FRANCISCO

Nay that I doubt, Young wits love to be trying, and to say Truth, I see not how a woman can deny a man Of your youth and person upon those terms, Yowl not be known ont now. Come, come, I know you are no Fool, I should think you a very Ass, nay I tell You plainly, I should be loath to marry my Daughter to you if I thought you had not tried Her in so long acquaintance, but you have tried Her, and she poor soul could not deny you. You would not believe me, 'tis a good wench, She does it handsomely. Be cheery Luce, you were man and wife before, it wanted but the ceremony of the Church, and that shall be presently done. This will make good work for you in the spiritual Court, Shallow is a rich man. Do not their Master's get Um with child sometime. Well, these are no Starters I warrant you, Shallow shall not deny it, And for the Wench she need not confess it, she h S A mark that will betray her. We may Thank you for it, this was your haste that will Now shame us all, you must be doing a before your Time. All the hope is, officers may be bribed, and so they will, it a hard world for us to live in else. MY dearest Luce, were thy old Sire as joust As thou art truly constant, our firm love Had never met these oppositions, All my designs as yet, all practises That I have used, I see are frustrated, For as my fair intelligencer writes, He will before the next court day provide Some careless person that in spite of laws Shall marry her to Shallow, this being done, He means to hold the Cou ts severity To by a golden bit, and so he may, All it is too true, I must prevent it, And that in time, before it grow too far; But how, there lies the point of difficulty: But what strange sighed is this that greets mine eyes, Alphonso my old Captain, sure 'tis he. Fear not that Sir, I'll do the deed. Nay fret not now, you have been worse abused If you had married her, she never loved you. And he shall know the Parson will lie with her. How mean you Sir? You have lain with her then Sir. Then I must change my note, sirrah, unsay What you have spoken, swear here before The Parson and my self, you never touched her, or I'll cut thy throat, it is Francisco threatens thee. Come will you swear. So, now thou art free from any imputation that his tongue can stick upon thee. I thank you father. 'Tis such a portion as will ever please for her sake be not unnatural. But for the fault were for, or shame she should endure in , behold her yet and untouched Virgin, Cushion come Shallow, take your child unto you, make prove as wise as the father. Now wants but your consent. Your care edes no Upon ogy. Yes Sir, and did lament, As for a worthy stranger, but never knew My sorrow stood engaged by such a tie As brotherhood, where may we see him Sir? Farewell father, Dear Luce till soon farewell, nought but so sad A chance, could make me cloudy now. Exeunt Yet for her sake be advised better Sir, Gentle Sir, The wrong my love has made to your fair Daughter 'Tis now too late to wish undone again, But if you please, it may be yet closed up Without dishonour, I will marry her. Sir I am poor I must confess, Fortune has blessed you better, but I swear By all things that can bind, it not your wealth Was the foundation of my true built love, It was her single uncompounded self, Her self without addition that I loved, Which shall for ever in my sighed outweigh All other women's Fortune's, and themselves, And were I great, as great as I could wish My self for her advancement, no such bar As Fortune's inequality should stand Betwixt our loves. I must obey and will, Dear Luce be constant. Fear not that, is your citation ready. Well step aside, and come when I call, I hear um coming. Exit Sumner. I come to claim my right, Parson take heed, Thou art the Author of adultery If thou conjoin this couple, she's my wife. do your worst, I fear not, I was contracted to her. Heaven is my witness, whose imperial eye saw our contract. Sir, you are abused. The wife you go to marry is with child, and by another. How comes this fool possessed, he never touched her I dare swear. stay, If this will not suffice, Sumner come forth. Injurious Franklin, could the laws divine, Or humane suffer, such and impious act, That thou shouldst take my true and lawful wife, And great with child by me, to give t'another, Gulling his poor simplicity. No, I would win her thus, And did you hold her credit half so deer As I, or her content, you would not thus Take her from me, and thrust her against her will On this rich fool. Let me have news what happens dearest Luce. But can there e no means to save his life. 'Tis he, most noble Captain, o what power Has be so gracious as to bless mine eyes Once more with sighed of my most honoured master. Faith poorly Sir, As one that knows no kindred nor alliance, Unknown of any have I shifted out, But I have herd you say that I was born In Syracuse, tell me what stock I come of, What parentage, how mean so ere they be, They canno well be poorer then my self, Speak, do you know them Sir? Honourable? You do amaze me Sir. Worthy Captain, your presence was always Welcome to me, but this unlooked for news, I Cannot suddenly digest. Now my deer Luce, I shall find means to quite Thy love, that couldst descend so low as I When I was nothing, and with such affection, This was my suit still to the powers above, To make me worthy of thy constant love. Exit Francisco. But isle about the project I intended. Yes my Lord, this is my Bride, the Daughter and Heir of this rich Gentleman, it only she that when my state was nothing, my poor self and Parentage unknown, vouchsafed to know, nay grace me with her love, her constant love. Then wretched, Like a man long blind, That comes at last see the wished for son, But find it in eclipse, such is my case, To meet in this dark woe my dearest friends, I have married her as you bade me Sir, but this Was that truer Parson of the two, he tied the and this Gentleman is our witness Sir we can force no bounty from you, and there must rest content with what your pleasure is.