1432Per. My Lord, you are vp to day before your houre,

1433Tis newes to you to be abroad so rathe.

1434Leir. Tis newes indeed, I am so extreme heauy,

1435That I can scarcely keepe my eye-lids open.

1436Per. And so am I, but I impute the cause

1437To rising sooner then we vse to do.

1438Leir. Hither my daughter meanes to come disguis'd:

1439Ile sit me downe, and read vntill she come.

1441Per. Sheele not be long, I warrant you, my Lord:

1442But say, a couple of these they call good fellowes,

1443Should step out of a hedge, and set vpon vs,

1444We were in good case for to answere them.

1445Leir. 'Twere not for vs to stand vpon our hands.

1446Per.I feare, we scant should stand vpon our legs.

1447But how should we do to defend our selues?

1448Leir. Euen pray to God, to blesse vs frō their hands:

1449For feruent prayer much ill hap withstands.

1450Per. Ile sit and pray with you for company;

1451Yet was I ne're so heauy in my life.

1455Mess. Were it not a mad iest, if two or three of my professiō

1456should meet me, and lay me downe in a ditch, and play robbe

1457thiefe with me, & perforce take my gold away from me, whilest

1458I act this stratagem, and by this meanes the gray beards should

1459escape? Fayth, when I were at liberty againe, I would make no

1460more to do, but go to the next tree, and there hang my selfe.

1462But stay, me thinks, my youthes are here already,

1463And with pure zeale haue prayed themselues asleepe.

1464I thinke, they know to what intent they came,

1465And are prouided for another world.

1467Now could I stab them brauely, while they sleepe,

1468And in a maner put them to no payne;

1469And doing so, I shewed them mighty friendship:

1470For feare of death is worse then death it selfe.

1471But that my sweet Queene will'd me for to shew

1472This letter to them, ere I did the deed.

1473Masse, they begin to stirre: ile stand aside;

1474So shall I come vpon them vnawares.

1476Leir. I maruell, that my daughter stayes so long.

F Per. I

1477Per. I feare, we did mistake the place, my Lord.

1478Leir. God graunt we do not miscarry in the place:

1479I had a short nap, but so full of dread,

1480As much amazeth me to think thereof.

1481Per. Feare not, my Lord, dreames are but fantasies,

1482And slight imaginations of the brayne.

1483Mes.Perswade him so; but ile make him and you

1484Confesse, that dreames do often proue too true.

1485Per. I pray, my Lord, what was the effect of it?

1486I may go neere to gesse what it pretends.

1487Mes. Leaue that to me, I will expound the dreame.

1488Leir. Me thought, my daughters, Gonorill & Ragan,

1489Stood both before me with such grim aspects.

1490Eche brandishing a Faulchion in their hand,

1491Ready to lop a lymme off where it fell,

1492And in their other hands a naked poynyard,

1493Wherwith they stabd me in a hundred places,

1494And to their thinking left me there for dead:

1495But then my youngest daughter, fayre Cordella,

1496Came with a boxe of Balsome in her hand,

1497And powred it into my bleeding wounds,

1498By whose good meanes I was recouered well,

1499In perfit health, as earst I was before:

1500And with the feare of this I did awake,

1501And yet for feare my feeble ioynts do quake.

1502Mes.Ile make you quake for something presently.

1503Stand, Stand. They reele.

1504Leir. We do, my friend, although with much adoe.

1505Mes. Deliuer, deliuer.

1506Per. Deliuer vs, good Lord, from such as he.

1507Mes. You should haue prayed before, while it was time,

1508And then perhaps, you might haue scapt my hands:

1509But you, like faithfull watch-men, fell asleepe,

1510The whilst I came and tooke your Halberds from you.

1512And now you want your weapons of defence,

1513How haue you any hope to be deliuered?

1514This comes, because you haue no better stay,

1515But fall asleepe, when you should watch and pray.

1516 Leir. My friend, thou seemst to be a proper man.

1517Mes. Sblood, how the old slaue clawes me by the elbow?

1518He thinks, belike, to scape by scraping thus.

1519Per. And it may be, are in some need of money.

1520Mes. That to be false, behold my euidence.

1522Leir. If that I haue will do thee any good,

1523I giue it thee, euen with a right good will. Take it.

