears out of all cry, that he will venture all,

Both fame and blood, and limb and life, But Lelia shall be Sophos' wedded wife.

LELIA.

Alas! nurse, my father's jealous brain Doth scarce allow me once a month to go Beyond the compa.s.s of his watchful eyes, Nor once afford me any conference With any man, except with Master Churms, Whose crafty brain beguiles my father so, That he reposeth trust in none but him: And though he seeks for favour at my hands, He takes his mark amiss, and shoots awry; For I had rather see the devil himself Than Churms the lawyer. Therefore How I should meet them by the forest-side I cannot possibly devise.

NURSE.

And Master Churms must be the man must work the means: you must this night send for him; make him believe you love him mightily; tell him you have a secret friend dwells far away beyond the forest, to whom, if he can secretly convey you from your father, tell him, you will love him better than ever G.o.d loved him: and when you come to the place appointed, let them alone to discharge the knave of clubs: and that you must not fail, here receive this ring, which Fortunatus sent you for a token, that this is the plot that you must prosecute; and this from Sophos, as his true love's pledge.

LELIA.

This ring my brother sent, I know right well: But this my true love's pledge I more esteem Than all the golden mines the solid earth contains-- And see, in happy time, here comes Master Churms.

_Enter_ CHURMS.

Now love and fortune both conspire, And sort their drifts to compa.s.s my desire.

Master Churms, y'are well met; I am glad to see you.

CHURMS.

And I as glad to see fair Lelia, As ever Paris was to see his dear; For whom so many Trojans' blood was spilt: Nor think I would do less than spend my dearest blood To gain fair Lelia's love, although by loss of life.

NURSE.

'Faith, mistress, he speaks like a gentleman. Let me persuade you; be not hard-hearted. Sophos? Why, what's he? If he had loved you but half so well, he would ha' come through stone walls, but he would have come to you ere this.

LELIA.

I must confess, I once lov'd Sophos well; But now I cannot love him, whom All the world knows to be a dissembler.

CHURMS.

Ere I would wrong my love with one day's absence, I would pa.s.s the boiling h.e.l.lespont, As once Leander did for Hero's love, Or undertake a greater task than that, Ere I would be disloyal to my love.

And if that Lelia give her free consent, That both our loves may sympathise in one, My hand, my heart, my love, my life, and all, Shall ever tend on Lelia's fair command.

LELIA.

Master Churms, Methinks 'tis strange you should make such a motion: Say, I should yield and grant you love, When most you did expect a suns.h.i.+ne day, My father's will would mar your hop'd-for hay; And when you thought to reap the fruits of love, His hard constraint would blast it in the bloom: For he so doats on Peter Plod-all's pelf, That none but he forsooth must be the man: And I will rather match myself Unto a groom of Pluto's grisly den, Than unto such a silly golden a.s.s.