Page images
PDF
EPUB

was joyfull, hoping by this to find him that was the originall of her difgrace: for the remembering herfelfe, found that she had loft that crucifix ever fince that morning he departed from her house so suddenly. But faying nothing of it at that time, the caufed him to be carefully looked unto, and brought up to London after her, whither the went with the king, carrying the crucifix with her.

On a time, when he was a little recovered, she went to him, giving him the crucifix which she had taken from about his necke; to whom he faid, "Good gentle youth, keep the fame; for now in my mifery of ficknes, when the fight of that picture should be most comfortable, it is to me most uncomfortable; and breedeth fuch horrour in my confcience, when I think how wrongfully I got the fame, that fo long as I fee it I fhall never be in reft. Now knew the that he was the man that caufed the feparation 'twixt her husband and her felfe; yet faid fhe nothing, using him as refpectively as she had before: onely fhe caufed the man in whose house he lay, to remember the words he had fpoken concerning the crucifix. Not long after, the being alone, attending on the king, befeeched his grace to doe her juftice on a villain that had bin the caufe of all the mifery the had fuffered. He loving her, above all his other pages, most dearly, faid, "Edmund, (for fo had the named herfelfe,) thou shalt have what right thou wilt on thy enemy; cause him to be fent for, and I will be thy judge my felfe." She being glad of this, with the king's authority fent for her husband, whom he heard was one of the prifoners that was taken at the battel of Barnet; the appointing the other, now recovered, to be at the court the fame time. They being both come, but not one fecing of the other, the king fent for the wounded man into the prefence; before whom the page afked him how he came by the crucifix. He fearing that his villainy would come forth, denyed the words he had faid before his oaft, affirming he bought it. With that, the called in the oaft of the houfe where he lay, bidding him boldly fpeake what he had heard this man fay concerning the crucifix. The oaft then told the king, that in the prefence of this page he heard him intreat that the crucifix might be taken from his fight, for it did wound his confcience, to thinke how wrongfully he had gotten the fame. These words did the page averre; yet he utterly denyed the fame, affirming that he bought it, and if that he did fpeake fuch words in his fickneffe, they proceeded from the lightneffe of his braine, and were untruthes.

"She feeing this villain's impudency, fent for her husband in, to whom the fhewed the crucifix, faying, Sir, doe you know this? Yes, answered hee, but would God I ne're had knowne the owner of it! It was my wife's, a woman virtuous, till this divill (fpeaking to the other) did corrupt her purity,-who brought me this crucifix as a token of her inconftancie.

"With that the king faid, Sirra, now are you found to be a knave. Did you not, even now, affirme you bought it? To whom he answered with fearfull countenance, And it like your grace, I faid fo, to preferve this gentleman's honour, and his wife's, which by

my

my telling of the truth would have been much indamaged; for indeed the, being a fecret friend of mine, gave me this as a teftimony of her love.

"The gentlewoman, not being able longer to cover her felfe in that difguife, faid, "And it like your majesty, give mee leave to fpeake, and you shall fee me make this villain confefle how he hath abused that good gentleman. The king having given her leave, fhe faid, "First, fir, you confeffed before your oaft and my felfe, that you had wrongfully got this jewell; then before his majeftie you affirmed you bought it; fo denying your former words: Now you have denyed that which you fo boldly affirmed before, and faid it was this gentleman's wife's gift. With his majestie's leave I fay, thou art a villaine, and this is likewife falfe." With that the difcovered her felfe to be a woman, faying " Hadft thou, villaine, ever any ftrumpet's favour at my hands? Did I, for any finfull pleasure I received from thee, bestow this on thee? Speake, and if thou have any goodness left in thee, fpeak the truth.'

"With that, he being daunted at her fudden fight, fell on his knees before the king, befeeching his grace to be mercifull unto him, for he had wronged that gentlewoman. Therewith told he the king of the match betweene the gentleman and him felfe, and how he stole the crucifix from her, and by that meanes perfuaded her husband that the was a whore. The king wondered how he durft, knowing God to be juft, commit fo great a villainy; but much more admired he to fee his page to turn a gentlewoman. But ceafing to admire, he faid"Sir, (peaking to her husband,) you did the part of an unwise man to lay fo foolish a wager, for which offence the remembrance of your folly is punishment inough; but feeing it concernes me not, your wife fhall be your judge." With that Mrs. Dorrill, thanking his majeftie, went to her husband, faying, "Sir, all my anger to you I lay down with this kiffe." He wondering all this while to fee this strange and unlooked-for change, wept for joy, defiring her to tell him how the was preferved; wherein the fatisfied him at full. The king was likewife glad that he had preferved this gentlewoman from wilfull famine, and gave judgment on the other in this manner :-That he fhould restore the money treble which he had wrongfully got from him; and fo was to have a yeere's imprisonment. So this gentleman and his wife went, with the king's leave, lovingly home, where they were kindely welcomed by George, to whom for recompence he gave the money which he received: fo lived they ever after in great content." MALONE.

VOL. VIII.

I i

A SONG,

A SONG, fung by Guiderius and Arviragus over Fidele,

Supposed to be dead.

By Mr. WILLIAM COLLINS.

1.

To fair Fidele's grassy tomb,

Soft maids and village binds shall bring
Each opening weet, of earliest bloom,
And rifle all the breathing spring.

2.

No wailing ghoft shall dare appear
To vex with fhrieks this quiet grove;
But fhepherd lads affemble here,

And melting virgins own their love.

3.

No wither'd witch fhall here be seen,
No goblins lead their nightly crew:
The female fays shall haunt the green,
And dress thy grave with pearly dew.

The red-breaft oft at evening hours
Shall kindly lend his little aid,
With boary mofs, and gather'd flowers,
To deck the ground where thou art laid.

5.

When bowling winds, and beating rain,
In tempefts shake the fylvan cell;
Or midft the chace on every plain,
The tender thought on thee shall dwell.

6.

Each lonely fcene shall thee reftore;
For thee the tear be duly shed:
Belov'd, till life could charm no more;
And mourn'd till pity's felf be dead.

KING LEA R.

[blocks in formation]

Knights attending on the King, Officers, Messengers,

Soldiers, and Attendants.

SCENE, Britain.

« PreviousContinue »