A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. II by Robert Dodsley

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DALILAH. To tell you who I am, I dare not for shame;
But my filthy living hath brought me in this case,
Full oft for my wantonness you did me blame;
Yet to take your counsel I had not the grace.
To be restored to health, alas, it is past;
Disease hath brought me into such decay,
Help me with your alms, while my life doth last,
That, like a wretch as I am, I may go my way.

BARNABAS, Show me your name, sister, I you pray,
And I will help you now at your need;
Both body and soul will I feed.

DALILAH. You[233] have named me already, if I durst be so bold:
Your[234] sister Dalilah, that wretch I am;
My wanton nice toys ye knew of old.
Alas, brother, they have brought me to this shame.

When you went to school, my brother and I would play,
Swear, chide, and scold with man and woman;
To do shrewd turns our delight was alway,
Yet were we tiddled, and you beaten now and then.

Thus our parents let us do what we would,
And you by correction they kept thee under awe:
When we grew big, we were sturdy and bold;
By father and mother we set not a straw,

Small matter for me; I am past;
But your brother and mine is in great jeopardy:
In danger to come to shame at the last,
He frameth his living so wickedly.

BARNABAS. Well, sister,[235] I ever feared ye would be nought,
Your lewd behaviours sore grieve[d] my heart:
To train you to goodness all means have I sought,
But in vain; yet will I play a brotherly part.

For the soul is more precious, most dearly bought
With the blood of Christ, dying therefore:
To save it first a mean must be sought
At God's hand by Christ, man's only Saviour.

Consider, Dalilah, God's fatherly goodness,
Which for your good hath brought you in this case.
Scourged you with his rod of pure love doubtless,
That, once knowing yourself, ye might call for grace.

Ye seem to repent, but I doubt whether[236]
For your sins or for the misery ye be in:
Earnestly repent for your sin rather,
For these plagues be but the reward of sin.

But so repent that ye sin no more,
And then believe with steadfast faith,
That God will forgive you for evermore,
For Christ's sake, as the scripture saith.

As for your body, if it be curable,
I will cause to be healed, and[237] during your life
I will clothe you and feed you, as I am able.
Come, sister, go with me, ye have need of relief.
[_They go out_.

DANIEL (_the judge_). As a judge of the country, here am I come,
Sent by the king's majesty, justice to do:
Chiefly to proceed in judgment of a felon:
I tarry for the verdict of the quest,[238] ere I go.

[_Iniquity, Baily errand, comes in; the judge sitteth down_.

Go, Baily, know whether they be all agreed, or no;
If they be so, bid them come away,
And bring their prisoner; I would hear what they say.

[BAILY]. I go, my Lord, I go, too soon for one:
He is like to play a cast will break his neck-bone.
I beseech your lor'ship be good to him:
The man is come of good kin.
If your lordship would be so good to me,
[_He telleth him in his ear the rest may not hear_.
As for my sake to set him free,
I could have twenty pound in a purse,
Yea, and your lordship a right fair horse,
Well worth ten pound--

DANIEL (_the judge_). Get thee away, thou hell-hound!
If ye were well examined and tried,
Perchance a false knave ye would be spied.
[_Iniquity goeth out; the judge speaketh still_.
Bribes (saith Salomon) blind the wise man's sight,
That he cannot see to give judgment right.
Should I be a briber?[239] nay, he shall have the law,
As I owe to God and the king obedience and awe.

[_They bring Ismael in, bound like a prisoner_.

INIQUITY (_aside_). Ye be tied fair enough for running away!
If ye do not after me, ye will be hanged, I dare say;
If thou tell no tales, but hold thy tongue,
I will set thee at liberty, ere it be long,
Though thou be judged to die anon.

JUDGE (_to the jury_). Come on, sirs, I pray you, come on,
Be you all agreed in one?

QU. Yea, my lord, everychone.
[_One of them speaketh for the quest_.

