Robert Greene

“ Madame, by right this world I may compare,
Vnto my worke, wherein with heedfull care,
The heauenly workeman plants with curious hand,
As I with needle drawe each thing one land,
Euen as hee list, some men like to the Rose,
Are fashioned fresh, some in their stalkes do close,
And borne do suddaine die: some are but weeds, 750
And yet from them a secret good proceeds:
I with my needle if I please may blot,
The fairest rose within my cambricke plot,
God with a becke can change each worldly thing,
The poore to earth, the begger to the king. ”

“ Sweete layes and lynes of loue I must record.
And such sweete lynes and louelayes ile endite:
As men may wish for, and my leech delight,
And next a traine of gallants at my heeles,
That men may say, the world doth run on wheeles. 460
For men of art, that rise by indirection,
To honour and the fauour of their King,
Must vse all meanes to saue what they haue got,
And win their fauours whom he neuer knew.
If any frowne to see my fortunes such,
A man must beare a little, not too much:
But in good time these billes partend, I thinke,
That some good fellowes do for seruice seeke. ”

“ My graue is mine, that rids me from dispights.
Accept my gig guid King, and let me rest,
The graue with guid men, is a gay built nest.
Ober. The rising sunne doth call me hence away,
Thankes for thy gyg, I may no longer stay: 720
But if my traine, did wake thee from thy rest,
So shall they sing, thy lullabie to nest.
Actus Secundus. Schena Prima. II. i.
Enter the Countesse of Arrain, with Ida her daughter
in theyr porch, sitting at worke.
A Song. Count. Faire Ida, might you chuse the greatest good
Midst all the world, in blessings that abound:
Wherein my daughter shuld your liking be? ”

“ If any wrong you, drawe a shining blade
Withdrawes a coward theese that would inuade.
Dor. But if I strike, and hee should strike againe,
What should I do? I feare I should bee slaine.
Nano. No, take it single on your dagger so,
Ile teach you Madame how to ward a blow.
Do. How litle shapes much substance may include?
Sir Bartram, Rosse, yee Ladies and my friends,
Since presence yeelds me death, and absence life,
Hence will I flie disguised like a squire, 1520
As one that seekes to liue in Itish warres,
You gentle Rosse, shal furnish my depart. ”

“ True to thy king, and faithfull in his warres,
Liue thou and thine, Dambar is too too small,
To giue an entrance to the English king,
I Eaglelike disdaine these little soules,
And looke on none but those that dare resist,
Enter your towne as those that liue by me,
For others that resist, kill, forrage, spoyle:
Mine English souldiers, as you loue your king, 2140
Reuenge his daughters death, and do me right.
Exeunt,
Enter the Lawyer, the Merchant, and the Diuine. ”

“ Of vertue, honour, beautie, and the rest:
But our fõd king not knowing sin in lust,
Makes loue by endlesse meanes and precious gifts,
And men that see it dare not sayt my friend,
But wee may wish that it were otherwise:
But I rid thee to view the picture still,
For by the persons sights there hangs som ill.
Ba. Oh good sir Bartram, you suspect I loue,
Then were I mad, hee whom I neuer sawe,
But how so ere, I feare not entisings, 620
Desire will giue no place vnto a king:
Ile see her whom the world admires so much,
That I may say with them, there liues none such. ”

“ Tide to no place, yet all are tide to one,
Liue thou in this life, exilde from world and men,
And I will shew thee wonters ere we part,
Boh. Then marke my stay, and the strange doubts,
That follow flatterers, lust and lawlesse will,
And then say I haue reason to forsake theworld,
And all that are within the same.
Gow shrowd vs in our harbor where weele see,
The pride of folly, as it ought to be.
Exeunt. 650
After the first act. Ober. Here see I good fond actions in thy gyg,
And meanes to paint the worldes in constant waies
But turne thine ene, see which for I can commaund. ”

“ I was borne
a gentleman of the best bloud in all Scotland, except the king,
when time brought me to age, and death tooke my parents, I
became a Courtier, where though ay list not praise my selfe, ay
engraued the memory of Boughon on the skin-coate of some of
them, and reueld with the proudest.
Ober. But why liuing in such reputation, didst thou leaue to 50
be a Courtier?
Boh. Because my pride was vanitie, my expence losse, my reward
faire words and large promises, & my hopes spilt, for that
after many yeares seruice, one outran me, and what the deele
should I then do there. ”

