A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ix Part 16

ANS. What frantic humour doth thus haunt my sense, Striving to breed destruction in my spirit?

When I would sleep, the ghost of my sweet love Appears unto me in an angel's shape: When I'm awake, my fantasy presents, As in a gla.s.s, the shadow of my love: When I would speak, her name intrudes itself Into the perfect echoes of my speech: And though my thought beget some other word, Yet will my tongue speak nothing but her name.

If I do meditate, it is on her; If dream of her, or if discourse of her, I think her ghost doth haunt me, as in times Of former darkness old wives' tales report.

_Enter_ FULLER.

Here comes my better genius, whose advice Directs me still in all my actions.

How now, from whence come you?

FUL. Faith, from the street, in which, as I pa.s.s'd by, I met the modest Mistress Arthur's corpse, And after her as mourners, first her husband, Next Justice Reason, then old Master Arthur, Old Master Lusam, and young Lusam too, With many other kinsfolks, neighbours, friends, And others, that lament her funeral: Her body is by this laid in the vault.

ANS. And in that vault my body I will lay!

I prythee, leave me: thither is my way.

FUL. I am sure you jest, you mean not as you say.

ANS. No, no, I'll but go to the church, and pray.

FUL. Nay, then we shall be troubled with your humour.

ANS. As ever thou didst love me, or as ever Thou didst delight in my society, By all the rights of friendship and of love, Let me entreat thy absence but one hour, And at the hour's end I will come to thee.

FUL. Nay, if you will be foolish, and past reason, I'll wash my hands, like Pilate, from thy folly, And suffer thee in these extremities. [_Exit_.

ANS. Now it is night, and the bright lamps of heaven Are half-burn'd out: now bright Adelbora Welcomes the cheerful day-star to the east, And harmless stillness hath possess'd the world: This is the church,--this hollow is the vault, Where the dead body of my saint remains, And this the coffin that enshrines her body, For her bright soul is now in paradise.

My coming is with no intent of sin, Or to defile the body of the dead; But rather take my last farewell of her, Or languishing and dying by her side, My airy soul post after hers to heaven.

[_Comes to_ MRS ARTHUR'S _tomb_.

First, with this latest kiss I seal my love: Her lips are warm, and I am much deceiv'd, If that she stir not. O, this Golgotha, This place of dead men's bones is terrible, Presenting fearful apparitions!

It is some spirit that in the coffin lies, And makes my hair start up on end with fear!

Come to thyself, faint heart--she sits upright!

O, I would hide me, but I know not where.

Tush, if it be a spirit, 'tis a good spirit; For with her body living ill she knew not; And with her body dead ill cannot meddle.

MRS ART. Who am I? Or where am I?

ANS. O, she speaks, And by her language now I know she lives.

MRS ART. O, who can tell me where I am become?

For in this darkness I have lost myself; I am not dead, for I have sense and life: How come I then in this coffin buried?

ANS. Anselm, be bold; she lives, and destiny Hath train'd thee hither to redeem her life.

MRS ART. Lives any 'mongst these dead? none but myself?

ANS. O yes, a man, whose heart till now was dead, Lives and survives at your return to life: Nay, start not; I am Anselm, one who long Hath doted on your fair perfection, And, loving you more than became me well, Was. .h.i.ther sent by some strange providence, To bring you from these hollow vaults below, To be a liver in the world again.

MRS ART. I understand you, and I thank the heavens, That sent you to revive me from this fear, And I embrace my safety with good-will.

_Enter_ AMINADAB _with two or three_ BOYS.

AMIN. _Mane citus lectum fuge, mollem discute somnum, Templa petas supplex, et venerate deum_.

Shake off thy sleep, get up betimes, Go to the church and pray, And, never fear, G.o.d will thee hear, And keep thee all the day.

Good counsel, boys; observe it, mark it well; This early rising, this _diluculo_ Is good both for your bodies and your minds: 'Tis not yet day; give me my tinder-box; Meantime, unloose your satchels and your books: Draw, draw, and take you to your lessons, boys.

1ST BOY. O Lord, master, what's that in the white sheet?

AMIN. In the white sheet, my boy? _Dic ubi_, where?

1ST BOY. _Vide_, master, _vide illic_, there.

AMIN. O, _Domine, Domine_, keep us from evil, A charm from flesh, the world, and the devil!

[_Exeunt_.

MRS ART. O, tell me not my husband was ingrate, Or that he did attempt to poison me, Or that he laid me here, and I was dead; These are no means at all to win my love.

ANS. Sweet mistress, he bequeath'd you to the earth; You promis'd him to be his wife till death, And you have kept your promise: but now, since The world, your husband, and your friends suppose That you are dead, grant me but one request, And I will swear never to solicit more Your sacred thoughts to my dishonest love.

MRS ART. So your demand may be no prejudice To my chaste name, no wrong unto my husband, No suit that may concern my wedlock's breach, I yield unto it; but To pa.s.s the bounds of modesty and chast.i.ty, Sooner[19] will I bequeath myself again Unto this grave, and never part from hence, Than taint my soul with black impurity.

ANS. Take here my hand and faithful heart to gage.

That I will never tempt you more to sin: This my request is--since your husband dotes Upon a lewd, lascivious courtesan-- Since he hath broke the bonds of your chaste bed, And, like a murd'rer, sent you to your grave, Do but go with me to my mother's house; There shall you live in secret for a s.p.a.ce, Only to see the end of such lewd l.u.s.t, And know the difference of a chaste wife's bed, And one whose life is in all looseness led.

MRS ART. Your mother is a virtuous matron held: Her counsel, conference, and company May much avail me; there a s.p.a.ce I'll stay, Upon condition, as you said before, You never will move your unchaste suit more.

ANS. My faith is p.a.w.n'd. O, never had chaste wife A husband of so lewd and unchaste life!

[_Exeunt_.

SCENE II.

_A Room in Mistress Mary's House_.

_Enter_ MISTRESS MARY, MISTRESS SPLAY, _and_ BRABO.

BRA. Mistress, I long have serv'd you, even since These bristled hairs upon my grave-like chin Were all unborn; when I first came to you, These infant feathers of these ravens' wings Were not once begun.

MRS SPLAY. No, indeed, they were not.

BRA. Now in my two moustachios for a need, (Wanting a rope) I well could hang myself; I prythee, mistress, for all my long service, For all the love that I have borne thee long, Do me this favour now, to marry me.

_Enter_ YOUNG MASTER ARTHUR.

MRS MA. Marry, come up, you blockhead! you great a.s.s!

What! wouldst thou have me marry with a devil!

But peace, no more; here comes the silly fool, That we so long have set our lime-twigs for; Begone, and leave me to entangle him.