A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 11
English drama
GERT. Before I touch thy body, I implore
Thy discontented ghost to be appeas'd.
Send not unto me, till I come myself;
Then shalt thou know how much I honour'd thee,
O, see the colour of his coral lip
Which, in despite of death, lives full and fresh,
As when he was the beauty of his sex!
'Twere sin worthy the worst of plagues to leave thee;
Not all the strength and policy of man
Shall snatch me from thy bosom.
LONG. Look, look; I think she'll ravish him! [_Aside._
W. RASH. Why, how now, sister?
GERT. Shall we have both one grave; here I am chain'd;
Thunder nor earthquakes shall e'er shake me off.
W. RASH. No? I'll try that. [_Aside._] Come, dead man, awake! up with
your bag and baggage, and let's have no more fooling.
GERT. And lives my Geraldine?
W. RASH. Live! faith, ay;
Why should he not? he was never dead
That I know on.
GERA. It is no wonder Geraldine should live,
Though he had emptied all his vital spirits.
The lute of Orpheus spake not half so sweet,
When he descended to th' infernal vaults,
To fetch again his fair Eurydice,
As did thy sweet voice unto Geraldine.
GERT. I'll exercise that voice, since it doth please
My better self, my constant Geraldine.
JOYCE. Why so, la, here's an end of an old song!
Why could not this have been done before,
I pray?
GERT. O, y' are a goodly sister, this is your plot.
Well, I shall live one day to requite you.
JOYCE. Spare me not: for wheresoever I set my affection, although it be
upon a collier, if I fall back, unless it be in the right kind, bind me
to a stake, and let me be burned to death with charcoal.
W. RASH. Well, thou art a mad wench, and there's no more to be done at
this time, but, as we brought you together, so to part you: you must not
lie at rack and manger; there be those within that will forbid the
banns: time must shake good-fortune by the hand before you two must be
great; 'specially you, sister. Come, leave swearing.
GERT. Must we then part?
W. RASH. Must you part! why, how think you? ud's foot! I do think we
shall have as much to do to get her from him as we had to bring her to
him. This love of women is of strange quality, and has more tricks than
a juggler. [_Aside._]
GERT. But this, and then farewell.
GERA. Thy company[189] is heaven, thy absence hell.
W. RASH. Lord, who'd think it? [_Aside._]
JOYCE. Come, wench. [_Exeunt omnes._
_Enter_ SPENDALL _and_ STAINES. _Tothill Fields_.
SPEND. This ground is firm and even, I'll go no farther.
STAINES. This be the place then; and prepare you, sir;
You shall have fair play for your life of me,
For, look, sir, I'll be open-breasted to you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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