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Leir. Come, trueft friend, that euer man poffeft,
I know thou counfailst all things for the beft:
If this third daughter play a kinder part,

It comes of God, and not of my defert.

Enter the Gallian ambaffador folus.

Am. There is of late newes come vnto the court,
That old lord Leir remaynes in Cambria :

Ile hye me thither prefently, to impart
My letters and my message vnto him.
I neuer was leffe welcome to a place

In all my life time, then I haue bin hither,
Especially vnto the stately queene,

Who would not caft one gracious looke on me,
But still with lowring and fufpicious eyes,
Would take exceptions at each word I spake,
And fayne fhe would haue vndermined me,
To know what my ambaffage did import.
But she is like to hop without her hope,
And in this matter for to want her will,

Though (by report) fheele hau't in all things elfe.
Well, I will pofte away for Cambria:

Within thefe few dayes I hope to be there,

Exeunt.

Enter the king and queene of Gallia, and Mumford,

King. By this, our father vnderftands our mind,
And our kind greetings fent to him of late:
Therefore my mind prefageth ere't be long,
We fhall receyde from Brittayne happy newes.
Cord. I feare, my fifter will diffwade his mind;

For fhe to me hath alwayes bin vnkind.

Exit.

King. Feare not, my loue, fince that we know the worst, The last meanes helpes, if that we miffe the furft:

If hee'le not come to Gallia vnto vs,

Then we will fayle to Brittayne vnto him.

Mum. Well, if I once fee Brittayne agayne,

I haue fworne, Ile ne're come home without my wench,
And Ile not be forfworne,

Ile rather neuer come home while I liue.

Cor. Are you fure, Mumford, fhe is a mayd still?
Mum. Nay, Ile not fweare fhe is a mayd, but she goes for

one :

Ile take her at all aduentures, if I can get her.

Cord. I, thats well put in.

Mum. Well put in nay, it was ill put in; for had it Bin as well put in, as ere I put in, in my dayes,

I would haue made her follow me to Fraunce.

Cor. Nay, you'd haue bin so kind, as take her with you, Or elfe, were I as she,

I would haue bin fo louing, as Ide ftay behind you:
Yet I must confeffe, you are a very proper man,

And able to make a wench do more then she would do.

Mum. Well, I haue a payre of flops for the nonce,

Will hold all your mocks.

King. Nay, we see you haue a hansome hose.

Cor. I, and of the neweft fashion.

Mum, More bobs, more: put them in still,

They'l ferue instead of bumbaft, yet put not in too many, lest the feames crack, and they fly out amongst you againe: you muft not think to outface me fo eafly in my miftris quarrel, who if I fee once agayne, ten teame of horses shall not draw me away, till I haue full and whole poffeffion.

king. I, but one teame and a cart will ferue the turne.

Cor. Not only for him, but alfo for his wench.

Mum. Well, you are two to one, Ile giue you ouer: And fince I fee you so pleasantly difpofed,

Which indeed is but feldome feene, Ile clayme

A promife

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A promife of you, which you shall not deny me :
For promife is debt, and by this hand you promifd it me.
Therefore you owe it me, and you fhall pay it me,'

Or Ile fue you vpon an action of vnkindnesse.

King. Prithy, lord Mumford, what promise did I make thee?

Mum. Fayth, nothing but this,

That the next fayre weather, which is very now,
You would go in progreffe downe to the fea fide,
Which is very neere.

King. Fayth, in this motion I will ioyne with thee,
And be a mediator to my queene.

Prithy, my loue, let this match go forward,

My mind foretels, 'twill be a lucky voyage.

Cor. Entreaty needs not, where you may cōmaund,
So you be pleafde, I am right well content:
Yet, as the fea I much defire to fee;

So am I most vnwilling to be feene.

King. Weele go disguised, all vnknowne to any.
Cor. Howfoeuer you make one, Ile make another.
Mum. And I the third: oh, I am ouer-ioyed!
See what loue is, which getteth with a word,
What all the world befides could ne're obtayne:
But what disguises fhall we haue, my lord?

King. Fayth thus: my queene and I will be difguifde,
Like a playne country couple, and you fhall be Roger
Our man, and wayt vpon vs: or if you will,

You shall go first, and we will wayt on you.

Mum. 'Twere more then time; this deuice is excellent : Come let vs about it.

Enter Cambria and Ragan, with nobles.

Cam. What ftrange mifchance or vnexpected hap
Hath thus depriu'd vs of our fathers prefence?

003

Exeunt.

Cap

Can no man tell vs what's become of him,
With whom we did conuerfe not two dayes fince?
My lords, let euery where light horse be fent,
To fcoure about through all our regiment,
Difpatch a poste immediately to Cornwall,
To fee if any newes be of him there;
My felfe will make a ftrict inquiry here,
And all about our cities neere at hand,
Till certayne newes of his abode be brought,
Rag. All forrow is but counterfet to mine,
Whofe lips are almoft fealed vp with griefe:
Mine is the fubftance, whilft they do but feeme
To weepe the leffe, which teares cannot redeeme,
O, ne're was heard fo frange a misaduenture,
A thing fo far beyond the reach of fence,
Since no mans reafon in the caufe can enter.

What hath remou'd my father thus from hence?
O, I do feare fome charme or inuocation

Of wicked fpirits, or infernall fiends,
Stird by Cordella, moues this innouation,
And brings my father timeleffe to his end,
But might I know, that the detefted witch
Were certayne caufe of this vncertayne ill,
My felfe to Fraunce would go in fome difguife,
And with thefe nayles fcratch out her hatefull eyes;
For fince I am depriued of my father,

I loath my life, and with my death the rather.

Cam. The heauens are iuft, and hate impiety,
And will (no doubt) reueale fuch haynous crimes a
Cenfure not any, till you know the right;
Let him be iudge, that bringeth truth to light.
Ra. O, but my griefe, like to a fwelling tyde,
Exceeds the bounds of common patience ;

Nor

Nor can I moderate my toung fo much,
To conceale them, whom I hold in suspect.
Cam. This matter fhall be fifted: if it be fhe,
A thousand Fraunces fhall not harbour her.

Enter the Gallian ambassador.

Am. All happineffe vnto the Cambrian king.

Cam. Welcom, my friend, from whence is thy ambaffage ?
Am. I came from Gallia, vnto Cornwall fent,

With letters to your honourable father,
Whom there not finding, as I did expect,

I was directed hither to repayre.

Rag. Frenchman, what is thy meffage to my father?
Am. My letters, madam, will import the fame,
Which my commiffion is for to deliuer.

Ra. In his abfence you may truft vs with your letters.
Am. I must performe my charge in such a maner,
As I hane ftrict commaundement from the king.

Ra. There is good packing twixt your king and you:

You need not hither come to aske for him,

You know where he is better then our felues.
Am. Madam, I hope, not far off.

Ra. Hath the young murdreffe, your outragious queene,
No meanes to colour her detefted deeds,
In finishing my guiltleffe fathers dayes,
(Because he gaue her nothing to her dowre)
But by the colour of a fayn'd ambassage,
To fend him letters hither to our court?
Go carry them to them that fent them hither,
And bid them keepe their feroules vnto themfelues:
They cannot blind vs with fuch flight excufe,
To fmother vp fo monftrous vild abuse.

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