A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 15Dodsley, Robert
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 15
Dodsley, Robert
English drama
+Jailor.+ So, now I am just i' th' fashion; I have taken
Money to do her business, and instead
Of doing it I have undone it.
_Enter +Duke+ and +Ortellus+._
+Ort.+ 'Tis so, sir.
The jailor has discover'd all to me. Here
He comes.
+Jailor.+ And please your highness to stand close
Here, for the lady Amphelia is now
With the prisoner; I have given her a
Key to convey him through this private passage;
As soon as I beckon to her, she will come
Away with him. [_Beckons her._
+Amph.+ Come, sir, give me your hand;
The jailor beckons me; the way is clear.
+Duke.+ Hold, lady, and your love, we must shorten
Your journey a little.
+Amph.+ Ha! the duke and Ortellus!
I am betray'd! O villain jailor!
+Ort.+ Sir,
I fear we've interrupted them; it may be
They were going to be married; ha, ha, ha!
+Amph.+ If I were, 'twas what I refused you,
Ortellus; that makes you so mad.
+Duke.+ Well, madam,
If you have a mind to be married, a priest
Shall not join your hands, but you shall go both
Back to the prison, and th' jailor shall tie you
Both hands and legs together.
+Amph.+ Know, sir,
A prison with this brave gentleman
Will be greater paradise to me, than to
Be mistress of your palace. What do I say? [_Aside._
+Duke.+ Well you shall have your desire then; ye shall live
Together, and die together. How could
I speak that word to her? [_Aside._
+Zor.+ She die, sir!
Wou'd you destroy so great a world of virtue?
Rather invent two deaths for me, that I
May die for her too. You'll rob
Your dukedom of your greatest treasure to take
Away so blest a life as hers: let not
An axe part such a head and body,
Lest heaven frown and call you murderer. You'll pull
Upon your head all mankind's curse: when nature
Sees her bounty thus rewarded, she will
Turn miser, and will give no more such blessings
To th' world as this fair saint.
+Duke.+ Well, sir,
I'm satisfied ye like one another, so you
Shall both return back to your straw beds, there you
May lie as close together as you please.
+Amph.+ No, sir, virtue shall lie betwixt us.
+Duke.+ You will want a pillow, till you come both
To execution, then you shall have one--
A block to lay your heads on.
+Amph.+ Know, [O] duke,
My head will rest better with his upon a block,
Than with yours on the softest pillow. How
Many lies must I confess, before I die. [_Aside._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account