English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Flam_. I, you shall answer it in the Senate house, the Emperor shall
knowe it. If she be my childe, I will rule her, ile bridle her, ile
curbe her, ile raine her; if she will not, let her goe, starve, begge,
hang, drawe, sinke, swimme, she gets not a doit, a deneire, ile not owne
her.
_Tul_. Reverend Sir, be more patient.
_Flam_. I am impatient, I am troubled, I am vext, I am scoft, I am
pointed at, ile not endure it, ile not abide it, ile be revenged, I wil,
of her, of you both, proud boy, wanton giglot,[278] aspyring, hautie.
Knowe your equals, shee's not for ye, if ye persist, by my holy maker,
you shall answer it, looke to it, you shall, you shall indeede.
[_Exit_[279] _Flaminus_.
_Tull_. I shall, I must, I will, I will indeede,
Even to the greatest I will answere it;
If great mens eares be ope to inocency,
If greatnesse be not partial with greatenesse,
Even to the greatest I will answere it.
Perhaps, some shallow censurer will say,
The Orator was proud, he would climbe too hie;
But heaven and truth will say the contrarie.
My greatest grief is, I have my friend betraide;
The treasons done, I, and the Traitor's free,
Yet innocent Treason needes not to flee.
His loyaltie bids me abide his frowne,
And he hath power to raise or hurle me downe.
_Enter_[280] _Terentia_.
_Tere_. What ailes my _Tully_? wherefore look'st thou sad?
What discontent hath stopped the crimson current
Which ran so cheerefully within that brow,
And makes it sullen like a standing poole?
Tell me who ist hath wrong[d] my _Cicero_?
[Say,[281] is it _Lentulus_?]
_Tul_. Oh wrong him not.
_Tere_. Who is it then, that wrongs my _Tully_ so?
What, hath _Terentia_ ought offended thee?
Doost thou recall my former promises?
Dost thou repent thee of--
_Tul_. Oh wrong me not.
_Tere_. What, hath my father done this injurie?
There, there, my thoughts accord to say tis so.
I will deny him then, hee's not my father;
Hee's not my friend will envie _Cicero_.
_Tul_. Wrong not thy self.
_Teren_. What heavie string doost thou devide[282] upon?
Wrong not him, wrong not me, wrong not thy selfe.
Where didst thou learne that dolefull mandrake's note
To kill the hearers? _Tully_, canst thou not
Indure a little danger for my love,
The fierie spleene of an angrie Father,
Who like a storme will soon consume it self?
I have indurde a thousand jarring houres
Since first he did mistrust my fancies aime,
And will indure a thousand thousand more
If life or discord either live so long.
_Tul_. The like will I for sweete _Terentia_.
Feare not, I have approoved armour on,
Will bide the brunt of popular reproach
Or whatsoever.
_Tere_. Enough, _Tully,_ we are discovered.
_Enter_[283] _Flavia_.
_Fla_. Yfaith,[284] are ye at it? what, is there never a loving teare
shed on either side? nor you? nor you? _Tullies_ [eyes] are red, come,
come, ye fooles, be more breefe. I would have buried three husbands,
before youle be married.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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