1524Per. Here, take mine too, & wish with all my heart,

1525To do thee pleasure, it were twice as much.

1527Mes. Ile none of them, they are too light for me.

1529Leir. Why then farewell: and if thou haue occasion

1530In any thing, to vse me to the Queene,

1531 'Tis like ynough that I can pleasure thee.

1533Mes. Do you heare, do you heare, sir?

1534If I had occasion to use you to the Queene,

1535Would you do one thing for me I should aske?

1536Leir. I, any thing that lyes within my power.

1537Here is my hand vpon it, so farewell. Proffer to goe.

1538Mes. Heare you sir, heare you? pray, a word with you.

1539Me thinks, a comely honest ancient man

1540Should not dissemble with one for a vantage.

1541I know, when I shall come to try this geare,

1542You will recant from all that you haue sayd.

1543Per. Mistrust not him, but try him when thou wilt:

1544He is her father, therefore may do much.

1545Mes. I know he is, and therefore meane to try him:

1546You are his friend too, I must try you both.

1547Ambo.Prithy do, prithy do. Proffer to go out.

1548Mes.Stay gray-beards then, and proue men of your words:

1549The Queene hath tyed me by a solemne othe,

1550Here in this place to see you both dispatcht:

1551Now for the safegard of my conscience,

1552Do me the pleasure for to kill your selues:

F2 So

1553So shall you saue me labour for to do it,

1554And proue your selues true old men of your words.

1555And here I vow in sight of all the world,

1556I ne're will trouble you whilst I liue agayne.

1557Leir.Affright vs not with terrour, good my friend,

1558Nor strike such feare into our aged hearts.

1559Play not the Cat, which dallieth with the mouse;

1560And on a sudden maketh her a pray:

1561But if thou art markt for the man of death

1562To me and to my Damion, tell me playne,

1563That we may be prepared for the stroke,

1564And make our selues fit for the world to come.

1565Mes. I am the last of any mortall race,

1566That ere your eyes are likely to behold,

1567And hither sent of purpose to this place,

1568To giue a finall period to your dayes,

1569Which are so wicked, and haue liued so long,

1570That your owne children seeke to short your life.

1571Leir. Camst thou from France, of purpose to do this?

1572Mes. From France? zoones, do I looke like a Frenchman?

1573Sure I haue not mine owne face on; some body hath chang'd

1574faces with me, and I know not of it: But I am sure, my apparell

1575is all English. Sirra, what meanest thou to aske that question?

1576I could spoyle the fashion of this face for anger. A French face!

1577Leir. Because my daughter, whom I haue offended,

1578And at whose hands I haue deseru'd as ill,

1579As euer any father did of child,

1580Is Queene of Fraunce, no thanks at all to me,

1581But vnto God, who my iniustice see.

1582If it be so, that shee doth seeke reuenge,

1583As with good reason she may iustly do,

1584I will most willingly resigne my life,

1585A sacrifice to mittigate her ire:

1586I neuer will intreat thee to forgiue,

1587Because I am vnworthy for to liue.

1588Therefore speake soone, & I will soone make speed:

1589Whether Cordella will'd thee do this deed?

1590Mes. As I am a perfit gentleman, thou speakst French to me:

1591I neuer heard Cordellaes name before,

1592Nor neuer was in Fraunce in all my life:

1593I neuer knew thou hadst a daughter there,

1594To whom thou didst proue so vnkind a churle:

1595But thy owne toung declares that thou hast bin

1596A vyle old wretch, and full of heynous sin.

1597Leir. Ah no, my friend, thou are deceyued much:

1598For her except, whom I confesse I wrongd,

1599Through doting frenzy, and o're-ielous loue.

1600There liues not any vnder heauens bright eye,

1601That can conuict me of impiety.

1602And therefore sure thou dost mistake the marke:

1603For I am in true peace with all the world.

1604Mes. You are the fitter for the King of heauen:

1605And therefore, for to rid thee of suspence,

1606Know thou, the Queenes of Cambria and Cornwall,

1607Thy owne two daughters, Gonorill and Ragan,

1608Appoynted me to massacre thee here.

