Locrine / Mucedorus | Page 6

runneth from the buckingtubs,
or red wine
out of the hogs heads: for trust me, gentlemen and my

very good friends, and so forth, the little god, nay the
desparate god
Cuprit, with one of his vengible birdbolts,
hath shot me unto the heel:
so not only, but also, oh
fine phrase, I burn, I burn, and I burn a, in
love, in love, and in love a. Ah, Strumbo, what hast thou seen? not

Dina with the Ass Tom? Yea, with these eyes thou hast
seen her, and
therefore pull them out, for they will work
thy bale. Ah, Strumbo,
hast thou heard? not the voice
of the Nightingale, but a voice sweeter
than hers. Yea,
with these ears hast thou heard it, and therefore cut
them
off, for they have caused thy sorrow. Nay, Strumbo, kill
thy
self, drown thy self, hang thy self, starve thy self. Oh, but then I shall
leave my sweet heart. Oh my heart! Now,
pate, for thy master! I will
dite an eloquent love-pistle to her, and then she hearing the grand
verbosity of my
scripture, will love me presently.
[Let him write a little and then read.]
My pen is naught; gentlemen, lend me a knife. I think
the more haste
the worst speed.
[Then write again, and after read.]
So it is, mistress Dorothy, and the sole essence of my
soul, that the
little sparkles of affection kindled in me
towards your sweet self hath
now increased to a great
flame, and will ere it be long consume my
poor heart,
except you, with the pleasant water of your secret

fountain, quench the furious heat of the same. Alas, I
am a gentleman
of good fame and name, majestical, in
parrel comely, in gate portly.
Let not therefore your
gentle heart be so hard as to despise a proper

tall, young
man of a handsome life, and by despising him, not only,

but also to kill him. Thus expecting time and tide, I bid
you farewell.
Your servant, Signior Strumbo.
Oh wit! Oh pate! O memory! O hand! O ink! O paper!
Well, now I
will send it away. Trompart, Trompart! what a
villain is this? Why,
sirra, come when your master calls
you. Trompart!
[Trompart, entering, saith:]
TROMPART.
Anon, sir.
STRUMBO.
Thou knowest, my pretty boy, what a good mast I have
been
to thee ever since I took thee into my service.
TROMPART.
Aye, sir.
STRUMBO.
And how I have cherished thee always, as if you had
been
the fruit of my loins, flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone.
TROMPART.
Aye, sir.
STRUMBO.
Then show thy self herein a trusty servant, and carry
this
letter to mistress Dorothy, and tell her--
[Speaking in his ear. Exit Trompart.]
Nay, masters, you shall see a marriage by and by. But here she comes.
Now must I frame my amorous passions.
[Enter Dorothy and Trompart.]
DOROTHY.
Signior Strumbo, well met. I received your letters by
your man here, who told me a pitiful story of your anguish, and
so
understanding your passions were so great, I came
hither speedily.

STRUMBO.
Oh my sweet and pigsney, the fecundity of my ingenie
is
not so great, that may declare unto you the sorrowful sobs
and
broken sleeps, that I suffered for your sake; and
therefore I desire you
to receive me into your familiarity.
For your love doth lie,
As near and as nigh
Unto my heart within,

As mine eye to my nose,
My leg unto my hose,
And my flesh unto
my skin.
DOROTHY.
Truly, Master Strumbo, you speak too learnedly for me

to understand the drift of your mind, and therefore tell
your tale in
plain terms, and leave off your dark riddles.
STRUMBO.
Alas, mistress Dorothy, this is my luck, that when I
most
would, I cannot be understood; so that my great learning
is an
inconvenience unto me. But to speak in plain terms,
I love you,
mistress Dorothy, if you like to accept me into your familiarity.
DOROTHY.
If this be all, I am content.
STRUMBO.
Sayest thou so, sweet wench; let me lick thy toes.
Farewell, mistress.
[Turning to the people.]
If any of you be in love, provide ye a capcase full of new
coined
words, and then shall you soon have the succado
de labres, and
something else.
[Exeunt.]
ACT I. SCENE 3. An apartment in the palace.
[Enter Locrine, Gwendoline, Camber, Albanact, Corineius,

Assarachus, Debon, Thrasimachus.]

LOCRINE.
Uncle, and princes of brave Britany,
Since that our
noble father is entombed,
As best beseemed so brave a prince as he,

If so you please, this day my love and I,
Within the temple of
Concordia,
Will solemnize our royal marriage.
THRASIMACHUS.
Right noble Lord, your subjects every one,

Must needs obey your highness at command;
Especially in such a
cause as this,
That much concerns your highness great content.
LOCRINE.
Then frolic, lordings, to fair Concord's walls,
Where
we will pass the day in knightly sports,
The night in dancing and in
figured masks,
And offer to God Risus all our sports
[Exeunt.]
ACT II. PROLOGUE.
[Enter Ate as before. After a little lightning and
thundering, let there
come forth this show:--Perseus
and Andromeda, hand in hand, and
Cepheus also,
with swords and