Unrecompensed, sure, thou shalt not be

In court thy courage shall be plainly known:
Throughout the kingdom will I spread thy name,
To thy renown and never-dying fame :

And that thy courage may be better known,
Bear thou the head of this most monstrous beast

In open sight, to every courtier's view:

So will the king my father thee reward.

Come, let's away and guard me to the court.

Muc. With all my heart.

Enter SEGASTO, solus.

Seg. When heaps of harms do hover over head,
'Tis time, as then (some say) to look about,
And of ensuing harms to choose the least;
But hard, yea hapless, is that wretch's chance,
Luckless his lot, and caitiff-like accurst,
At whose proceedings fortune ever frowns.
Myself I mean, most subject unto thrall;
For I, the more I seek to shun the worst,
The more by proof I find myself accurst.
Erewhile, assaulted by an ugly bear,
Fair Amadine in company all alone,
Forthwith by flight I thought to save myself,
Leaving my Amadine unto her shifts;

For death it was for to resist the bear,

And death no less of Amadine's harms to hear.
Accursed I in lingering life thus long :

In living thus each minute of an hour,

[Exeunt.

Doth pierce my heart with darts of thousand deaths.

If she by flight his fury do escape,
What will she think?

Will she not say, yea, flatly to my face,
Accusing me of mere disloyalty.

A trusty friend is tried in time of need:
But I, when she in danger was of death,
And needed me, and cried, Segasto help!
I turn'd my back and quickly ran away!
Unworthy I to bear this vital breath.
But, what? what need these plaints?
If Amadine do live, then happy!!
She will in time forgive, and so forget:
Amadine is merciful, not Juno-like,

In harmful heart to harbour hatred long.

Enter MOUSE, the Clown, running, crying Clubs! Mouse. Clubs! prongs! pitchforks! bills! O, help! A bear! A bear, a bear!

Seg. Still bears, and nothing else but bears. Tell me, sirrah, where she is.

Mouse. O, sir! she is run down the woods :

I saw her white head, and her white belly.

Seg. Thou talkest of wonders, to tell me of white bears. But, sirrah, didst thou ever see any such?

Mouse. No, 'faith, I never saw any such;

But I remember my father's words: he bade me take heed I was not caught with a white bear.

Seg. A lamentable tale, no doubt.

Mouse. I tell you what, sir, As I was going a-field to serve my father's great horse, and carried a bottle of hay upon my head: now do you see, sir, I, fast hood-winked

that I could see nothing, I perceiving the bear coming, I threw my hay into the hedge and ran away.

Seg. What! from nothing?

Mouse. I warrant you, yes: I saw something; for there was two loads of thorns, besides my bottle of hay, and that made three.

Seg. But tell me, sirrah: the bear thou didst see, Did she not bear a bucket on her arm?

Mouse. Ha, ha, ha! I never saw bear go a-milking in all my life. But mark you, sir: I did not look so high as her arm I saw nothing but her white head and her white belly.

Seg. But tell me, sirrah; where dost thou dwell?

Mouse. Why, do you not know me?

Seg. Why, no; how should I know thee?

Mouse. Why, then, you know nobody, an you know not me.1

I tell you, sir: I am the good-man Rat's son, of the next parish, over the hill.

Seg. Good-man Rat's son! Why, what is thy name? Mouse. Why, I am very near akin to him.

Seg. I think so; but what's thy name.

Mouse. My name? I have a very pretty name.

I'll tell you what my name is: my name is

Mouse.

Seg. What! plain Mouse?

Mouse. Aye, plain Mouse, without either welt or guard. But do you hear, sir? I am a very young Mouse, for my tail is scarce grown out yet: look you here else.

1 Why, then, you know nobody, etc.] Thomas Heywood wrote a Comedy with this proverbial title: it was first printed in 1605.

Seg. But, I pray thee, who gave thee that name?

Mouse. Faith, sir, I know not that; but if you would fain know, ask my father's great horse, for he hath been half a year longer with my father than I have.

Seg. This seems to be a merry fellow : I care not if I take him home with me. Mirth is a comfort to a troubled mind: A merry man a merry master makes.

[Aside.

How say'st thou, sirrah? wilt thou dwell with me? [To him. Mouse. Nay, soft, sir: two words to a bargain: pray you what occupation are you?

Seg. No occupation: I live upon my lands.

Mouse. Your lands!

Away! you are no master for me.

Why, do you think I am so mad to go seek my living in the lands, amongst the stones, briers and bushes, and tear my holiday apparel? Not I by your leave.

Seg. Why, I do not mean thou shalt.

Mouse. How, then?

Seg. Why thou shalt be my man, and wait upon me at the court.

Mouse. What's that?

Seg. Where the king lies.

Mouse. What's that same king? a man or a woman ? Seg. A man; as thou art.

Mouse. As I am! Hark you, sir. Pray, what kin is he to goodman King of our parish, the churchwarden?

Seg. No kin to him: he is the king of the whole land. Mouse. King of the land! I never see him.

Seg. If thou wilt dwell with me, thou shalt see him every day.

Mouse. Shall I go home again to be torn in pieces by

bears? No, not I. I will go home and put on a clean shirt, and then go drown myself.

Seg. Thou shalt not need: if thou wilt dwell with me thou shalt want nothing.

Mouse. Shall I not? then, here's my hand: I'll dwell with you. And, hark you, sir: now you have entertained. me, I will tell you what I can do. I can keep my tongue from picking and stealing, and my hands from lying and slandering, I warrant you, as well as ever you had a man in all your life.

Seg. Now, will I to court with sorrowful heart, rounded with doubts if Amadine do live, then happy I yea, happy I, if Amadine do live.

[Exeunt.

Enter the KING with a young Prince, prisoner; AMADINE, TREMELIO, with COLLIN and Counsellors. King. Now, brave lords, our wars are brought to end, Our foes the foil, and we in safety rest;

It us behoves to use such clemency

In peace as valour in wars. It is

Great honour to be bountiful at home,
As to be conquerors in the field.

Therefore, my lords, the more to my content,
Your liking and your country's safeguard,
We are dispos'd in marriage for to give
Our daughter to the lord Segasto here,
Who shall succeed the diadem after me,

And reign hereafter as I 'tofore have done,

Your sole and lawful king of Aragon.

What say you, lordings? like you of my advice?

Col. An 't please your majesty, we do not only allow of