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

SEGASTO. Well, then, search every where; leave no place unsearched for them.

[Exit.]

MOUSE. Oh now am I in office; now will I to that old firebrand’s house & will not leave one place unsearched: nay, I’ll to her ale stand & drink as long as I can stand, & when I have done, I’ll let out all the rest, to see if he be not bid in the barrel. & I find him not there, I’ll to the cupboard; I’ll not leave one corner of her house unsearched: yfaith, ye old crust, I will be with you now.

[Exit.]

ACT IV.

SCENE I. Valentia. The Court.

[Sound Music.]

[Enter the King of Valentia, Anselmo, Roderigo,

Lord Borachius, with others.]

KING OF VALENTIA.

Enough of Music, it but adds to torment;

Delights to vexed spirits are as Dates

Set to a sickly man, which rather cloy than comfort:

Let me entreat you to entreat no more.

RODERIGO.

Let your strings sleep; have done there.

[Let the music cease.]

KING OF VALENTIA.

Mirth to a soul disturb’d are embers turn’d,

Which sudden gleam with molestation,

But sooner loose their sight fort;

Tis Gold bestowed upon a Rioter,

Which not relieves, but murders him: Tis a Drug

Given to the healthful, Which infects, not cures.

How can a Father that hath lost his Son,

A Prince both wise, virtuous, and valiant,

Take pleasure in the idle acts of Time?

No, no; till Mucedorus I shall see again,

All joy is comfortless, all pleasure pain.

ANSELMO.

Your son my lord is well.

KING OF VALENTIA.

I pre-thee, speak that thrice.

ANSELMO.

The Prince, you Son, is safe.

KING OF VALENTIA.

O where, Anselmo? surfeit me with that.

ANSELMO.

In Aragon, my Liege;

And at his parture, Bound my secrecy,

By his affectious love, not to disclose it:

But care of him, and pity of your age,

Makes my tongue blab what my breast vow’d

concealment.

KING OF VALENTIA.

Thou not deceivest me?

I ever thought thee What I find thee now,

An upright, loyal man. But what desire,

Or young-fed humour Nurst within the brain,

Drew him so privately to Aragon?

ANSELMO.

A forcing Adamant:

Love, mixt with fear and doubtful jealousy,

Whether report guilded a worthless trunk,

Or Amadine deserved her high extolment.

KING OF VALENTIA.

See our provision be in readiness;

Collect us followers of the comeliest hue

For our chief guardians, we will thither wend:

The crystal eye of Heaven shall not thrice wink,

Nor the green Flood six times his shoulders turn,

Till we salute the Aragonian King.

Music speak loudly now, the season’s apt,

For former dolours are in pleasure wrapt.

[Exeunt omnes.]

SCENE II. The Forest.

[Enter Mucedorus to disguise himself.]

MUCEDORUS.

Now, Mucedorus, whither wilt thou go?

Home to thy father, to thy native soil,

Or try some long abode within these woods?

Well, I will hence depart and hie me home.—

What, hie me home, said? that may not be;

In Amadine rests my felicity.

Then, Mucedorus, do as thou didst decree:

Attire thee hermit like within these groves,

Walk often to the beach and view the well,

Makes settles there and seat thy self thereon,

And when thou feelest thy self to be a thirst,

Then drink a hearty draught to Amadine.

No doubt she thinks on thee,

And will one day come pledge thee at this well.

Come, habit, thou art fit for me:

[He disguiseth himself.]

No shepherd now, a hermit I must be.

Me thinks this fits me very well;

Now must I learn to bear a walking staff,

And exercise some gravity withall.

[Enter the Clown.]

MOUSE. Here’s throw the wods, and throw the wods, to look out a shepherd & a stray king’s daughter: but soft, who have we here? what art thou?

MUCEDORUS.

I am a hermit.

MOUSE. An emmet? I never saw such a big emmet in all my life before.

MUCEDORUS. I tell you, sir, I am an hermit, one that leads a solitary life within these woods.

MOUSE. O, I know thee now, thou art he that eats up all the hips and haws; we could not have one piece of fat bacon for thee all this year.

MUCEDORUS. Thou dost mistake me; but I pray thee, tell me what dost thou seek in these woods?

MOUSE. What do I seek? for a stray King’s daughter run away with a shepherd.

MUCEDORUS.

A stray King’s daughter run away with a shepherd.

Wherefore? canst thou tell?

MOUSE. Yes, that I can; tis this: my master and Amadine, walking one day abroad, nearer to these woods than they were used—about what I can not tell—but toward them comes running a great bear. Now my master, he played the man and run away, & Amadine crying after him: now, sir, comes me a shepherd & strikes off the bear’s head. Now whether the bear were dead before or no I cannot tell, for bring twenty bears before me and bind their hands & feet and I’ll kill them all:—now ever since Amadine hath been in love with the shepherd, and for good will she’s even run away with the shepherd.

MUCEDORUS.

What manner of man was a? canst describe him unto me?

MOUSE. Scribe him? aye, I warrant you, that I can: a was a little, low, broad, tall, narrow, big, well favoured fellow, a jerkin of white cloth, and buttons of the same cloth.

MUCEDORUS. Thou describest him well, but if I chance to see any such, pray you, where shall I find you, or what’s your name?

MOUSE.

My name is called master mouse.

MUCEDORUS. Oh, master mouse, I pray you what office might you bear in the court?

MOUSE.

Marry, sir, I am a rusher of the stable.

MUCEDORUS.

O, usher of the table.

MOUSE. Nay, I say rusher and I’ll prove mine office good; for look, sir, when any comes from under the sea or so, and a dog chance to blow his nose backward, then with a whip I give him the good time of the day, and straw rushes presently: therefore, I am a rusher, a high office, I promise ye.