1609Why wouldst thou then perswade me, that thou art

1610In charity with all the world? but now

1611When thy owne Issue hold thee in such hate,

1612That they haue hyred me t'abbridge thy fate,

1613Oh, fy vpon such vyle dissembling breath,

1614That would deceyue, euen at the poynt of death.

1615Per. Am I awake, or is it but a dreame?

1616Mes. Feare nothing, man, thou art but in a dreame,

1617And thou shalt neuer wake vntill doomes day,

1618By then, I hope, thou wilt haue slept ynough.

1619Leir. Yet, gentle friend, graunt one thing ere I die.

1620Mes. Ile graunt you any thing, except your liues.

1621Leir. Oh, but assure me by some certayne token,

1622That my two daughters hyred thee to this deed:

1623If I were once resolu'd of that, then I

1624Would wish no longer life, but craue to dye.

1625Mes. That to be true, in sight of heauen I sweare.

1626Leir. Sweare not by heauen, for feare of punishmēt:

1627The heauens are guiltlesse of such haynous acts.

1628Mes. I sweare by earth, the mother of vs all.

F3 Leir. Sweare

1629Leir. Sweare not by earth; for she abhors to beare

1630Such bastards, as are murtherers of her sonnes.

1631Mes. Why then, by hell, and all the deuils I sweare.

1632Leir. Sweare not by hell; for that stands gaping wide,

1633To swallow thee, and if thou do this deed.

1635Mes. I would that word were in his belly agayne,

1636It hath frighted me euen to the very heart:

1637This old man is some strong Magician:

1638His words haue turned my mind from this exployt.

1639Then neyther heauen, earth, nor hell be witnesse;

1640But let this paper witnesse for them all.

1642Shall I relent, or shall I prosecute?

1643Shall I resolue, or were I best recant?

1644I will not crack my credit with two Queenes,

1645To whom I haue already past my word.

1646Oh, but my conscience for this act doth tell,

1647I get heauens hate, earths scorne, and paynes of hell.

1649Per. Oh iust Iehoua, whose almighty power

1650Doth gouerne all things in this spacious world,

1651How canst thou suffer such outragious acts

1652To be committed without iust reuenge?

1653O viperous generation and accurst,

1654To seeke his blood, whose blood did make them first!

1655Leir. Ah, my true friend in all extremity,

1656Let vs submit vs to the will of God:

1657Things past all sence, let vs not seeke to know;

1658It is Gods will, and therefore must be so.

1659My friend, I am prepared for the stroke:

1660Strike when thou wilt, and I forgiue thee here,

1661Euen from the very bottome of my heart.

1662Mes. But I am not prepared for to strike.

1663Leir. Farewell, Perillus, euen the truest friend,

1664That euer liued in aduersity:

1665The latest kindnesse ile request of thee,

1666Is that thou go vnto my daughter Cordella,

1667And carry her her fathers latest blessing:

1668Withall desire her, that she will forgiue me;

1669For I haue wrongd her without any cause.

1670Now, Lord, receyue me, for I come to thee,

1671And dye, I hope, in perfit charity.

1672Dispatch, I pray thee, I haue liued too long.

1673Mes. I, but you are vnwise, to send an errand

1674By him that neuer meaneth to deliuer it:

1675Why, he must go along with you to heauen:

1676It were not good you should go all alone.

1677Leir. No doubt, he shal, when by the course of nature,

1678He must surrender vp his due to death:

1679But that time shall not come, till God permit.

1680Mes. Nay, presently, to beare you company.

1681I haue a Pasport for him in my pocket,

1682Already seald, and he must needs ride Poste.

1684Leir. The letter which I read, imports not so,

1685It only toucheth me, no word of him.

1686Mess. I, but the Queene commaunds it must be so,

1687And I am payd for him, as well as you.

1688Per. I, who haue borne you company in life,

1689Most willingly will beare a share in death.

1690It skilleth not for me, my friend, a whit,

1691Nor for a hundred such as thou and I.

1692Mes. Mary, but it doth, sir, by your leaue; your good dayes

1693are past: though it bee no matter for you, tis a matter for me,

1694proper men are not so rife.

1695Per. Oh, but beware, how thou dost lay thy hand

1696Vpon the high anoynted of the Lord:

1697O, be aduised ere thou dost begin:

1698Dispatch me straight, but meddle not with him.

