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Enter Ragă.

Rag. My friend, I fee thou mind'ft thy promife well, And art before me here, me thinks, to day,

Mef. I am a poore man, and it like your grace; But yet I alwayes loue to keepe my word.

Ra. Wel, keepe thy word with me, and thou fhalt fee, That of a poore man I will make thee rich.

Mef. I long to heare it, it might haue bin dispatcht,

If you had told me of it yefternight.

Ra. It is a thing of right ftrange confequence,

And well I cannot vtter it in words.

Mef. It is more strange, that I am not by this
Befide my felfe, with longing for to heare it,
Were it to meet the deuill in his denne,
And try a bout with him for a scratcht face,
Ide vndertake it, if you would but bid me.

Ra. Ah, good my friend, that I fhould haue thee do,
Is fuch a thing, as I do fhame to fpeake;

Yet it must needs be done.

Mef. Ile fpeake it for thee, queene: fhall I kill thy father? I know tis that, and if it be fo, fay,

Rag. I.

Mef. Why, thats ynough.

Rag. And yet that is not all.

Mef. What else?

Rag. Thou must kill that old man that came with him.

Mif. Here are two hands, for eche of them is one.

Rag. And for eche hand here is a recompence.

Giue him two purfes

Mef. Oh, that I had ten hands by myracle, I could teare ten in pieces with my teeth,

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So in my mouth yould put a purse of gold.

But in what manner must it be effected?

Rag. To morrow morning ere the breake of day,

I by a wyle will fend them to the thicket,

That is about fome two myles from the court,

And promise them to meet them there my felfe,
Because I must haue priuate conference,

About fome newes I haue receyu'd from Cornwall.
This is ynough, I know, they will not fayle,
And then be ready for to play thy part:
Which done, thou mayft right easily escape,
And no man once mistrust thee for the fact :
But yet, before thou profècute the act,
Shew him the letter, which my fifter fent,
There let him read his owne inditement first,
And then proceed to execution :

But fee thou faynt not; for they will speake fayre.

Mef. Could he fpeak words as pleasing as the pipe
Of Mercury, which charm'd the hundred eyes
Of watchfull Argos, and inforc'd him sleepe
Yet here are words fo pleafing to my thoughts,

To the purse.

As quite shall take away the found of his.
Rag. About it then, and when thou hast dispatcht,
Ile find a meanes to fend thee after him

Enter Cornwall and Gonorill,

Corn. I wonder that the messenger doth stay,
Whom we dispatcht for Cambria fo long fince:
If that his anfwere do not please vs well,
And he do fhew good reason for delay,
Ile teach him how to dally with his king,

And to detayne vs in fuch long fufpence.
Na 3

Exit.

Exit.

Gen.

Gon. My lord, I thinke the reafon may be this:
My father meanes to come along with him;
And therefore tis his pleasure he shall stay,
For to attend vpon him on the way.

Corn. It may be fo, and therfore till I know
The truth thereof, I will fufpend my iudgement.

Enter Seruant.

Ser. And't like your grace, there is an ambassador
Arriued from Gallia, and craues admittance to your maiefty.
Corn. From Gallia? what fhould his message
Hither import is not your father happely
Gone thither well, whatfoere it be,
Bid him come in, he shall haue audience.

Enter ambajador.

What newes from Gallia? fpeake ambassador.

Am. The noble king and queene of Gallia first falutes,

By me, their honourable father, my lord Leir :

Next, they commend them kindly to your graces,
As those whose wellfare they intirely wish.
Letters I haue to deliuer to my lord Leir,

And prefents too, if I might fpeake with him.

Gon. If you might speak with him? why, do you thinke, We are afrayd that you should fpeake with him?

Am. Pardon me, madam; for I thinke not fo,

But fay fo only, 'cause he is not here.

Corn. Indeed, my friend, vpon fome vrgent cause,
He is at this time abfent from the court:
But if a day or two you here repofe,
Tis very likely you fhall haue him here,
Or elfe haue certayne notice where he is.

Gon.

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Gon. Are not we worthy to receiue your message ?
Am. I had in charge to do it to himselfe.

Gon. It may be then 'twill not be done in haste.

To herfelfe.

How doth my fifter brooke the ayre of Fraunce?
Am. Exceeding well, and neuer ficke one houre,
Since firft fhe fet her foot vpon the shore.

Gon. I am the more forry.

Am. I hope, not fo, madam.

Gon. Didft thou not fay, that she was euer ficke,
Since the firft houre that fhe arriued there?
Amb. No, madam, I fayd quite contrary.
Gon. Then I mistooke thee.

Corn. Then she is merry, if the haue her health.
Am. Oh no, her griefe exceeds, vntill the time,
That the be reconcil'd unto her father.

Gon. God continue it.

Am. What, madam?

Gon. Why, her health.

Am. Amen to that: but God release her griefe,
And fend her father in a better mind,

Then to continue alwayes fo vnkind.

Corn. Ile be a mediator in her caufe,

And feeke all meanes to expiat his wrath.

Am. Madam, I hope your grace will do the like.,
Gon. Should I be a meane to exasperate his wrath
Against my fifter, whom I loue fo deare? no, no.
Am. To expiate or mittigate his wrath :

For he hath misconceyued without a caufe.
Gon. O, I, what else?

Am. Tis pity it should be fo, would it were otherwife.
Gon. It were great pity it fhould be otherwife.

Am. Then how, madam ?

Gon. Then that they fhould be reconcilde againe.

No 4

Am.

Am. It fhewes you beare an honourable mind. Gon. It fhewes thy vnderstanding to be blind, And that thou hadst need of, an interpreter :

Speakes to her felfe.

Well, I will know thy meffage ere't be long,
And find a meane to croffe it, if I can.

Corn. Come in, my friend, and frolick in our court,
Till certayne notice of my father come.

Enter Leir and Perillus.

Exeunt.

Per. My lord, you are vp to day before your houre,

Tis newes to you to be abroad fo rathe.

Leir. Tis newes indeed, I am so extreme heauy, That I can fcarcely keepe my eye-lids open.

Per. And fo am I, but I impute the caufe

To rifing fooner then we vfe to do,

Leir. Hither my daughter meanes to come difguis'd; Ile fit me downe, and read vntill fhe come.

Pull out a booke and fit downe, Per. Sheele not be long, I warrant you, my lord: But fay, a couple of these they call good fellowes, Should step out of a hedge, and fet vpon vs, We were in good cafe for to answere them.

Leir. "Twere not for vs to stand vpon our hands. Per. I feare, we fcant fhould stand vpon our legs. But how should we do to defend our felues?

Leir. Euen pray to God, to bleffe vs fro their hands: For feruent prayer much ill hap withstands.

Per. Ile fit and pray with you for Yet was I ne're fo heauy in my life.

company;

They fall both aЛleepe.

Enter the messenger or murtherer with two daggers in his hands.

Aleff. Were it not a mad ieft, if two or three of my profeffio fhould meet me, and lay me downe in a ditch, and play robbe

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