English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Bul_. The third person and second Knight, blunt Sir _Cutt Rudesby_, is
indeed blunt at a sharpe wit, and sharpe at a blunt wit; a good bustling
Gallant, talkes well at Rovers; he is two parts souldier; as slovenlie
as a Switzer, and somewhat like one in face too; for he weares a bush
beard, will dead a Cannan shot better then a wool-packe: he will come
into the presence like yor _Frenchman_ in foule bootes, and dares eat
Garlike as a preparative to his Courtship. You shall know more of him
hereafter; but, good wags, let me winne you now for the Geographicall
parts of your Ladies in requitall.
_Will_. That you shall Sir, and the Hydrographicall too and you will;
first my Lady the widowe, and Countes _Eugenia_, is in earnest, a most
worthy Lady, and indeede can doe more than a thousand other Ladies can
doe I can tell you.
_Bul_. What's that I pray thee?
_Ia_. Mary Sir, he meanes she can doe more than sleepe, and eate, and
drinke; and play at noddy[3], and helpe to make hir selfe ready[4].
_Bul_. Can she so?
_Will_. She is the best scholler of any woman but one[5] in England; she
is wise and vertuous.
_Ia_. Nay she has one strange quality for a woman besides, tho these be
strange enough that he has rekoned.
_Bul_. For Gods sake whats that?
_Ia_. She can love reasonable constantly, for she loved her husband
only, almost a whole yeere together.
_Bul_. Thats strange indeed, but what is your faire Lady Sir?
_Ia_. My Lady Sir, the Lady _Hippolita_--
_Will_. That is as chast as ever was _Hippolitus_.
_Ia_. (True, my prety _Parenthesis_) is halfe a maid, halfe a wife, and
halfe a widdow.
_Bul_. Strange tale to tell; how canst thou make this good, my good
_Assumpsit_.
_Ia_. Thus Sir: she was betroathed to a gallant young gentleman that
loude hir with such passion, and admiration that he never thought he
could be so blessed as to enjoy her in full marriage, till the minister
was marrying them; and even then when he was saying I _Charles_ take
thee _Hippolita_ with extreame joy, he began to looke pale, then going
forwards saying, to my wedded wife, he lookt paler, and, then
pronouncing, for richer for poorer as long as we both shall live, he
lookt extreame pale. Now, sir, when she comes to speake her parte, and
said, I _Hippolyta_ take thee _Charles_, he began to faint for joy, then
saying to my wedded husband, he began to sinke, but then going forth too,
for better for worse, he could stand no longer, but with very conceit,
it seemd, that she whom he tendred as the best of all things, should
pronounce the worst, and for his sake too, he suncke down right, and
died sodenly: And thus being halfe married, and her halfe husband wholy
dead, I hope I may with discretion affirme her, halfe a maide, halfe a
wife, and halfe a widdowe: do ye conceive me Sir?
_Bul_. O Lord Sir, I devoure you quicke; and now Sir I beseech you open
unto me your tother Lady, what is shee?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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