A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 46

JACOB. Even with all my heart: farewell, little Mido.

[_Exit Jacob_.

ISAAC. Now will I depart hence into the tent again.

REBECCA. As pleaseth G.o.d and you, but I will here remain.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCAENA DECIMA.

ESAU. RAGAN. REBECCA. ISAAC. MIDO.

ESAU. And is he gone indeed to mine uncle Laban, In Mesopotamia at the town of Haran?

And is Jacob gone to the house of Bethuel?

The whirlwind with him, and flinging fiend of h.e.l.l!

But I shall meet with him yet one day well enough.

And who is this? my mother? whom I see here now.

RAGAN. She stood here all this while, sir, did ye not her see?

ESAU. Didst thou see her stand here, and wouldest not warn me?

REBECCA. Son Esau, afore G.o.d, thou art much to blame, And to do, as I hear of thee, is a foul shame.

ESAU. Mother, what is it ye heard of me of late?

REBECCA. That thou dost thy brother Jacob deadly hate.

ESAU. Hate Jacob? I hate him, and will do, till I die, For he hath done me both great wrong and villainy; And that shall he well know, if the Lord give me life.

REBECCA. Fie upon thee, to speak so, like a lewd caitiff!

RAGAN. My master Esau is of nature much hot, But he will be better than he saith, fear not.

ESAU. My birthright to sell did he not make me consent?

REBECCA. But the same to do wert not thyself content?

There is no man to blame for it but thine own self.

ESAU. Yea, mother, I see that ye hold with that mopish elf.

It is your dainty darling, your prinkox, your golpol; He can never be praised enough of your soul; He must ever be extolled above the moon: It is never amiss that he hath said or done.

I would he were rocked or dandled in your lap; Or I would with this falchion I might give him pap.

I marvel why ye should so love him, and me not?

Ye groaned as well for the one as thother, I wot.

But Jacob must be advanced in any wise: But I shall one day handle him of the new guise.[288]

REBECCA. Both on thy father's blessing and mine, I charge thee, That thy soul intend never such iniquity; Beware by the example of Cain, I thee reed, That thou bring not the Lord's curse upon thy head.

ESAU. And what, should I take all this wrong at Jacob's hand?

REBECCA. Forgive, and the Lord shall prosper thee in the land.

My son Esau, hear me; I am thy mother: For my sake, let pa.s.s this grudge against thy brother.

RAGAN. Sir, your mother's request is but reasonable, Which for you to grant shall be much commendable.

ESAU. Mother, though it be a great thing that ye require: Yet must all malice pa.s.s at your desire; And for your cause, mother, this mine anger shall slake.

REBECCA. I thank thee, my son, that thou dost it for my sake.

ESAU. For your sake, with Jacob I will be at accord.

REBECCA. And shall I call thy father to be as record?

ESAU. As pleaseth you, mother, I can be well content.

REBECCA. Then will I go call him hither incontinent.

And where he doth already love thee very well, This will make him to love thee better a great deal.

RAGAN. Truly, sir, this is of you a right gentle part: At least, if it come from the bottom of your heart.

ESAU. It must now be thus; but when I shall Jacob find, I shall then do as G.o.d shall put into my mind.

__Enter_ ISAAC _and_ MIDO _with_ REBECCA.

REBECCA. He hath at my word remitted all his quarrel.

ISAAC. Forsooth! love him the better a great deal.

And if he be here, I would commend his doing.

ESAU.[289] All prest here, father, to tarry on your coming.

ISAAC. Son Esau, thou hast thyself well acquitted, That all quarrel to Jacob thou hast remitted.

It was the Lord's pleasure that it should thus be, Against whose ordinance to stand is not for thee: But now, to the intent it may please the Lord, To knit your hearts one day in a perfect concord, We shall first in a song give laud unto His name, And then with all gladness within confirm the same.

REBECCA. As ye think best, dear husband, I agree thereto.

ESAU. Me ye may command to what ye will have me to do: And so may ye do also Ragan my man.

ISAAC. I see none; but praise we the Lord the best we can, Call forth all our household, that with one accord We may all with one voice sing unto the Lord.

[_Ragan calleth all to sing_.

_This song must be sung after the prayer.

O Lord, the G.o.d of our father Abraham, How deep and unsearchable are thy judgments!

Thy almightiful hand did create and frame Both heaven and earth, and all the elements.

Man of the earth thou hast formed and create; Some do thee worship, and some stray awry, Whom pleaseth thee, thou dost choose or reprobate, And no flesh can ask thee wherefore or why?