giue vs notice straight That we may punish them for their amisse We giue thee leane to work what means thou maist So it be not preiudice to the state nor vs Honesty My gratious Lord if Honestie offend In anie thing that he hath promised And doe not as your Grace hath giuen in charge Stifle such Caterpillers as corrupt the state Let Honestie receiue such punishment As he deserues that leazes to the king King Honesty it is ynough but tel me now what moued thee first To vndertake this taske to visit vs speak truth desemble not Honest. If I shuld tel your Grace t wold make you laugh To heare how Honesty was entertainde Poore lame and blinde when I came once ashore Lord how they came in flocks to visit me The shepheard with his hooke and Thrasher with his flaile The very pedler with his dog and the tinker with his male Then comes a souldier counterfeit with him was his Iug And Wil the whipper of the dogs had got a bounsing trug And coging Dick was in the crue that swore he cam frō Frāce He swore that in the Kings defence he lost his arm by chance And yet in conscience if I were put to sweare I would be bound to lay a pound the knaue was neuer there And hapning mongst this companie by chance one day I had no sooner namde my name but they ran all away But now I will to my taske and leaue your Grace And so I take my conge of your Maiestie King Honestie farewel and looke vnto your charge Perin My gratious Lord if I might not offend I would intreat a fauour at your hand T is so I heard of late my gratious Lord That my kinde father lay at poynt of death And if my Lord I should not visite him The world I feare would fynd great fault with me King Nay Perin if your businesse bee of waight We are content to giue you leaue to goe Prouided this that you returne againe When you haue seene your Father and your friends Perin My gratious Lord I will not stay there long Only but see my father and returne againe Till when my gratious Lord I take my leaue Kin. Perin farewel and tel me Dunston now we are alone What doest thou thinke of beauteous Alfrida For she is reported to be be passing faire They say she hath a white pit in hir chin That makes her looke lyke to the Queene of loue When she was dalying with Endymion Beleeue me Dunston if she be so faire She will serue our turne to make a Concubine Me thinks t is good some tyme to haue a loue To sport withall and passe away the tyme Dun. I my good Lord Dunston could wel allow of it If so your Grace would marrie Alfrida King What wouldst thou haue me marie her I neuer saw Then men would say I doted on a wench But Dunston I haue found a policie Which must indeed be followed to the full Enter Ethenwald Earle Ethenwald welcome I thought to send for you You must goe doe a message for vs now T is nothing but to woo a Wench which you can doe You must not woo her for your selfe but me Tell her I sit and pine lyke Tantalus And if you can straine foorth a teare for me Tell her she shall be honoured in my Loue And beare a childe that one day may be King Bid her not stand on tearmes but send me word Whether she be resolued to loue me yea or no If she say no tell her I can enforce her Loue Or t is no matter though you leaue that out And tell her this we heare she is as wyse As eloquent and ful of Oratory as Thaly was daughter of Iupiter Whose speaches were so pleasing mong the Greeks That she was tearmde a second Socrates For some report women loue to be praised Then in my cause I pray thee loue thou Alfrida Ethen. My gratious Lord and Ethenwald shall not faile To shew his humble dutie to your Maiestie I will my Lord woe her in your behalfe Plead loue for you and straine a sigh to show your passions I will say she is fayrer than the Dolphins eie At whome amazde the night stars stand and gaze Then will I praise her chin and cheeke and prety hand Long made lyke Venus when she vsde the harp When Mars was reueling in loues high house Besides my Lord I will say she hath a pace Much like to Iuno in Idea vale When Argus watcht the Heifer on the mount These words my Lord will make her loue I am sure If these will not my Lord I haue better far King Nay this is well now Ethenwald be gone For I shall long to heare of thy returne Eth. My gratious Lord I humbly take my leaue Exit King Ethenwald farewel Dunston how likest thou this What haue I done well in sending Ethenwald But in good tyme how if he lyke the mayde Beleeue me Dunston then my game is mard Dunst. I doe not thinke my gratious Lord My Nephew Ethenwald beares that bad mind For hetherto he hath bene tearmed iust And kept your Grace his gratious fauourer Ki. True Dunston yet haue I read that Loue Hath made the sonne receiue the father oft But Dunston leauing this come le ts to court Dunston I will attend vpon your Maiesty Exeunt Enter Baylief of Hexam and his foure sonnes to wit a Courtier a Priest a Conicatcher and a Farmer Bayly MY sonnes you see how age decaies my state And that my lyfe lyke snow before the sun Gins to dissolue into that substance nowe From whose inclosure grew my syre of lyfe The earth I meane sweet mother of vs all Whom death authorised by heauens high power Shall bring at last from whence at