“ Oberon King of Fayries, that loues thee because thou
hatest the world, and to gratulate thee, I brought those Antiques
to shew thee some sport in daunsing, which thou haste
loued well.
Bohan. Ha, ha, ha, thinkest thou those puppits can please 80
me? whay I haue two sonnes, that with one scottish gigge shall
breake the necke of thy Antiques.
Ober. That would I faine see.
Boha. Why thou shalt, howe boyes.
Enter Slipper and Nano. Haud your clacks lads, trattle not for thy life, but gather vppe
your legges and daunce me forthwith a gigge worth the sight. Slip. ”

“ Nay for their sport I will giue them this gift, to the
Dwarfe I giue a quicke witte, prettie of body, and awarrant his 100
preferment to a Princes seruice, where by his wisdome he shall
gaine more loue then cõmon. And to loggerhead your sonne,
I giue a wandering life, and promise he shall neuer lacke: and
auow that if in all distresses he call vpon me to helpe him: now
let them go.
Exeunt with curtesies. Boh. Now King, if thou bee a King, I will shew thee whay I
hate the world by demonstration, in the year 1520. ”

“ Come Iaques, we wil haue our packet soone dispatcht 1900
And you shall be my mate vpon the way.
Iaq. Come vous plera Monsieur.
Exeunt. Andr. Was neuer such a world I thinke before,
When sinners seeme to daunce within a net,
The flatterer and the murtherer they grow big,
By hooke or crooke promotion now is sought,
In such a world where men are so missed,
What should I do? but as the Prouerbe saith,
Runne with the Hare, and hunt with the Hound. 1910
To haue two meanes, beseemes a wittie man:
Now here in Court I may aspire and clime,
By subtiltie for my maisters death. ”

“ Vpon that fault I am a sham’d to thinke.
Ateu. Tut Mistresse, man at first was born to erre,
Women are all not formed to bee Saints:
Tis impious for to kill our natiue king,
Whom by a little fauour wee may saue.
Ida. Better then liue vnchaste, to liue in graue.
Ateu. Hee shall erect your state & wed you well.
Ida. But can his warrant keep my soule from hell?
Ateu. He will inforce, if you resist his sute. 880
Id. What tho, the world may shame to him account
To bee a king of men and worldly pelfe. ”

“ Leaue mourning friend, the man is yet aliue,
Some helpe me to conuey him to my house:
There will I see him carefully recured,
And send priuie search to catch the murtherer.
Nano. The God of heauen reward the curteous knight.
Exeunt. And they beare out Dorothea. 1820
Enter the King of Scots, Iaques, Ateukin, Andrew, Iaques IV. v.
running with his swoord one way, the King with his
traine an other way. K. of S. Stay Iaques, feare not, sheath thy murthering blade:
Loe here thy King and friends are come abroad,
To saue thee from the terrors of pursuite:
What is she dead? ”

“ Capons or beefe, I feare me I shal become a loose body, so 920
daintie I thinke, I shall neither hold fast before nor behinde.
Count. Go take him in and feast this merrie swaine,
Syrrha, my cooke is your phisitian.
He hath a purge for to disiest the world.
Ateu. Will you not, Ida, grant his highnesse this?
Ida. As I haue said, in dutie I am his:
For other lawlesse lusts, that ill beseeme him,
I cannot like, and good I will not deeme him.
Count. Ida come in, and sir if so you please,
Come take a homelie widdowes intertaine. 930
Ida. If he haue no great haste, he may come nye. ”

“ But euen a Princesse borne, who scorne thy threats.
Shall neuer French man say, an English mayd,
Of threats of forraine force will be afraid.
Iaq. You no dire vostre prieges, vrbleme merchants famme,
guarda your bresta, there me make you die on my morglay,
Doro. God sheeld me haplesse princes and a wife.
They fight, and shee is sore wounded. And saue my soule, altho I loose my life.
Ah I am slaine, some piteous power repay, 1800
This murtherers cursed deed, that doth me stay. Iaq. Elle est tout mort, me will runne pur a wager, for feare me
be surpryes and pendu for my labour. ”

“ I am your man, giue me earnest, I am dead at a pocket
sir, why I am a lifter maister, by my occupation.
S. Bar. A lifter, what is that?
Slip. Why sir, I can lift a pot as well as any man, and picke a
purse assoone as any theefe in my countrie.
S. Bar. Why fellow hold, heere is earnest,
Ten pound to assure thee, go dispatch,
And bring it me to yonder Tauerne thou seest,
And assure thy selfe thou shalt both haue
Thy skin full of wine, and the rest of thy mony. 1240
Slip. I will sir. Now roome for a Gentleman, my maisters,
who giues mee mony for a faire new Angell, a trimme new
Angell? ”