1699Leir. Friend, thy commission is to deale with me,

1700And I am he that hath deserued all:

1701The plot was layd to take away my life:

1702And here it is, I do intreat thee take it:

1703Yet for my sake, and as thou art a man,

1704Spare this my friend, that hither with me came:

F4 I brought

1705I brought him forth, whereas he had not bin,

1706But for good will to beare me company.

1707He left his friends, his country and his goods,

1708And came with me in most extremity.

1709Oh, if he should miscarry here and dye,

1710Who is the cause of it, but only I?

1711aMes. Why that am I, let that ne're trouble thee.

1712Leir. O no, tis I. O, had I now to giue thee

1713The monarchy of all the spacious world

1714To saue his life, I would bestow it on thee:

1715But I haue nothing but these teares and prayers,

1716And the submission of a bended knee. kneele.

1717O, if all this to mercy moue thy mind,

1718Spare him, in heauen thou shalt like mercy find.

1719Mes.I am as hard to be moued as another, and yet

1720me thinks the strength of their perswasions stirres me

1721a little.

1722Per.My friend, if feare of the almighty power

1723Haue power to moue thee, we haue sayd ynough:

1724But if thy mind be moueable with gold,

1725We haue not presently to giue it thee:

1726Yet to thy selfe thou mayst do greater good,

1727To keepe thy hands still vndefilde from blood:

1728For do but well consider with thy selfe,

1729When thou hast finisht this outragious act,

1730What horrour still will haunt thee for the deed:

1731Think this agayne, that they which would incense

1732Thee for to be the Butcher of their father,

1733When it is done, for feare it should be knowne,

1734Would make a meanes to rid thee from the world:

1735Oh, then art thou for euer tyed in chaynes

1736Of euerlasting torments to indure,

1737Euen in the hotest hole of grisly hell,

1738Such paynes, as neuer mortall toung can tell.

1741Leir. O, heauens be thanked, he wil spare my friend.

1742Now when thou wilt come make an end of me.

1744Per.Oh, happy sight! he meanes to saue my Lord.

1745The King of heauen continue this good mind.

1746Leir. Why stayst thou to do execution?

1747Mes. I am as wilfull as you for your life:

1748I will not do it, now you do intreat me.

1749Per. Ah, now I see thou hast some sparke of grace.

1750Mes. Beshrew you for it, you haue put it in me:

1751The parlosest old men, that ere I heard.

1752Well, to be flat, ile not meddle with you:

1753Here I found you, and here ile leaue you:

1754If any aske you why the case so stands?

1755Say that your toungs were better then your hands. Exit.Mess.

1756Per. Farewell. If euer we together meet,

1757It shall go hard, but I will thee regreet.

1758Courage, my Lord, the worst is ouerpast;

1759Let vs giue thanks to God, and hye vs hence.

1760Leir. Thou art deceyued; for I am past the best,

1761And know not whither for to go from hence:

1762Death had bin better welcome vnto me,

1763Then longer life to adde more misery.

1764Per. It were not good to returne from whence we(came,

1765Vnto your daughter Ragan back againe.

1766Now let vs go to France, vnto Cordella,

1767Your youngest daughter, doubtlesse she will succour you.

1768Leir. Oh, how can I perswade my selfe of that,

1769Since the other two are quite deuoyd of loue;

1770To whom I was so kind, as that my gifts,

1771Might make them loue me, if 'twere nothing else?

1772Per. No worldly gifts, but grace from God on hye,

1773Doth nourish vertue and true charity.

1774Remember well what words Cordella spake,

1775What time you askt her, how she lou'd your Grace.

1776Se sayd, her loue vnto you was as much,

1777As ought a child to beare vnto her father.

1778Leir. But she did find, my loue was not to her,

1779As should a father beare vnto a child.

1780Per. That makes not her loue to be any lesse,

G If

1781If she do loue you as a child should do:

1782You haue tryed two, try one more for my sake,

1783Ile ne're intreat you further tryall make.

1784Remember well the dream you had of late,

1785And thinke what comfort it foretels to vs.

1786Leir. Come, truest friend, that euer man possest,

1787I know thou counsailst all things for the best:

1788If this third daughter play a kinder part,

1789It comes of God, and not of my desert. Exeunt.