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

Where thou maist trample in their luke warm blood,

And grasp their hearts within thy cursed paws:

Yet vail thy mind, revenge thou not on me;

A silly woman begs it at thy hands:

Give me the leave to utter out my play,

Forbear this place, I humbly crave thee: hence,

And mix not death amongst pleasing comedies,

That treats naught else but pleasure and delight.

If any spark of human rests in thee,

Forbear, be gone, tender the suite of me.

ENVY.

Why so I will; forbearance shall be such

As treble death shall cross thee with despite,

And make thee mourn where most thou joyest,

Turning thy mirth into a deadly dole,

Whirling thy pleasures with a peal of death,

And drench thy methods in a sea of blood:

This will I do, thus shall I bear with thee;

And more to vex thee with a deeper spite,

I will with threats of blood begin thy play,

Favoring thee with envy and with hate.

COMEDY.

Then, ugly monster, do thy worst,

I will defend them in despite of thee:

And though thou thinkst with tragic fumes

To brave my play unto my deep disgrace,

I force it not, I scorn what thou canst do;

I’ll grace it so, thy self shall it confess

From tragic stuff to be a pleasant comedy.

ENVY.

Why then, Comedy, send thy actors forth

And I will cross the first steps of their tread:

Making them fear the very dart of death.

COMEDY.

And I’ll defend them maugre all thy spite:

So, ugly fiend, farewell, till time shall serve,

That we may meet to parle for the best.

ENVY.

Content, Comedy; I’ll go spread my branch,

And scattered blossoms from mine envious tree

Shall prove to monsters, spoiling of their joys.

[Exit.]

ACT I.

SCENE I. Valentia. The Court.

[Sound. Enter Mucedorus and Anselmo his friend.]

MUCEDORUS.

Anselmo.

ANSELMO.

My Lord and friend.

MUCEDORUS.

True, my Anselmo, both thy Lord and friend

Whose dear affections bosom with my heart,

And keep their domination in one orb.

ANSELMO.

Whence near disloyalty shall root it forth,

But faith plant firmer in your choice respect.

MUCEDORUS.

Much blame were mine, if I should other deem,

Nor can coy Fortune contrary allow:

But, my Anselmo, loth I am to say

I must estrange that friendship—

Misconsture not, tis from the Realm, not thee:

Though Lands part Bodies, Hearts keep company.

Thou knowst that I imparted often have

Private relations with my royal Sire,

Had as concerning beautious Amadine,

Rich Aragon’s bright Jewel, whose face (some say)

That blooming Lilies never shone so gay,

Excelling, not excelled: yet least Report

Does mangle Verity, boasting of what is not,

Wing’d with Desire, thither I’ll straight repair,

And be my Fortunes, as my Thoughts are, fair.

ANSELMO.

Will you forsake Valencia, leave the Court,

Absent you from the eye of Sovereignty?

Do not, sweet Prince, adventure on that task,

Since danger lurks each where: be won from it.

MUCEDORUS.

Desist dissuasion,

My resolution brooks no battery;

Therefore, if thou retain thy wonted form,

Assist what I intend.

ANSELMO.

Your miss will breed a blemish in the Court,

And throw a frosty dew upon that Beard,

Whose front Valencia stoops to.

MUCEDORUS.

If thou my welfare tender, then no more;

Let Love’s strong magic charm thy trivial phrase,

Wasted as vainly as to gripe the Sun:

Augment not then more answers; lock thy lips,

Unless thy wisdom suite me with disguise,

According to my purpose.

ANSELMO.

That action craves no counsel,

Since what you rightly are will more command,

Than best usurped shape.

MUCEDORUS.

Thou still art opposite is disposition:

A more obscure servile habillament

Beseems this enterprise.

ANSELMO.

Than like a Florentine or Mountebank?

MUCEDORUS.

Tis much too tedious; I dislike thy judgement:

My mind is grafted on an humbler stock.

ANSELMO.

Within my Closet does there hang a Cassock,

Though base the weed is; twas a Shepherds,

Which I presented in Lord Julio’s Mask.

MUCEDORUS.

That, my Anselmo, and none else but that,

Mask Mucedorus from the vulgar view!

That habit suits my mind; fetch me that weed.

[Exit Anselmo.]

Better than Kings have not disdained that state,

And much inferiour, to obtain their mate.

[Enter Anselmo with a Shepherd’s coat.]

So!

Let our respect command thy secrecy.

At once a brief farewell:

Delay to lovers is a second hell.

[Exit Mucedorus.]

ANSELMO.

Prosperity forerun thee; Awkward chance

Never be neighbour to thy wishes’ venture:

Content and Fame advance thee; ever thrive,

And Glory thy mortality survive.

[Exit.]

SCENE II. A Forest in Arragon.

[Enter Mouse with a bottle of Hay.]

MOUSE. O horrible, terrible! Was ever poor Gentleman so scared out of his seven Senses? A Bear? nay, sure it cannot be a Bear, but some Devil in a Bear’s Doublet: for a Bear could never have had that agility to have frighted em. Well, I’ll see my Father hanged, before I’ll serve his Horse any more: Well, I’ll carry home my Bottle of Hay, and for once make my Father’s Horse turn puritan and observe Fasting days, for he gets not a bit. But soft! this way she followed me, therefore I’ll take the other Path; and because I’ll be sure to have an eye on him, I will take hands with some foolish Creditor, and make every step backward.

[As he goes backwards the Bear comes in, and he tumbles over, and runs away and leaves his bottle of Hay behind him.]

SCENE III. The same.

[Enter Segasto running and Amadine after him, being pursued by a bear.]

SEGASTO.

Oh fly, Madam, fly or else we are but dead.

AMADINE.

Help, Segasto, help! help, sweet Segasto, or else

I die.

SEGASTO.

Alas, madam, there is no way but flight;