“ A meanes to make you great, and well esteemd,
Both with the king, and with the best in Court:
For I espie in you a valiant minde,
Which makes mee loue, admire, and honour you:
To this intent (if so your trust and faith,
Your secrecie be equall with your force) 1360
I will impart a seruice to thy selfe,
Which if thou doest effect, the King, my selfe,
And what or hee, and I with him can worke,
Shall be imployd in what thou wilt desire.
Iaq. Me sweara by my ten bones, my singniar, to be loyal to
your Lordships intents, affaires, ye my monsignieur, qui non
fera ic pour. Yea pleasure? ”

“ Ile prooue in
this Ale and tost, the compasse of the whole world. First this
is the earth, it ties in the middle a faire browne tost, a goodly
countrie for hungrie teeth to dwell vpon: next this is the sea,
a fair poole for a drie tõgue to fish in: now come I, & seing the 910
world is naught, I diuide it thus, & because the sea cãnot stand
without the earth, as Arist. saith, I put thẽ both into their first
Chaos which is my bellie, and so mistresse you may see your ale
is become a myracle.
Eustace. A merrie mate Madame I promise you. ”

“ Whereon diuine you sir?
Na. Vppon desire.
Madam marke but my skill, ile lay my life,
My maister here, will prooue a married wife.
Doro. Wilt thou bewray me Nano?
Nano. Madam no:
You are a man, and like a man you goe. 2280
But I that am in speculation seene,
Know you would change your state to be a Queen.
Dor. Thou art not dwarffe to learne thy mistresse mind:
Faine would I with thy selfe disclose my kind,
But yet I blush.
Na. What blush you Madam than,
To be your selfe, who are a fayned man?
Let me alone.
La. And. Deceitfull beautie hast thou scornd me so? ”

“ And since thy griefe exceeds in my depart,
I leaue my Dorithea to enioy, thy whole compact
Loues, and plighted vowes.
Brother of Scotland, this is my ioy, my life,
Her fathers honour, and her Countries hope,
Her mothers comfort, and her husbands blisse: 140
I tell thee king, in louing of my Doll,
Thou bindst her fathers heart and all his friends
In bands of loue that death cannot dissolue.
K. of Scots. ”

“ For to intend mine owne affaires at home. Exit.
King. You may depart, but why is Morton sad?
Mor. The like occasion doth import me too,
So I desire your grace to giue me leaue.
K. of S. Well sir you may betake you to your ease,
When such grim syrs are gone, I see no let 1060
To worke my will.
8. Atten. What like the Eagle then,
With often flight wilt thou thy feathers loose?
O King canst thou indure to see thy Court,
Of finest wits and Iudgements dispossest,
Whilst cloking craft with soothing climbes so high,
As each bewailes ambition is so bad? ”

“ Enter Slipper one way, and S. Bartram another way. Bar. Ho fellow, stay and let me speake with thee.
Sli. Fellow, frend thou doest disbuse me, I am a Gentlemã.
Bar. A Gentleman, how so?
Slip. Why I rub horses sir. 1190
Bar. And what of that?
Sip. Oh simple witted, marke my reason, they that do good
seruice in the Common-weale are Gentlemen, but such as rub
horses do good seruice in the Common-weale, Ergo tarbox
Maister Courtier, a Horse-keeper is a Gentleman. ”

“ In which is heauen and heauenlinesse,
In which the foode of God is shut,
Whose powers the purest mindes do glut.
Ida. What if it were?
Eust. Then see a wondrous thing,
I feare mee you would paint in Teneus heart,
Affection in his power and chiefest parts.
Ida. Good Lord sir no, for hearts but pricked soft,
Are wounded sore, for so I heare it oft. 800
Eust. what recks the second,
Where but your happy eye,
May make him liue, whom Ioue hath iudgd to die.
Ida. Should life & death within this needle lurke,
Ile pricke no hearts, Ile pricke vpon my worke. ”

“ Such fire hath loue, to burne a kingdome downe. 300
Say Doll dislikes, that I estrange my loue,
Am I obedient to a womans looke?
Nay say her father frowne when he shall heare
That I do hold faire Idaes loue so deare:
Let father frowne and fret, and fret and die,
Nor earth, nor heauen shall part my loue and I.
Yea they shall part vs, but we first must meet,
And wo, and win, and yet the world not seet. ”

“ But not in lust, oh how I blush to name it?
Ateu. An endlesse worke is this, how should I frame it?
They discourse priuately. Slip. Oh Mistresse may I turne a word vpon you.
Ateu. Friend what wilt thou?
Slip. Oh what a happie Gentlewoman bee you trulie, the
world reports this of you Mistresse, that a man can no sooner 900
come to your house, but the Butler comes with a blacke Iack
and sayes welcome friend, heeres a cup of the best for you, verilie
Mistresse you are said to haue the best Ale in al Scotland. ”