Текст книги "William Shakespeare: The Complete Works 2nd Edition"

Автор книги: William Shakespeare

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Sc. 9 Enter a Messenger to More. Messenger. T. Goodal

MESSENGER

My honourable lord, the Mayor of London

Accompanied with his lady and her train

Are coming hither, and are hard at hand

To feast with you. A sergeant’s come before

To tell your lordship of their near approach.

⌈Exit Messenger⌉

MORE

Why, this is cheerful news. Friends go and come.

Reverend Erasmus, whose delicious words

Express the very soul and life of wit,

Newly took sad leave of me, with tears

Troubled the silver channel of the Thames,

Which, glad of such a burden, proudly swelled

And on her bosom bore him toward the sea.

He’s gone to Rotterdam. Peace go with him!

He left me heavy when he went from hence,

But this recomforts me. The kind Lord Mayor,

His brethren aldermen, with their fair wives

Will feast this night with us. Why, so’t should be.

More’s merry heart lives by good company.

⌈Enter Master Roper and Servingmen⌉

Good gentlemen, be careful; give great charge

Our diet be made dainty for the taste.

For, of all people that the earth affords,

The Londoners fare richest at their boards.

[Addition V (playhouse scribe)]

[Original Text (Munday)]

Come, my good fellows, stir, be diligent.

Sloth is an idle fellow. Leave him now.

The time requires your expeditious service.

Place me here stools to set the ladies on.

⌈Servingmen set stools⌉

Son Roper, you have given order for the banquet?

ROPER

I have, my lord, and everything is ready.

Enter Lady More

MORE

O welcome, wife. Give you direction

How women should be placed; you know it best.

For my Lord Mayor, his brethren, and the rest,

Let me alone. Men best can order men.

LADY MORE

I warrant ye, my lord, all shall be well.

There’s one without that stays to speak with ye,

And bade me tell ye that he is a player.

MORE

A player, wife?—One of ye bid him come in.

Exit one, [a Servingman]

Nay, stir there, fellows. Fie, ye are too slow!

See that your lights be in a readiness.

The banquet shall be here.—God’s me, madam,

Leave my Lady Mayoress? Both of us from the board?

And my son Roper too? What may our guests think?

LADY MORE

My lord, they are risen, and sitting by the fire.

MORE

Why, yet go you, and keep them company.

It is not meet we should be absent both.

Exit Lady

Enter Player

Welcome, good friend. What is your will with me?

PLAYER

My lord, my fellows and myself

Are come to tender ye our willing service,

So please you to command us.

MORE

What, for a play, you mean?

Whom do ye serve?

PLAYER

My Lord Cardinal’s grace.

MORE

My Lord Cardinal’s players? Now trust me, welcome.

You happen hither in a lucky time

To pleasure me and benefit yourselves.

The Mayor of London and some aldermen,

His lady, and their wives are my kind guests

This night at supper. Now, to have a play

Before the banquet will be excellent.

How think you, son Roper?

ROPER

’Twill do well, my lord,

And be right pleasing pastime to your guests.

MORE

I prithee tell me, what plays have ye?

PLAYER

Diverse, my lord: The Cradle of Security,

Hit Nail o’th’ Head, Impatient Poverty,

The Play of Four Ps, Dives and Lazarus,

Lusty Juventus, and The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom.

MORE

The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom? That, my lads,

I’ll none but that. The theme is very good,

And may maintain a liberal argument.

To marry wit to wisdom asks some cunning.

Many have wit that may come short of wisdom.

We’ll see how Master Poet plays his part,

And whether wit or wisdom grace his art.

Go, make him drink, and all his fellows too.

How many are ye?

PLAYER Four men and a boy, sir.

MORE But one boy? Then I see There’s but few women in the play.

PLAYER

Three, my lord: Dame Science, Lady Vanity,

And Wisdom she herself.

MORE

And one boy play them all? By‘r Lady, he’s loaden.

Well, my good fellow, get ye straight together

And make ye ready with what haste ye may.

⌈To Servingmen⌉ Provide their supper’gainst the play be

done,

Else shall we stay our guests here overlong.

⌈To Player⌉ Make haste, I pray ye.

PLAYER

We will, my lord.

Exeunt Servingmen and Player

MORE

Where are the waits? [To Roper] Go, bid them play,

To spend the time a while.

Enter Lady More

How now, madam?

LADY MORE

My lord, they’re coming hither.

MORE

They’re welcome. Wife, I’ll tell ye one thing.

Our sport is somewhat mended: we shall have

A play tonight, The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom,

And acted by my good Lord Cardinal’s players.

How like ye that, wife?

