A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 02
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 02
English drama
ESAU. O, to my younger brother must I be servant?
O, that ever a man should be so oppressed!
ISAAC. Thine own fault it is, that thou art dispossessed.
ESAU. Father, change that piece of thy sentence and judgment.
ISAAC. Things done cannot be undone; therefore be content,
Let me be in quiet, and trouble me no more.
Come, Mido, in God's name, lead me in at the door.
[_Exeunt Isaac and Mido_.
ESAU. O, would not this chafe a man, and fret his guts out,
To live as an underling under such a lout?
Ah hypocrite, Ah hedgecreeper, Ah 'sembling wretch!
I will be even with thee for this subtle fetch.
O God of Abraham, what reason is herein,
That to sle one's enemy it should be made sin?
Were not one as good his part of heaven forego,
As not to be revenged on his deadly foe?
God was angry with Cain for killing Abel:
Else might I kill Jacob marvellously well.
I may fortune one day him to dispatch and rid:
The Lord will not see all things; something may be hid.
But as for these misers[278] within my father's tent,
Which to the supplanting of me put their consent,
Not one, but I shall coil them, till they stink for pain,
And then for their stinking coil them off fresh again.
I will take no days[279]; but, while the matter is hot,
Not one of them shall 'scape, but they shall to the pot.
ACTUS QUINTI, SCAENA QUINTA.
RAGAN.
Where are we now become? marry, sir, here is array!
With Esau, my master, this is a black day.
I told you Esau one day would shit a rag,
Have we not well hunted, of blessing to come lag?[280]
Nay, I thought ever it would come to such a pass,
Since he sold his heritage like a very ass.
But, in faith, some of them, I dare jeopard a groat,
If he may reach them, will have on the petticoat.[281]
ACTUS QUINTI, SCAENA SEXTA.
ESAU. RAGAN. ABRA. MIDO. DEBORAH.
ESAU. Come out, whores and thieves; come out, come out, I say!
RAGAN.[282] I told you, did I not, that there would be a fray? [_Aside_.
ESAU. Come out, little whoreson ape, come out of thy den.
MIDO. Take my life for a penny, whither shall I ren?[283]
ESAU. Come out, thou little fiend, come out, thou skittish gill.
ABRA. Out, alas, alas! Esau will us all kill.
ESAU. And come out, thou mother Mab;[284] out, old rotten witch!
As white as midnight's arsehole or virgin pitch.
Where be ye? come together in a cluster.
RAGAN. In faith, and these three will make a noble muster.
ESAU. Ere ye escape my fingers, ye shall all be taught,
For these be they which have all this against me wrought.
MIDO. I wrought not a stroke this day, but led Isaac:
If I wrought one stroke to-day, lay me on the jack.
ESAU. Hence then, get thee in, and do against me no more.
MIDO. I care as much for you now, as I did before. [_Aside_.
ESAU. What sayest thou, little thief? if I may thee catch.
MIDO. Ye shall run apace then, I ween, so God me snatch.
RAGAN. Now to go, Mido, ere thou art caught in a trip.
[_Exit_ MIDO.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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