Rag. Comes he to me with finger in the eye,
To tell a tale against my fifter here?
Whom I do know, he greatly hath abufde:
And now like a contentious crafty wretch,
He first begins for to complayne himselfe,
When as himselfe is in the greatest fault.
Ile not be partiall in my fifters caufe,
Nor yet beleeue his doting vayae reports:
Who for a trifle (fafely) I dare fay,
Vpon a spleene is ftolen thence away :
And here (forfooth) he hopeth to haue harbour,
And to be moan'd and made on like a child :
But ere't be long, his comming he shall curfe,
And truely fay, he came from bad to worfe:
Yet will I make fayre weather, to procure
Conuenient meanes, and then Ile ftrike it fure.
Mef. Now happily I am arriued here,
Before the stately palace of the Cambrian king:
If Leir be here fafe-feated, and in reft,
To rowse him from it I will do my best.
Now bags of gold, your vertue is (no doubt)
To make me in my meffage bold and ftout.
The King of heauen preferue your maiesty.
And send your highnesse euerlasting raigne.
Ra. Thanks, good my friend; but what imports thy meffage ?
Mef. Kind greetings from the Cornwall queene:
The refidue thefe letters will declare,
Rag. How fares our royall fifter?
Mef. I did leaue her at my parting, in good health.
She reads the letter, frownes and ftamps.
See how her colour comes and goes agayne,
Now red as fcarlet, now as pale as afh:
She how the knits her brow, and bytes her lips,
And stamps, and makes a dumbe shew of disdayne,
Mixt with reuenge, and violent extreames.
Here will be more worke and more crownes for me.
Rag. Alas, poore foule, and hath he vfde her thus?
And is he now come hither, with intent
To fet diuorce betwixt my lord and me?
Doth he giue out, that he doth heare report,
That I do rule my husband as I lift,
And therefore meanes to alter fo the cafe,
That I fhall know my lord to be my head ?
Well, it were beft for him to take good heed,
Or I will make him hop without a head,
For his prefumption, dottard that he is.
In Cornwall he hath made fuch mutinies,
Firft, fetting of the king against the queene;
Then flirring vp the commons 'gainst the king;
That had he there continued any longer,
He had bin call'd in queftion for his fact.
So vpon that occafion thence he fled,
And comes thus flily stealing vnto vs :
And now already fince his comming hither,
My lord and he are growne in fuch a league,
That I can haue no conference with his grace :
I feare, he doth already intimate
Some forged cauillations 'gainst my state:
Tis therefore beft to cut him off in time,
Left flaunderous rumours once abroad disperst,
It is too late for them to be reuerst.
= Friend, as the tennour of thefe letters fhewes,
My fifter puts great confidence in thee,
Mef. She neuer yet committed trust to me,
But that (I hope) fhe found me alwayes faythfull:
So will I be to any friend of hers,
That hath occafion to imploy my helpe.
Rag. Haft thou the heart to act a ftratagem,
And giue a stabbe or two, if need require;
Mess. I haue a heart compact of adamant,
Which neuer knew what melting pitty meant.
I weigh no more the murdring of a man,
Then I refpect the cracking of a flea,
When I doe catch her byting on my skin.
If you will haue your hufband or your father,
Or both of them fent to another world,
Do but commaund me doo't, it shall be done.
Rag. It is ynough, we make no doubt of thee:
Meet vs to morrow here, at nyne a clock :
Meane while, farewell, and drink that for my fake.
Mef. I, this is it will make me do the deed:
Oh, had I every day fuch customers,
This were the gainefulst trade in Christendome !
A purfe of gold giu'n for a paltry stabbe!.
Why, heres a wench that longs to haue a stabbe.
Wel, I could giue it her, and ne're hurt her neither.
Enter the Gallian king, and Cordella.
King. When will these clouds of forrow once difperfe.
And fmiling ioy tryumph vpon thy brow?
When will this fcene of fadneffe haue an end,
And pleafant acts infue, to moue delight?
When will my louely queene ceafe to lament,
And take fome comfort to her grieued thoughts?
If of thy felfe thou daignft to haue no care,
Yet pitty me, whom thy griefe makes defpayre.
Cor. O, grieué not you, my lord, you haue no caufe;
Let not my paffions moue your mind a whit :
For I am bound by nature, to lament
For his ill will, that life to me first lent.
If fo the stocke be dryed with disdayne,
Withered and fere the branch muft needes remaine.
King. But thou art now graft in another stock;
I am the stock, and thou the louely branch :
And from my root continuall fap shall flow,
To make thee flourish with perpetual fpring.
Forget thy father and thy kindred now,
Since they for fake thee like inhumane beaftes,
Thinke they are dead, fince all their kindneffe dyes,
And bury them, where black obliuion lyes.
Think not thou art the daughter of old Leir,
Who did vnkindly difinherit thee:
But think thou art the noble Gallian queene,
And wife to him that dearely loueth thee:
Embrace the ioyes that prefent with thee dwell,
Let forrow packe and hide her felfe in hell.
Cord. Not that I miffe my country or my kinne,
My old acquaintance or my ancient friends,
Doth any whit diftemperate my mynd,
Knowing you, which are more deare to me,
Then country, kin, and all things els can be.
Yet pardon me, my gracious lord, in this:
For what can stop the courfe of nature's power?
As eafy is it for foure-footed beafts,
To stay themfelues vpon the liquid ayre,"
And mount aloft into the element,
And ouerftrip the feathered fowles in flight:
As eafy is it for the flimy fift,
To liue and thriue without the helpe of water:
As eafy is it for the blackamoore,
To wash the tawny colour from his skin,
Which all oppose against the course of nature,
As I am able to forget my father.
King. Myrrour of vertue, Phoenix of our age!
Too kind a daughter for an vnkind father,
Be of good comfort; for I will dispatch
Ambaffadors immediately for Brittayné,
Vnto the king of Cornwalls court, whereas
Your father keepeth now his refidence,
And in the kindeft maner him intreat,
That fetting former grieuances apart,
He will be pleafde to come and vifit vs.
If no intreaty will fuffice the turne,
Ile offer him the halfe of all my crowne:
If that moues not, weele furnish out a fleet,
And fayle to Cornwall for to vifit him;
And there you fhall be firmely reconcilde
In perfit loue, as earft you were before.
Gor. Where toung cannot fufficient thanks afford, The king of heauen remunerate my lord.
King. Only be blithe, and frolick (fweet) with me: This and much more Ile do to comfort thee.
Mef. It is a world to fee now I am flush, How many friends I purchase euery where ! How many feekes to creepe into my fauour,
And kiffe their hands, and bend their knees to me!
No more, here comes the queene, now fhall I know her
And hope for to deriue more crownes from her,
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