LADY MORE

My Lord, I like it well.

See, they are coming.

Waits play hautbois

The waits plays. Enters Lord Mayor, so many Aldermen

as may, the Lady Mayoress, in scarlet, with other

ladies and Sir Thomas More’s daughters, [one of them

Roper’s wife]; Servants carrying lighted torches by them

MORE

Once again, welcome, welcome, my good Lord Mayor,

And brethren all—for once I was your brother,

And so am still in heart. It is not state

That can our love from London separate.

〈〉

〈 〉 naught but pride;

But they that cast an eye still whence they came

Know how they rose, and how to use the same.

LORD MAYOR

My lord, you set a gloss on London’s fame,

And make it happy ever by your name.

Needs must we say when we remember More,

’Twas he that drove rebellion from our door

With grave discretions, mild and gentle breath,

Shielding a many subjects’ lives from death.

O, how our city is by you renowned,

And with your virtues our endeavours crowned.

MORE

No more, my good Lord Mayor; but thanks to all

That on so short a summons you would come

To visit him that holds your kindness dear.

[To Lady More] Madam, you are not merry with my Lady

Mayoress

And these fair ladies. Pray ye, seat them all.

[To Lord Mayor] And here, my lord, let me appoint your

place;

The rest to seat themselves. Nay, I’ll weary ye;

You will not long in haste to visit me.

LADY MORE

Good madam, sit. In sooth, you shall sit here.

LADY MAYORESS

Good madam, pardon me, it may not be.

LADY MORE

In troth, I’ll have it so. I’ll sit here by ye.

Good ladies, sit.—More stools here, ho!

LADY MAYORESS

It is your favour, madam, makes me thus

Presume above my merit.

LADY MORE When we come to you,

Then shall you rule us as we rule you here.

[They sit]

Now must I tell ye, madam, we have a play

To welcome ye withal. How good soe’er

That know not I; my lord will have it so.

MORE

Wife, hope the best; I am sure they’ll do their best.

They that would better comes not at their feast.

My good Lord Cardinal’s players, I thank them for it,

Play us a play, to lengthen out your welcome,

My good Lord Mayor and all my other friends.

They say it is The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom—

A theme of some import, howe’er it prove.

But if art fail, we’ll inch it out with love.

What, are they ready?

SERVANT

My lord, one of the players craves to speak with you.

MORE With me? Where is he?

Enter [the Player of] Inclination the Vice, ready, [with a bridle in his hand]

PLAYER of INCLINATION Here, my lord.

MORE How now, what’s the matter?

PLAYER of INCLINATION We would desire your honour but to stay a little. One of my fellows is but run to Ogle’s for a long beard for young Wit, and he’ll be here presently.

MORE A long beard for young Wit? Why, man, he may be without a beard till he come to marriage, for wit goes not all by the hair. When comes Wit in?

PLAYER of INCLINATION In the second scene, next to the Prologue, my lord.

MORE Why, play on till that scene come, and by that time Wit’s beard will be grown, or else the fellow returned with it. And what part play’st thou?

PLAYER of INCLINATION Inclination, the Vice, my lord.

MORE Gramercies, now I may take the Vice if I list. And wherefore hast thou that bridle in thy hand?

PLAYER of INCLINATION I must be bridled anon, my lord.

MORE An thou beest not saddled too it makes no matter, for then Wit’s Inclination may gallop so fast that he will outstrip wisdom and fall to folly.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Indeed, so he does, to Lady Vanity; but we have no Folly in our play.

MORE Then there’s no wit in’t, I’ll be sworn. Folly waits on wit as the shadow on the body, and where wit is ripest, there folly still is readiest. But begin, I prithee. We’ll rather allow a beardless Wit than Wit, all beard, to have no brain.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Nay, he has his apparel on too, my lord, and therefore he is the readier to enter.

MORE

Then, good Inclination, begin at a venture.

Exit ⌈Player of Inclination⌉

My Lord Mayor, Wit lacks a beard, or else they would

begin.

I’d lend him mine, but that it is too thin.

Silence, they come.

The trumpet sounds. Enter the Prologue

PROLOGUE

Now for as much as in these latter days

Throughout the whole world in every land

Vice doth increase and virtue decays,

Iniquity having the upper hand,

We therefore intend, good gentle audience,

A pretty, short interlude to play at this present,

Desiring your leave and quiet silence

To show the same as is meet and expedient.

It is called The Marriage of Wit and Wisdom,

A matter right pithy and pleasing to hear,

Whereof in brief we will show the whole sum.