JUDGE. Where Ismael was indicted[240] by twelve men
Of felony, burglary, and murder,
As the indictment declareth how, where, and when,
Ye heard it read to you lately in order:
You, with the rest, I trust all true men,
Be charged upon your oaths to give verdit directly,
Whether Ismael thereof be guilty or not guilty.

QU. Guilty, my lord, and most guilty.
[_One for the rest_.

INIQUITY. Wilt thou hang, my lord, [this] whoreson noddy?

JUDGE (_to Iniquity_). Tush, hold thy tongue, and I warrant thee[241]--

JUDGE (_to Ismael_). The Lord have mercy upon thee!
Thou shalt go to the place thou cam'st fro
Till to-morrow, nine of the clock, there to remain:
To the place of execution then shalt thou go,
There be hanged to death, and after again,
Being dead, for ensample to be hanged in a chain.
Take him away, and see it be done,
At your peril that may fall thereupon.

ISMAEL. Though I be judged to die, I require respite,
For the king's advantage some[242] things I can recite.

INIQUITY. Away with him, he will speak but of spite--

JUDGE. Well, we will hear you say what you can,
But see that ye wrongfully accuse no man.

ISMAEL. I will belie no man, but this I may say,
Here standeth he that brought me to this way:

INIQUITY. My lord, he lieth like a damned knave,
The fear of death doth make him rave--

ISMAEL. His naughty company and play at dice
Did me first to stealing entice:
He was with me at robberies, I say it to his face;
Yet can I say more in time and space.

INIQUITY. Thou hast said too much, I beshrew thy whoreson's face.
[_Aside_.
Hang him, my lord, out of the way,
The thief careth not what he doth say.
Let me be hangman, I will teach him a sleight;
For fear of talking, I will strangle him straight;
Tarry here that list, for I will go--
[_He would go_.

JUDGE. No, no, my friend, not so;
I thought always ye should not be good,
And now it will prove, I see, by the rood.
[_They take him in a halter; he fighteth with them_.
Take him, and lay him in irons strong,
We will talk with you more, ere it be long.

INIQUITY. He that layeth hands on me in this place,
Ich lay my brawling iron on his face!
By Gog's blood, I defy thy worst;
If thou shouldest hang me, I were accurst.
I have been at as low an ebb as this,
And quickly aloft again, by Gis!
I have mo friends than ye think I have;
I am entertained of all men like no slave:
Yea, within this moneth, I may say to you,
I will be your servant and your master too.
Yea, creep into your breast, will ye have it so?

JUDGE. Away with them both, lead them away
At his death tell me what he doth say,
For then belike he will not lie.

INIQUITY, I care not for you both, no, not a fly!
[_They lead them out_.

JUDGE. If no man have here more matter to say,
I must go hence some other way.
[_He goeth out_.

_Enter_ WORLDLY SHAME.

WORLDLY SHAME. Ha, ha! though I come in rudely, be not aghast,
I must work a feat in all the haste;
I have caught two birds, I will set for the dame,
If I catch her in my clutch, I will her tame.

Of all this while know ye not my name?
I am right worshipful master Worldly Shame;
The matter that I come now about
Is even this, I put you out of doubt--

There is one[243] Xantippe, a curst shrew,
I think all the world doth her know,
Such a jade she is, and so curst a quean,
She would out-scold the devil's dame, I ween.

Sirs, this fine woman had babes three,
Twain the dearest darlings that might be,
Ismael and fair Dalilah these two:
With the lout Barnabas I have nothing to do.

All was good, that these tiddlings do might:
Swear, lie, steal, scold, or fight:
Cards, dice, kiss, clip, and so forth:
All this our mammy would take in good worth.

Now, sir, Dalilah my daughter is dead of the pox,
And my son hang'th[244] in chains, and waveth his locks.
These news will I tell her, and the matter so frame,
That she shall be thine own, master Worldly Shame!
Ha, ha, ha!--

XANTIPPE. Peace, peace, she cometh hereby,
I spoke no word of her, no, not I.