first I came Yet ere I yeeld my selfe to death my sonnes Giue eare and heare what rules I set you downe And first to thee my sonne that liuest by wit I know thou hast so many honest sleights To shift and cosen smoothly on thy wit To cog and lie and braue it with the best That t were but labour lost to counsell thee And therfore to the next Walter that seemes in shew a husbandman My sonne when that thy master trusts thee most And thinks thou dealest as truelie as himselfe Be thou the first to worke deceit to him So by that means thou maist inrich thy selfe And liue at pleasure when thy maister 's dead And when to market thou art sent with woll Put sand amongst it and t will make it weigh The waight twise double that it did before The ouerplus is thine into thy purse But now my sonne that keeps the Court Be thou a means to set the Peeres at strife And curri fauour for the commons loue If any but in conference name the King Informe his Maiestie they enuie him And if the king but moue or speake to thee Kneele on both knees and say God saue your Maiestie If any man be fauoured by the King Speake
Humfrie God bwy Gentlemen for none here hath occasion to vse Honesty Kni. Yes Honesty thou shalt be my brothers guest and mine Hon. Mary and I thank you to for now the world may say That Honesty dines with Hospitality to day Exeunt Enter Osrick and Alfrida and to them Ethenwald Osr. DAughter see that you entertaine the Earle As best beseemes his state and thy degree He comes to see whether Fame haue worthily Bene niggard in commending thee or no So shall thy vertues be admired at the court And thou be praised for kind and debonair For curtesie contents a Courtier oft When nothing els seemes pleasant in his eies Alfr. Father you shall perceiue that Alfrida Will doe her best in honouring of your age To entertaine the Earle of Cornwell so That he shall think him highlie fauoured Throw louing speech and curteous entertain Os. How fares my L. of Cornwel what displeased Or troubled with a mood that 's male content Eth. Not male content and yet I am not well For I am troubled with a painfull rume That when I would be mery troubles me And commonlie it holds me in my eies With such extreames that I can scantly see Osr. How long haue you bene troubled with the pain Or is it a pain that you haue vsuall Or is it some water that by taking cold Is falne into your eies and troubles you Eth I cannot tel but sure it paines me much Nor did it euer trouble me till nowe For till I came to lodge within your house My eies were cleare and I neuer felt the paine Os. I am sory that my house shuld cause your grief Daughter if you haue any skil at all I pray you vse your cunning with the Earle And see if you can ease him of his paine Alf. Father such skill as I receiued of late By reading many pretie pend receites Both for the ache of head and paine of eyes I wil if so it please the Earle to accept it Indeuour what I may to comfort him My Lord I haue waters of approoued worth And such as are not common to be found Any of which if it please your honour vse them I am in hope will help you to your sight Eth. No matchlesse Alfrida they will doe me no good For I am troubled only when I looke Alfrida On what my Lord or whome Ethen. I cannot tell Alf. Why let me see your eies my Lord looke vpon me Eth. Then t wil be worse Alf. What if you looke on me then I le be gone Eth. Nay stay sweet loue stay beauteous Alfrida And giue the Earle of Cornwel leaue to speake Know Alfrida thy beautie hath subdued And captiuate the Earle of Cornwels heart Briefly I loue thee seeme I neere so bold So rude and rashlie to prefer my sute And if your father giue but his consent Eased be that paine that troubles Ethenwald And this considered Osricke shall prooue My father and his daughter be my loue Speake Osrick shall I haue her I or no Os. My Lord with al my hart you haue my consent If so my daughter please to condiscend Ethen. But what saith Alfrida Alf. I say my Lord that seing my father grants I will not gainsay what his age thinks meet I do appoint my selfe my Lord at your dispose Eth. Wel Osrick nowe you see your daughter 's mine But tel me when shall be the wedding day Osr. On Monday next till then you are my guest Ethen. Well Osricke when our nuptiall rites are past I must to Court of businesse to the King Alfr. Let that be as you please my Lord But stay not long for I shall hardlie brooke your absence then Eth. Feare not Alfrida I will not stay there long But come let vs in Father pray lead the way Exeunt Enter the King and Dunston King TEl me Dunston what thinkest thou of the fauors of Kings Dun. I think of kings fauors as of a Marigold flower That as long as the Sun shineth openeth her leaues And with the least cloud closeth againe Or lyke the Uiolets in America that in sommer yeeld an odifferous smell And in winter a most infectious sauour For at euery ful sea they flourish or at euery dead ope they vade The fish Palerna being perfect white in the calme Yet turneth blacke with euery storme Or lyke the trees in the deserts of Africa That flourish but while the southwest wind bloweth Euen so my Lord is the fauours of kings to them