But I must be gone, for Wit doth appear. Exit

Enter Wit, ruffling, and Inclination, the Vice

WIT [sings]

In an arbour green, asleep whereas I lay—

The birds sang sweetly in the midst of the day—

I dreamèd fast of mirth and play.

In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Methought I walked still to and fro,

And from her company I could not go;

But when I waked it was not so. iso

In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Therefor my heart is surely plight

Of her alone to have a sight

Which is my joy and heart’s delight.

In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

MORE ⌈to Lord Mayor⌉ Mark ye, my lord, this is Wit without a beard. What will he be by that time he comes to the commodity of a beard?

INCLINATION [to Wit]

O sir, the ground is the better on which she doth go,

For she will make better cheer with a little she can get

Than many a one can with a great banquet of meat.

WIT

And is her name Wisdom?

INCLINATION

Ay, sir, a wife most fit

For you, my good master, my dainty sweet Wit.

WIT

To be in her company my heart it is set.

Therefore I prithee to let us be gone,

For unto Wisdom Wit hath inclination.

INCLINATION

O sir, she will come herself even anon,

For I told her before where we would stand,

And then she said she would beck us with her hand.

(Flourishing his dagger)

Back with those boys and saucy great knaves.

What, stand ye here so big in your braves?

My dagger about your coxcombs shall walk

If I may but so much as hear ye chat or talk.

WIT

But will she take pains to come for us hither?

INCLINATION

I warrant ye, therefore you must be familiar with her.

When she cometh in place

You must her embrace

Somewhat handsomely,

Lest she think it danger

Because you are a stranger

To come in your company.

WIT

I warrant thee, Inclination, I will be busy.

O, how Wit longs to be in Wisdom’s company!

Enter Lady Vanity, singing and beckoning with her hand

VANITY

Come hither, come hither, come hither, come.

Such cheer as I have, thou shalt have some.

MORE

This is Lady Vanity, I’ll hold my life.

Beware, good Wit, you take not her to wife.

INCLINATION [to Lady Vanity]

What, Unknown Honesty, a word in your ear.

[Lady Vanity] offers to depart

You shall not be gone as yet, I swear.

Here’s none but your friends; you need not to fray.

This young gentleman loves ye, therefore you must stay.

WIT

I trust in me she will think no danger;

For I love well the company of fair women—

And, though to you I am a stranger,

Yet Wit may pleasure you now and then.

VANITY

Who, you? Nay, you are such a holy man

That to touch one you dare not be bold.

I think you would not kiss a young woman

If one would give ye twenty pound in gold.

WIT

Yes, in good sadness, lady, that I would.

I could find in my heart to kiss you in your smock.

VANITY

My back is broad enough to bear that mock;

For it hath been told me many a time

That you would be seen in no such company as mine.

WIT

Not Wit in the company of Lady Wisdom?

O Jove, for what do I hither come?

INCLINATION

Sir, she did this nothing else but to prove

Whether a little thing would you move

To be angry and fret.

What an if one said so?

Let such trifling matters go,

And with a kind kiss come out of her debt.

Enter another Player

PLAYER of INCLINATION Is Luggins come yet with the beard?

OTHER PLAYER No, faith, he is not come. Alas, what shall we do?

PLAYER of INCLINATION [to More] Forsooth, we can go no further till our fellow Luggins come, for he plays Good Counsel, and now he should enter to admonish Wit that this is Lady Vanity and not Lady Wisdom.

MORE Nay, an it be no more but so, ye shall not tarry at a stand for that. We’ll not have our play marred for lack of a little good counsel. Till your fellow come I’ll give him the best counsel that I can. Pardon me, my Lord Mayor, I love to be merry.

[He rises and joins the players]

MORE as GOOD COUNSEL

O good Master Wit, thou art now on the bow hand,

And blindly in thine own opinion dost stand.

I tell thee, this naughty lewd Inclination

Does lead thee amiss in a very strange fashion.

This is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.

Therefore list to Good Counsel, and be ruled by me.

PLAYER of INCLINATION In troth, my lord, it is as right to Luggins’s part as can be. Speak, Wit.

MORE Nay, we will not have our audience disappointed if I can help it.

WIT

Art thou Good Counsel, and wilt tell me so?

Wouldst thou have Wit from Lady Wisdom to go?

Thou art some deceiver, I tell thee verily,

In saying that this is Lady Vanity.

MORE as GOOD COUNSEL

Wit, judge not things by the outward show.

The eye oft mistakes, right well you do know.

Good Counsel assures thee upon his honesty

That this is not Wisdom, but Lady Vanity.

Enter Luggins, with the beard

PLAYER of INCLINATION O my lord, he is come. Now we shall go forward.

