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answer then? I wonder how she looked,

      Having forsworn it with such vehement oaths,

      And at the instant so approved upon her.

      FRANKLIN

      First did she cast her eyes down to the earth,

      Watching the drops that fell amain from thence;

      Then softly draws she forth her hand kercher,

      And modestly she wipes her tear stained face;

      And with a majesty addressed her self

      To encounter all their accusations. -

      Pardon, me, master Arden, I can no more;

      This fighting at my heart makes short my wind.

      You are a stranger, man, in the isle of sheppy.

      ARDEN

      Your honor’s always bound, to do you service.

      LORD

      Come you from London and ne’er a man with you?

      ARDEN

      My man’s coming after,

      But here’s my honest friend that came along with me.

      LORD

      My lord protector’s man I take you to be.

      FRANKLIN

      Ay, my good lord, and highly bound to you.

      LORD

      You and your friend come home and sup with me.

      ARDEN

      I beseech your honor pardon me;

      I have made a promise to a gentleman,

      My honest friend, to meet him at my house;

      The occasion is great, or else would I wait on you.

      LORD

      Will you come to morrow and dine with me, and bring your honest friend along with you? I have divers matters to talk with you about.

      ARDEN

      To morrow we’ll wait upon your honor.

      LORD

      One of you stay my horse at the top of the hill.

       what! Black Will? For whose purse wait you?

      Thou wilt be hanged in kent, when all is done.

      WILL

      Not hanged, god save your honor;

      I am your bedesman, bound to pray for you.

      LORD

      I think thou ne’er said’st prayer in all thy life. -

      One of you give him a crown: -

      And, sirrah, leave this kind of life.

      If thou beest tainted for a penny matter,

      And come in question, surely thou wilt truss.

       come, master Arden, let us be going;

      Your way and mine lies four miles together. (Exeunt.

      (manet Black Will and SHAKEBAG

      WILL

      The devil break all your necks at four miles’ end!

      Zounds, I could kill myself for very anger!

      His lordship chops me in, even when

      My dag was levelled at his heart.

      I would his crown were molten down his throat.

      SHAKEBAG

      Arden, thou hast wondrous holy luck.

      Well, I’ll discharge my pistol at the sky,

      For by this bullet Arden might not die.

      (here enters GREENE

      GREENE

      What is he down? Is he dispatched?

      SHAKEBAG

      Ay, in health towards feversham, to shame us all.

      GREENE

      The devil he is! Why, sirs, how escap’d he?

      SHAKEBAG

      When we were ready to shoot,

      Comes my lord cheney to prevent his death.

      GREENE

      The lord of heaven hath preserved him.

      WILL

      Preserved a fig! The lord cheney hath preserved him,

      And bids him to a feast to his house at shorlow.

      But by the way once more I’ll meet with him,

      And, if all the cheneys in the world say no,

      I’ll have a bullet in his breast tomorrow.

      Therefore come, Greene, and let us to feversham.

      GREENE

      Ay, and excuse ourselves to mistress Arden:

      O, how she’ll chafe when she hears of this!

      SHAKEBAG

      Why, I’ll warrant you she’ll think we dare not do it.

      WILL

      Why, then let us go, and tell her all the matter.

      And plat the news to cut him off to morrow. (Exeunt.

      (here Enter Arden and his wife, Franklin, and MICHAEL

      ARDEN

      See how the hours, the gardeant of heaven’s gate

      Have by their toil removed the darksome clouds,

      That sol may well discern the trampled pace

      Wherein he wont to guide his golden car;

      The season fits; come, Franklin, let’s away.

      ALICE

      I thought you did pretend some special hunt,

      That made you thus cut short the time of rest.

      ARDEN

      It was no chase that made me rise so early,

      But, as I told thee yesternight, to go to the isle of sheppey,

      To the isle of sheppy, there to dine with my lord cheney,

      For so his honor late commanded me.

      ALICE

      Ay, such kind husbands seldom want excuses

      Home is a wild cat to a wandering wit.

      The time hath been, - would god it were not past, -

      That honor’s title nor a lord’s command

      But my deserts or your desires decay,

      Or both; yet if true love may seem desert,

      I merit still to have thy company.

      FRANKLIN

      Why, I pray you sir, let her go along with us;

      I am sure his honor will welcome her

      And us the more for bringing her along.

      ARDEN

      Content; sirrah, saddle your mistress’ nag.

      ALICE

      No, begged favor merits little thanks.

      If I should go, our house would run away,

      Or else be stolen. Therefore I’ll stay

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