ATTILIA

I Pray you master Schoolmaster let me be gone: I have haste on my way, I'll be at home again anon. ¶In faith Sir no. ¶I have seen you before if I am not beguiled: You have been Schoolmaster to master Fedele ever since he was a child. ¶Soft, there lay a straw, that will I not tell. Alas poor Attilia, what means he by this? If I stay with him long, my mistress Victoriam her servant will miss. About your business good Sir, I pray you get you away: I purpose not to tell you my name this day. ¶If you do, much good do it you, I can tarry no longer: ¶Speak your mind quickly, a word and away, ¶What follows of this? ¶What ill luck is this? I see nothing that makes me to love and Like you. ¶Great barkers are none of the greatest biters. ¶Farewell Sir Pedante, look you be not too quick: Exit. ¶And must you seek Fedele out? ¶But to what end? ¶Mistress Virginia : ¶In what matter I pray. ¶But know you where Fedele is? ¶Farewell, I will go seek him straight. Exit. Alas poor soul, her suit is cold before it be begun, Lo here the common fault of Love, to follow her that flies: And fly from her that makes pursuit, with loud lamenting cries. Fedele loves Victoriam, and she hath him forgotten: Virginia likes Fedele best, and he regards her not. ¶What news? ¶Hast thou met with Fortunio ? ¶Then what's the news? Devising how to find a remedy to cure your moan, I met Medusa with her box and trinkets as you see: Whose cunning shortly shall devise, the way to set you free. ¶ Fortunio you shall have: Be not afraid therefore in this: this woman's aid to crave. She can enchant, and work wunders, by Magics learned art: She can with words, with charms and herbs, give you Fortu nioes heart. Make much of her. ¶Yet try her cunning, sith that I have brought her into place, ¶This remedy is vain. Look farther yet into your box, some other medicine prove: Because my Mistress cares not for the single juice of Love. She craveth more, she must enjoy the party she desires: ¶Else hath she not the thing that she requires. ¶All this is to no purpose, yet me thinks you are too wide: What pleasure can my Mistress have so long as he is tied? ¶These things are pretty, but they are not for my Mistress fit, For if she be invisible, I pray what profits it? She shall beholdeth man, whom she delights most to see: But being hid: she never can enjoy his company. Yet show us more. ¶This is it must do my Mistress good: By Images it must be wrought, Love is a holy Rood. ¶Mistress take heed we be not spied, for that may breed us harm: ¶Make haste you had need, The day will approach, and the night gone with speed. ¶Make haste. ¶I pray you prick him well. ¶She took her to her heels, And time I trow, for all y e world me thought did ru ̄ ne on wheels. ¶Where shall I seek him? for I know not where his house does stand. ¶I go. Exit. ¶How prove you that? ¶I confess that this benefit is so great, That my tongue is not able your praise to repeat. ¶Truth Sir, but will you go too my Mistress with Me, ¶Who is there? ¶Enter and take it, ¶Mistress, behold Fortunio. ¶T'is no matter mistress, you think I let in my companions when you are a sleep. ¶But seeing you have no better confidence in me, Pay me my wages, I'll be gone, your servant no longer will I be. Seeing you go about, me so much to disgrace, Provide for your self, I can have more wages in another place. ¶I force not what he says, I know my conscience to be clear, ¶It may be so. ¶Mistress, I'll seek Crack-stone, and haste him to the deed, Else I perceive that very ill, your self is Like to speed. ¶Mistress, I can not tell what is best to be said, Once more I perceive you are betrayed. I see that Fedele and his friends have your Champion beset, And now both to his shame and yours, he is caught in a net. ¶Have and eye to the end. ¶He is a knave, I deny him. ¶By my mistress and me good man Coward, do you know what Take y to Sir, your face was not washte yester day. Empty a cham ̄ ber pot on his head. ¶Take heed Attilia, was not that Fortunio thou did'ste see? T'is now midnight, so late abroad i'th street what makes he? I see Pedante is not her, I muse he meets me not, I little thought he could so soon his promise have forgotten. If he be master of his word, and love me as his life, The time is come to show the same, and take me for his wife. ¶Alas how long in the street shall I for my Pedante stay? He promised to meet me her, and steal me quite away. Some body in the street I hear, I trust the same is he, And so I do persuade me, by the beggars weed I see. ¶See how Pedante counterfeits Crack-stone in talk, Thereby we shall escape, and through the watch in safety walk. ¶We have been forth at supper Sir, i'the town with a good friend, And now we are returning home, nigh at our yournies end. ¶My Mistress, out alas, Behold Pedante we are taken, how shall we do to pass? ¶A halter come to him, is it he? ¶Good mistress bear with me, I took no hurt by him at all, But mean to tell you justly how the matter did befall. The Schoolmaster that on Fedele ever doth attend, Promi'ste to marry me this night, my servile life to end. Upon whose word, from you I fled, and stayed for him in the street Where I against my will, with this Crack-stone did meet. ¶Why master Pedante, will you serve me so?