VIRGINIUS

Ah Gods that rule and rain, in heavens, in seas, in flods and lands, Two couple such I surely dee me, you never made with hands, A Gods why do you not compel eke Dame the like to show? And every Imp of her again, her duty thus to know, I cannot stay my tongue from talk, I needs must call my deer, O spouse well met & Daughter to, what news how do you cheer? Virginia my daughter deer How stands all with Thee? By the Gods wife I joy me, that have such a treasure, Such Gem and such Jewel, surmounting all measure: Such a happy spouse, such a fortunate dame, That no blot or stain, can impair her fame, Against such and Imp, and graft of my tree, As clear does surmount all others that be. O wife refel thy wishing for woe, My self thy fault rightwell do know: And rather I wish my self to be slain, Then thou or thy daughter ought woe should sustain. O wife, o spouse, I am content. When nature nursed first of all, young Alexander learned, Of who ̄ the Poets mention make, in judgement so deserned, O what did want that love procured his vital end well near, This is the hope where parents love, their children do not fear, The trustiest treasure in earth as we see, Is man wife and children &c. Then sith that persualitie, does partly discord moan, And hatred often times does creep where overmuch we love: And if we love no whit at all, the faming trump will found, Come wife, come spouse, come daughter deer, let measure bear y e ground. The trustiest treasure in earth as we see Is man wife and children in one to agree, Then friendly, and kindly, let measure be mixed, Exit. With reason, in season, where friendship is fixed. VEry well sir, very well sir, it shall be done, As fast as ever I can prepare, Who dippes with the Devil, he had need have a long spoon. Or else full small will be his fare: Yet a proper Gentleman I am of truth Yea that may ye see by my long side gown. Yea but what am I, a Scholar, or a schoolmaster, or else some youth. A Lawyer, a student or else a country cloune A Brumman, a Baskit m er, or a Baker of Pies, A flesh or a Fishmon zer, or a Sour of lies: A Louse or a louser, a Leek or a Lark: A Dreamer a Drommell, a fire or a spark; A Caitiff, a Cutthrote, a creper in corners, A herbraine, a hangman, or a grafter of horners: By the Gods, I know not how best to device, My name or my property, well to disguise: A Merchant, a May pool, a man or a mackrell: A Crab or a Crevice, a Crane or a cockerell: Most of all these my nature does enjoy, Sometime I advance them, sometime I destroy, A maid or a Mussell Boat, a wife or a wild duck, As bold as blind bayerd, as wise as a wood cock. As fine as phippence, as proud as a Peacock, As stout as a Stockfish, as meek as a mecocke, As big as a beggar, as fat as a fool, As true as a Tinker, as rich as and Owl, With heigh trick, how trowle, trey trip, and trey trace, Trowle hazard in a vengeance I beshrew his knaves face For tro, and trowle hazard, keep such a range That poor haphazard, was never so strange, But yet Haphazard, be of good cheer, Go play and repast Thee man, be merry to year: Though vittaile be dainty and hard for to get. Yet perhaps a number will die of the sweated, Though it be in hazard, yet happily I may, Though money be lacking, yet one day go gay. When Maud, with a pestilence, what makest thou no hast? Of Baybery incense belike thou wouldst taste, By the Gods I have stayed a full great while, My lord he is near hand by this at the Church style, and all for Maud mumble turde, that mampodding madge By the Gods if she High not, isle give her my badge. My Lord and reason good it is, your servant does request, No partial hand to aid his cause, no partial mind or breast: If ought I have offended you, your Court, or eke your Crown, From lofty top of Turret High, persupetat me down: If treason none by me be done, or any fault committed, Let my accusers bear the blame, and let me be remitted. Ah Gods that guide the globe above what forged tales I here, O Judge Apius, bend your ears, while this my crime I clear: She is my child, and of my wife her tender corpses did spring, Let all the country where I dwell, bear witness of the thing. Nay by the Gods not so my friend, I do not so decree, I charge thee here in paiine of death, thou bring the maid to Me: In chamber close, in prison found, she secret shall abide, And no kind of wight shall talk with her, until the truth be tried: This do I charge, this I command, in pain of death let see, Without any let, that she be brought, as prisoner unto me: Ah fickle faule, vnahppy dome, o most uncertain rate, That ever chance so churlishly, that never stayed in state: What Judge is this: What cruel wretch? What faith does Claudius The Gods do recompense with shame, his false and faithless mind: Well home I must, no remedy, where