English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Fur_. A wonder of mine honour, and withall
A worthy presedent for all the World;
Heaven blesse you for it, Lady, and your choyce.
_Ambo_. Thankes, my good Lord.
_Ta_. An Accident that will make pollicie blush,
And all the Complements of wealth and state,
In the succesfull and unnumbred Race
That shall flow from it, fild with fame and grace.
_Ki_. So may it speed deere Countesse, worthy _Clarence_.
_Ambo_. Thankes, good sir _Cuthberd_.
_Fur_. Captaine be not dismaid, Ile marrie thee,
For while we live, thou shalt my consort be.
_Foul_. By _France_ my Lord, I am not griev'd a whit,
Since _Clarence_ hath her; he hath bin in _Fraunce_,
And therefore merits her if she were better.
_Mom_. Then, Knights, ile knit your happie nuptial knots.
I know the Ladies minds better then you;
Tho my rare Neece hath chose for vertue only,
Yet some more wise then some, they chuse for both,
Vertue and wealth.
_Eug_. Nay, uncle, then I plead
This goes with my choise, _Some more wise then some_,
For onely vertues choise is truest wisedome.
_Mom_. Take wealth, and vertue both amongst you then,
They love ye, Knights, extreamely; and Sir _Cut_:
I give the chast _Hippolita_ to you;
Sir _Gyles_, this Ladie--
_Pen_. Nay, stay there, my Lord.
I have not yet prov'd all his Knightly parts
I heare he is an excellent Poet too.
_Tal_. That I forgot sweet Lady; good sir _Gyles_,
Have you no sonnet of your penne about ye?
_Goos_. Yes, that I have I hope, my Lord, my Cosen.
_Fur_. Why, this is passing fit.
_Goos_. I'de be loth to goe without paper about me against my Mistris,
hold my worke againe; a man knows not what neede he shall have perhaps.
_Mom_. Well remembred a mine honour sir _Gyles_.
_Goos_. Pray read my Lord, I made this sonnet of my Mistris.
_Rud_. Nay reade thy selfe, man.
_Goos_. No intruth, sir _Cut_: I cannot reade mine owne hand.
_Mom_. Well I will reade it.
_Three things there be which thou shouldst only crave,
Thou Pomroy or thou apple of mine eye;
Three things there be which thou shouldst long to have
And for which three each modest dame wood crie;
Three things there be that shood thine anger swage,
An English mastife and a fine French page_.
_Rud_. Sblood, Asse, theres but two things, thou shamst thy selfe.
_Goos_. Why sir _Cut_. thats _Poetica licentia_, the verse wood have bin
too long, and I had put in the third. Slight, you are no Poet I perceive.
_Pene_. Tis excellent, servant.
_Mom_. Keepe it Lady then,
And take the onely Knight of mortall men.
_Goos_. Thanke you, good my Lord, as much as tho you had given me twenty
shillings in truth; now I may take the married mens parts at football.
_Mom_. All comforts crowne you all; and you, Captaine,
For merry forme sake let the willowe crowne:
A wreath of willow bring us hither straite.
_Fur_. Not for a world shood that have bin forgot
Captaine it is the fashion, take this Crowne.
_Foul_. With all my hart, my Lord, and thanke you too;
I will thanke any man that gives me crownes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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