A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 66

ACT IV., SCAENA 4.

WIT, WILL, IDLENESS, IGNORANCE.

WIT.

One dance for thee and me; my boy, come on.

WILL.

Dance you, sir, if you please, and I will look upon.

WIT.

This gear doth make me sweat, and breathe apace.

IDLENESS.

Sir, ease yourself awhile; here is a resting-place.

WIT.

Home, Will, and make my bed, for I will take a nap.

IGNORANCE.

Sure, and it please your mastership, here in my dame's lap.

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 a.s.sent 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, b.u.mfay,[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.

IGNORANCE.

You shall see a tall fellow, mother, I suppose.

IDLENESS.

Help off with this sleeve softly for fear of waking, We shall leave the gentleman in a pretty taking.

Give me thy coat, hold this in thy hand: This fellow would be married to Science, I understand.

But, ere we leave him, tell me another tale!

Now let us make him look somewhat stale.

There lie, and there be: the proverb is verified, I am neither idle, nor yet well-occupied.

IGNORANCE.

Mother, must I have his coat? now, mother, I must.

Chalt be a lively lad with hey tisty-tust.

IDLENESS.

Sleep sound, and have no care to occupy thy head, As near unto thy body now, as if thou had'st been dead.

For Idleness hath won, and wholly thee possess'd, And utterly disabled thee from having thy request.

Come on with me, my son, let us go couch again, And let this l.u.s.ty ruffling Wit here like a fool remain.

[_Exeunt_.

ACT V., SCAENA 1.

WIT, SCIENCE, REASON.

WIT.

Up and to go, why sleep I here so sound?

How falls it out that I am left upon the naked ground?

G.o.d grant that all be well, whilst I lay dreaming here: Me-thinks all is not as it was, nor as I would it were.

And yet I wot not why, but so my fancies gives me, That some one thing or other in my tire[421] that grieves me, They are but fancies, let them go: to Science now will I; My suit and business yet once again to labour and apply.

[_Enter Science and Reason_.

SCIENCE.

What is become, trow ye, of Wit, our spouse that would be?

REASON.

Daughter, I fear all is not as it should be.