English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600; Greene, Robert, 1558-1592
_Geo._ Here sit thou, George, wearing a willow wreath,
As one despairing of thy beauteous love:
Fie, George! no more;
Pine not away for that which cannot be.
I cannot joy in any earthly bliss,
So long as I do want my Bettris.
_Enter_ JENKIN.
_Jen._ Who see a master of mine?
_Geo._ How now, sirrah! whither away?
_Jen,_ Whither away! why, who do you take me to be?
_Geo._ Why, Jenkin, my man.
_Jen._ I was so once indeed, but now the case is altered.
_Geo._ I pray thee, as how?
_Jen._ Were not you a fortune-teller to-day?
_Geo._ Well, what of that?
_Jen._ So sure am I become a juggler. What will you say if I juggle
your sweetheart?
_Geo._ Peace, prating losel! her jealous father
Doth wait o'er her with such suspicious eyes,
That, if a man but dally by her feet,
He thinks it straight a witch to charm his daughter.
_Jen._ Well, what will you give me, if I bring her hither?
_Geo._ A suit of green, and twenty crowns besides.
_Jen._ Well, by your leave, give me room. You must give me something
that you have lately worn.
_Geo._ Here is a gown, will that serve you?
[_Gives gown._
_Jen._ Ay, this will serve me. Keep out of my circle, lest you be
torn in pieces by she-devils.--Mistress Bettris, once, twice, thrice!
[JENKIN _throws the gown in, and_ BETTRIS _comes out._[310]
O, is this no cunning?
_Geo._ Is this my love, or is it but her shadow?
_Jen._ Ay, this is the shadow, but here is the substance.
_Geo._ Tell me, sweet love, what good fortune brought thee hither?
For one it was that favour'd George-a-Greene.
_Bet._ Both love and fortune brought me to my George,
In whose sweet sight is all my heart's content.
_Geo._ Tell me, sweet love, how cam'st thou from thy father's?
_Bet._ A willing mind hath many slips in love:
It was not I, but Wily, thy sweet boy.
_Geo._ And where is Wily now?
_Bet._ In my apparel, in my chamber still.
_Geo._ Jenkin, come hither: go to Bradford,
And listen out your fellow Wily.--
Come, Bettris, let us in,
And in my cottage we will sit and talk.
[_Exeunt._
ACT THE FOURTH
SCENE I.--_Camp of_ KING EDWARD.
_Enter_ KING EDWARD, JAMES, KING OF SCOTS, LORD WARWICK, CUDDY, _and_
Train.
_K. Edw._ Brother of Scotland, I do hold it hard,
Seeing a league of truce was late confirm'd
'Twixt you and me, without displeasure offer'd
You should make such invasion in my land.
The vows of kings should be as oracles,
Not blemish'd with the stain of any breach;
Chiefly where fealty and homage willeth it.
_K. James._ Brother of England, rub not the sore afresh;
My conscience grieves me for my deep misdeed.
I have the worst; of thirty thousand men,
There 'scap'd not full five thousand from the field.
_K. Edw._ Gramercy, Musgrove, else it had gone hard:
Cuddy, I'll quite thee well ere we two part.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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