MORE Art thou come? Well, fellow, I have holp to save

thine honesty a little. Now, if thou canst give Wit any

better counsel than I have done, spare not. There I leave

him to thy mercy.

But by this time I am sure our banquet’s ready.

My lord and ladies, we will taste that first,

And then they shall begin the play again,

Which through the fellow’s absence, and by me,

Instead of helping, hath been hindered.

[To Servants] Prepare against we come. Lights there, I

say.—

Thus fools oft-times do help to mar the play.

Exeunt. Players remain

PLAYER of WIT Fie, fellow Luggins, you serve us handsomely, do ye not think ye?

JUGGINS Why, Ogle was not within, and his wife would not let me have the beard, and, by my troth, I ran so fast that I sweat again.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Do ye hear, fellows? Would not my lord make a rare player? O, he would uphold a company beyond all ho, better than Mason among the King’s players. Did ye mark how extemp’rically he fell to the matter, and spake Luggins’s part almost as it is in the very book set down?

PLAYER of WIT Peace, do ye know what ye say? My lord a player? Let us not meddle with any such matters. Yet I may be a little proud that my lord hath answered me in my part. But come, let us go and be ready to begin the play again.

LUGGINS Ay, that’s the best, for now we lack nothing.

[Original Text (Munday)]

[Addition VI (Heywood)]

Enter a Servingman to the players, with a reward

SERVINGMAN Where be these players?

ALL THE PLAYERS

Here, sir.

SERVINGMAN My lord is sent for to the court,

And all the guests do after supper part;

And, for he will not trouble you again,

By me for your reward a sends eight angels,

With many thanks. But sup before you go.

It is his will you should be fairly entreated.

Follow, I pray ye.

PLAYER of WIT This, Luggins, is your negligence.

Wanting Wit’s beard brought things into dislike;

For otherwise the play had been all seen,

Where now some curious citizen disgraced it,

And, discommending it, all is dismissed.

PLAYER of INCLINATION Fore God, a says true. But hear ye, sirs: eight angels, ha! My lord would never give’s eight angels. More or less, for twelve pence: either it should be three pounds, five pounds, or ten pounds, there twenty shillings wanting, sure.

PLAYER of WIT Twenty to one, ’tis so. I have a trick. My lord comes; stand aside.

Enter More with attendants, with purse and mace

MORE

In haste, to Council? What’s the business now

That all so late his highness sends for me?—

What seek’st thou, fellow?

PLAYER of WIT

Nay, nothing. Your lordship sent eight angels by your

man,

And I have lost two of them in the rushes.

MORE

Wit, look to that! Eight angels? I did send them ten.

Who gave it them?

SERVINGMAN

I, my lord. I had no more about me;

But by and by they shall receive the rest.

MORE

Well, Wit, ‘twas wisely done. Thou play’st Wit well

indeed

Not to be thus deceived of thy right.

Am I a man by office truly ordained

Equally to divide true right his own,

And shall I have deceivers in my house?

Then what avails my bounty, when such servants

Deceive the poor of what the master gives?

Go one and pull his coat over his ears.

There are too many such. Give them their right.

Wit, let thy fellows thank thee; ’twas well done.

Thou now deservest to match with Lady Wisdom.

[Exeunt More and attendants]

PLAYER of INCLINATION God-a-mercy, Wit. [To the Servingman ] Sir, you had a master, Sir Thomas More. More? But now we shall have more.

LUGGINS God bless him, I would there were more of his mind! A loves our quality, and yit he’s a larned man and knows what the world is.

[PLAYER of INCLINATION] Well, a kind man, and more loving than many other, but I think we ha’ met with the first—

LUGGINS First sarved his man that had our angels; and he may chance dine with Duke Humphrey tomorrow, being turned away today. Come, let’s go.

[PLAYER of INCLINATION] And many such rewards would make us all ride, and horse us with the best nags in Smithfield.⌈Exeunt⌉

[Addition VI (Heywood)]

[Original Text (Munday)]

Sc. 10 Enter the Earls of Shrewsbury, Surrey, Bishop of Rochester, and other lords, [attended,] severally, doing courtesy to each other, Clerk of the Council waiting bare-headed

SURREY

Good morrow to my lord of Shrewsbury.

SHREWSBURY

The like unto the honoured Earl of Surrey.

Yon comes my lord of Rochester.

ROCHESTER

Good morrow, my good lords.

SURREY

Clerk of the Council,

What time is’t of day?

CLERK

Past eight of clock, my lord.

SHREWSBURY

I wonder that my good Lord Chancellor

Doth stay so long, considering there’s matters

Of high importance to be scanned upon.

