Rule a Wife, and Have a Wife: Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10)Fletcher, John
General
Rule a Wife, and Have a Wife: Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10)
Fletcher, John
Comedy plays; Drama
Let me see who dares get it
Till I command, I'll make him draw your Coach too,
And eat your Coach, (which will be hard diet)
That executes your Will; or take your Coach, Lady,
I give you liberty, and take your People
Which I turn off, and take your Will abroad with ye,
Take all these freely, but take me no more,
206] And so farewel.
Duke of Medina:
Nay, Sir, you shall not carry it
So bravely off, you shall not wrong a Lady
In a high huffing strain, and think to bear it,
We stand not by as Bawds to your brave fury,
To see a Lady weep.
Leon:
They are tears of anger, I beseech ye note 'em, not worth pity,
Wrung from her rage, because her Will prevails not,
She would swound now if she could not cry,
Else they were excellent, and I should grieve too,
But falling thus, they show nor sweet nor orient.
Put up my Lord, this is oppression,
And calls the Sword of Justice to relieve me,
The law to lend her hand, the King to right me,
All which shall understand how you provoke me,
In mine own house to brave me, is this princely?
Then to my Guard, and if I spare your Grace,
And do not make this place your Monument,
Too rich a Tomb for such a rude behaviour,
I have a Cause will kill a thousand of ye, mercy forsake me.
Juan de Castro:
Hold, fair Sir, I beseech ye,
The Gentleman but pleads his own right nobly.
Leon:
He that dares strike against the husbands freedom,
The Husbands Curse stick to him, a tam'd Cuckold,
His Wife be fair and young, but most dishonest,
Most impudent, and have no feeling of it,
No conscience to reclaim her from a Monster,
Let her lye by him like a flattering ruine,
And at one instant kill both Name and Honour,
Let him be lost, no eye to weep his end,
Nor find no earth that's base enough to bury him.
Now Sir, fall on, I am ready to oppose ye.
Duke of Medina:
I have better thought, I pray Sir use your Wife well.
Leon:
Mine own humanity will teach me that, Sir,
And now you are all welcome, all, and we'll to dinner,
This is my Wedding-day.
Duke of Medina:
I'll cross your joy yet.
Juan de Castro:
I made seen a miracle, hold thine own, Souldier,
Sure they dare fight in fire that conquer Women.
Sanchio:
H'as beaten all my loose thoughts out of me,
207] As if he had thresht 'em out o'th' husk.
[Enter _Perez_.]
Michael Perez:
'Save ye, which is the Lady of the house?
Leon:
That's she, Sir, that pretty Lady,
If you would speak with her.
Juan de Castro:
_Don Michael_, _Leon_, another darer come.
Michael Perez:
Pray do not know me, I am full of business,
When I have more time I'll be merry with ye.
It is the Woman: good Madam, tell me truly,
Had you a Maid call'd _Estifania_?
Margarita:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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