XANTIPPE. Alas, alas, and well-away! I may curse the time that I was born, Never woman had such fortune, I dare say; Alas, two of my children be forlorn. My fair daughter Dalilah is dead of the pox: My dear son Ismael hanged up in chains. Alas, the wind waveth his yellow locks,[248] It slayeth my heart, and breaketh my brains. Why should God punish and plague me so sore? To see my children die so shamefully! I will never eat bread in this world more, With this knife will I slay myself by and by. [_She would stick herself with a knife_. _Enter_ BARNABAS. BARNABAS. Beware what ye do; fye, mother, fye! Will ye spill yourself for your own offence, And seem for ever to exclude God's mercy? God doth punish you for your negligence: Wherefore take his correction with patience, And thank him heartily, that of his goodness He bringeth you in knowledge of your trespass. For when my brother and sister were of young age, You saw they were given to idleness and play, Would apply no learning, but live in outrage. And men complained on them every day. Ye winked at their faults, and tiddled them alway; By maintenance they grew to mischief and ill, So at last God's justice did[249] them both spill. In that God preserved me, small thank to you: If God had not given me special grace, To avoid evil and do good, this is true, I had lived and died in as wretched case, As they did, for I had both suffrance and space; But it is an old proverb, you have heard it, I think: That God will have see, shall not wink. Yet in this we may all take comfort: They took great repentance, I heard say, And as for my sister, I am able to report, She lamented for her sins to her dying day: To repent and believe I exhorted her alway; Before her death she believed, that God of his mercy, For Christ's sake would save her eternally. If you do even so, ye need not despair, For God will freely remit your sins all, Christ hath paid the ransom, why should ye fear? To believe this and do well, to God for grace call. All worldly cares let pass and fall, And thus comfort my father I pray you heartily, [_Xantippe goeth out_. I have a little to say, I will come by and by. Right gentle audience, by this interlude ye may see, How dangerous it is for the frailty of youth, Without good governance, to live at liberty, Such chances as these oft happen of truth: Many miscarry, it is the more ruth, By negligence of their elders and not taking pain, In time good learning and qualities to attain. Therefore exhort[250] I all parents to be diligent In bringing up their children aye[251] to be circumspect; Lest they fall to evil, be not negligent; But chastise them, before they be sore infect: Accept their well-doing, in ill them reject. A young plant ye may plant and bow as ye will; Where it groweth strong, there will it abide still.