T. TRUSTY. Dame Custance, God ye save; and while my life shall last, For my friend Goodluck's sake ye shall not send in waste. C. CUSTANCE. He shall give you thanks. T. TRUSTY. I will do much for his sake. C. CUSTANCE. But alack! I fear great displeasure shall he take. T. TRUSTY. Wherefore? C. CUSTANCE. For a foolish matter. T. TRUSTY. What is your cause? C. CUSTANCE. I am ill accumbred with a couple of daws. T. TRUSTY. Nay, weep not, woman; but tell me what your cause is. As concerning my friend is anything amiss? C. CUSTANCE. No, not on my part; but here was Sim. Suresby-- TRUSTY. He was with me, and told me so. C. CUSTANCE. And he stood by, While Ralph Roister Doister, with help of Merrygreek, For promise of marriage did unto me seek. T. TRUSTY. And had ye made any promise before them twain? C. CUSTANCE. No, I had rather be torn in pieces and slain. No man hath my faith and troth but Gawin Goodluck, And that before Suresby did I say, and there stuck But of certain letters there were such words spoken-- TRUSTY. He told me that too. C. CUSTANCE. And of a ring and token; That Suresby, I spied, did more than half suspect, That I my faith to Gawin Goodluck did reject. T. TRUSTY. But was there no such matter, Dame Custance, indeed? C. CUSTANCE. If ever my head thought it, God send me ill speed! Wherefore, I beseech you, with me to be a witness, That in all my life I never intended thing less. And what a brainsick fool Ralph Roister Doister is, Yourself knows well enough. T. TRUSTY. Ye say full true, i-wis. C. CUSTANCE. Because to be his wife I ne grant nor apply, Hither will he come, he sweareth, by and by, To kill both me and mine, and beat down my house flat; Therefore I pray your aid. T. TRUSTY. I warrant you that. C. CUSTANCE. Have I so many years lived a sober life, And showed myself honest: maid, widow, and wife, And now to be abused in such a vile sort? To see how poor widow live, all void of comfort! T. TRUSTY. I warrant him do you no harm nor wrong at all. C. CUSTANCE. No, but Matthew Merrygreek doth me most appal; That he would join himself with such a wretched lout. T. TRUSTY. He doth it for a jest, I know him out of doubt. And here cometh Merrygreek? C. CUSTANCE. Then shall we hear his mind. ACTUS IV., SCÆNA 6. MERRYGREEK, CHRISTIAN CUSTANCE, TRIST. TRUSTY. M. MERRY. Custance and Trusty both, I do you here well find. C. CUSTANCE. Ah! Matthew Merrygreek, ye have used me well! M. MERRY. Now, for altogether,[151] ye must your answer tell. Will ye have this man, woman, or else will ye not? Else will he come, never boar so brim,[152] nor toast so hot. C. CUSTANCE. But why join ye with him? T. TRUSTY. For mirth? C. CUSTANCE. Or else in sadness?