Recently Recovered "Lost" Tudor Plays with some others
History
Recently Recovered "Lost" Tudor Plays with some others
English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600; Interludes, English; Moralities, English
_Imp. Pov._ I see thou holdest on his opinion.
Yet, I set not by you both a rish:
And I meet the knave I shall hew his flesh;
Help him, thou old churl and thou can!
_Peace._ I see thou art an evil-disposed man:
I utterly forsake thy condition.
_Imp. Pov._ Marry! avaunt, long, precious whoreson!
I set not by thee nor him, I make God avow!
I am as good a man as thou, for all thy good: A4,_r._
Let it be tryd by manhood, and thereto I give thee my glove.
_Peace._ All such warriors I do reprove,
For peace loveth not to fight.
_Imp. Pov._ No, old fool! thou hast lost thy might;
For in age is nought else but cowardise.
_Peace._ Youth with his courage light,
Nor strength with multitude, I do thee plight
Are not only the cause of victory.
_Imp. Pov._ No, good sir! what then?
_Peace._ Grace and good governance of man.
For with good discretion they began
That were the great winners of victory.
_Imp. Pov._ Then victory is gotten by discretion;
I pray you, sir, show me this lesson:
How to come to richesse, for that is all my care.
For I am ever in great necessity;
Meat and drink with me is scarcity;
No man will trust me of a penny;
And, also, my clothes are but bare.
Good sir! what say you therein?
_Peace._ I hold it punishment for thy sin:
Show me what is thy name!
_Imp. Pov._ I am named Impatient Poverty.
_Peace._ Forsooth! that may full well be:
Thou art so full of wrath and envy
In thee can grow no grace;
But if thou wilt forsake sensuality,
And be governed by reason, as I shall induce thee,
Thou shalt come to richesse within short space.
_Imp. Pov._ Show me that now, in this place,
And thereto I will agree.
_Peace._ Thou must love thy neighbour with charity;
A4, _v._
Do unto him no manner of disease;
Look how thou would he did to thee,
Do to him no worse, in no degree;
And then thou shalt Our Lord please.
_Imp. Pov._ Shall I love him that loveth not me?
Those that trouble and rebuke me shamefully?
That will I never do, while I live!
_Peace._ Thou must charitably all faults forgive;
Whatsoever any man to thee say
Let as thou heard it not; turn thine ear away;
Thou shalt please God if thou so do.
_Imp. Pov._ Nay, by God! there ho!
What is he, in all this place,
That will do as this man said?
Show me or I go!
If a man do you a great offence
Will ye keep your patience?
Nay, by God, not so!
I put case: I break your head--
Will ye suffer that in very deed?
_Peace._ To suffer, for Christ's sake, I shall have meed.
_Imp. Pov._ That shall I know, by God's bread!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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