Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 06 of 10Fletcher, John
General
Beaumont and Fletcher's Works, Vol. 06 of 10
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Theo._ Good Sir be patient, I have done no fault
Worthy this banishment.
_Phil._ Yes _Leocadia_,
The Lady so distress'd, who was content
To lay her story, and to lay her heart
As open as her story to your self,
Who was content, that I should know her Sex,
Before dissembl'd and to put her self
Into my conduct, whom I undertook
Safely to guard, is in this Tumult lost.
_Theo._ And can I help it Sir?
_Phil._ No, would thou couldst,
You might have done, but for that zeald religion
You women bear to swownings, you do pick
Your times to faint when some body is by:
Bound or by nature, or by love, or service
To raise you from that well dissembled death:
Inform me but of one that has been found
Dead in her private chamber by her self,
Where sickness would no more forbear, than here,
And I will quit the rest for her.
_Theo._ I know not
What they may do, and how they may dissemble;
But by my troth, I did not.
_Phil._ By my troth,
Would I had try'd; would I had let thee layn,
And followed her.
_Theo._ I would you had done so
Rather, than been so angry: where's _Antonio_?
_Phil._ Why do'st thou vex me with these questions?
I'll tell thee where, he's carried to the Galleys,
There to be chain'd, and row, and beat, and row
With knotted ropes, and pizzels; if he swound,
He has a dose of bisket.
_Theo._ I am glad
He is alive.
_Phil._ Was ever man thus troubled,
Tell me where _Leocadia_ is?
_Theo._ Good brother be not so hasty, and I think I can:
You found no error in me, when I first
Told you she was a woman, and believe me
Something I have found out, which makes me think,
Nay, almost know so well, that I durst swear
She follow'd hurt _Antonio_.
_Phil._ What do we
_Enter the Governor, two Attendants, and the Townsmen._
Then lingring here; we will aboard the Galleys
And find her.
_Gov._ Made he a shot into the Town?
_1. Attend._ He did Sir.
_Gov._ Call back those Gentlemen.
_1. Attend._ The Governor, commands you back.
_Phil._ We will obey him Sir.
_Gov._ You gave him cause to shoot; I know, he is
So far from rash offence, and holds with me
Such curious friendship: could not one of you
Have call'd me while 'twas doing, such an uproar,
Before my dore too?
_1. Towns._ By my troth Sir, we were so busy in the publick
cause, of our own
Private falling out: that we forgot it: at home we see now
You were not, but as soon as the shot made us fly, we ran
Away as fast as we could to seek your honor.
_Gov._ 'Twas gravely done; but no man tells the cause
Or chance, or what it was that made you differ.
_1. Towns._ For my part Sir, if there were any that I knew
Of, the shot drove it out of my head, do you know any neighbours?
_All._ Not we, not we.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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