Anonymous

“ Ales.
A fault confessed is more then halfe a mends,
But men of such ill spirite as your selfe.
Worke crosses and debates twixt man and wife.
Ard.
I pray the gentle Francklin holde thy peace,
I know my wife counsels me for the best,
Ard
Ile seeke out mosby, where his wound is drest,
And salue his haples quarrell if I may.
Exeunt Arden & Ales.
Fran.
He whome the diuel driues must go perforce,
Poore gentleman how sone he is bewitcht,
And yet because his wife is the instrument,
His frends must not be lauish in their speach, Exit Fran.
Here enters Will shakabage & Greene
Wil. ”

“ And forgiue this faulte:
Forget but this, and neuer see the lyke.
Impose me pennance, and I will performe it:
For in thy discontent I finde a death,
A death tormenting more then death it selfe,
Ales
Nay hadst thou loued me as thou doest pretend,
Thou wouldst haue markt the speaches of thy frend,
Who going wounded from the place, he said
His skinne was peirst only through my deuise,
And if sad sorrow taint thee for this falt,
Thou wouldst haue followed him, and sene him drest,
And cryde him mercy whome thou hast misdone,
Nere shall my hart be eased till this be done. ”

“ At Bulloine he and I were fellow souldiers,
Where he plaid such prankes,
As all the Campe feard him for his villany:
I warrant you he beares so bad a minde,
That for a croune heele murther any man. ”

“ For what hast thou to countenaunce my loue,
beeing discended of a noble house,
And matcht already with a gentleman,
Whose seruant thou maist be, and so farewell.
Mos.
Ungentle and vnkinde Ales, now I see
That which I euer feard, and finde too trew:
A womans loue is as the lightning flame,
Which euen in bursting forth consumes it selfe,
To trye thy constancie haue I beene strange,
Would I had neuer tryed, but liued in hope.
Ales.
What needs thou try me, whom thou neuer found false,
Mos.
Yet pardon me for loue is Ielious,
Ales. ”

“ Why gentle mistres Ales, cannot I be ill,
But youle accuse your selfe.
Franckline thou haste a boxe of Methridate,
Ile take a lytle to preuent the worst.
Fran.
Do so, and let vs presently take horse,
My lyfe for yours ye shall do well enough.
Ales.
Giue me a spoone, Ile eat of it my selfe,
Would it were full of poyson to the brim.
Then should my cares and troubles haue an end,
Was euer silly woman so tormented?
Arden.
Be patient sweete loue, I mistrust not thee,
Ales.
God will reuenge it Arden if thou doest.
For neuer woman lou'd her husband better, the I do thee,
Ard. ”

“ Indaunger not your selfe, for such a Churle,
But hyre some Cutter for to cut him short,
And heer's ten pound, to wager them with all,
When he is dead you shall haue twenty more.
And the lands whereof my husband is possest,
Shall be intytled as they were before.
Gre.
Will you keepe promise with me?
Ales.
Or count me false and periurde, whilst I liue,
Gre.
Then heeres my hand Ile haue him so dispatcht,
Ile vp to London straight, Ile thether poast,
And neuer rest, til I haue compast it,
Till then farewell.
Ales.
Good Fortune follow all your forward thoughts
Exit Grene. ”

“ This may he doo without suspect or feare.
Adam.
Ile tell him what you say, and so farewell.
Exit Adam.
Ales.
Doo, and one day Ile make amends for all:
I know he loues me well, but dares not come,
Because my husband is so Ielious:
And these my marrow prying neighbours blab,
Hinder our meetings when we would conferre.
But if I liue that block shall be remoued,
And Mosbie, thou that comes to me by stelth
shalt neither feare the biting speach of men,
Nor Ardens lookes, as surely shall he die,
as I abhorre him, and loue onely thee. ”

“ That thou mayst inherit his land, weele kill him.
Shak.
I thy Mother, thy sister, thy brother, or all thy kin.
Gre.
Well this it is, Arden of Feuershame,
Hath highly wrongd me about the Abby land,
That no reuendge but death will serue the turne:
Will you two kill him, heeres the Angels downe,
And I will lay the platforme of his death:
Will. ”

“ Ales
Why take that way that M. Mosbie doeth,
But first conuey the body to the fields.
Then they beare the body into the fields
Mos.
Until to morrow, swéete Ales now farewel,
And see you confesse nothing in any case.
Gre.
Be resolute M. Ales, betray vs not,
But cleaue to vs as we wil stick to you, Exeunt Mosbie & Grene.
Ales
Now let the indge and iuries do their worst,
My house is cleare, and now I seare them not.
Susan
As we went it snowed al the way,
Which makes me feare, our footesteps will be spyed. ”

