AMADINE.
Hermit, I take no pleasure in his love,
Neither doth Bremo like me best.
MUCEDORUS.
Pardon my boldness, fair lady, sith we both
May safely talk now out of Bremo’s sight,
Unfold to me, if so you please, the full discourse
How, when, and why you came into these woods,
And fell into this bloody butcher’s hands.
AMADINE.
Hermit, I will;
Of late a worthy shepherd I did love—
MUCEDORUS.
A shepherd, lady? Sure, a man unfit
To match with you!
AMADINE.
Ay, hermit, this is true,
And when we had—
MUCEDORUS.
Stay there, the wild man comes;
Defer the rest until another time.
Enter Bremo.
BREMO.
What secret tale is this? What whispering have we here?
Villain, I charge thee tell thy tale again.
MUCEDORUS.
If needs I must, lo! here it is again:
Whenas we both had lost the sight of thee,
It griev’d us both, but specially thy queen,
Who in thy absence ever fears the worst,
Lest some mischance befall your royal grace.
Shall my sweet Bremo wander through the woods,
Toil to and fro for to redress my wants,
Hazard his life and all to cherish me?
I like not this, quoth she,
And thereupon crav’d to know of me,
If I could teach her handle weapons well.
My answer was, I had small skill therein,
But glad, most mighty king, to learn of thee.
And this was all.
BREMO.
Was ’t so? None can dislike of this. I’ll teach
You both to fight; but first, my queen, begin:
Here, take this weapon; see how thou canst use it.