they fauour For as their fauours giue lyfe so their frownes yeeld death King Wel said Dunston but what merits he that dissembles with his Soueraigne Dunston In my opinion my Lord he merits death King Then assure thy selfe if Ethenwald dissemble he shall die but who comes here Perin what newes that thou commest in such hast and what is he that beares thee company Per. It is my gratious Lord and honest man And one it seemes that loues you Maiestie For as your Grace gaue me in charge I went about into the countrey to see what summes of money I could make Among the cheefest of the communaltie And mongst the richest Knights that I could fynd They would lend your Grace at most but twenty pound And euery Squire would lend you Grace but ten Then came I mongst the rest to this plaine man And asked him what he would lend the king He aunswered sir you see I am but poore Not halfe so wealthy as a Knight or Squire And yet in signe of dutie to his Grace I wil lende his Maiestie two hundred pound King Thanks honest fellow for thy loue to vs And if I may but pleasure thee in ought Command me to the vttermost I may England hath too few men of thy good mind Enter Honestie and Piers plowman Honesty what newes where hast thou bene so long Honest. A my Lord I haue bene searching for a priuie knaue One my Lord that feeds vpon the poore commons And makes poore Piers ploughman weare a thread bare coate It is a farmer my Lord which buyes vp all the corn in the market and sends it away beyond seas thereby feeds the enemie Kin. Alas poore piers plowman what ailest thou why doest thou weep peace man if any haue offended thee Thou shalt be made amends vnto the most piers plow I beseech your Grace to pitie my distresse There is an vnknowne theefe that robs the common wealth And makes me and my poore wife and children beg for maintenance The tyme hath bene my Lord in diebus illis That the Plowmans coat was of good homespun russet cloth Whereof neither I nor my seruants had no want Though now both they and I want And all by this vnknown Farmer For there cannot be an aker of ground to be sold But he will find money to buy it nay my Lord he hath money to buy whole Lordships and yet but a Farmer I haue kept a poore house where I dwel this four score yeare Yet was I neuer driuen to
past he saw the mony tendered I must passe sentence then against you needs But wil you sweare on the bible this is true Coni. I sir and to that intent I came hether For I wil neuer refuse to swear a truth while I liue Dunston Yet ere thou speake vouchsafe to heare me speake Full three score Winters Gentle sir I haue past And age hath brought gray haires vpon my head Looke but vpon my face and thou shalt see The perfect patterne of humilitie Thou man of worth or citizen what ere thou be Weigh but my charge and then thou wilt not swear I haue fiue sonnes al pretie tender babes That liue vpon the farme that he would haue Twelue hundred sheep do feed vpon the plaines That year lie bring a great increase to me Besides a hundred Oxen fatly fed That euerie Winter feed within my stalles And twentie poore men liuing neere my house I daylie feed and all vpon my Farme Go but among my neighbours where I dwell And heare what good report they giue of me The poore man neuer yet went from my dore But to my power I did releeue his want I was no Farmer that inricht my selfe By raysing markets and oppressing poore But I haue sold my corne full manie tymes At better rate than I could wel affoord And all to help my needie brethren Then ere thou swearst cal al these things to mind And thou wilt weep and leaue to sweare vntrueths Confusion to thy bodie and thy soule Perin Wel if thou be wel aduised take thy oath But yet remember before whome thou swearest The God of trueth and perfect equitie Which will reuenge wrong to the innocent with thousand plagues and tortors worse than death Con. By the holy contents of this Byble And by that iust God before whome I stand I saw this man King Peace shamelesse villain execrable wretch Monster of nature degenerate miscreant Who euer knew or heard so vile an oath Uildly pronounc'd by such a damned slaue Haue I such monstrous vipers in my land That with their verie breaths infect the aire Say Dunston hast thou euer heard the lyke Dunst. My Liege such lothsome weeds must needs infect the corne Such Cankers perish both the root and branch Unlesse they be soone spied and weeded out Kin. I le be the husbandman to mowe such Tares Here Honesty let him be manacled And scar his forehead that he may be knowne As Cain for murder he for periurie Conicat. I beseech your Grace be good to me Hon. I you shal haue a cold yron clapt in your forehead A hot one I would say you are a slaue indeede Conicatcher Good Honesty Hone. Good villaine there 's no help for you Exeunt Enter Ethenwald alone Eth. My fancies thoughts lyke the labouring Spyder That spreads her nets to entrap the sillie Flie Or lyke the restlesse billowes of the seas That euer alter by the fleeting ayre Still houering past their woonted passions Makes me amazed in these extremities The King commands me on his embassage To Osricks daughter beauteous Alfrida The height and