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

KING.

Segasto, cease to accuse the shepherd,

His worthiness deserves a recompense,

All we are bound to do the shepherd good:

Shepherd, whereas it was my sentence, thou shouldst die,

So shall my sentence stand, for thou shalt die.

SEGASTO.

Thanks to your majesty.

KING.

But soft, Segasto, not for this offence.—

Long maist thou live, and when the sisters shall decree

to cut in twain the twisted thread of life,

Then let him die: for this I set thee free:

And for thy valour I will honour thee.

MUCEDORUS.

Thanks to your majesty.

KING. Come, daughter, let us now depart, to honour the worthy valour of the shepherd with our rewards.

[Exeunt.]

MOUSE. O master, hear you, you have made a fresh hand now you would be slow, you; why, what will you do now? you have lost me a good occupation by the means. Faith, master, now I cannot hang the shepherd, I pray you, let me take the pains to hang you: it is but half an hour’s exercise.

SEGASTO.

You are still in your knavery, but sith a I cannot

have his life I will procure his banishment for ever.

Come one, sirra.

MOUSE.

Yes, forsooth, I come.—Laugh at him, I pray you.

[Exeunt.]

ACT III.

SCENE I. Grove near the Court.

[Enter Mucedorus solus.]

MUCEDORUS.

From Amadine and from her father’s court,

With gold and silver and with rich rewards,

Flowing from the banks of golden treasuries,—

More may I boast and say: but I,

Was never shepheard in such dignity.

[Enter the messenger and the clown.]

MESSENGER.

All hail, worthy shepherd.

MOUSE.

All reign, lowly shepherd..

MUCEDORUS.

Welcome, my friends; from whence come you?

MESSENGER. The King and Amadine greets thee well, and after greetings done, bids thee depart the court: shepherd, begone.

MUCEDORUS.

Whose words are these? came these from Amadine?

MESSENGER.

Aye, from Amadine.

MOUSE.

Aye, from Amadine.

MUCEDORUS.

Ah, luckless fortune, worse than Phaeton’s tale,

My former bliss is now become my bale.

MOUSE.

What, wilt thou poison thy self?

MUCEDORUS.

My former heaven is now become my hell.

MOUSE.

The worse ale house that I ever came in, in all my life.

MUCEDORUS.

What shall I do?

MOUSE.

Even go hang thy self half an hour.

MUCEDORUS.

Can Amadine so churlishly command,

To banish the shepherd from her Father’s court?

MESSENGER.

What should shepherds do in the court?

MOUSE.

What should shepherds do amongst us? have we not

Lords enough on us in the court?

MUCEDORUS.

Why, shepherds are men, and kings are no more.

MESSENGER.

Shepherds are men and masters over their flock.

MOUSE.

That’s a lie: who pays them their wages then?

MESSENGER. Well, you are always interrupting of me, but you are best look to him, least you hang for him when he is gone.

[Exit.]

[The Clown sings.]

MOUSE.

And you shall hang for company,

For leaving me alone.

Shepherd, stand forth and hear thy sentence:

Shepherd, begone within three days in pain of

My displeasure: shepherd, begone; shepherd, begone;

begone, begone, begone, shepherd, shepherd, shepherd.

[Exit.]

MUCEDORUS.

And must I go, and must I needs depart?

Ye goodly groves, partakers of my songs

In time tofore when fortune did not frown,

Pour forth your plaints and wail a while with me;

And thou bright sun, my comfort in the cold,

Hide, hide thy face and leave me comfortless;

Ye wholesome herbs, and sweet smelling favors,

Ye each thing else prolonging life of man,

Change, change your wonted course, that I,

Wanting your aide, in woeful sort may die.

[Enter Amadine and Ariana her maid.]

AMADINE.

Ariana, if any body ask for me,

Make some excuse till I return.

ARIANA.

What and Segasto call?

AMADINE.

Do thou the like to him; I mean not to stay long.

[Exit Ariana.]

MUCEDORUS.

This voice so sweet my pining spirits revives.

AMADINE.

Shepherd, well met; tell me how thou doest.

MUCEDORUS.

I linger life, yet wish for speedy death.

AMADINE.

Shepherd, although thy banishment already

Be decreed, and all against my will,

Yet Amadine—

MUCEDORUS.

Ah, Amadine, to hear of banishment

Is death, aye, double death to me,

But since I must depart, one thing I crave.

AMADINE.

Say on with all my heart.

MUCEDORUS.

That in absence, either far or near,

You honor me, as servant, with your name.

AMADINE.

Not so.

MUCEDORUS.

And why?

AMADINE.

I honour thee, as sovereign, with my heart.

MUCEDORUS.

A shepherd and a sovereign? nothing like.

AMADINE.

Yet like enough where there is no dislike.

MUCEDORUS.

Yet great dislike, or else no banishment.

AMADINE.

Shepherd, it is only

Segasto that procures thy banishment.

MUCEDORUS.

Unworthy wights are most in jealousy.

AMADINE.

Would God they would free thee from banishment,

Or likewise banish me.

MUCEDORUS.

Amen, say I, to have your company.