shall my soaking tears, Augment my woes, decrease my joys, while death do rid my fears Come ventus come, blow forth thy blast, Prince Eol listen well, The filthiest fackte that ever was, I Rumor now shall tell: You gods bend down to here my cry, reuengemente duly show, Thy Rumor craves did Claudius lay, and bring Judge Apius lo? That wicked man, that fleshly Judge, hath hired Claudius, To claim a child, the only heir, of old Virginius. A virgin pure, a Queen in life, whose state may be deplored, For why the Queen of chaste life, is Like to be deflowered: By false Judge Apius cruel wretch, who straightly hath commanded, That she to keeping his be brought, Prince Pluto this demanded: To skies I fly to blaze abroad, the trump of deep defame, Revenge the Gods this Rumor craves, this blood and bloddy shame: Have through the air, give place you airs. this is my duty done, The Gods confound such lecherers, lo Rumor this I run. Oh man, Oh mould, o muck, Oh clay, Oh Hell, Oh hellish hound, Oh aulle Judge Apius wrablinge wretch, is this thy treason found: Woe worth the man that gave the seed, whereby y e first didst spring Woe worth the womb y to bore the babe, to mean this bloody thing: Woe worth the paps that gave y e suck, woe worth the Fosters eke Woe worth all such as ever did, thy health or liking seek: O that the graved years of mine, were covered in the clay Let patience deer father mine, your rigor something stay, Why do you wail in such a sort? why do you weep and moan? Oh weary wits of woe, or wealth, o Feeble aged man, How can thy arm give such a blow, thy death I wish thee than: But sith that shame with endless trempe, will sound if case thou joy, By means of false judge Apius he, myself will thee destroy: Forgive me babe this bloody deed, a no meekly take thy end, The Good forgive thee father deer, farewell, thy blow do bend: Yet stay a while, oh father deer, for flesh to death is frail, Let first my wimple bind my eyes, and then thy blow assail. Now father work thy will on me, that life I may enjoy. Now stretch thy hand Virginius, that loath would flesh destroy. Oh cruel hands, or bloody knife, oh man what hast thou done, Thy daughter deer, and only heir, his vital end hath won: Come fatal blade make like dispatch, come Atropos, come end, Strike home thou careless arm with sp ede, of death be not afraid. O noble knight Virginius, do stay, he not dismayed. I curing Comfort present am, your doller to aid: Sith joy is gone, sith life is dead: What comfort can there be? there is but dee e dis ire I came from Caleed even the same hour, And Hap was hired to hackney in hempstrid, In hazard he was of riding on beamestrid, Then crow crop on thee top hoist up the sail, Then groaned their necks, by the weight of their tail, Then did C m x, put these three together, Pays them their pasporte for lu tring thither. e el your mind of mournig plaints, deer mother rest your mind For though that duty dainty were, dame nature will me bind, So much to do, and further force, of Gods that rule the Skies, The Glope and eke the Clement, they would me else disp es. O daughter deer and only heir, my life is near forgone, And all for love of thee O harken deer daughter attend thou my sound: Judge Apius pricked forth with filthy desire: Thy person as Lemon, does greatly require: And no kind of intreaty, no fear nor no shame, Will he hear allege, defending the same: And straight without staying in pain of my death, I must bring thee thither, wherefore stop my breath, Oh Sisters, I search, I seek, and I crave, No more at your hands, but death for to have, Rather then see my Daughter deflourde, Or else in ill sort, so vildly deuourde. Then rise up my daughter, my answer do note, From mouth of thy father, whose eyes do now float: Oh daughter, o deer, Oh darling, o dame, Dispatch me I pray thee, reg rde not my name: But yet, as thou sattest fith remedy none, But Lemon thou must be, if I were gone, And better it is to die with good fame, Then longer to live to reap us but shame: But if thou do die, no doubt is at all, But presently after my self follow shall, Then end without shauie so let us persever, With trump of good same so die shall we never. Then tender arms complect the neck, do dry thy father's tears, You nimble hands for woe whereof, my loving heart it wears: O father mine, refrain no whit, your sharped knife to take, From guiltless sheath, my shame to end, and body dead to make: Let not the shameless bloody judge, defile my virgins life, Do take my head and send it him, upon your bloody knife: Bid him imbrue his bloody hands, in guiltless blood of me: I virgin die, he leacher lives, he was my end you see: No more delays, so kiss me first, then stretch your strongest arm, Do rid my woe, increase my joy, do ease your child of harm.