WORLDLY SHAME. O Mistress Xantippe, I can tell you news:[245]
The fair wench, your dear daughter Dalilah,
Is dead of the pox taken at the stews;
And thy son Ismael, that pretty boy,
Whom I dare say you loved very well,
Is hanged in chains, every[246] man can tell.
Every man saith thy daughter was a strong whore,
And thy son a strong thief and a murderer.
It must needs grieve you wonderous,
That they died so shamefully both two:
Men will taunt you and mock you, for they say now
The cause of their death was even very you.

XANTIPPE. I the cause of their death?
[_She would sowne_.[247]

WORLDLY SHAME. Will ye sowne, the devil stop thy breath?
Thou shalt die (I trow) with more shame;
I will get me hence out of the way,
If the whore should die, men would me blame;
That I killed her, knaves should say.
[_Exit_.

XANTIPPE. Alas, alas, and well-away!
I may curse the time that I was born,
Never woman had such fortune, I dare say;
Alas, two of my children be forlorn.

My fair daughter Dalilah is dead of the pox:
My dear son Ismael hanged up in chains.
Alas, the wind waveth his yellow locks,[248]
It slayeth my heart, and breaketh my brains.

Why should God punish and plague me so sore?
To see my children die so shamefully!
I will never eat bread in this world more,
With this knife will I slay myself by and by.
[_She would stick herself with a knife_.

_Enter_ BARNABAS.

BARNABAS. Beware what ye do; fye, mother, fye!
Will ye spill yourself for your own offence,
And seem for ever to exclude God's mercy?
God doth punish you for your negligence:
Wherefore take his correction with patience,
And thank him heartily, that of his goodness
He bringeth you in knowledge of your trespass.

For when my brother and sister were of young age,
You saw they were given to idleness and play,
Would apply no learning, but live in outrage.

And men complained on them every day.
Ye winked at their faults, and tiddled them alway;
By maintenance they grew to mischief and ill,
So at last God's justice did[249] them both spill.

In that God preserved me, small thank to you:
If God had not given me special grace,
To avoid evil and do good, this is true,
I had lived and died in as wretched case,
As they did, for I had both suffrance and space;
But it is an old proverb, you have heard it, I think:
That God will have see, shall not wink.

Yet in this we may all take comfort:
They took great repentance, I heard say,
And as for my sister, I am able to report,
She lamented for her sins to her dying day:
To repent and believe I exhorted her alway;
Before her death she believed, that God of his mercy,
For Christ's sake would save her eternally.
If you do even so, ye need not despair,
For God will freely remit your sins all,
Christ hath paid the ransom, why should ye fear?
To believe this and do well, to God for grace call.
All worldly cares let pass and fall,
And thus comfort my father I pray you heartily,
[_Xantippe goeth out_.
I have a little to say, I will come by and by.

Right gentle audience, by this interlude ye may see,
How dangerous it is for the frailty of youth,
Without good governance, to live at liberty,
Such chances as these oft happen of truth:
Many miscarry, it is the more ruth,
By negligence of their elders and not taking pain,
In time good learning and qualities to attain.

Therefore exhort[250] I all parents to be diligent
In bringing up their children aye[251] to be circumspect;
Lest they fall to evil, be not negligent;
But chastise them, before they be sore infect:
Accept their well-doing, in ill them reject.
A young plant ye may plant and bow as ye will;
Where it groweth strong, there will it abide still.

Even so by children: in their tender age
Ye may work them, like wax, to your own intent;
But if ye suffer them long to live in outrage,
They will be sturdy and stiff, and will not relent.
O ye children, let your time be well-spent,
Apply your learning, and your elders obey;
It will be your profit another day.

Now, for the Queen's royal majesty let us pray,
[_He kneeleth down_.
That God (in whose hands is the heart of all queens),
May endue her highness with godly puissance alway:
That her grace may long reign and prosper in all things,
In God's word and justice may give light to all queens.
Let us pray for the honourable council and nobility,
That they may always counsel us[252] wisdom with tranquillity,
God save the Queen, the realm, and commonalty!

[_He maketh courtesy and goeth out_.

FINIS.

* * * * *

A SONG.

