IDLENESS singeth.
Come, come, lie down, and thou shall see,
None like to me to entertain
Thy bones and thee oppressed with pain.
Come, come, and ease thee in my lap,
And if it please thee, take a nap;
A nap, that shall delight thee so,
That fancies all will thee forego.
By musing still, what canst thou find,
But wants of will and restless mind?
A mind that mars and mangles all,
And breedeth jars to work thy fall!
Come, gentle Wit, I thee require,
And thou shalt hit thy chief desire:
Thy chief desire, thy hoped prey;
First ease thee here, and then away.
WIT. [Falls down into her lap.
My bones are stiff, and I am wearied sore,
And still me-think I faint and feeble more and more;
Wake me again in time, for I have things to do,
And as you will me for mine ease, I do assent thereto.
IDLENESS. [Lulls him.
Welcome, with all my heart: sir boy, hold here this fan,
And softly cool his face; sleep soundly, gentleman.
This char is char'd[416] well now, Ignorance, my son,
Thou seest all this, how featly[417] it is done;
But wot'st thou why?
IGNORANCE.
Nay, bumfay,[418] mother, not I.
Well, I wot 'tis a gay worched trick and trim:
Chould rejouce my heart to chance coots[419] with him.
IDLENESS.
Dost thou remember how many I have served in the like sort?
IGNORANCE.
It doth my heart good to think on this sport.
IDLENESS.
Wilt thou see this proper fellow served so?
IGNORANCE.
Chould give tway pence to see it and tway pence mo.
IDLENESS.
Come off, then, let me see thee in his doublet and his[420] hose.