_Fall_. I have possession of my brothers goods; His tennants pay me rent, acknowledge me To be their Landlord; they frequent my house, With Turkeys, Capons, Pigeons, Pigges and Geese, And all to game my favour and goodwill. His plate, his iewels, hangings, household stuffe, May well beseeme to fit a demie King; His stately buildings, his delightfull walkes, His fertile meadowes, and rich ploughed lands, His well-growne woods and stor'd fishing ponds, Brings endlesse wealth, besides continuall helpe, To keepe a good and hospitable house: And shall I ioy these pleasures but a time? Nay brother, sister, all shall pardon me, Before ile sell my selfe to penurie. The world doth know thy brother but resigned The lands and goods untill his sonne attain'de To riper years to weld [_sic_] and governe them. Then openly thou canst not do him wrong, He living: theres the burthen of the song. Call it a burthen, for it seemes so great And heavie burthen, that the boy should live And thrust me from this height of happinesse, That I will not indure so heavie waight, But shake it off, and live at libertie, Free from the yoake of such subjection. The boy shall dye, were he my fathers sonne, Before ile part with my possession. Ile call my sonne, and aske his good advice, How I may best dispatch this serious cause.-- Hoe, sir, _Allenso_! _Alle_. Father. _Fall_. Hearken, sonne. I must intreate your furtherance and advise About a thing that doth concerne us neere. First tell me how thou doost affect in heart Little _Pertillo_, thy dead Unckles sonne. _Allen_. So well, good father, that I cannot tell, Whether I love him dearer then my selfe; And yet if that my heart were calde to count, I thinke it would surrender me to death, Ere young _Pertillo_ should sustain a wrong. _Fall_. How got his safetie such a deepe regarde Within your heart, that you affect it so? _Allen_. Nature gave roote; love, and the dying charge, Of his dead father, gives such store of sap Unto this tree of my affection That it will never wither till I dye. _Fall_. But nature, love, and reason, tells thee thus, Thy selfe must yet be neerest to thyselfe. _Allen_. His love dooth not estrange me from my selfe, But doth confirme my strength with multitudes Of benefits his love will yeelde to me. _Fall_. Beware to foster such pernicious snakes Within thy bosome, which will poyson thee. _Allen_. He is a Dove, a childe, an innocent, And cannot poyson, father, though he would. _Fall_. I will be plainer: know, _Pertillos_ life, Which thou doost call a dove, an innocent, A harmlesse childe, and, and I know not what, Will harm thee more, than any Serpent can, I, then the very sight of Basiliskes. _Allen_. Father you tell me of a strange discourse. How can his life produce such detriment, As Basiliskes, whose only sight is death?