“ And haue a lytle plate in your shoppe,
You were gladde to call me fellow Will,
And with a cursy to the earth,
One snatch good corporall.
When I stole the halfe Oxe from Iohn the vitler.
And domineer'd with it, amongst good fellowes,
In one night.
Brad.
I Will, those dayes are past with me.
Will.
I but they be not past with me.
For I kepe that same honorable minde still,
Good neighbour Bradshaw you are too proude to be my fellow,
But were it not, that I see more company comming down
The hill, I would be fellowes with you once more,
And share Crownes with you to. ”

“ Such mercy as the staruen Lyones
When she is dry suckt of her eager young:
Showes to the pray that next encounters her,
On Arden so much pitty would I take.
Gre.
So should it faire with men of firme resolue,
And now sirs seeing this accident,
Of meeting him in Paules hath no successe:
Let vs bethinke vs on some other place,
Whose earth may swallow vp this Ardens bloode.
Here enters Michaell.
Se yonder comes his man, and wat you what,
The foolish knaue is in loue with Mosbies sister,
And for her sake whose loue he cannot get,
Unlesse Mosbie solicit his sute. ”

“ When he is dead, he should haue twenty more,
And repossesse his former lands againe,
On this we greed, and he is ridden straight
To London, to bring his death about.
Mos.
But call you this good newes?
Ales.
I sweete hart, be they not?
Mos.
Twere cherefull newes, to hear the churle wer dead,
But trust me Ales, I take it passing ill,
You would be so forgetfull of our state,
To make recount of it to euery groome,
What? to acquaint each stranger with our drifts,
Cheefely in case of murther, why tis the way,
To make it open vnto Ardens selfe. ”

“ See maister Francklin, heres proper stuffe,
Susan my maid, the Painter, and my man,
A crue of harlots all in loue forsooth,
Sirra let me heare no more of this.
Now for thy lyfe, once write to her a worde.
Here enters Grene, Will, and Shakebag,
Wilt thou be married to so base a trull.
Tis Mosbies sister, come I once at home,
Ile rouse her from remaining in my house:
Now M. Francklin let vs go walke in Paules,
Come, but a turne or two and then away, Exeunt,
Gre.
The first is Arden, and thats his man,
The other is Francklin Ardens dearest freend,
Will. ”

“ Whilest thou submissiue pleading for releefe,
Art mangled by their irefull instruments.
Me thinks I heare them aske where Michaell is
And pittiles black Will, cryes stab the slaue.
The Pesant will detect the Tragedy.
The wrincles in his fowle death threatning face,
Gapes open wide, lyke graues to swallow men.
My death to him is but a merryment,
And he will murther me to make him sport.
He comes he comes, ah M. Francklin helpe,
Call vp the neighbors or we are but dead
Here enters Fran. ”

“ Ah mistres Susan abbolishe that paltry Painter, cut him off by the shinnes, with afrowning looke of your crabed countenance, & think vpon Michaell, who druncke with the dregges of your fauour, wil cleaue as fast to your loue, as a plaster of Pitch to a gald horse back Thus hoping you will let my passions penetrate, or rather impetrate mercy of your meeke hands, I end. ”

“ Greene get you gone, and linger here about,
And at some houre hence, come to vs againe,
Where we will giue you instance of his death.
Gre.
Speede to my wish whose wil so ere sayes no,
And so ile leaue you for an howre or two. Exit Gre.
Will.
I tel thee Shakebag, would this thing wer don,
I am so heauy that I can scarse go:
This drowsines in me bods little good.
Shake.
How now Will, become a precissian.
Nay then lets go sleepe, when buges and feares,
Shall kill our courages with their fancies worke,
Will. ”

“ Whose bloode must saue me for the bloode I shed,
Mos.
How long shall I live in this hell of griefe?
Conuey me from the presence of that strumpet.
Ales.
Ah but for thee I had neuer beene strumpet
What can not oathes and prote stations doe?
When men haue opportunity to woe.
I was too young to sound thy villanies.
But now I finde it, and repent too late.
Su.
Ah gentle brother, wherefore should I die.
I knew not of it, till the deed was don.
Mos.
For thée I mourne more then for my selfe,
But let it suffice, I can not saue thee now,
Mic. ”

“ Why Michael wilt thou poyson thy selfe?
Mic.
No, but my mistres, for I feare shele tell.
Su.
Tush Michel feare not her, she's wise enough.
Mos.
Sirra Michell giues a cup of beare.
M. Arden, heers to your husband.
Ales.
My husband?
Fra.
What ailes you woman, to crie so suddenly.
Ales.
Ah neighbors a sudden qualm came ouer my hart
My husbands being foorth torments my minde. ”

“ For Greene doth erre the land and weede thee vp,
To make my haruest nothing but pure corne.
And for his paines Ile heaue him vp a while,
And aftersmother him to haue his waxe.
Such bees as Greene, must neuer liue to sting.
Then is there Michael and the Painter to,
Cheefe actors to Ardens ouerthrow:
Who when they shall see me sit in Ardens seat,
They wil insult vpon me for my mede,
Or fright me by detecting of his end. ”

