English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Godfr_.[99] The pale religious, which was the pledge
Of a kisse lascivious, I have given backe,
Ey, and to boote the water; but within
There's such a coyle betwixt the 2 young giurles
Such quakinge, shakinge, quiveringe, shiveringe
Such cryeinge, and such talk of flyinge, then of hyding,
And that there's no abydinge; one cryes out and calls,
The others redy to breake downe the walls;
Then weepinge they whisper together,
And saye they woold roone if they knew whither,
And are indeede putt to such strange affrights
That I was afrayde they weare hunted with sprights,
And therefore cam and left them: lass, poor giurles,
They are in piteous feare.
_Mild_. Hee talkt of guerles: why may not these bee they,
Escapt as wee? staye, younge man, good frend, staye.
_Godf_. Too ould drown'd ratts: I'l have som sport with them,
And though I pitty those I'l play with these.
_Mild_. What gurles weare those thou spakest of?
_Sarl_. Tell us fyrst
Where wee might finde som comfort.
_Godf_. Lett us oh lett us bee advys'd
And living still to all men,
So though wee bee but midle sizd
Wee shalbe held no small men.
_Mild_. Concerning these fayre damosels, speake of that.
_Sarl_. Which now concernes us most, where may wee meete
With warmth, with foode, and shelter?
_Godf_. Oh thou that dost demand of mee
Som fyre, som meate and harbor,
I see thou lately hast ben washt,
Hath _Neptune_ ben thy barbor?
_Sarl_. This fellowe mearely flowtes our misery,
And laughs att our distresses.
_Mild_. But, kind frende,
Concerninge these yonge women, are they fayre?
_Godf_. Fayre flesh and cleane they bothe appeare
And not lyke gypsies umber'd.
_Mild_. How many?
_Godf_. Just as thou and I when wee are
Once but number'd.
_Mild_. Oh, _Sarleboys_, there's comfort in these woords;
They have allredy warmed my hart within,
Why may not these bee they?
_Sarl_. Bee they or not,
I had rather see one caudell downe my throate,
To wash downe this salt-water, than bee mayster
Of all the wenshes lyveinge.
_Mild_. Oh where, where,
Where might I see too such?
_Godf_. Thou that goest sydewayes lyke a crabb, gapst on mee
lyke an oyster,
Followe thy flat nose and smell them there, in th'out part of
this cloyster.
_Mild_. Oh maye this peece of earthe proove happy to mee
As hath the sea bin fatall.
_Sarl_. I'l followe and coold wish
Boath cloyster and whole villadge weare a fyre
Only to dry my clothes by.
_Godf_. Marry hange you
You that so late scaped drowning for I take you
For too pestiferous rascalls.
_Exeunt_.
Explicit Actus 2.
_Act 3_.
SCENE 1.
_Enter the Lady de Averne with a letter in her hand
readinge, and with her mayde_.
_Lady_. And howe came you by this?
_Mayde_. Followinge you to th'chappell
And I protest not thinking anythinge,
Fryar _Jhon_ o'th suddeine pluckt mee by the sleeve
And whisperd in myne eare to give that to you,
But privatly, bycause it was a thinge
Only toweard your person.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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