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      And so, as he shall wish the abbey lands

      Had rested still, within their former state.

      But seeing he hath taken my lands, I’ll value life

      As careless, as he is careful for to get,

      And tell him this from me, I’ll be revenged,

      And so, as he shall wish the abbey lands

      Had rested still, within their former state.

      ALICE

      Alas, poor gentleman, I pity you,

      And woe is me that any man should want,

      God knows ‘tis not my fault, but wonder not

      Though he be hard to others, when to me,

      Ah master Greene, god knows how I am used.

      GREENE

      Why, mistress Arden, can the crabbed churl

      Use you unkindly, respects he not your birth,

      Your honorable friends, nor what you brought?

      Why, all kent knows your parentage, and what you are.

      ALICE

      Ah, master Greene, be it spoken in secret here,

      I never live good day with him alone:

      When he is at home, then have I forward looks,

      Hard words and blows, to mend the match withal;

      And though I might content as good a man,

      Yet doth he keep in every corner trulls,

      And weary with his trugs at home,

      Then rides he straight to London, there forsooth

      He revels it among such filthy ones,

      As counsel him to make away his wife;

      Thus live I daily in continual fear,

      In sorrow, so dispairing of redress

      As every day I wish with hearty prayer,

      That he or I were taken forth the world.

      GREENE

      Now trust me mistress Alice, it grieveth me,

      GREENE

      Ay, god’s my witness, I mean plain dealing,

      For I had rather die then lose my land.

      ALICE

      Then master Greene be counselled by me:

      Endanger not your self for such a churl,

      But hire some cutter for to cut him short,

      And here’s ten pound, to wager them with all,

      When he is dead you shall have twenty more.

      And the lands whereof my husband is possess’d,

      Shall be intitled as they were before.

      GREENE

      Will you keep promise with me?

      GREENE

      Then here’s my hand I’ll have him so dispatch’d,

      I’ll up to London straight, I’ll thither post,

      And never rest, till I have compass’d it,

      Till then farewell.

      And whosoever doth attempt the deed,

      A happy hand I wish, and so farewell. -

      All this goes well: Mosbie, I long for thee

      To let thee know all that I have contrived.

      (here enters Mosbie and CLARKE

      MOSBIE

      How now, Alice, what’s the news?

      ALICE

      Such as will content thee well, sweet heart.

      MOSBIE

      Well, let them pass a while, and tell me Alice,

      How have you dealt and tempered with my sister,

      What, will she have my neighbor, clarke, or no?

      ALICE

      What, master Mosbie! Let him woo him self.

      Think you that maids look not for fair words?

      Go to her, clarke; she’s all alone within;

      Michael my man is clean out of her books.

      CLARKE

      I thank you, mistress Arden, I will in;

      And if fair Susan and I can make agree,

      You shall command me to the utterMost,

      As far as either goods or life may stretch. (Exit CLARKE

      MOSBIE

      Now, Alice, let’s hear thy news.

      ALICE

      They be so good that I must laugh for joy,

      Before I can begin to tell my tale.

      MOSBIE

      Let’s hear them, that I may laugh for company.

      ALICE

      This morning, master Greene, Dick Greene I mean,

      From whom my husband had the abbey land,

      Came hither, railing, for to know the truth

      Whether my husband had the lands by grant.

      I told him all, whereat he stormed amain

      And swore he would cry quittance with the churl,

      And, if he did deny his interest,

      Stab him, whatsoever did befall himself.

      When as I saw his choler thus to rise,

      I whetted on the gentleman with words;

      And, to conclude, Mosbie, at last we grew

      To composition for my husband’s death.

      I gave him ten pound to hire knaves,

      by some device to make away the churl;

      When he is dead, he should have twenty more

      On this we ‘greed, and he is ridden straight

      To London, for to bring his death about.

      MOSBIE

      But call you this good news?

      ALICE

      Ay, sweetheart, be they not?

      MOSBIE

      ‘twere cheerful news to hear the churl were dead;

      But trust me, Alice, I take it passing ill

      You would be so forgetful of our state

      To make recount of it to every groom.

      What, to acquaint each stranger with our drifts,

      Chiefly in case of murder, why, ‘tis the way

      To make it open unto Arden’s self

      And bring thyself and me to ruin both.

      Forewarned, forearmed; who threats his enemy,

      Lends him a sword to guard himself with all.

      ALICE

      I did it for the best.

      MOSBIE

      Well, seeing ‘tis done, cheerly let it pass.

      You

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