MUCEDORUS. How do you like Your Bremo and his woods? AMADINE. Not my Bremo, Nor Bremo's[187] woods. MUCEDORUS. And why not yours? Methinks he loves you well. AMADINE. I like him not. His love to me is nothing worth. MUCEDORUS. Lady, in this (methinks) you offer wrong, To hate the man that ever loves you best. AMADINE. Hermit,[188] I take no pleasure in his love, Neither doth Bremo like me best. MUCEDORUS. Pardon my boldness, lady,[189] sith we both May safely talk now out of Bremo's sight. Unfold To me (if so you please) the full discourse, How, when, and why you came into these woods, And fell into this bloody butcher's hands. AMADINE. Hermit, I will; Of late a worthy shepherd I did love-- MUCEDORUS. A shepherd, lady? Sure, a man unfit To match with you! AMADINE. Hermit, 'tis[190] true; and when we had-- MUCEDORUS. Stay there, the wild man comes; Refer the rest until another time. _Enter_ BREMO. BREMO. What secret tale is this, what whispering have we here? Villain, I charge thee tell thy tale again. MUCEDORUS. If needs I must, lo! here it is again: When as we both had lost the sight of thee, It griev'd us both, but specially the queen. Who in thy absence ever fears the worst, Lest some mischance befall your royal grace. Shall my sweet Bremo wander through the woods: Toil to and fro for to redress my wants: Hazard his life, and all to cherish me? I like not this, quoth she. And thereupon [she] crav'd to know of me, If I could teach her handle weapons well. My answer was, I had small skill therein, But glad, most mighty king, to learn of thee. And this was all. BREMO. Was't so? None can dislike of this. I'll teach You both to fight. But first, my queen, begin: Here, take this weapon; see how thou canst use it. AMADINE. This is too big; I cannot wield it in my arm. BREMO. Is't so, we'll have a knotty crabtree staff for thee: But, sirrah, tell me, what say'st thou? MUCEDORUS. With all my heart I willing am to learn. BREMO. Then take my staff, and see how thou canst wield it. MUCEDORUS. First teach me how to hold it in my hand. BREMO. Thou hold'st it well. [To _Amadine_.] Look how he doth; Thou mayest the sooner learn. MUCEDORUS. Next tell me how and when 'tis best to strike. BREMO. 'Tis best to strike when time doth serve, 'Tis best to lose no time. MUCEDORUS. Then now or never is my time to strike. BREMO. And when thou strikest, be sure to hit the head. MUCEDORUS. The head? BREMO. The very head. MUCEDORUS. Then have at thine, So lie there and die; [_He strikes him down dead_. A death, no doubt, according to desert, Or else a worse, as thou deservest a worse. AMADINE. It glads my heart this tyrant's death to see. MUCEDORUS. Now, lady, it remains in you To end the tale you lately had begun, Being interrupted by this wicked wight-- You said you loved a shepherd? AMADINE. Ay, so I do, and none but only him; And will do still, as long as life shall last.