Actus. iiii. Scæna. v.

Christian Custance. Trupenie. Tristram Trusty. C. Custance.

C. Custance. Trupenie dyd promise me to runne a great pace,

My friend Tristram Trusty to set into this place.

Indeede he dwelleth hence a good stert [553] I confesse:

But yet a quicke messanger might twice since[,] as I gesse,

Have gone and come againe. Ah yond I spie him now. 5

Trupeny [enters with Trusty, whom he leaves behind]. Ye are a slow goer sir, I make God avow.

My mistresse Custance will in me put all the blame.

Your leggs be longer than myne: come apace for shame.

C. Custance. I can [554] thee thanke Trupenie, thou hast done right wele.

Trupeny. Maistresse since I went no grasse hath growne on my hele, 10

But maister Tristram Trustie here maketh no speede.

C. Custance. That he came at all I thanke him in very deede,

For now have I neede of the helpe of some wise man.

T. Trusty. Then may I be gone againe, for none such I [a]m.

Trupenie. Ye may bee by your going: for no Alderman 15

Can goe I dare say, a sadder pace than ye can.

C. Custance. Trupenie get thee in, thou shalt among them knowe,

How to use thy selfe, like a propre man I trowe.

Trupeny. I go.

[Ex.]

C. Custance. Now Tristram Trusty I thank you right much.

For at my first sending to come ye never grutch. 20

T. Trusty. Dame Custance God ye saue, and while my life shall last,

For my friende Goodlucks sake ye shall not sende in wast.

C. Custance. He shal give you thanks.

T. Trusty. I will do much for his sake[!]

C. Custance. But alack, I feare, great displeasure shall be take.

T. Trusty. Wherfore? 25

C. Custance. For a foolish matter.

T. Trusty. What is your cause[?]

C. Custance. I am yll accombred with a couple of dawes.

T. Trusty. Nay weepe not woman: but tell me what your cause is G ii

As concerning my friende is any thing amisse?

C. Custance. No not on my part: but here was Sym Suresby[—]

T. Trustie. He was with me and told me so. 30

C. Custance. And he stoode by

While Ralph Roister Doister with helpe of Merygreeke,

For promise of mariage dyd unto me seeke.[555]

T. Trusty. And had ye made any promise before them twaine[?]

C. Custance. No I had rather be torne in pieces and flaine,

No man hath my faith and trouth, but Gawyn Goodlucke, 35

And that before Suresby dyd I say, and there stucke,

But of certaine letters there were suche words spoken.

T. Trustie. He tolde me that too.

C. Custance. And of a ring and token.

That Suresby I spied, dyd more than halfe suspect,

That I my faith to Gawyn Goodlucke dyd reiect. 40

T. Trusty. But there was no such matter dame Custance in deede?

C. Custance. If ever my head thought it, God sende me yll speede.

Wherfore I beseech you, with me to be a witnesse,

That in all my lyfe I never intended thing lesse,

And what a brainsicke foole Ralph Roister Doister is, 45

Your selfe know well enough.

T. Trusty. Ye say full true ywis.

C. Custance. Bicause to bee his wife I ne graunt nor apply,[556]

Hither will he com he sweareth by and by,

To kill both me and myne, and beate downe my house flat.

Therfore I pray your aide. 50

T. Trustie. I warrant you that.

C. Custance. Have I so many yeres lived a sobre life,

And shewed my selfe honest, mayde, widowe, and wyfe

And nowe to be abused in such a vile sorte,

Ye see howe poore Widowes lyve all voyde of comfort.

T. Trusty. I warrant hym do you no harme nor wrong at all. 55

C. Custance. No, but Mathew Merygreeke doth me most appall,[557]

That he woulde joyne hym selfe with suche a wretched loute.

T. Trusty. He doth it for a jest I knowe hym out of doubte,

And here cometh Merygreke.

C. Custance. Then shal we here his mind.

Actus. iiii. Scæna. vi. G ii b

Merygreke. Christian Custance. Trist. Trusty.

M. Mery. Custance and Trustie both, I doe you here well finde.

C. Custance. Ah Mathew Merygreeke, ye have used me well.

M. Mery. Nowe for altogether [558] ye must your answere tell.

Will ye have this man, woman? or else will ye not?

Else will he come never bore so brymme [559] nor tost so hot. 5

Tris. and Cu. But why joyn ye with him.

T. Trusty. For mirth?

C. Custance. Or else in sadnesse[?]

M. Mery. The more fond of you both! hardly y^e [560] mater gesse[!]

Tristram. Lo how say ye dame?

M. Mery. Why do ye thinke dame Custance

That in this wowyng I have ment ought but pastance?

C. Custance.[561] Much things ye spake, I wote, to maintaine his dotage. 10

M. Mery. But well might ye judge I spake it all in mockage?[562]

For why? Is Roister Doister a fitte husband for you?

T. Trusty. I dare say ye never thought it.

M. Mery. No to God I vow.

And did not I knowe afore of the insurance [563]

Betweene Gawyn Goodlucke, and Christian Custance? 15

And dyd not I for the nonce, by my conveyance,[564]

Reade his letter in a wrong sense for daliance?

That if you coulde have take it up at the first bounde,

We should therat such a sporte and pastime have founde,

That all the whole towne should have ben the merier. 20

C. Custance. Ill ake your heades both, I was never werier,

Nor never more vexte since the first day I was borne.

T. Trusty. But very well I wist he here did all in scorne.

C. Custance. But I feared thereof to take dishonestie.

M. Mery. This should both have made sport, and shewed your honestie 25

And Goodlucke I dare sweare, your witte therin would low.

T. Trusty. Yea, being no worse than we know it to be now.

M. Mery. And nothing yet to late, for when I come to him,

Hither will he repaire with a sheepes looke full grim,

By plaine force and violence to drive you to yelde. G iii 30

C. Custance. It ye two bidde me, we will with him pitche a fielde,

I and my maides together.

M. Mery. Let us see, be bolde.

C. Custance. Ye shall see womens warre.

T. Trusty. That fight wil I behold.

M. Mery. If occasion serve, takyng his parte full brim,

I will strike at you, but the rappe shall light on him. 35

When we first appeare.

C. Custance. Then will I runne away

As though I were afeard.

T. Trusty. Do you that part wel play

And I will sue for peace.

M. Mery. And I wil set him on.

Then will he looke as fierce as a Cotssold lyon.[565]

T. Trusty. But when gost thou for him? 40

M. Mery. That do I very nowe.

C. Custance. Ye shall find us here.

M. Mery. Wel god have mercy on you.

Ex.

T. Trusty. There is no cause of feare, the least boy in the streete:

C. Custance. Nay, the least girle I have, will make him take his feete.

But hearke, me thinke they make preparation.

T. Trusty. No force, it will be a good recreation. 45

C. Custance. I will stand within, and steppe forth speedily,

And so make as though I ranne away dreadfully.

[Exeant.]