A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 02

by Unknown

ACT III., SCAENA 1.

WIT and WILL.

WIT.
Say'st thou me so, boy? will she have me indeed?

WILL.
Be of good cheer, sir; I warrant you to speed.

WIT.
Did both her parents speak well to her of me?

WILL.
As heart can think; go on, and you shall see.

WIT.
How took she the picture? How liketh she my person?

WILL.
She never had done toting[392] and looking thereon.

WIT.
And when must I come to talk with her my fill?

WILL.
Whensoever you please, and as oft as you will.

WIT.
O my sweet boy, how shall I recompense
Thy faithful heart and painful diligence?
My hope, my stay, my wealth, the key of all my joy!

WILL.
I pray you, sir, call me your man, and not your boy.

WIT.
Thou shalt be what thou wilt, all in all.

WILL.
Promise me faithfully that, if your wife brawl,
Or set her father to check me out of measure,
You will not see me abused to their pleasure.

WIT.
Give me thy hand, take here my faith and troth,
I will maintain thee, howsoever the world goeth.

ACT III., SCAENA 2.

The house of SCIENCE. WILL, WIT; also REASON and SCIENCE behind.

WIT.
What shall we do? Shall we stand lingering here?

WILL.
If you be a man, press in and go near.

WIT.
What, if there be some other suitor there?

WILL.
And if there be, yet need you not to fear;
Until I bring his head to you upon a spear.
I will not look you in the face, nor in your sight appear.

REASON.
Nay, Wit, advise yourself, and pause a while,
Or else this haste of yours will you beguile.

SCIENCE.
No haste but good, take time and learn to fight,
Learn to assault, learn to defend a right:
Your match[393] is monstrous to behold and full of might,
Whom you must vanquish, not by force, but by sleight.

WIT.
Madam, stand to your promise; if I win, I am sped,
Am I not?

SCIENCE.
Yea, truly.

WILL.
Good enough, if we fight not, I would we were dead,
No man shall stay us, that bears a head.

EXPERIENCE.
Young man, a word or twain, and then adieu:
Your years are few, your practice green and new;
Mark what I say, and ye shall find it true:
You are the first that shall this rashness rue.
Be ruled here: our counsel do thereafter.
Lay good ground, your work shall be the faster.
This headlong haste may sooner miss than hit;
Take heed both of witless[394] Will and wilful Wit.
We have within a gentleman, our retainer and our friend,
With servants twain, that do on him attend—
Instruction, Study, Diligence: these three
At your commandment in this attempt shall be.
Hear them instead of us, and as they shall devise,
So hardily cast your[395] cards in this enterprise.
I will send them to you, and leave you for now.

WIT.
The more company the merrier; boy, what say'st thou?

WILL.
It is a good fault to have more than enou':
I care not, so as we may put the knaves down,
I would we were at it, I pass not how soon.

WIT.
If it shall please you to send those three hither,
We will follow your counsel, and go together.

WILL.
I warrant her a shrew, whosoever be another,
God make the daughter good, I like not the mother. [Aside.

WIT.[396]
Yet would not I for no good to have forgone her. [Aside.

WILL.
Marry, sir, indeed she talks and takes on her,
Like a dame, nay, like a duchess or a queen,
With such a solemnity as I have not seen.

REASON.
She is a queen, I tell thee, in her degree.

WILL.
Let her be what she list, with a vengeance, for me!
I will keep me out of her reach, if I can. [Aside.

REASON.
If this marriage go forward, thou must be her man.

WILL.
Marriage or marriage not, beshrew me then,
I have but one master, and I will serve no mo,
And if he anger me, I will forsake him too.

REASON.
She shall not hurt thee, unless her cause be juster.

WILL.
By the faith of my body, sir, I intend not to trust her.

REASON.
Why?

WILL.
Take[397] me this woman, that talks so roundly,
That be so wise, that reason so soundly:
That look so narrow, that speak so shrill:
Their words are not so cursed, but their deeds are ill.

REASON.
It is but thy fancy, I see no such thing in her.

WILL.
Perhaps you had never occasion to try her?

REASON.
That were great marvel in so many years.

WILL.
She hath won the mastery of you, it appears.

WIT.
Well, quiet yourself; thou shalt take no wrong,
Methink our three companions tarry very long.

ACT III, SCAENA 3.

INSTRUCTION, STUDY, DILIGENCE, REASON, WIT, WILL.

INSTRUCTION.
Sir, we are come to know your pleasure.

REASON.
You are come in good time, Instruction, our treasure;
This gentleman craveth your acquaintance and aid.
What you may do for him, let him not be denay'd.

WIT.
Welcome, good fellows, will ye dwell with me?

DILIGENCE.
If all parties be pleased, content are we.

WIT.
Welcome, Instruction, with all my heart.

WILL.
What, three new servants! then, farewell, my part. [Aside.

INSTRUCTION.
I heartily thank you, and look what I can do;
I[398] shall be always ready to pleasure you.

REASON.
Consider and talk together with these,
And you shall find in your travail great ease.
Take here of me, before I take my leave,
This glass of crystal clear, which I you give,
Accept it, and reserve it for my sake most sure,
Much good to you in time it may procure.
Behold yourself therein, and view and pry:
Mark what defects it will discover and descry;
And so with judgment ripe and curious eye,
What is amiss endeavour to supply,
Farewell—

WIT.
Farewell to you, right honourable sir:
And commend me to my love, my heart's desire,
Let her think on me, when she sees me not, and wish me well.

WILL.
Farewell, master Reason, think upon us, when you see us not,
And in any wise let not Will be forgot.

WIT.
Since I must take advice and counsel of you three,
I must intreat you all to dwell in house with me,
And look what order you shall prescribe as needful,
To keep the same you shall find me as heedful:
Come.

INSTRUCTION.
[I] come.

WIT.
[I] go.

[Exeunt.