RAGAU

I have been here this half hour sir waiting for you. You have no cause, that I know, any fault to find: Except that we disease our tent and neighbours all With rising over early eke day when you call. Nay I speak of your neighbours being men honest, That labour all the day, and would feign be at rest: Whom with blowing your Horn you disease all abouts. And I speak of Rebecca your mother, our dame. And I speak of your good father, old Isaac. I blame not dogs to take it, if they may it geat: But as for my part, they could have pardie, A small relevauit of that that you give me. They may run light enough for ought of me they God, I had not a good meals meat this week that I wot. I thank you when I have it, master Esau. 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 and hunting go, Shall we prove him once whither he will go or no? In good sooth I ween he would think eke Hare a Bear. Sir I am scarce waked: I spoke ere I wist what. O what have you done master Esau, Gods apes. O, for Gods love sir have done, dispatch at once. Oh you rend my cheuerell, let me be passed my pain. Whoup. Now a mischief on all mopyng fools for Me. Jacob shall keep the Tents ten year for Ragau, Ere I move again that he hunt with Esau. You will kill a Duck. Exeant ambo. I Have heard it oft, but now I feel a wonder, In what grievous pain they die, that die for hunger. O my greedy stomach how it does bite and gnaw? If I were at a rack, I could eat heigh or straw. Mine empty guts do fret, my maw does even tear, Would God I had a piece of some horsebread here. Yet is master Esau in worse case than I. If he have not some meat the sooner he will die: He hath sunk for faintness twice or thrice by the way. And not one siely bit we God since yesterday. All that ever he hath, he would have given to day To have had but three morsels his hunger to allay. Or in the field to have met with some hogs, I could scarcely keep him from eating of these dogs. He hath sent me afore some meat for to provide, And comes creeping after, scarce able to stride. But if I know where to get of any man, For to ease mine own self, as hungry as I am, I pray God I stink: but if any come to me, Die who die will, for sure I will first served be. I will see if any be ready here at home: Or whither Jacob have any that peakishe mome. But first I must put all my dogs up, And lay up this gear, and then God send us the cup. Here as fast as I can, but no meat can I get. Not one draught of drink, not one poor morsel of bred Not one bit or crumb though I should straight way be dead. Therefore you may now see how much you are to blame, That will thus starve your self for following your game. Would you have me bring you that I can nowhere geat. Nay, speak out aloud: I will not come a foot never. Fallen you to snatching at folks? adieu I am gone. No, I shall desire you to choose some other whelp. Being in your best lust I would topple with you, And pluck a good crow ere you brake your fast with me. What? are you mankene now? I reckon it best I, To bind your hands behind you even as you lie. In faith nought could I get wherewith you to cherish. I could not find one but Jacob that had any, And no grant would he make for ought that I could say, Yet no man alive with fairer words could him pray. But the best red pottage he hath that ever was. That message by Gods grace shall not long be undone. I assure you Jacob, the man is very weak. I promise you I fear his life be already passed. If you believe not me, see your self where he is. Nay, First I will know a thing, ere I help him up. Sirrah, will you eat folk when you are long fasting? No trow, eat your brother Jacob now if you lust. For you shall not eat me, I tell you, that is joust. Yet I may tell you, it is potage dearly bought. And how then sir, shall poor Ragau have no meat? Why then I perceive poor Ragau shall have none. Well, much good do it you with your potage of Rice: Esau entering into Jacob's to ̄ to shakes Ra gau off. I would fast and fare ill, ere I eat of that price. Would I fell my birthright being and eldest son? Forsooth then were it a fair thread that I had spun. And then to let it go for a mease of pottage, What is that, but both unthriftiness and dotage? Alack, alack, good blessed father Isaac, That ever son of thine, should play such a leude knack. And yet I do not think but God this thing hath wrought, For Jacob is as good as Esau is nought. But forth comes Mido, as fast as he can trot: For a cicle, whither to call me in or not? Why how did he sup it? I pray Thee tell me how? As ere was eat Jacob. Esau a daw Jacob. By Esa's dotage Jacob. But bought full dear Jacob. I was and unthrift Jacob. I can not for you Jacob. The devil go withal Jacob. And would he never have done Jacob? Is there any pottage left for me that thou wot? Lick quod thou? now a shame take him that can all lick. And shall I have no partly with him, dost thou think? And made he no mention of me his servant? God yield you Esau, with all my stomachere. Nay it is his nature, do what you can for him, No thank at his hand but choose you sink or swim. Then reason it with him in a meet time and place, And he shall be ready to flee straight in your