English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Char_. Come, y'are ingenyous,
And I confes th'ast conquerd, thoughe I knowe
Thy father houlds as much unworthynes
As may excusse tyrranye in a prynce:
Yet for thys goodnes & thys industrye,
Th'example of the sweetest disposytion,
For all th'offences yet reveald unto me
I freelye pardon hym.
_Bus_. And you are good
And like your selfe, a verye god[103] in pyttie.
_Ber_. And from thys mercye I will new create
In me a spyrrytt full of humblenes.
_Enter La Fue in gallantrye_.
_Fue_. Roame there & uncover, gentyllmen. I that am myne owne gentyllman
usher am the best gentyllman in _Fraunce_ at thys present. Give place &
avoyde these.
_Bus_. What meanes the peasant? syrha, are you madd?
_Fue_. Yes, and I were halfe nakt as you are. Roame I say!--O my sweete
harte, I will [_Offers to kisse Charli_.] kysse thy whyte lipps in the
syght of thys whole assemblye.
_Char_. Avaunte, I say! what meanes thys lunatycke.
_Tur_. Pore sott howe hees deceyvd! th'inchauntments vanyshed.--
Syrha learne better manners.
_Fue_. How! syrha to my greatnes! I am not in case to carrye your tokens.
Ould man, you had better manners when last I lefte you.--Come, sweete
love, I will love thee without more intreatye. Let us withdrawe & in
pryvate rumynat our selves together.
_Char_. Is there no whypps for knaves are impudent?
Thys sawcynes will make your skynne [to] smarte.
_Fue_. Away, away! Y'are an ould man & should be wyse. I tell you I was
not in love with you tyll you doated on me; to drawe me into a fooles
paradysse[104] & there leave me is not an honest man's parte nor a good
chrystyans.
_Char_. What kynde of madnes call you thys? for shame!
Shall I be torturd with hym?
_Tur_. Tys but a rude grosse weaknes, which anon
Ile shoe at full unto your majestie.
_Fue_. Come, sweete _Charles_, I knowe thou lovest me, & love will
creepe where it cannot goe. Come, letts condole together.
_Char_. Yes, if I like your example. Goe presentlye
And give him fortye lashes: make hym bleede
Soundlye, away with hym!
_Fue_. Howe, howe, how! fortye lashes! so I shall bleede to deathe. Call
you that soundlye? Foote! I am sicke with thought on't.
_Char_. Away with hym!
And if a prate, see that you dooble them:
Away!
_Fue_. Well I will never trust the wooeinge of a great man whylst I live
agayne: & they be as false to weomen as to men they have sweete eeles to
hould by.
_Char_. Yet has a leave to prate?
_Tur_. Away with hym,
--But on your lives give hym no punyshment.
[_Ex. Fue. & guard_.
_Char_. I have not seene a madnes of thys nature:
But let him smarte for't.--_Eudon_, give comand
That _Ganelon_ attend me presentlye.
But, stay--
What sollemp sound is thys? I am prevented.
[_Dead marche_.]--_Funeral sounde. Enter Orlando,
Reinaldo leading Ganelon, Oliver, Didier; two
herses, one with Eldegr. & Gab., the other Richard_.
The cause of thys?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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