Actus iiij, Scæna vij

[R. Royster. M. Merygreeke. C. Custance. D. Doughtie. Harpax. Tristram Trusty.]
R. ROYSTER.
Nowe sirs, keepe your ray, and see your heartes be stoute,
But where be these caitifes, me think they dare not route,
How sayst thou Merygreeke? What doth Kit Custance say?

M. MERY.
I am loth to tell you.

R. ROYSTER.
Tushe speake man, yea or nay?

M. MERY.
Forsooth sir, I haue spoken for you all that I can.
But if ye winne hir, ye must een play the man,
Een to fight it out, ye must a mans heart take.

R. ROYSTER.
Yes, they shall know, and thou knowest I haue a stomacke.

M. MERY.
A stomacke (quod you) yea, as good as ere man had.

R. ROYSTER.
I trowe they shall finde and feele that I am a lad.

M. MERY.
By this crosse I haue seene you eate your meate as well,
As any that ere I haue seene of or heard tell,
A stomacke quod you? he that will that denie
I know was neuer at dynner in your companie.

R. ROYSTER.
Nay, the stomacke of a man it is that I meane.

M. MERY.
Nay the stomacke of a horse or a dogge I weene.

R. ROYSTER.
Nay a mans stomacke with a weapon meane I.

M. MERY.
Ten men can scarce match you with a spoone in a pie.

R. ROYSTER.
Nay the stomake of a man to trie in strife.

M. MERY.
I neuer sawe your stomacke cloyed yet in my lyfe.

R. ROYSTER.
Tushe I meane in strife or fighting to trie.

M. MERY.
We shall see how ye will strike nowe being angry.

R. ROYSTER.
Haue at thy pate then, and saue thy head if thou may.

M. MERY.
Nay then haue at your pate agayne by this day,

R. ROYSTER.
Nay thou mayst not strike at me againe in no wise.

M. MERY.
I can not in fight make to you suche warrantise:
But as for your foes here let them the bargaine bie.

R. ROYSTER.
Nay as for they, shall euery mothers childe die.
And in this my fume a little thing might make me,
To beate downe house and all, and else the deuill take me.

M. MERY.
If I were as ye be, by gogs deare mother,
I woulde not leaue one stone vpon an other.
Though she woulde redeeme it with twentie thousand poundes.

R. ROYSTER.
It shall be euen so, by his lily woundes.

M. MERY.
Bee not at one with hir vpon any amendes.

R. ROYSTER.
No though she make to me neuer so many frendes.
Nor if all the worlde for hir woulde vndertake,
No not God hymselfe neither, shal not hir peace make,
On therfore, marche forwarde, soft, stay a whyle yet.

M. MERY.
On.

R. ROYSTER.
Tary.

M. MERY.
Forth.

R. ROYSTER.
Back.

M. MERY.
On.

R. ROYSTER.
Soft. Now forward set.

C. CUSTANCE.
What businesse haue we here? out alas, alas.

R. ROYSTER.
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Dydst thou see that Merygreeke? how afrayde she was?
Dydst thou see how she fledde apace out of my sight?
Ah good sweete Custance I pitie hir by this light.

M. MERY.
That tender heart of yours wyll marre altogether,
Thus will ye be turned with waggyng of a fether.

R. ROYSTER.
On sirs, keepe your ray.

M. MERY.
On forth, while this geare is hot

R. ROYSTER.
Soft, the Armes of Caleys, I haue one thing forgot.

M. MERY.
What lacke we now?

R. ROYSTER.
Retire, or else we be all slain.

M. MERY.
Backe for the pashe of God, backe sirs, backe againe.
What is the great mater?

R. ROYSTER.
This hastie forth goyng
Had almost brought vs all to vtter vndoing,
It made me forget a thing most necessarie.

