A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 25

_Enter_ BARNABAS.

BARNABAS. What woful wight art thou, tell me, That here most grievously dost lament?

Confess the truth, and I will comfort thee, By the word of G.o.d omnipotent: Although your time ye have misspent, Repent and amend, while ye have s.p.a.ce, And G.o.d will restore you to health and grace.

DALILAH. To tell you who I am, I dare not for shame; But my filthy living hath brought me in this case, Full oft for my wantonness you did me blame; Yet to take your counsel I had not the grace.

To be restored to health, alas, it is past; Disease hath brought me into such decay, Help me with your alms, while my life doth last, That, like a wretch as I am, I may go my way.

BARNABAS, Show me your name, sister, I you pray, And I will help you now at your need; Both body and soul will I feed.

DALILAH. You[233] have named me already, if I durst be so bold: Your[234] sister Dalilah, that wretch I am; My wanton nice toys ye knew of old.

Alas, brother, they have brought me to this shame.

When you went to school, my brother and I would play, Swear, chide, and scold with man and woman; To do shrewd turns our delight was alway, Yet were we tiddled, and you beaten now and then.

Thus our parents let us do what we would, And you by correction they kept thee under awe: When we grew big, we were st.u.r.dy and bold; By father and mother we set not a straw,

Small matter for me; I am past; But your brother and mine is in great jeopardy: In danger to come to shame at the last, He frameth his living so wickedly.

BARNABAS. Well, sister,[235] I ever feared ye would be nought, Your lewd behaviours sore grieve[d] my heart: To train you to goodness all means have I sought, But in vain; yet will I play a brotherly part.

For the soul is more precious, most dearly bought With the blood of Christ, dying therefore: To save it first a mean must be sought At G.o.d's hand by Christ, man's only Saviour.

Consider, Dalilah, G.o.d's fatherly goodness, Which for your good hath brought you in this case.

Scourged you with his rod of pure love doubtless, That, once knowing yourself, ye might call for grace.

Ye seem to repent, but I doubt whether[236]

For your sins or for the misery ye be in: Earnestly repent for your sin rather, For these plagues be but the reward of sin.

But so repent that ye sin no more, And then believe with steadfast faith, That G.o.d will forgive you for evermore, For Christ's sake, as the scripture saith.

As for your body, if it be curable, I will cause to be healed, and[237] during your life I will clothe you and feed you, as I am able.

Come, sister, go with me, ye have need of relief.

[_They go out_.

DANIEL (_the judge_). As a judge of the country, here am I come, Sent by the king's majesty, justice to do: Chiefly to proceed in judgment of a felon: I tarry for the verdict of the quest,[238] ere I go.

[_Iniquity, Baily errand, comes in; the judge sitteth down_.

Go, Baily, know whether they be all agreed, or no; If they be so, bid them come away, And bring their prisoner; I would hear what they say.

[BAILY]. I go, my Lord, I go, too soon for one: He is like to play a cast will break his neck-bone.

I beseech your lor'ship be good to him: The man is come of good kin.

If your lordship would be so good to me, [_He telleth him in his ear the rest may not hear_.

As for my sake to set him free, I could have twenty pound in a purse, Yea, and your lordship a right fair horse, Well worth ten pound--

DANIEL (_the judge_). Get thee away, thou h.e.l.l-hound!

If ye were well examined and tried, Perchance a false knave ye would be spied.

[_Iniquity goeth out; the judge speaketh still_.

Bribes (saith Salomon) blind the wise man's sight, That he cannot see to give judgment right.

Should I be a briber?[239] nay, he shall have the law, As I owe to G.o.d and the king obedience and awe.

[_They bring Ismael in, bound like a prisoner_.

INIQUITY (_aside_). Ye be tied fair enough for running away!

If ye do not after me, ye will be hanged, I dare say; If thou tell no tales, but hold thy tongue, I will set thee at liberty, ere it be long, Though thou be judged to die anon.

JUDGE (_to the jury_). Come on, sirs, I pray you, come on, Be you all agreed in one?

QU. Yea, my lord, everychone.

[_One of them speaketh for the quest_.

JUDGE. Where Ismael was indicted[240] by twelve men Of felony, burglary, and murder, As the indictment declareth how, where, and when, Ye heard it read to you lately in order: You, with the rest, I trust all true men, Be charged upon your oaths to give verdit directly, Whether Ismael thereof be guilty or not guilty.

QU. Guilty, my lord, and most guilty.

[_One for the rest_.

INIQUITY. Wilt thou hang, my lord, [this] wh.o.r.eson noddy?

JUDGE (_to Iniquity_). Tush, hold thy tongue, and I warrant thee[241]--

JUDGE (_to Ismael_). The Lord have mercy upon thee!

Thou shalt go to the place thou cam'st fro Till to-morrow, nine of the clock, there to remain: To the place of execution then shalt thou go, There be hanged to death, and after again, Being dead, for ensample to be hanged in a chain.

Take him away, and see it be done, At your peril that may fall thereupon.

ISMAEL. Though I be judged to die, I require respite, For the king's advantage some[242] things I can recite.

INIQUITY. Away with him, he will speak but of spite--

JUDGE. Well, we will hear you say what you can, But see that ye wrongfully accuse no man.

ISMAEL. I will belie no man, but this I may say, Here standeth he that brought me to this way:

INIQUITY. My lord, he lieth like a d.a.m.ned knave, The fear of death doth make him rave--

ISMAEL. His naughty company and play at dice Did me first to stealing entice: He was with me at robberies, I say it to his face; Yet can I say more in time and s.p.a.ce.

INIQUITY. Thou hast said too much, I beshrew thy wh.o.r.eson's face.

[_Aside_.

Hang him, my lord, out of the way, The thief careth not what he doth say.

Let me be hangman, I will teach him a sleight; For fear of talking, I will strangle him straight; Tarry here that list, for I will go-- [_He would go_.

JUDGE. No, no, my friend, not so; I thought always ye should not be good, And now it will prove, I see, by the rood.

[_They take him in a halter; he fighteth with them_.

Take him, and lay him in irons strong, We will talk with you more, ere it be long.

INIQUITY. He that layeth hands on me in this place, Ich lay my brawling iron on his face!

By Gog's blood, I defy thy worst; If thou shouldest hang me, I were accurst.

I have been at as low an ebb as this, And quickly aloft again, by Gis!

I have mo friends than ye think I have; I am entertained of all men like no slave: Yea, within this moneth, I may say to you, I will be your servant and your master too.