robbe thiefe with me, and perforce take my gold away from me, whilest I act this stratagem, and by this meanes the gray beards should escape? Fayth, when I were at liberty againe, I would make no more to do, but go to the next tree, and there hang my felfe.

See them and start.

But ftay, me thinks, my youthes are here already,
And with pure zeale haue prayed themfelues afleepe.
I thinke, they know to what intent they came,
And are prouided for another world.

He takes their bookes away.

Now could I ftab them brauely, while they fleepe,
And in a maner put them to no payne;

And doing fo, I fhewed them mighty friendship:
For feare of death is worfe then death it felfe.

But that my fweet queene will'd me for to fhew
This letter to them, ere I did the deed.

Maffe, they begin to ftirre: Ile ftand afide;
So fhall I come vpon them vnawares.

They wake and rife.

Leir. I maruell, that my daughter stayes fo long. Per. I feare, we did mistake the place, my lord. Leir. God graunt we do not miscarry in the place; I had a short nap, but fo full of dread,

As much amazeth me to think thereof.

Per. Feare not, my lord, dreames are but fantafies,
And flight imaginations of the brayne.

Mef. Perfwade him fo, but Ile make him and you
Confeffe, that dreames do often proue too true.
Per. I pray, my lord, what was the effect of it?
I may go neere to gesse what it pretends.

Mef. Leaue that to me, I will expound the dreame.
Leir. Me thought, my daughters, Gonorill and Ragan,

Stood

Stood both before me with fuch grim aspects,
Eche brandishing a faulchion in their hand,
Ready to lop a lymme off where it fell,
And in their other hands a naked poynyard,
Wherwith they ftabd me in a hundred places,
And to their thinking left me there for dead :
But then my youngest daughter, fayre Cordella,
Came with a boxe of balfome in her hand,
And powred it into my bleeding wounds,
By whofe good meanes I was recoured well,
In perfit health, as earft I was before :
And with the feare of this I did awake,

And yet for feare my feeble ioynts do quake.

Mef, Ile make you quake for fomething prefently. Stand, ftand.

They reele. Leir. We do, my friend, although with much adoe. Mef. Deliuer, deliuer.

Per. Deliuer vs, good Lord, from fuch as he.

Mef. You should haue prayed before, while it was time, And then perhaps, you might haue fcapt my hands: But you, like faithfull watch-men, fell asleepe, The whilft I came and tooke your halberds from you.

Shew their bookes.

And now you want your weapons of defence,
How haue you any hope to be deliuered ?
This comes, because you haue no better stay,
But fall afleepe, when you should watch and pray?
Leir. My friend, thou feemft to be a proper man.

Mef Sblood, how the old flaue clawes me by the elbow? He thinks, belike, to scape by scraping thus.

Per. And it may be, are in fome need of money.

Mef. That to be falfe, behold my euidence.

Shewes his purfes.

Leir. If that I haue will do thee any good, I giue it thee, euen with a right good will.

Take it. Per. Here, take mine too, and wifh with all my heart, To do thee pleafure, it were twice as much.

Take his, and weygh them both in his hands,

Mef. Ile none of them, they are too light for me.

Puts them in his pocket.

Leir. Why then farewell: and if thou haue occafion In any thing, to vfe me to the queene,

'Tis like ynough that I can pleasure thee.

They proffer to goe.

Mef. Do you heare, do you heare, fir?
If I had occafion to vfe you to the queene,
Would you do one thing for me I should aske ?
Leir. I, any thing that lyes within my power.
Here is my hand vpon it, fo farewell.

Proffer to go.

Mef. Heare you fir, heare you? pray, a word with you.
Me thinks, a comely honeft ancient man
Should not diffemble with one for a vantage.
I know, when I fhall come to try this geare,
You will recant from all that you haue fayd

Per. Miftruft not him, but try him when thou wilt:
He is her father, therefore may do much.

Mef. I know he is, and therefore meane to try him: You are his friend too, I must try you both.

Ambo. Prithy do, prithy do.

Proffer to go out.

Mef. Stay gray-beards then, and proue men of

The queene hath tyed me by a folemne othe,

Here in this place to fee you both dispatcht:

Now for the fafegard of my confcience,
Do me the pleasure for to kill your felues:

your words:

So

So fhall you faue me labour for to do it,

And proue your felues true old men of your words.
And here I vow in fight of all the world,

I ne're will trouble you whilft I liue agayne.

Leir. Affright vs not with terrour, good my friend,
Nor strike fuch feare into our aged hearts.

Play not the cat, which dallieth with the mouse;
And on a fudden maketh her a pray :

But if thou art markt for the mau of death
To me and to my Damion, tell me playne,
That we may be prepared for the stroke,
And make our felues fit for the world to come.
Mef. I am the last of any mortall race,

That ere your eyes are likely to behold,
And hither fent of purpose to this place,
To giue a finall period to your dayes,

Which are fo wicked, and haue liued fo long,

That your owne children feeke to short your life.

Leir. Camft thou from France, of purpose to do this?

:

Mef. From France? zoones, do I looke like a Frenchman? Sure I haue not mine owne face on; fome body hath chang'd faces with me, and I know not of it but I am fure, my apparell is all English, Sirra, what meaneft thou to afke that queftion? I could fpoyle the fashion of this face for anger. A French face!

Leir. Because my daughter, whom I haue offended, And at whofe hands I haue deferu'd as ill,

As euer any father did of child,

Is queene of Fraunce, no thanks at all to me,
But vnto God, who my iniuftice fee.
If it be fo, that shee doth feeke reuenge,
As with good reason she may iuftly do,
I will most willingly refigne my life,
A facrifice to mittigate her ire:

I neuer

I neuer will intreat thee to forgiue,

Because I am vnworthy for to liue.

Therefore speake foone, and I will foone make speed:
Whether Cordella will'd thee do this deed?

Mef. As I am a perfit gentleman, thou speakst French to me: I neuer heard Cordellaes name before,

Nor neuer was in Fraunce in all my life:

I neuer knew thou hadft a daughter there,

To whom thou didst proue fo vnkind a churle :
But thy owne toung declares that thou haft bin
A vyle old wretch, and full of heynous fin.

Leir. Ah no, my friend, thou art deceyued much :
For her except, whom I confeffe I wrongd,
Through doting frenzy, and o're-ielous loue,
There liues not any vnder heauens bright eye,
That can conuict me of impiety:

And therfore fure thou dost mistake the marke:
For I am in true peace with all the world.

Mef. You are the fitter for the King of heauen:
And therefore, for to rid thee of fufpence,
Know thou, the queenes of Cambria and Cornwall,
Thy owne two daughters, Gonorill and Ragan,
Appoynted me to maffacre thee here.

Why wouldst thou then perfwade me, that thou art
In charity with all the world? but now

When thy owne issue hold thee in fuch hate,
That they haue hyred me t'abbridge thy fate,
Oh, fy vpon fuch vyle diffembling breath,
That would deceyue, euen at the poynt of death.

Per. Am I awake, or is it but a dreame?

Mef. Feare nothing, man, thou art but in a dreame,
And thou shalt neuer wake vntill doomes day,
By then, I hope, thou wilt haue slept ynough.

Leir. Yet, gentle friend, graunt one thing ere I die,

Mef.