_It is good to be merry
But who can be merry?[253]
He that hath a pure conscience,
He may well be merry.[254]

Who hath a pure conscience, tell me?
No man of himself, I ensure thee,
Then must it follow of necessity,
That no man can be merry.

Purity itself may pureness give;
You must ask it of God in true belief;
Then will he give it, and none repreve:[255]
And so we may be merry.

What is the practice of a conscience pure?
To love and fear God, and other allure,
And for his sake to help his neighbour:
Then may he well be merry.

What shall we have, that can and will do this?
After this life everlasting bliss,
Yet not by desert, but by gift, i-wis:
There God make us all merry!_

FINIS.[256]

THE HISTORY OF JACOB AND ESAU.

EDITION.

_A newe mery and wittie Comedie or Enterlude, newely imprinted,
treating upon the Historie of Iacob and Esau, taken out of the xxvij.
Chap. of the first booke of Moses entituled Genesis. Imprinted at
London by Henrie Bynneman, dwelling in Knight-rider Streate, at the
signe of the Mermayde. Anno Domini. 1568. 4to_.

This piece is placed earlier in the series than the mere date of
publication given above would warrant, because the interlude was
licensed in 1557-8, and probably published in pursuance of its
registration at Stationers' Hall. The 4to of 1568 is, however, the only
impression hitherto recovered, and it is of the greatest rarity. An
account of this dramatic curiosity will be found in Collier's "History
of English Dramatic Poetry," 1831. It is now for the first time
reprinted.

THE PARTS AND NAMES OF THE PLAYERS WHO ARE TO BE CONSIDERED TO BE
HEBREWS, AND SO SHOULD BE APPARELLED WITH ATTIRE.

1. THE PROLOGUE, _a Poet_.
2. ISAAC, _an old man, father to Jacob and Esau_.
3. REBECCA, _an old woman, wife to Isaac_.
4. ESAU, _a young man and a hunter_.
5. JACOB, _a young man of godly conversation_.
6. ZETHAR, _a neighbour_.
7. HANAN, _a neighbour to Isaac also_.
8. RAGAN, _servant unto Esau_.
9. MIDO, _a little boy, leading Isaac_.
10. DEBORAH, _the nurse of Isaac's tent_.
11. ABRA, _a little wench, servant to Rebecca_.

PROLOGUE OF THE PLAY.

In the book of Genesis it is expressed,
That when God to Abraham made sure promise,
That in his seed all nations should be blessed:
To send him a son by Sarah he did not miss.
Then to Isaac (as there recorded it is)
By Rebecca his wife, who had long time been barren,
When pleased him, at one birth he sent sons twain.

But before Jacob and Esau yet born were,
Or had either done good, or ill perpetrate:
As the prophet Malachi and Paul witness bear,
Jacob was chosen, and Esau reprobate:
Jacob I love (saith God) and Esau I hate.
For it is not (saith Paul) in man's renewing or will,
But in God's mercy, who chooseth whom he will.

But now for our coming we shall exhibit here,
Of Jacob and Esau how the story was;
Whereby God's adoption may plainly appear:
And also that, whatever God's ordinance was,
Nothing might defeat, but that it must come to pass.
That, if this story may your eyes or ears delight,
We pray you of patience, while we it recite.

THE HISTORY OF JACOB AND ESAU.

ACTUS PRIMA. SCAENA PRIMA.

RAGAN, _the servant_.
ESAU, _a young man, his master_.

[_Ragan entereth with his horn at his back and his
hunting staff in his hand, and leadeth three
greyhounds, or one, as may be gotten_.

Now let me see what time it is by the starlight?
God's for his grace, man, why it is not yet midnight!
We might have slept these four hours yet, I dare well say;
But this is our good Esau his common play:

[_Here he counterfeiteth how his master calleth
him up in the mornings, and of his answers_.