face. This proverb in Esau may be understand: Claw a churl by the tail, and he will file your hand. Well ywisse Esau, you did know well ynouw That I had as much need to be meated as you. Have I trotted and trudged all night and all day, And now leave me without door, and so go your way? Have I spent so much labour for you to provide, And you nothing regard what of me may betide? Have I run with you while I was able to go, And now you purchase food for your self and no more? Have I taken so long pain you truly to serve, And can you be content that I famish and starve? I must lackey and come lugging greyhound and hound And carry the weight I dare say of twenty pound, And to help his hunger purchase grace and favour, And now to be shut out fasting for my labour. By my faith I may say, I serve a good master, Nay nay, I serve and ill husband and a waster. That neither profit regardeth nor honesty, What marvel I then if he pass so light on me? But Esau now that you have sold your birthright, I commend me to you, and God give you good night. And let a friend tell him his fault at any time, You shall hear him chafe beyond all reason or rhyme. Except it were a fiend or a very helhounde, You never saw the match of him in any ground. When I show him of good will what others do say, He will fallen out with me, and offer me a fray. And what can there be a worse condition, Than to do ill, and refuse admonition? Can such a one prosper, or come to a good end? Then I care not how many children God me send. Once Esau shall not beguile me, I can tell: Except he shall fortune to amend, or do well. Therefore why do I about him wast thus much talk, Whom no man can induce ordinately to walk? But some man perchance does not a little wonder, How I who but right now did roar out for hunger, Have now so much vacant and void time of leisure, To walk and to talk, and discourse all of pleasure. I told you at the First, I would provide for one: My mother taught me that lesson a good while ago. When I came to Jacob his friendship to require, I drew never and never Till I came to the fire. There harden beside me stood the potage pot, Even as God would have it, neither cold nor hight, Good simple Jacob could not turn his back so thick, But I at the ladle God a goulpe or a lick. So that ere I went I made a very good meal. And dynde better cheap than Esau a good deal. But here comes now master Esau forth. Surely then the world had had a great lose of you. For where should we have had your fellow in your place? Kept it still, and you had not be a very ass. You have done no less in my conscience I fear. A poor man of yours sir, that does his dinner lack. In deed sir (as seemeth by your words) not you. He shall do some thing else whom you shall have to keep. I may fast for any meat that of you I have. If I have not deserved it at this season, I shall never deserve it in mine own reason. You promised I should eat till I cried hoe. But when your self were hungry, you said I wot what. Then, help, run apace, Ragau my good servant. You might have give ̄ me some partly when you had enough. Yet to morrow you must be as hungry again, Then must you and will you wish again for good cheer: And repent you that every bought this so dear. But a matter of a straw, and a thing of nought. Who? I walk? nay I trow not, till I have better dinde. It is more time to seek where I may some meat find. Nay as pleases you sir, me think it must be. Better than your man, for they be in their kennel. With a right good will sir, I go incontinent. NAy, we must on hunting go, yet once more again Here he come meth forth with his hun ting staff and other things and a bag of victuals. And never come home now except we speed certain But I trow for hunger I have provided here: That what ever befall I Ragau shall have cheer. I have no time to tell what delicates here be, But think this to be true) for better men than me. And what? shall Esau hereof have any part? Nay I trust to convey it by such pretty art, That till the bag be clear, he shall it never see. I shall, and if he faint, feed him as he fed me. I shall requite his shutting me out of the door. That if he bid me run to get him meat afore, I shall run as fast as my feet were made of lead, And tell him, there is none, though I may well be speed. I will be even with him for my fare last day When he was with Jacob. Sir on your behalf I earnestly wish and pray, That if Like need chance, you may fare as last day When you were with Jacob. Even when you will, is there let in me or no? Exea ̄ to ambo. I told you, did I not? that there would be a fray. In faith and these three will make a noble muster. Now to go Mido, or thou art caught in a trip, Sir spare little Abram, she hath done none evil. Sir I undertake. The best end of suretyship is to get a clap, Live quod you? we are Like to live God knoweth how. She stood here all this while sir, did you not her see? My master Esau is of nature much hight, But he will be better than he says, fear not. Sir, your mother's request is but reasonable, Which for you to grant shall be much commendable. Truly sir, this is of you a right gentle partly: At least if it come from the bottom of your heart.