_Placebo dilexi. Master Roister Doister will straight go home and die, Our Lord Jesus Christ his soul have mercy upon: Thus you see, to-day a man, to-morrow John.[179] Yet, saving for a woman's extreme cruelty, He might have lived yet a month, or two, or three; But in spite of Custance, which hath him wearied, His maship shall be worshipfully buried. And while some piece of his soul is yet him within, Some part of his funeral let us here begin. Dirige. He will go darkling[180] to his grave; Neque lux, neque crux, nisi solum clink; Never genman so went toward heaven, I think. Yet, sirs, as ye will the bliss of heaven win, When he cometh to the grave, lay him softly in; And all men take heed by this one gentleman, How you set your love upon an unkind woman; For these women be all such mad peevish elves, They will not be won, except it please themselves. But, in faith, Custance, if ever ye come in hell, Master Roister Doister shall serve you as well._ _Good night, Roger, old knave; farewell, Roger, old knave; Good night, Roger, old knave; knave, knap. Ne quando. Audivi vocem. Requiem æternam._ _The Peal of bells rung by the parish Clerk and Roister Doister's four men._ _The first Bell, a Triple._ When died he? When died he? _The second._ We have him! We have him! _The third._ Roister Doister! Roister Doister! _The fourth Bell._ He cometh! He cometh! _The great Bell._ Our own! Our own! FINIS FOOTNOTES: [168] [Peculiar place or function.] [169] _i.e._, I approve of your conduct. See "Second Part of Henry IV.," act iv., sc. 2; "King Lear," act ii., sc. 4; and Romans, c. xiv., v. 22.--_Cooper._ [170] Adulteress, from the old French _advoultrer_. In Cartwright's "Ordinary," act iv., sc. 5, the _Constable_ says, "I'll look there shall be no _advoutry_ in my ward."--_Cooper._ [171] _i.e._, Bear me no ill-will. [172] With these words R. Roister evidently retires.--_Cooper._ [173] Encourage him. So in the epistle to Gabriel Harvey, prefixed to Spenser's "Shepherd's Calendar": "The Right Worshipfull Maister Philip Sidney is a speciall favourer and _maintainer_ of all kinde of learning."--_Cooper._ [174] The exit and re-entry are not marked.--_Cooper._ [175] [It seems probable that this prayer at the end was intended for Queen Elizabeth, not for her predecessor. The original prayer, if there was one, on the first presentation of the comedy, may have been suppressed in favour of one to suit the new circumstances.] [176] Ancient interludes frequently ended with a prayer, which it was the custom of the players to deliver kneeling.--_Cooper._ [177] These are the songs referred to in the body of the Comedy. [178] A _pet_ or _darling_ wife.--_Cooper._ [179] [Query, _Sir John_, _i.e._, the priest, to say the requiem. See Hazlitt's "Proverbs," p. 414.]