William Shakespeare - The Complete Apocryphal Works of William Shakespeare - All 17 Rare Plays in One Edition

To try your force by dint of fatal sword.

HUMBER.

Tut, let him come with millions of hosts;

He shall find entertainment good enough.

Yea, fit for those that are our enemies:

For we’ll receive them at the lance’s points,

And massacre their bodies with our blades:

Yea, though they were in number infinite,

More than the mighty Babylonian queen,

Semiramis the ruler of the West,

Brought gainst the Emperour of the Scithians;

Yet would we not start back one foot from them:

That they might know we are invincible.

HUBBA.

Now, by great Jove, the supreme king of heaven,

And the immortal gods that live therein,

When as the morning shows his cheerful face,

And Lucifer, mounted upon his steed,

Brings in the chariot of the golden sun,

I’ll meet young Albanact in the open field,

And crack my lance upon his burganet,

To try the valour of his boyish strength.

There will I show such ruthful spectacles

And cause so great effusion of blood,

That all his boys shall wonder at my strength:

As when the warlike queen of Amazon,

Penthisilea, armed with her lance,

Girt with a corslet of bright shining steel,

Couped up the faintheart Graecians in the camp.

HUMBER.

Spoke like a warlike knight, my noble son;

Nay, like a prince that seeks his father’s joy.

Therefore, tomorrow, ere fair Titan shine,

And bashful Eos, messenger of light,

Expels the liquid sleep from out men’s eyes,

Thou shalt conduct the right wing of the host;

The left wing shall be under Segar’s charge,

The rearward shall be under me my self.

And lovely Estrild, fair and gracious,

If fortune favour me in mine attempts,

And make the Queen of lovely Albion,

Come, let us in and muster up our train,

And furnish up our lusty soldiers,

That they may be a bulwark to our state,

And bring our wished joys to perfect end.

SCENE II.

[Enter Strumbo, Dorothy, Trompart, cobbling shoes and singing. To them enter Captain.]

TROMPART.

We Cobblers lead a merry life:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan:

STRUMBO.

Void of all ennui and strife:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

DOROTHY.

Our ease is great, our labour small:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

STRUMBO.

And yet our gains be much withall:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

DOROTHY.

With this art so fine and fair:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

TROMPART.

No occupation may compare:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

DOROTHY.

For merry pastime and joyful glee:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

STRUMBO.

Most happy men we Cobblers be:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

TROMPART.

The can stands full of nappy ale:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

STRUMBO.

In our shop still withouten fail:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

DOROTHY.

This is our meat, this is our food:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

TROMPART.

This brings us to a merry mood:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

STRUMBO.

This makes us work for company:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

DOROTHY.

To pull the tankards cheerfully:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

TROMPART.

Drink to thy husband, Dorothy,

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

DOROTHY.

Why, then, my Strumbo, there’s to thee:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

STRUMBO.

Drink thou the rest, Trompart, amain:

ALL.

Dan, dan, dan, dan.

DOROTHY.

When that is gone, we’ll fill’t again:

ALL.

Dan diddle dan.

CAPTAIN.

The poorest state is farthest from annoy.

How merrily he sitteth on his stool!

But when he sees that needs he must be pressed,

He’ll turn his note and sing another tune.

Ho, by your leave, master Cobbler.

STRUMBO. You are welcome, gentleman. What will you? any old shoes or buskins? or will you have your shoes clouted? I will do them as well as any Cobbler in Cathnes whatsoever.

CAPTAIN.

[Showing him press money.]

O master Cobbler, you are far deceived in me, for don you see this? I come not to buy any shoes, but to buy your self; come, sir, you must be a soldier in the king’s cause.

STRUMBO. Why, but hear you, sir; has your king any commission to take any man against his will. I promise you, I can scant believe it; or did he give you commission?

CAPTAIN.

O sir, ye need not care for that; I need no commission.

Hold, here: I command you, in the name of our king

Albanact, to appear tomorrow in the town-house of

Cathnes.

STRUMBO. King Nactaball! I cry God mercy! what have we to do with him, or he with us? But you, sir master capontail, draw your pasteboard, or else I promise you, I’ll give you a canuasado with a bastinado over your shoulders, and teach you to come hither with your implements.

CAPTAIN. I pray thee, good fellow, be content; I do the king’s command.

STRUMBO.

Put me out of your book, then.

CAPTAIN.

I may not.

STRUMBO.

[Snatching up the staff.]

No! Well, come, sir, will your stomach serve you? by gog’s blue hood and halidom, I will have a bout with you.

[Fight both. Enter Thrasimachus.]

THRASIMACHUS.

How now, what noise, what sudden clamor’s this?