A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 07
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 07
English drama
AMADINE. Full three hours hence, God willing, I will return.
MUCEDORUS. The thanks that Paris gave the Grecian queen,
The like doth Mucedorus yield.
AMADINE. Then, Mucedorus, for three hours, farewell.
[_Exit_.
MUCEDORUS. Your departure, lady, breeds a privy pain.
[_Exit.
Enter_ SEGASTO _solus_.
SEGASTO. 'Tis well, Segasto, that thou hast thy will.
Should such a shepherd, such a simple swain,
As he eclipse thy credit, famous through
The court? No, ply, Segasto, ply;
Let it not in Arragon be said,
A shepherd hath Segasto's honour won.
_Enter_ MOUSE, _the Clown, calling his master_.
CLOWN. What ho! master, will you come away?
SEGASTO. Will you come hither, I pray you, what's the matter?
CLOWN. Why, is it not past eleven o'clock?
SEGASTO. How then, sir?
CLOWN. I pray you, come away to dinner.
SEGASTO. I pray you, come hither.
CLOWN. Here's such a-do with you, will you never come?
SEGASTO. I pray you, sir, what news of the message I sent you about?
CLOWN. I tell you, all the messes be on the table already--
(There wants not so much as a mess of mustard) half an hour ago.
SEGASTO. Come, sir, your mind is all upon your belly.
You have forgotten what I did bid you do.
CLOWN. Faith, I know nothing, but you bad me go to breakfast.
SEGASTO. Was that all?
CLOWN. Faith, I have forgotten it, the very scent of the meat made
me forget[177] it quite.
SEGASTO. You have forgotten the errand I bid you do?
CLOWN. What arrant? an arrant knave or an arrant whore?
SEGASTO. Why, thou knave, did I not bid thee banish the shepherd?
CLOWN. O, the shepherd's bastard?
SEGASTO. I tell thee, the shepherd's banishment.
CLOWN. I tell you, the shepherd's bastard shall be well kept; I'll look
to it myself. But I pray you, come away to dinner.
SEGASTO. Then you will not tell me whether you have banished him, or no?
CLOWN. Why, I cannot say _banishment_, and you would give me a thousand
pounds to say so.
SEGASTO. Why, you whoreson slave, have you forgotten that I sent you
and another to drive away the shepherd.
CLOWN. What an ass are you; here's a stir indeed, here's message,
arrant, banishment, and I cannot tell what.
SEGASTO. I pray you, sir, shall I know whether you have drove him away.
CLOWN. Faith, I think I have; and you will not believe me, ask my staff.
SEGASTO. Why, can thy staff tell?
CLOWN. Why, he was with me too.
SEGASTO. Then happy I, that have obtain'd my will.
CLOWN. And happier I, if you would go to dinner.
SEGASTO. Come, sirrah, follow me.
CLOWN. I warrant you, I will not lose an inch of you now you are going
to dinner, I promise you. I thought [it] seven year, before I could get
him away. [_Aside.]
[Exeunt.
Enter_ AMADINE _sola_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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