SURREY

Clerk of the Council, certify his lordship

The lords expect him here.

ROCHESTER

It shall not need.

Yon comes his lordship.

Enter Sir Thomas More, with purse and mace borne

before him

MORE

Good morrow to this fair assembly.

Come, my good lords, let’s sit.

They sit

O serious square!

Upon this little board is daily scanned

The health and preservation of the land,

We the physicians that effect this good,

Now by choice diet, anon by letting blood.

Our toil and careful watching brings the King

In league with slumbers, to which peace doth sing.—

Avoid the room there!—

What business, lords, today?

SHREWSBURY

This, my good lord:

About the entertainment of the Emperor

’Gainst the perfidious French into our pay.

SURREY

My lords, as‘tis the custom in this place

The youngest should speak first, so if I chance

In this case to speak youngly, pardon me.

I will agree France now hath her full strength,

As having new recovered the pale blood

Which war sluiced forth; and I consent to this:

That the conjunction of our English forces

With arms of Germany may sooner bring

This prize of conquest in. But then, my lords,

As in the moral hunting ’twixt the lion

And other beasts force joined 〈 〉

Frighted the weaker sharers from their parts,

So, if the Empire’s sovereign chance to put

His plea of partnership into war’s court,

Swords should decide the difference, and our blood

In private tears lament his entertainment.

SHREWSBURY

To doubt the worst is still the wise man’s shield

That arms him safely, but the world knows this:

The Emperor is a man of royal faith.

His love unto our sovereign brings him down

From his imperial seat, to march in pay

Under our English flag, and wear the cross

Like some high order on his manly breast.

Thus serving, he’s not master of himself,

But, like a colonel, commanding other,

Is by the general overawed himself.

ROCHESTER

Yet, my good lord—

SHREWSBURY

Let me conclude my speech.

As subjects share no portion in the conquest

Of their true sovereign other than the merit

That from the sovereign guerdons the true subject,

So the good Emperor in a friendly league

Of amity with England will not soil

His honour with the theft of English spoil.

MORE

There is no question but this entertainment

Will be most honourable, most commodious.

I have oft heard good captains wish to have

Rich soldiers to attend them, such as would fight

Both for their lives and livings. Such a one

Is the good Emperor. I would to God

We had ten thousand of such able men.

Ha, then there would appear no court, no city,

But, where the wars were, they would pay

themselves.

Then, to prevent in French wars England’s loss,

Let German flags wave with our English cross.

Enter Sir Thomas Palmer

PALMER

My lords, his majesty hath sent by me

These articles enclosed, first to be viewed,

And then to be subscribed to. (With great reverence) I

tender them

In that due reverence which befits this place.

MORE

Subscribe these articles? Stay, let us pause.

Our conscience first shall parley with our laws.

My lord of Rochester, view you the paper.

ROCHESTER

Subscribe to these? Now good Sir Thomas Palmer,

Beseech the King that he will pardon me.

My heart will check my hand whilst I do write.

Subscribing so, I were an hypocrite.

PALMER

Do you refuse it then, my lord?

ROCHESTER

I do, Sir Thomas.

PALMER

Then here I summon you forthwith t’appear

Before his majesty, to answer there

This capital contempt.

ROCHESTER I rise, and part,

In lieu of this, to tender him my heart. He riseth

PALMER

Will’t please your honour to subscribe, my lord?

MORE

Sir, tell his highness, I entreat

Some time for to bethink me of this task.

In the meanwhile, I do resign mine office

Into my sovereign’s hands. All alter

PALMER

Then, my lord,

Hear the prepared order from the King.

On your refusal you shall straight depart

Unto your house at Chelsea, till you know

Our sovereign’s further pleasure.

MORE Most willingly I go.

My lords, if you will visit me at Chelsea

We’ll go a-fishing, and with a cunning net,

Not like weak film, we’ll catch none but the great.

Farewell, my noble lords. Why, this is right:

Good morrow to the sun, to state good night.

Exit

PALMER

Will you subscribe, my lords?

SURREY

Instantly, good Sir Thomas.

They write

We’ll bring the writing unto our sovereign.

PALMER My lord of Rochester,

You must with me, to answer this contempt.

ROCHESTER This is the worst.

Who’s freed from life is from all care exempt.

Exeunt Rochester and Palmer

SURREY

Now let us hasten to our sovereign.

’Tis strange that my Lord Chancellor should refuse

The duty that the law of God bequeaths

Unto the king.

SHREWSBURY

Come, let us in. No doubt

His mind will alter, and the Bishop’s too.

Error in learnèd heads hath much to do.

[Exeunt]