The Complete Apocryphal Works of William Shakespeare - All 17 Rare Plays in One Edition. William Shakespeare
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MUCEDORUS.
Next tell me how and when tis best to strike.
BREMO.
Tis best to strike when time doth serve,
Tis best to loose no time.
MUCEDORUS.
[Aside.] Then now or never is my time to strike.
BREMO.
And when thou strikest, be sure thou hit the head.
MUCEDORUS.
The head?
BREMO.
The very head.
MUCEDORUS.
Then have at thine! [He strikes him down head.]
So, lie there and die,
A death no doubt according to desert,
or else a worse as thou deservest a worse.
AMADINE.
It glads my heart this tyrant’s death to see.
MUCEDORUS.
Now, lady, it remains in you
To end the tale you lately had begun,
Being interrupted by this wicked wight.
You said you loved a shepherd.
AMADINE.
Aye, so I do, and none but only him,
And will do still as long as life shall last.
MUCEDORUS.
But tell me, lady; sith I set you free,
What course of life do you intend to take?
AMADINE.
I will disguised wander through the world,
Till I have found him out.
MUCEDORUS.
How if you find your shepherd in these woods?
AMADINE.
Ah, none so happy then as Amadine.
[He discloseth himself.]
MUCEDORUS.
In tract of time a man may alter much;
Say, Lady, do you know your shepherd well?
AMADINE.
My Mucedorus! hath he set me free?
MUCEDORUS.
Mucedorus he hath set thee free.
AMADINE.
And lived so long unknown to Amadine!
MUCEDORUS.
Aye that’s a question where of you may not be resolved.
You know that I am banisht from the court;
I know likewise each passage is best,
So that we cannot long escape unknown:
Therefore my will is this, that we return
Right through the thickets to the wild man’s cave,
And there a while live on his provision,
Until the search and narrow watch be past.
This is my counsel, and I think it best.
AMADINE.
I think the very same.
MUCEDORUS.
Come, let’s begone.
[Enter the Clown who searches and falls over the wild man and so carry him away.]
MOUSE. Nay, soft, sir; are you here? a bots on you! I was like to be hanged for not finding you. We would borrow a certain stray king’s daughter of you: a wench, a wench, sir, we would have.
MUCEDORUS.
A wench of me! I’ll make thee eat my sword.
MOUSE. Oh Lord! nay, and you are so lusty, I’ll call a cooling card for you. Ho, master, master, come away quickly.
[Enter Segasto.]
SEGASTO.
What’s the matter?
MOUSE.
Look, master, Amadine & the shepherd: oh, brave!
SEGASTO.
What, minion, have I found you out?
MOUSE.
Nay, that’s a lie, I found her out myself.
SEGASTO.
Thou gadding huswife,
What cause hadst thou to gad abroad,
When as thou knowest our wedding day so nigh?
AMADINE.
Not so, Segasto, no such thing in hand;
Shew your assurance, then I’ll answer you.
SEGASTO.
Thy father’s promise my assurance is.
AMADINE.
But what he promist he hath not performed.
SEGASTO.
It rests in thee for to perform the same.
AMADINE.
Not I.
SEGASTO.
And why?
AMADINE.
So is my will, and therefore even so.
MOUSE.
Master, with a nonie, nonie, no!
SEGASTO.
Aye, wicked villain, art thou here?
MUCEDORUS.
What needs these words? we weigh them not.
SEGASTO. We weigh them not, proud shepherd! I scorn thy company.
MOUSE.
We’ll not have a corner of thy company.
MUCEDORUS.
I scorn not thee, nor yet the least of thine.
MOUSE. That’s a lie, a would have killed me with his pugsnando.
SEGASTO.
This stoutness, Amadine, contents me not.
AMADINE.
Then seek an other that may you better please.
MUCEDORUS.
Well, Amadine, it only rests in thee
Without delay to make thy choice of three:
There stands Segasto, here a shepherd stands,
There stands the third; now make thy choice.
MOUSE.
A Lord at the least I am.
AMADINE.
My choice is made, for I will none but thee.
SEGASTO.
A worthy mate, no doubt, for such a wife.
MUCEDORUS.
And, Amadine, why wilt thou none but me?
I cannot keep thee as thy father did;
I have no lands for to maintain thy state.
Moreover, if thou mean to be my wife,
Commonly this must be thy use:
To bed at midnight, up at four,
Drudge all day and trudge from place to place,
Whereby our daily vittel for to win;
And last of all, which is the worst of all,
No princess then but plain a shepherd’s wife.
MOUSE.
Then, god ge you go morrow, goody shepherd!