What the devil aileth him? now truly, I think plain,
He hath either some worms or botts in his brain.
He scarcely sleepeth twelve good hours in two weeks.
I wot well his watching maketh me have lean cheeks,
For there is none other life with him day by day,
But, up, Ragan! up, drowsy hogshead! I say!
Why, when? up, will it not be? up. I come anon.
Up, or I shall raise you in faith, ye drowsy whoreson.
Why, when? shall I fet you? I come, sir, by and by.
Up, with a wild wanion! how long wilt thou lie?
Up, I say, up, at once! up, up, let us go hence:
It is time we were in the forest an hour since.
Now the devil stop that same yalling throat (think I)
Somewhiles: for from the call[257] farewell all wink of eye!
Begin he once to call, I sleep no more that stound,
Though half an hour's sleep were worth ten thousand pound.
Anon, when I come in, and bid him good morrow:
Ah sir, up at last? the devil give thee sorrow!
Now the devil break thy neck (think I by and by),
That hast no wit to sleep, nor in thy bed to lie.
Then come on at once; take my quiver and my bow,
Fet Lovel my hound, and my horn to blow.
Then forth go we fasting an hour or two ere day,
Before we may well see either our hands or way,
And there range we the wild forest, no crumb of bread
From morning to stark night coming within our head;
Sometimes Esau's self will faint for drink and meat,
So that he would be glad of a dead horse to eat.
Yet of fresh the next morrow forth he will again,
And sometime not come home in a whole night or twain:
Nor no delight he hath, no appetite nor mind.
But to the wild forest, to hunt the hart or hind,
The roebuck, the wild boar, the fallow-deer, or hare:
But how poor Ragan shall dine, he hath no care.
Poor I must eat acorns or berries from the tree.
But if I be found slack in the suit following,
Or if I do fail in blowing or hallooing;
Or if I lack my staff or my horn by my side:
He will be quick enough to fume, chafe, and chide.
Am I not well at ease such a master to serve,
As must have such service, and yet will let me starve?
But, in faith, his fashions displease mo than me,
And will have but a mad end one day, we shall see.
He passeth nothing on Rebecca his mother,
And much less passeth he on Jacob his brother.
But peace, mum, no more: I see master Esau.

[_Here Esau appeareth in sight, and bloweth his horn, ere he enter_.

ESAU. How now, are we all ready, servant Ragan?
Art thou up for all day, man? art thou ready now?

RAGAN. I have been here this half-hour, sir, waiting for you,

ESAU. And is all thing ready, as I bad, to my mind?

RAGAN. Ye have no cause, that I know, any fault to find:
Except that we disease our tent and neighbours all
With rising over early each day, when ye call.

ESAU. Ah, thou drowsy draffsack, wouldest thou rise at noon?
Nay, I trow the sixth hour with thee were over-soon.

RAGAN. Nay, I speak of your neighbours, being men honest,
That labour all the day, and would fain be at rest:
Whom with blowing your horn ye disease all-abouts.

ESAU. What care I for waking a sort of clubbish louts?

RAGAN. And I speak of Rebecca your mother, our dame.

ESAU. Tut, I pass not, whether she do me praise or blame.

RAGAN. And I speak of your good father, old Isaac.

ESAU. Peace, foolish knave: as for my father Isaac,
In case he be asleep, I do him not disease,
And if he be waking, I know I do him please,
For he loveth me well from mine nativity,
[_Here Esau bloweth his horn again_.
And never so as now for mine activity.
Therefore have at it: once more will I blow my horn
To give my neighbour louts an hail-peal in a morn.
[_Here he speaketh to his dogs_.
Now, my master Lightfoot, how say you to this gear,
Will you do your duty to red or fallow deer?
And, Swan, mine own good cur, I do think in my mind
The game shall run apace, if thou come far behind:
And ha, Takepart, come, Takepart, here: how say you, child,
Wilt not thou do thy part? yes, else I am beguil'd.
But I shrew your cheeks, they have had too much meat.

RAGAN. I blame not dogs to take it, if they may it get:
But as for my part, they could have, parde,
A small remnant of that that ye give me.
They may run light enough for ought of me they got,
I had not a good meal's-meat this week, that I wot.

