Fair Em Part 4

EM.

To what end?

TROTTER.

That the ending of an old indenture is the beginning of a new bargain.

EM.

What bargain?

TROTTER.

That you promised to do any thing to recover my health.

EM.

On that condition I give thee my hand.

TROTTER.

Ah, sweet Em!

[Here he offers to kiss her.]

EM.

How now, Trotter! your masters daughter?

TROTTER.

Yfaith, I aim at the fairest.

Ah, Em, sweet Em!

Fresh as the flower, That hath pour To wound my heart, And ease my smart, Of me, poor thief, In prison bound--

EM.

So all your rhyme Lies on the ground.

But what means this?

TROTTER.

Ah, mark the device-- For thee, my love, Full sick I was, In hazard of my life.

Thy promise was To make me whole, And for to be my wife.

Let me enjoy My love, my dear, And thou possess Thy Trotter here.

EM.

But I meant no such matter.

TROTTER.

Yes, woos, but you did. I'll go to our Parson, Sir John, and he shall mumble up the marriage out of hand.

EM.

But here comes one that will forbid the Banes.

[Here enters Manvile to them.]

TROTTER.

Ah, Sir, you come too late.

MANVILE.

What remedy, Trotter?

EM.

Go, Trotter, my father calls.

TROTTER.

Would you have me go in, and leave you two here?

EM.

Why, darest thou not trust me?

TROTTER.

Yes, faith, even as long as I see you.

EM.

Go thy ways, I pray thee heartily.

TROTTER.

That same word (heartily) is of great force. I will go. But I pray, sir, beware you come not too near the wench.

[Exit Trotter.]

MANVILE.

I am greatly beholding to you.

Ah, Maistres, sometime I might have said, my love, But time and fortune hath bereaved me of that, And I, an object in those gratious eyes, That with remorse earst saw into my grief, May sit and sigh the sorrows of my heart.

EM.

In deed my Manvile hath some cause to doubt, When such a Swain is rival in his love!

MANVILE.

Ah, Em, were he the man that causeth this mistrust, I should esteem of thee as at the first.

EM.

But is my love in earnest all this while?

MANVILE.

Believe me, Em, it is not time to jest, When others joys, what lately I possest.

EM.

If touching love my Manvile charge me thus, Unkindly must I take it at his hands, For that my conscience clears me of offence.

MANVILE.

Ah, impudent and shameless in thy ill, That with thy cunning and defraudful tongue Seeks to delude the honest meaning mind!

Was never heard in Manchester before Of truer love then hath been betwixt twain: And for my part how I have hazarded Displeasure of my father and my friends, Thy self can witness. Yet notwithstanding this, Two gentlemen attending on Duke William, Mountney and Valingford, as I heard them named, Oft times resort to see and to be seen Walking the street fast by thy fathers door, Whose glauncing eyes up to the windows cast Gives testies of their Maisters amorous heart.

This, Em, is noted and too much talked on, Some see it without mistrust of ill-- Others there are that, scorning, grin thereat, And saith, 'There goes the millers daughters wooers'.

Ah me, whom chiefly and most of all it doth concern, To spend my time in grief and vex my soul, To think my love should be rewarded thus, And for thy sake abhor all womenkind!