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As water is into a broken ship.

Well, after him Ile fend fuch thunderclaps
Of flaunder, fcandall, and inuented tales,
That all the blame shall be remou'd from me,
And vnperceiu'd rebound vpon himselfe.
Thus with one nayle another Ile expell,

And make the world judge, that I vfde him well.

Enter the mesenger that should go to Cambria, with a letter in his hand.

Gon. My honeft friend, whither away so fast?

Mef. To Cambria, madam, with letters frō the king.

Gon. To whom?

Me. Vnto your father, if he be there.

Gon. Let me see them.

She opens them.

Me. Madam, I hope your grace will stand
Betweene me and my neck-verse, if I be
Calld in question, for opening the kings letters.
Gon. 'Twas I that opened them, it was not thou.
Mef. I, but you need not care, and so must I,

A hansome man, be quickly trust vp,

And when a man's hang'd, all the world cannot faue him.
Gon. He that hangs thee, were better hang his father,
Or that but hurts thee in the leaft degree,

I tell thee, we make great account of thee.

Mef. I am o're-ioy'd, I furfet of sweet words: Kind queene, had I a hundred liues, I would Spend ninety nyne of them for you, for that word. Gon. I, but thou wouldst keepe one life ftill,

And that's as many as thou art like to haue.

Mef. That one life is not too deare for my good queene; this fword, this buckler, this head, this heart, these hands, armes, legs, tripes, bowels, and all the members else what. foeuer, are at your difpofe; vfe me, truft me, commaund me,

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if I fayle in any thing, tye me to a dung cart, and make a fcauengers horfe of me, and whip me, fo long as I haue any

fkin on my

back.

Gon. In token of further imployment, take that.

Flings him a purfe. Mef. A strong bond, a firme obligation, good in law, good in law: if I keepe not the condition, let my necke be the forfeyture of my negligence.

Gon. I like thee well, thou haft a good toung.

Mef. And as bad a toung if it be fet on it, as any oyfterwife at Billinfgate hath: why, I haue made many of my neighbours forfake their houfes with rayling vpon them, and go dwell elfe where; and fo by my meanes houfes haue bin good cheape in our parish: my toung being well whetted with choller, is more sharpe then a razer of Palerno.

Gon. O thou art a fit man for my purpose.

Mef. Commend me not, fweet queene, before you try me.As my deferts are, fo do think of me."

Gon. Well fayd, then this is thy tryall : inftead of carrying the kings letters to my father, carry thou thefe letters to my fifter, which contayne matter quite contrary to the other: there fhal fhe be giuen to vnderstand, that my father hath detracted her, giuen out slaundrous fpeaches against her; and that hee hath most, intollerably abufed me, fet my lord and me at variance, and made mutinyes amongst the commons.

These things (although it be not fo)

Yet thou must affirme them to be true,
With othes and proteftations as will ferue,
To driue my fifter out of loue with him.
And caufe my will accomplished to be.
This do, thou winst my fauour for euer,
And makeft a hye way of preferment to thee
And all thy friends,

Meff.

Me. It fufficeth, conceyt it is already done : I will fo toung-whip him, that I will

Leaue him as bare of credit, as a poulter

Leaues a cony, when she pulls off his skin.

Gon. Yet there is a further matter.

Mef. I thirst to heare it.

Gon. If my fifter thinketh conuenient, as my letters import

eth, to make him away, haft thou the heart to effect it? Meff. Few words are best in so small a matter :

These are but trifles. By this booke I will.

Kiffe the paper.

Exeunt.

Gon. About it prefently, I long till it be done.
Mef. Ifly, I fly.

Enter Cordella folus.

I haue bin ouer-negligent to day,
In going to the temple of my God,
To render thanks for all his benefits,

Which he miraculously hath bestowed on me,
In rayfing me out of my meane estate,
When as I was deuoyd of worldly friends,
And placing me in fuch a fweet content,
As far exceeds the reach of my deferts.
My kingly husband, myrrour of his time,
For zeale, for iuftice, kindneffe, and for care
To God, his fubiects, me, and common weale,
By his appoyntment was ordaynd for me.
I cannot wish the thing that I do want;
I cannot want the thing but I may haue,
Saue only this which I fhall ne're obtayne,
My fathers loue, oh this I ne're shall gayne.
I would abftayne from any nutryment,
And pyne my body to the very bones:

Bare

Bare foote I would on pilgrimage set forth
Vnto the furtheft quarters of the earth,
And all my life time would I fackcloth weare,
And mourning-wife powre duft vpon my head:
So he but to forgiue me once would please,
That his gray haires might go to heauen in peace,
And yet I know not how I him offended,
Or wherein iuftly I haue deferued blame.
Oh fifters! you are much to blame in this,
It was not he, but you that did me wrong,
Yet God forgiue both him, and you and me.
Euen as I doe in perfit charity.

I will to church, and pray vnto my Sauiour,
That ere I dye, I may obtayne his fauour.

Enter Leir and Perillus fayntly.

Per. Reft on me, my lord, and stay your felfe,

The way feemes tedious to your aged lymmes.

Exit.

Leir. Nay, reft on me, kind friend, and stay thy felfe, Thou art as old as I, but more kind.

Per. Ah, good my lord, it ill befits, that I

Should leane vpon the person of a king.

Leir. But it fits worse, that I fhould bring thee forth,
That had no caufe to come along with me,
Through thefe vncouth paths, and tirefull wayes,
And neuer ease thy faynting limmes a whit.
Thou haft left all, I, all to come with me,
And I, for all, haue nought to guerdon thee.

Per. Ceafe, good my lord, to aggrauate my woes,
With these kind words, which cuts my heart in two,
To think your will fhould want the power to do.

Leir. Ceafe, good Perillus, for to call me lord,

And think me but the fhaddow of my felfe.

Per.

Per. That honourable title will I giue,
Vnto my lord, fo long as I do liue.
Oh, be of comfort; for I fee the place
Whereas your daughter keeps her refidence.
And loe, in happy time the Cambrian prince
Is here arriu'd, to gratify our comming.

Enter the prince of Cambria, Ragan, and nobles: looke vpon them, and whisper together.

Leir. Were I beft fpeak, or fit me downe and dye ?

I am afham'd to tell this heauy tale.

Per. Then let me tell it, if you pleafe, my lord:
Tis fhame for them that were the cause thereof.

Cam. What two old men are those that seeme fo fad?
Me thinks, I fhould remember well their lookes.
Rag. No, I miftake not, fure it is my father:
I must diffemble kindneffe now of force.

She runneth to him, and kneeles downe, saying :

Father, I bid you welcome, full of griefe,
To fee your grace vfde thus vnworthily,
And ill befitting for your reuerend age,
To come on foot a iourney fo indurable.
Oh, what difafter chaunce hath bin the caufe,

To make your cheeks fo hollow, fpare and leane?
He cannot fpeake for weeping: for Gods loue, come,
Let vs refresh him with fome needfull things,
And at more leyfare we may better know,

Whence fprings the ground of this vnlookt for wo.
Cam. Come, father, e're we any further talke,

You fhall refresh you after this weary walk.

Exeunt, manet Ragan.

Rag.

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