John Fletcher - Beggars Bush - A Comedy

Wol . My Guard there.

Hub . Sir, you bad me sit, and promis'd you would hear,
Which I now say you shall; not a sound more,
For I that am contemner of mine own,
Am Master of your life; then here's a Sword
Between you, and all aids, Sir, though you blind
The credulous beast, the multitude, you pass not
These gross untruths on me.

Wol . How? gross untruths?

Hub . I, and it is favourable language,
They had been in a mean man lyes, and foul ones.

Wol . You take strange Licence.

Hub . Yes, were not those rumours
Of being called unto your answer, spread
By your own followers? and weak Gerrard wrought
(But by your cunning practice) to believe
That you were dangerous; yet not to be
Punish'd by any formal course of Law,
But first to be made sure, and have your crimes
Laid open after, which your quaint train taking
You fled unto the Camp, and [there] crav'd humbly
Protection for your innocent life, and that,
Since you had scap'd the fury of the War,
You might not fall by treason: and for proof,
You did not for your own ends make this danger;
Some that had been before by you suborn'd,
Came forth and took their Oaths they had been hir'd
By Gerrard to your Murther. This once heard,
And easily believ'd, th'inraged Souldier
Seeing no further than the outward-man,
Snatch'd hastily his Arms, ran to the Court,
Kill'd all that made resistance, cut in pieces
Such as were Servants, or thought friends to Gerrard ,
Vowing the like to him.

Wol . Will you yet end?

Hub . Which he foreseeing, with his Son, the Earl,
Forsook the City; and by secret wayes
As you give out, and we would gladly have it,
Escap'd their fury: though 'tis more than fear'd
They fell amongst the rest; Nor stand you there
To let us only mourn the impious means
By which you got it, but your cruelties since
So far transcend your former bloody ills,
As if compar'd, they only would appear
Essays of mischief; do not stop your ears,
More are behind yet.

Wol . O repeat them not,
'Tis Hell to hear them nam'd.

Hub . You should have thought,
That Hell would be your punishment when you did them,
A Prince in nothing but your princely lusts,
And boundless rapines.

Wol . No more I beseech you.

Hub . Who was the Lord of house or land, that stood
Within the prospect of your covetous eye?

Wol . You are in this to me a greater Tyrant,
Than e're I was to any.

Hub . I end thus
The general grief: now to my private wrong;
The loss of Gerrards Daughter Jaqueline :
The hop'd for partner of my lawful Bed,
Your cruelty hath frighted from mine arms;
And her I now was wandring to recover.
Think you that I had reason now to leave you,
When you are grown so justly odious,
That ev'n my stay here with your grace and favour,
Makes my life irksome? here, surely take it,
And do me but this fruit of all your friendship,
That I may dye by you, and not your Hang-man.

Wol . Oh Hubert , these your words and reasons have
As well drawn drops of blood from my griev'd heart,
As these tears from mine eyes;
Despise them not.
By all that's sacred, I am serious, Hubert ,
You now have made me sensible, what furies,
Whips, Hangmen, and Tormentors a bad man
Do's ever bear about him: let the good
That you this day have done, be ever number'd
The first of your best actions;
Can you think,
Where Goswin is or Gerrard , or your love,
Or any else, or all that are proscrib'd?
I will resign, what I usurp, or have
Unjustly forc'd; the dayes I have to live
Are too too few to make them satisfaction
With any penitence: yet I vow to practise
All of a man.

Hub . O that your heart and tongue
Did not now differ!

Wol . By my griefs they do not.
Take the good pains to search them out: 'tis worth it,
You have made clean a Leper: trust me you have,
And made me once more fit for the society,
I hope of good men.

Hub . Sir, do not abuse My aptness to believe.

Wol . Suspect not you
A faith that's built upon so true a sorrow,
Make your own safetys: ask them all the ties
Humanity can give, Hemskirk too shall
Along with you to this so wish'd discovery,
And in my name profess all that you promise;
And I will give you this help to't: I have
Of late receiv'd certain intelligence,
That some of them are in or about Bruges
To be found out: which I did then interpret,
The cause of that Towns standing out against me;
But now am glad, it may direct your purpose
Of giving them their safety, and me peace.

Hub . Be constant to your goodness, and you have it. [ Exeunt .

1 Mer . 'Tis much that you deliver of this Goswin .

2 Mer . But short of what I could, yet have the Country
Confirm'd it true, and by a general oath,
And not a man hazard his credit in it:
He bears himself with such a confidence
As if he were the Master of the Sea,
And not a wind upon the Sailers compass,
But from one part or other was his factor,
To bring him in the best commodities,
Merchant e're ventur'd for.

1. 'Tis strange.

2. And yet
This do's in him deserve the least of wonder,
Compared with other his peculiar fashions,
Which all admire: he's young, and rich, at least
Thus far reputed so, that since he liv'd
In Bruges , there was never brought to harbour
So rich a Bottom, but his bill would pass
Unquestion'd for her lading.

3 Mer. Yet he still Continues a good man.

2 Mer. So good, that but
To doubt him, would be held an injury
Or rather malice, with the best that traffique;
But this is nothing, a great stock, and fortune,
Crowning his judgement in his undertakings
May keep him upright that way: But that wealth
Should want the power to make him dote on it,
Or youth teach him to wrong it, best commends
His constant temper; for his outward habit
'Tis suitable to his present course of life:
His table furnish'd well, but not with dainties
That please the appetite only for their rareness,
Or their dear price: nor given to wine or women,
Beyond his health, or warrant of a man,
I mean a good one: and so loves his state
He will not hazard it at play; nor lend
Upon the assurance of a well-pen'd Letter,
Although a challenge second the denial
From such as make th' opinion of their valour
Their means of feeding.

1 Mer. These are wayes to thrive,
And the means not curs'd.

2 Mer. What follows, this
Makes many venturers with him, in their wishes,
For his prosperity: for when desert
Or reason leads him to be liberal,
His noble mind and ready hand contend
Which can add most to his free courtesies,
Or in their worth, or speed to make them so.
Is there a Virgin of good fame wants dower?
He is a Father to her; or a Souldier
That in his Countreys service, from the war
Hath brought home only scars, and want? his house
Receives him, and relieves him, with that care
As if what he possess'd had been laid up
For such good uses, and he steward of it.
But I should lose my self to speak him further
And stale in my relation, the much good
You may be witness of, if your remove
From Bruges be not speedy.