WIFE

What will become of us? all will away, my husband never ceases in expense, Both to consume his credit and his house? And 'tis set down by heavens joust decree, That Ryotts child must needs be beggary, Are these the virtues that his youth did promise, Dice, and voluptuous meetings, midnight Revels, Taking his bed with surfetts. Ill beseeming The ancient honour of his House and name: And this not all: but that which kills me most, When he recounts his Losses and false Fortune's, The weakness of his state so much dejected, Not as a man repentant: but half mad: His Fortune's cannot answer his expense: sits and sullenly locks up his Arms, Forgetting heaven looks downward, which makes him Appear so dreadful, that he frights my heart, Walks heavily, as if his soul were earth: Not penitent for those his sins are passed: But vexed, his money cannot make them last. A fearful melancholy ungodly sorrow. O yonder he comes, now in despite of ills I'll speak to him, and I will hear him speak, And do my best to driven it from his heart. Bade, turned to worse? both beggary of the soul, as of the body. And so much unlike him self at first, As if some vexed spirit Had God his from upon him. Enter Husband again. He comes again: He says I am the cause, I never yet Spoke less then words of duty, and of love. By this good means I shall preserve my la ̄ ds, And free my husband out of usurers hands: Now there is no need of sale, my Uncle's kind I hope, if ought, this will content his mind, Here comes my husband. Enter Husband. O heaven knows, That my complaints were praises, and best words of you, and your estate: only my friends, Knew of your morgagde Lands, and were possessed Of every accident before I came. If thou suspect it but a plot in me To keep my dowry, or for mine own good or my poor children's: (though it suits a mother To show a natural care in their reliefs, Yet isle forget my self to calm your blood: Consume it, as your pleasure counsels you, And all I wish, eene Clemency affords: give me but comely looks and modest words. Tut far greater wounds did my breast feel, Unkindness strikes a deeper wound then steel, You have been still unkind to me: Dear husband. I do entreat you as you love your soul, Tell me the cause of this your discontent. Good sir; by all our vows I do beseech you, Show me the true cause of your discontent? Alas, I am the lest cause of your discontent, Yet what is mine, either in rings or Jewels Use to your own desire, but I beseech you, As you're a gentleman by many bloods, Though I my self be out of your respect Think on the state of these three lovely boys You have been father to. Heaven knows how those words wrong me? but I may, dure these griefs among a thousand more. Oh , call to mind your lands already morgadge, Your self wound into debts, your hopeful brother, At the university in bonds for you Like to be ceased upon. And Be it so. Sir do but turn a gentle eye on me, And what the law shall give me leave to do You shall command. I take my leave it shall. Exit. I grant I had, but alas, Why should our faults at home be spread abroad: 'Tis grief enough within doors: At first sighed Mine Uncle could run over his prodigal life As perfectly, as if his serious eye Had numbered all his follies: Knew of his morgadg'd lands, his friends in bonds, himself withered with debts: And in that minute Had I added his usage and unkindness, Twould have confounded every thought of good: Where now, fathering his riots one his youth, Which time and tame experience will shake off, guessing his kindness to me (as I smoothed him With all the skill I had) though his deserts Are in form uglier then and vnshapte Bear. He's ready to prefer him to some office And place at Court, A good and sure relief To all his stooping Fortune's 'twill be a means I hope, To make new league between us, and redeem His virtues with his lands. I doubt not but he will now, pre the leave me, I think I hear him coming. Good sir, keep but-in patience and I hope My words shall Like you well, I bring you better Comfort then the sale of my Dowry. Pray do not fright me sir, but vouchsafe me hea king, my Uncle glad of your kindness to me & mild usage for so I made it to him? has in pity of your declining Fortune's, provided A place for you at Court of worth & credit, which so much ouerioyd me Was ever wife so wretchedly beset, Wife. alone Had not this news stepped in between, the point Had offered violence to my breast. That which some women call great misery Would show but little here: would scarce be seen Amongst my Misery's: I may Compare For wretched Fortune's with all wives that are, Nothing will please him; until all benothing. He calls it slavery to be preferred. A place of credit, a base servitude. What shall become of me, and my poor children, Two here, and one at nurse, my pretty beggars, I see how ruin with a palsy hand Begins to shake the ancient seat to dust: the heavy weight of sorrow, draws my lids Over my dankish eyes: I can scarce see, Thus grief will last, it wakes and sleeps with me. O my sweet husband, O what will you do deer husband, Your own sweet boy, Good my husband, O God Stabs at the child in his arms. O my deer boy, gets it from his. O heaven she's hurt and sinks down. O o. O my children. Why, do I now recover? why half live? To see my children bleed before mine eyes. A sighed able to kill a mother's breast Without and executioner, what art thou ma ̄ gled too? What is it has beguiled him of all grace? And stole away humanity from his breast? To slay his children, purposed to kill his wife, And spoil his servants. Willing to leave it, 'Tis guilty of sweet blood, innocent blood, Murder has took this chamber with full hands, And will never out as long as the honse stands. Exeunt O my sweet Husband, my deer distressed husband, now in the hands of unrelenting laws, My greatest sorrow, my extremest bleeding, Now my soul bleeds. O my repentant husband. Thou shouldst not (be assure) for these faults die, If the law cold forgive assoon as I, O our two bleeding boys laid forth upon the threshold. It makes me eene forget all other sorrows and leave part with this. Come will you go, O stay thou shalt not go: More wretched am I now in this distress, Exeunt then former sorrows made me. Husband with hol Dearer then all is my poor husbands life: Heaven give my body strength, which yet is faint With much expense of blood, and I will kueele, Sue for his life, number up all my friends, To plead for pardon my deer husbands life.