ESAU. If we have luck this day to kill hare, teg,[258] or doe,
Thou shalt eat thy bellyful, till thou criest ho.

RAGAN. I thank you, when I have it, Master Esau.

ESAU. Well, come on, let us go now, servant Ragan.
Is there anything more, that I should say or do?
For perhaps we come not again this day or two.

RAGAN. I know nothing, master, to God I make a vow,
Except you would take your brother Jacob with you:
I never yet saw him with you an hunting go,
Shall we prove him once, whether he will go or no?

ESAU. No, no, that were in vain, alas, good simple mome:
Nay, he must tarry and suck mother's dug at home:
Jacob must keep home, I trow, under mother's wing;
To be from the tents he loveth not of all thing.
Jacob loveth no hunting in the wild forest:
And would fear, if he should there see any wild beast.
Yea, to see the game run, Jacob would be in fear.

RAGAN. In good sooth, I ween he would think each hare a bear.

ESAU. What, brother mine, what a word call ye that?

RAGAN. Sir, I am scarce waked: I spake, ere I wist what.

ESAU. Come on your ways, my child, take the law of the game.
I will wake you, I trow, and set your tongue in frame.

RAGAN. O, what have you done, Master Esau, God's apes?

ESAU. Why can ye not yet refrain from letting such scapes?
Come on, ye must have three jerts[259] for the nonce.
One--
[_Beats him_.

RAGAN. O, for God's love, sir, have done, dispatch at once.

ESAU. Nay there is no remedy but bide it--there is twain.
[_Gives him another jerk_.

RAGAN. O, ye rent my cheverel; let me be past my pain.

ESAU. Take heed of hunting terms fro henceforth!--there is three.
[_Jerks him again_.

RAGAN. Whoop! now a mischief on all moping fools for me!
Jacob shall keep the tents ten year for Ragan,
Ere I move again that he hunt with Esau.

ESAU. Come on, now let us go. God send us game and luck,
And if my hand serve me well--

RAGAN (_aside_). Ye will kill a duck.

[_Exeant ambo_.

ACTUS PRIMI, SCAENA SECUNDA.

HANAN, ZETHAR, _two of Isaac's neighbours_.

HANAN. Ah, sir, I see I am an early man this morn,
I am once more beguil'd with Esau his horn.
But there is no such stirrer as Esau is:
He is up day by day, before the crow piss:
Then maketh he with his horn such toohing and blowing,
And with his wide throat such shouting and hallooing,
That no neighbour shall in his tent take any rest,
From Esau addresseth him to the forest.
So that he maketh us, whether we will or no,
Better husbands than we would be, abroad to go
Each of us about our business and our wark.
But whom do I see yonder coming in the dark?
It is my neighbour Zethar, I perceive him now.

ZETHAR. What, neighbour Hanan, well met, good morrow to you.
I see well now I am not beguiled alone:
But what boot to lie still? for rest we can take none;
That I marvel much of old father Isaac,
Being so godly a man, why he is so slack
To bring his son Esau to a better stay.

HANAN. What should he do in the matter, I you pray?

ZETHAR. O, it is no small charge to fathers, afore God,
So to train their children in youth under the rod
That, when they come to age, they may virtue ensue,
Wicked pranks abhor, and all lewdness eschew,
And me-thinketh Isaac, being a man as he is--
A chosen man of God, should not be slack in this.

HANAN. Alack, good man, what should he do more than he hath done?
I dare say no father hath better taught his son,
Nor no two have given better example of life
Unto their children than both he and his wife:
As by their younger son Jacob it doth appear.
He liveth no loose life: he doth God love and fear.
He keepeth here in the tents, like a quiet man:
He giveth not himself to wildness any when.
But Esau evermore from his young childhood
Hath been like to prove ill, and never to be good.
Young it pricketh (folks do say), that will be a thorn,
Esau hath been naught, ever since he was born.
And whereof cometh this? of education?
Nay, it is of his own ill inclination.
They were brought up both under one tuition;
But they be not both of one disposition.
Esau is given to loose and lewd living.

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