584Mum. My Lord, how do you brook this Brittish ayre?

585King. My Lord? I told you of this foolish humour,

586And bound you to the contrary, you know.

587Mum. Pardon me for once, my Lord; I did forget.

588King. My Lord agayne? then let's haue nothing else,

589And so be tane for spyes, and then tis well.

590Mum. Swounds, I could bite my toung in two for anger:

591For Gods sake name your selfe some proper name.

592King. Call me Tresillus: Ile call thee Denapoll.

593Mum. Might I be made the Monarch of the world,

594I could not hit vpon these names, I sweare.

595King. Then call me Will, ile call thee Iacke.

596Mum. Well, be it so, for I haue wel deseru'd to be cal'd Iack.

597King. Stand close; for here a Brittish Lady cōmeth: EnterCordella.

598A fayrer creature ne're mine eyes beheld.

599Cord. This is a day of ioy vnto my sisters,

600Wherein they both are maried vnto Kings;

601And I by byrth, as worthy as themselues,

602Am turnd into the world, to seeke my fortune.

603How may I blame the fickle Queene of Chaunce,

604That maketh me a patterne of her power?

605Ah, poore weake mayd, whose imbecility

606Is far vnable to indure these brunts.

607Oh, father Leir, how dost thou wrong thy child,

608Who alwayes was obedient to thy will!

609But why accuse I fortune and my father?

610No, no, it is the pleasure of my God:

611And I do willingly imbrace the rod.

612King. It is no Goddesse ; for she doth complayne

613On fortune, and th'vnkindnesse of her father.

614Cord. These costly robes ill fitting my estate,

615I will exchange for other meaner habit.

616Mum. Now if I had a Kingdome in my hands,

617I would exchange it for a milkmaids smock and petycoate,

618That she and I might shift our clothes together.

619Cord. I will betake me to my threed and Needle,

620And earne my liuing with my fingers ends.

621Mum. O braue! God willing, though shalt haue my custome,

622By sweet S. Denis, here I sadly sweare,

623For all the shirts and night-geare that I weare.

624Cord. I will professe and vow a maydens life.

625Mum. Thē I protest thou shalt not haue my custom.

626King. I can forbeare no longer for to speak:

627For if I do, I think my heart will breake.

628Mum. Sblood, Wil, I hope you are not in loue with my Sēpster.

629King. I am in such a laborinth of loue,

630As that I know not which way to get out.

631Mum. You'l ne're get out, vnlessse you first get in.

632King. I prithy Iacke, crosse not my passions.

633Mum. Prithy Wil, to her, and try her patience.

634King. Thou fairest creature, whatsoere thou art,

635That euer any mortall eyes beheld,

636Vouchsafe to me, who haue o'reheard thy woes,

637To shew the cause of these thy sad laments.

638Cor. Ah Pilgrims, what auailes to shew the cause,

639When there's no meanes to find a remedy?

640King. To vtter griefe, doth ease a heart o'recharg'd.

641Cor. To touch a sore, doth aggrauate the payne.

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642King. The silly mouse, by vertue of her teeth,

643Releas'd the princely Lyon from the net.

644Cor. Kind Palmer, which so much desir'st to heare

645The tragick tale of my vnhappy youth:

646Know this in briefe, I am the haplesse daughter

647Of Leir, sometimes King of Brittany.

648King. Why, who debarres his honourable age,

649From being still the King of Brittany?

650Cor. None, but himselfe hath dispossest himselfe,

651And giuen all his Kingdome to the Kings

652Of Cornwall and of Cambria, with my sisters.

653King. Hath he giuen nothing to your louely selfe?

654Cor. He lou'd me not, & therfore gaue me nothing,

655Only because I could not flatter him:

656And in this day of tryumph to my sisters,

657Doth Fortune tryumph in my ouerthrow.

658King. Sweet Lady, say there should come a King,

659As good as eyther of your sisters husbands,

660To craue your loue, would you accept of him?