“ And tell him this from me, Ile be reuenged,
And so, as he shall wishe the Abby lands
Had rested still, within their former state.
Ales.
Alas poore gentleman, I pittie you,
And wo is me that any man should want,
God knowes tis not my fault, but wonder not
Though he be harde to others, when to me,
Ah maister Greene, God knowes how I am vsde.
Gre.
Why mistres Arden can the crabbed churle,
Use you vnkindely, respects he not your birth?
Your honorable freends, nor what you brought:
Why? all Kent knowes your parentage, and what you are
Ales. ”

“ I pray thee speake still, that we may mete by the sound, for I shall fall into some ditche or other, vnles my feete see better then my eies.
Wil. Didest thou euer see better weather to runne away with another mans wife, or play with a wenche at potfinger.
shak.
No this were a fine world for chandlers,
If this weather would last, for then a man
Should neuer dyne nor sup without candle light,
But sirra Will what horses are those that past?
Wil.
Why, didst thou heare any?
Sha.
I that I did.
Will.
My life for thine, twas Arden and his companio
And then all our labour's lost,
Sha. ”

“ I met him and Francklin going merrilly to the ordinary,
What dare you not do it?
Wil.
Yes sir we dare do it, but were my consent to giue againe,
We would not do it vnder ten pound more.
I value euery drop of my blood at a french Crowne.
I haue had ten pound to steale a dogge,
And we haue no more heere to kill a man,
But that a bargane is a bargane, and so foorth,
You should do it your selfe.
Gre.
I pray thee how came thy head broke,
Will. ”

“ But she is rooted in her wickednes
Peruerse and stobburne, not to be reclaimde,
Good counsell is to her as raine to weedes
And reprehension makes her vice to grow,
As Hydraes head that perisht by decay. ”

“ O Greene, intollerable,
It is not for mine honor to beare this.
Why shakbag I did serue the King at Bulloyne,
And thou canst bragge of nothing that thou hast done.
Shak.
Why so can Iack of Feuershame,
That sounded for a phillope on the nose:
When he that gaue it him hollowed in his eare.
And he supposed a Cannon bullet hit him.
Then they fight.
Grene.
I pray you sirs list to Esops talk,
Whilest two stout dogs were striuing for a bone,
There comes a cur, and stole it from them both,
So while you stand striuing on these termes of manhoode,
Arden escapes vs and deceaue vs al. ”

“ Decree, to murder Arden in the night.
The heauens can witnes, and the world can tell,
Before I saw that falshoode looke of thine,
Fore I was tangled with thy tysing speach,
Arden to me was dearer then my soule,
And shall be still, base pesant get thee gone. ”

“ Lyke louing frends wele meete him on the way.
And boldly beard and braue him to his teeth:
When words grow hot, and blowes beginne to ryse,
Ile call those cutters foorth your tenement,
Who in a manner to take vp the fray,
Shall wound my husband hornesbie to the death.
Mos.
Ah fine deuise, why this deserues a kisse. Exeunt.
Here enters Dicke Reede and a Sailer.
Sayler.
Faith Dick Rede it is to lytle end.
His conscience is too liberall, and he too nigardly.
To parte from any thing may doo thee good. ”

“ Ah how you women can insinuate,
And cleare a trespasse with your sweete set tongue,
I will forget this quarrel gentle Ales,
Prouided Ile be tempted so no more:
Here enters Bradshaw,
Al.
Then with thy lips seale vp this new made match
Mos.
Soft Ales for here comes some body.
Ales.
How now Bradshaw, whats the news with you
Brad.
I haue little news but heres a letter.
That M. Greene importuned me to giue you:
Ales
Go in Bradshaw call for a cuppe of beare. Exit.
Tis almost suppertime, thou shalt stay with vs. ”

“ A cheating steward, and base minded pesant.
Mos.
Arden now thou hast belcht and vomited,
The rancorous venome of thy mis-swolne hart,
Heare me but speake, as I intend to liue
With God, and his elected saints in heauen,
I neuer meant more to solicit her,
And that she knowes, and all the world shall see,
I loued her once, sweete Arden pardon me. ”

“ Where they in smithfield must be executed.
Beare M. Arden unto Canterburye,
Where her sentence is she must be burnt.
Michaell and Bradshaw in Feuershame
must suffer death.
Ales
Let my death make a mends for all my sinnes,
Mos.
Fy vpon women, this shall be my song,
But beare me hence, for I haue liued to long.
Susan
Seing no hope on earth, in heauen is my hope.
Mic.
Faith I care not seeing I die with Susan.
Brad.
My bloode be on his head that gaue the sentence,
Maior
To speedy execution with them all.Exeunt. ”