But daughters steps the mothers counfell turnes.
A fonne we want for to fucceed our crowne,
And courfe of time hath cancelled the date
Of further iffue from our withered loynes:
One foote already hangeth in the graue,
And age hath made deepe furrowes in my face:
The world of me, I of the world am weary,
And I would fayne refigne these earthly cares,
And thinke vpon the welfare of my foule :
Which by no better meanes may be effected,
Then by refigning vp the crowne from me.
In equall dowry to my daughters three.
Skalliger. A worthy care, my liege, which well declares, The zeale you bare vnto our quondam queene:
And fince your grace hath licens'd me to speake,
I cenfure thus; your maiefty knowing well,
What feuerall futers your princely daughters haue,
To make them eche a ioynter more or lesse,
As is their worth, to them that loue profeffe.
Leir. No more, nor lesse, but euen all alike,
My zeale is fixt, all fashiond in one mould:
Wherefore vnpartiall shall my cenfure be,
Both old and young shall haue alike for me,
Nobl. My gracious lord, I hartily do wish,
That God had lent you an heyre indubitate,
Which might haue fet vpon your royall throne,
When fates fhould loose the prifon of your life,
By whofe fucceffion all this doubt might cease;
And as by you, by him we might haue peace.
But after-wishes euer come too late,
And nothing can reuoke the course of fate:
Wherefore, my liege, my cenfure deemes it beft,
To match them with fome of your neighbour kings,
Bordring within the bounds of Albion,
By whofe vnited friendship, this our state
May be protected 'gainst all forrayne hate.
Leir. Herein, my lords, your wishes fort with mine,
And mine (I hope) do fort with heauenly powers:
For at this inftant two neere neyghbouring kings,
Of Cornwall and of Cambria, motion loue
To my two daughters, Gonorill and Ragan.
My youngest daughter, fayre Cordella, vowes
No liking to a monarch, vnleffe loue allowes.
She is follicited by diuers peeres;
But none of them her partiall fancy heares.
Yet, if my policy may her beguyle,
Ile match her to fome king within this ile,
And fo establish fuch a perfit peace,
As fortunes force fhall ne're preuayle to cease.
Perillus. Of vs and ours, your gracious care, my lord, Deferues an euerlasting memory,
To be inrol'd in chronicles of fame,
By neuer-dying perpetuity:
Yet to become so prouident a prince,
Lose not the title of a louing father:
Do not force loue, where fancy cannot dwell,
Left ftreames being stopt, aboue the banks do fwell.
Leir. I am refolu'd, and euen now my mind
Doth meditate a fudden ftratagem,
To try which of my daughters loues me best:
Which till I know, I cannot be in rest.
This graunted, when they ioyntly shall contend,
Eche to exceed the other in their loue:
Then at the vantage will I take Cordella,
Euen as she doth protest she loues me beft,
Ile fay, then, daughter, graunt me one request,
To fhew thou louest me as thy fisters doe,
Accept a husband, whom my felfe will woo.
This fayd, fhe cannot well deny my fute,
Although (poore foule) her fences will be mute :
Then will I tryumph in my policy,
And match her with a king of Brittany.
Skal. Ile to them before, and bewray your fecrecy.
Per. Thus fathers think their children to beguile, And oftentimes themfelues do first repent,
When heauenly powers do fruftrate their intent.
Enter Gonorill and Ragan.
Gon. I maruell, Ragan, how you can indure
To fee that proud pert peat, our youngest sister,
So flightly to account of vs, her elders,
As if we were no better then her felfe!
We cannot haue a quaynt deuice fo foone,
Or new made fashion, of our choyce inuention;
But if fhe like it, fhe will haue the fame,
Or ftudy newer to exceed vs both.
Befides, fhe is fo nice and fo demure;
So fober, courteous, modeft, and precife,
That all the court hath work ynough to do,
To talke how fhe exceedeth me and you.
Ra. What fhould I do? would it were in my power,
To find a cure for this contagious ill:
Some defperate medicine must be foone applyed,
To dimme the glory of her mounting fame;
Els ere't be long, fheele haue both prick and praise,
And we must be fet by for working dayes...
Doe you not fee what feuerall choyce of futers
She daily hath, and of the best degree?
Say, amongst all, fhe hap to fancy one,
And haue a husband when as we haue none :
Why then, by right, to her we must giue place,
Though it be ne're fo much to our difgrace.
Gon. By my virginity, rather then she shall haue
A husband before me,
Ile marry one or other in his shirt :
And yet I haue made halfe a graunt already
Of my good will vnto the king of Cornwall.
Ra. Sweare not fo deeply (fifter) here cometh my L. Skalliger.
Something his hafty comming doth import.
Skal. Sweet princesses, I am glad I met you heere fo luckily, Hauing good newes which doth concerne you both,
And craueth speedy expedition.
Ra. For Gods fake tell vs what it is, my lord,
I am with child vntill you vtter it.
Skal. Madam, to faue your longing, this it is:
Your father in great fecrecy to day,
Told me, he meanes to marry you out of hand,
Vnto the noble prince of Cambria;
You, madam, to the king of Cornwalls grace:
Your yonger sister he would fayne bestow
Vpon the rich king of Hibernia:
But that he doubts, fhe hardly will confent;
For hitherto fhe ne're could fancy him.
If he do yeeld, why then, betweene you three,
He will deuide his kingdome for your dowries.
But yet there is a further mystery,...
Which, fo you will conceale, I will disclose.
Gon. What e're thou speakft to vs, kind Skalliger,
Thinke that thou speakft it only to thy felfe.
Skal. He earneftly defireth for to know,
Which of you three do beare most loue to him,
And on your loues he fo extremely dotes,
As neuer any did, I thinke, before.
He presently doth meane to fend for you,
To be refolu'd of this tormenting doubt:
And looke, whofe anfwere pleafeth him the beft,
They fhall haue moft vnto their marriages.
Ra. O that I had fome pleasing mermayds voyce,
For to inchaunt his fenceleffe fences with!
Skal. For he fuppofeth that Cordella will
(Striving to go beyond you in her loue)
Promise to do what euer he defires :
Then will he straight enioyne her for his fake,
The Hibernian king in marriage for to take.
This is the fumme of all I haue to fay;
Which being done, I humbly take my leaue,
Not doubting but your wifdomes will foresee,
What course will beft vnto your good agree.
Gon. Thanks, gentle Skalliger, thy kindnes vndeferued, Shall not be vnrequited, if we liue.
Ra. Now haue we fit occafion offred vs,
To be reueng'd vpon her vnperceyu'd.
Gon. Nay, our reuenge we will inflict on her,
Shall be accounted piety in vs:
I will fo Aatter with my doting father,
As he was ne're fo flattred in his life.
Nay, I will fay, that if it be his pleasure,
To match me to a begger, I will yeeld:
For why, I know what euer I do fay,
He meanes to match me with the Cornwall king,
Ra. Ile fay the like: for I am well affured,
What e're I fay to please the old mans mind,
|