661Cor. Oh, doe not mocke with those in misery,

662Nor do not think, though fortune haue the power,

663To spoyle mine honour, and debase my state,

664That she hath any interest in my mind:

665For if the greatest Monarch on the earth,

666Should sue to me in this extremity,

667Except my heart could loue, and heart could like,

668Better then any that I euer saw,

669His great estate no more should moue my mind,

670Then mountaynes moue by blast of euery wind.

671King. Think not, sweet Nymph, tis holy Palmers guise,

672To grieued soules fresh torments to deuise:

673Therefore in witnesse of my true intent,

674Let heauen and earth beare record of my words:

675There is a young and lusty Gallian King,

676So like to me, as I am to my selfe,

677That earnestly doth craue to haue thy loue,

678And ioyne with thee in Hymens sacred bonds.

679Cor. The like to thee did ne're these eyes behold;

680Oh liue to adde new torments to my griefe:

681Why didst thou thus intrap me vnawares?

682Ah Palmer, my estate doth not befit

683A kingly mariage, as the case now stands.

684Whilome when as I liu'd in honours height,

685A Prince perhaps might postulate my loue:

686Now misery, dishonour and disgrace,

687Hath light on me, and quite reuerst the case.

688Thy King will hold thee wise, if thou surcease

689The sute, whereas no dowry will insue.

690Then be aduised, Palmer, what to do:

691Cease for thy King, seeke for thy selfe to woo.

692King. Your birth's too high for any, but a King.

693Cor. My mind is low ynough to loue a Palmer,

694Rather then any King vpon the earth.

695King. O, but you neuer can indure their life,

696Which is so straight and full of penury.

697Cor. O yes, I can, and happy if I might:

698Ile hold thy Palmers staffe within my hand,

699And thinke it is the Scepter of a Queene.

700Sometime ile set thy Bonnet on my head,

701And thinke I weare a rich imperiall Crowne.

702Sometime ile helpe thee in thy holy prayers,

703And thinke I am with thee in Paradise.

704Thus ile mock fortune, as she mocketh me,

705And neuer will my louely choyce repent:

706For hauing thee, I shall haue all content.

707King. 'Twere sin to hold her longer in suspence,

708Since that my soule hath vow'd she shall be mine.

709Ah, deare Cordella, cordiall to my heart,

710I am no Palmer, as I seeme to be,

711But hither come in this vnknowne disguise,

712To view th'admired beauty of those eyes.

713I am the King of Gallia, gentle mayd,

714 (Although thus slenderly accompanied)

715and yet thy vassayle by imperious Loue,

716and sworne to serue thee euerlastingly.

717Cor. What e're you be, of high or low discent,

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718All's one to me, I do request but this:

719That as I am, you will accept of me,

720And I will haue you whatsoe're you be:

721Yet well I know, you come of royall race,

722I see such sparks of honour in your face:

723Mum. Haue Palmers weeds such power to win fayre Ladies?

724Fayth, then I hope the next that falles is myne:

725Vpon condition I no worse might speed,

726I would for euer weare a Palmers weed.

727I like an honest and playne dealing wench,

728That sweares (without exceptions) I will haue you.

729These foppets, that know not whether to loue a man or no, ex-

730cept they first go aske their mothers leaue, by this hand, I hate

731them ten tymes worse then poyson.

732King. What resteth then our happinesse to procure?

733Mum. Fayth, go to Church, to make the matter sure.

734King. It shall be so, because the world shall say,

735King Leirs three daughters were wedded in one day:

736The celebration of this happy chaunce,

737We will deferre, vntill we come to Fraunce.

738Mum. I like the wooing, that's not long a doing.

739Well, for her sake, I know what I know:

740Ile neuer marry whilest I liue,

741Except I haue one of these Brittish Ladyes,

742My humour is alienated from the mayds of Fraunce. Exeunt.