M. MERY.
Well remembred of a captaine by sainct Marie.

R. ROYSTER.
It is a thing must be had.

M. MERY.
Let vs haue it then.

R. ROYSTER.
But I wote not where nor how.

M. MERY.
Then wote not I when.
But what is it?

R. ROYSTER.
Of a chiefe thing I am to seeke.

M. MERY.
Tut so will ye be, when ye haue studied a weke.
But tell me what it is?

R. ROYSTER.
I lacke yet an hedpiece.

M. MERY.
The kitchen collocauit, the best hennes to grece,
Runne, fet it Dobinet, and come at once withall,
And bryng with thee my potgunne, hangyng by the wall,
I haue seene your head with it full many a tyme,
Couered as safe as it had bene with a skrine:
And I warrant it saue your head from any stroke,
Except perchaunce to be amased with the smoke:
I warrant your head therwith, except for the mist,
As safe as if it were fast locked vp in a chist:
And loe here our Dobinet commeth with it nowe.

D. DOUGH.
It will couer me to the shoulders well inow.

M. MERY.
Let me see it on.

R. ROYSTER.
In fayth it doth metely well.

M. MERY.
There can be no fitter thing. Now ye must vs tell
What to do.

R. ROYSTER.
Now forth in ray sirs, and stoppe no more.

M. MERY.
Now sainct George to borow, Drum dubbe a dubbe afore.

T. TRUSTY.
What meane you to do sir, committe manslaughter.

R. ROYSTER.
To kyll fortie such, is a matter of laughter.

T. TRUSTY.
And who is it sir, whome ye intende thus to spill?

R. ROYSTER.
Foolishe Custance here forceth me against my will.

T. TRUSTY.
And is there no meane your extreme wrath to slake,
She shall some amendes vnto your good mashyp make.

R. ROYSTER.
I will none amendes.

T. TRUSTY.
Is hir offence so sore?

M. MERY.
And he were a loute she coulde haue done no more.
She hath calde him foole, and dressed him like a foole.
Mocked him lyke a foole, vsed him like a foole.

T. TRUSTY.
Well yet the Sheriffe, the Iustice, or Constable,
Hir misdemeanour to punishe might be able.

R. ROYSTER.
No sir, I mine owne selfe will in this present cause,
Be Sheriffe, and Iustice, and whole Iudge of the lawes,
This matter to amende, all officers be I shall,
Constable, Bailiffe, Sergeant.

M. MERY.
And hangman and all.

T. TRUSTY.
Yet a noble courage, and the hearte of a man.
Should more honour winne by bearyng with a woman.
Therfore take the lawe, and lette hir aunswere therto.

R. ROYSTER.
Merygreeke, the best way were euen so to do.
What honour should it be with a woman to fight?

M. MERY.
And what then, will ye thus forgo and lese your right?

R. ROYSTER.
Nay, I will take the lawe on hir withouten grace.

T. TRUSTY.
Or yf your mashyp coulde pardon this one trespace.
I pray you forgiue hir.

R. ROYSTER.
Hoh?

M. MERY.
Tushe tushe sir do not.
Be good maister to hir.

R. ROYSTER.
Hoh?

M. MERY.
Tush I say do not.
And what shall your people here returne streight home?

T. TRUSTIE.
Yea, leuie the campe sirs, and hence againe eche one,

R. ROYSTER.
But be still in readinesse if I happe to call,
I can not tell what sodaine chaunce may befall.

M. MERY.
Do not off your harnesse sirs I you aduise,
At the least for this fortnight in no maner wise,
Perchaunce in an houre when all ye thinke least,
Our maisters appetite to fight will be best.
But soft, ere ye go, haue once at Custance house.

R. ROYSTER.
Soft, what wilt thou do?

M. MERY.
Once discharge my harquebouse
And for my heartes ease, haue once more with my potgoon.

R. ROYSTER.
Holde thy handes else is all our purpose cleane fordoone.

M. MERY.
And it cost me my life.

R. ROYSTER.
I say thou shalt not.

M. MERY.
By the matte but I will. Haue once more with haile shot.
I will haue some penyworth, I will not leese all.