A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2 — John Shaqi
A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2
General
A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 2
English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Ten_. _Francisco Bustamente_, how is the Castle? what strength?
_Bust_. A fort impregnable, wanting neyther soldiers nor munition.
_Ten_. Well, looke to't.
_Fer_. How ere
That wilbe necessary; the fort lyes in
The mouth of danger, and it will become
You to discharge that duty, _Bustamente_.
_Bust_. With my best care.
_Ten_. I wish all well, and that you had not yet
Discharg'd your Companyes, _Don Fernando_.
_Fer_. Come, come; putt of your Jelousy,
Drinke downe the remembrance. We forget
Our fleetes arrivall; send your feares away;
Nothing but wine and mirth should crowne this day.
[_Exeunt_.
SCENE 2.
_Enter two Devonshire Merchants, as being in Sherryes_[6]
1. Heare you the newes?
2. Yes, that an English fleete
Is making up to Cales.[7]
1. Our _Sherryes_ merchants,
Though few of us be heere, shall soundly pay
To the furnishing of this Navy.
2. Nay, I assure you
Our shipps wilbe fast bound by _Spanish_ charmes
Not to get hence in hast.
1. The Divell allready
Is furling up the sayles; would all the sackes
Which we have bought for _England_ were in _Devonshire_
Turnd to small Beere, so we were but in _Tavistocke_
To see it drawne out; were it nere so thin
I'de drink a health to all the Dons in _Sherryes_
And cry a pox upon 'em.
2. That word heard
By any lowsy _Spanish_ Picardo[8]
Were worth our two neckes. Ile not curse my Diegoes
But wish with all my heart that a faire wind
May with great Bellyes blesse our _English_ sayles
Both out and in; and that the whole fleete may
Be at home delivered of no worse a conquest
Then the last noble voyage made to this Citty,
Though all the wines and merchandize I have here
Were ith' Seas bottome.
1. Troth, so would I mine.
2. I nere could tell yet from what roote this huge
Large spreading Tree of hate from _Spayne_ to us,
From us agayne to _Spayne_, took the first growth.
1. No? then lie tell you: let us season our sorrow
With this discourse.
2. With all my heart I long for't.
1. You shall not loose your longing: then, sir, know
The hate a _Spanyard_ beares an _Englishman_
Nor naturall is, nor ancient; but as sparkes,
Flying from a flint by beating, beget flames,
Matter being neere to feed and nurse the fire,
So from a tinder at the first kindled[9]
Grew this heartburning twixt these two great Nations.
2. As how, pray?
1. Heare me: any _Englishman_
That can but read our Chronicles can tell
That many of our Kings and noblest Princes
Have fetcht their best and royallest wives from _Spayne_,
The very last of all binding both kingdomes
Within one golden ring of love and peace
By the marriage of Queene _Mary_ with that little man
(But mighty monarch) _Phillip_, son and heire
To _Charles_ the Emperour.
2. You say right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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