pride of all this bounding ill To poste amaine plead loue in his behalfe To court for him and woo and wed the maid But haue you neuer heard that theame Deceit in loue is but a merriment To such as seeke a riuall to preuent Whether distraught romes my vnruly thoughts It is the King I cosen of his choise And he nil brook Earl Ethenwald should prooue False to his Prince especially in loue Thē thus it shal be I le tel the king the maid is fair Of nut browne cullour comelie and fair spoken Worthie companion to an Earle or so But not a Bride for Edgar Englands King This will alay the strong effects in loue Fame wrought in Edgars mind of Alfrida Well I le to court and dalie with the King And worke some means to draw his mynde from loue Enter a Knight Squire and Farmer Knight NEighbour Walter I cannot but admire to see How housekeeping is decayed within this thirtie yeare But where the fault is God knowes I knowe not My father in his lyfe time gaue hospitality to all strangers and Distressed traueillers his table was neuer emptie of bread beefe And beere he was woont to keep a hundred tall men in his hall He was a feaster of all commers in generall And yet was he neuer in want of money I thinke God did blesse him with increase for his bountiful mind Farm Truly sir I am sorrie you ar fallen into decay In that you want to maintaine houshould charge And whereof comes this want I will tell you sir T is only throw your great housekeeping Be ruled by me and doe as I aduise you You must learne to leaue so great a traine of men And keepe no more than needs of force you must And those you keepe let them be simple men For they will be content with simple fare Keepe but a boy or two within your house To run of errants and to wait on you And for your kitchin keep a woman cooke One that will serue for thirtie shillings a yeare And by that means you saue two liueries And if ye will keep retainers towards you Let them be Farmers or rich husbandmen For you shal find great profit sir in keeping them For if you stand in need of corne or hay Send but to them and you may haue it strait And if you kill a Beefe let it be so leane The Butcher nor the Grasyer will not buy it Your drinke is too strong and tastes too much of malt Tush single beere is better far both for your profit and your seruants health And at a Christmasse time feast none at al But such as yeeld you some commoditie I meane such as will send you now and then Fat Geese and Capons to keep house withall To these and none els would I haue you liberall Knight Why neighbor my goods are lent me to no other end But to releeue my needie brethren but God I hope hath in store for me Far. I trust you to that you may hap die a begger Squ. Why sir if he should not trust in God in whom should he trust for God is the giuer of all good whatsoeuer Far. True and yet t is good for a man to trust to himselfe now and then for if you be downe and bid God help you vp and do not help your self you may fortune lie and perish and therefore serue God on Sundaies as you are appointed and thereby hope to be saued for by your almes deeds you cannot for if you giue to the poore there be manie wil say he thinks to bee saued by his almes deedes and thus you shal be ill thought on for your good wil and therfore learn to prouide for your self let God prouide for the pore Knig. I tel you neighbor my great grandfather all my predecessors haue bene held in good regard for their good housekeeping and God willing their good names shal
neuer take an exigent in me for I wil God willing keepe such hospitalitie to my death as my state can maintaine and I will rather sell my land to maintain hous-keeping then keeping my land make sale of my good name for housekeeping but stay who comes here Enter two poore old men and a Bayliefe One old man God saue you sir I pray be good to me for c ham a poore man and I cannot tell what you will doe for you say my horse hath broken into your corn or your corne into my horse But indeed my neighbor saw your boy driue my horse into a field But I le stand to nothing nowe I am warnd with a peece of paper and a litle waxe to prepare or proceed to London And there I am inuented I cannot tell for what The Bailiefe here hath arested me ere I was weary against my will he said it was vpon your suit yet he laid his hands on me Nay more on my shoulder Another old And sir and it may please you I borrowed certen corn and I brought you your corne again and yet you rest me Far. True sir but then was corne sold for foure shillings a bushell and now t is sold for two Kni. I sir but he borrowed corne and promised to pay you corn againe and you can haue but so much as you lent For if he should pay you at the rate you demande You wold haue for the twentie bushels you lent fourtie Which were neither right nor conscience Far. O sir I pray let me alone with my conscience You would haue me giue al I haue away to the poore want as you do I pray let me alone to deale for my selfe heare you haue you rested them Bail I haue sir as you commanded me Far. Then to prison with them til they haue paid such dammages as the law shal award them One poor Hear you sir if you shuld bid your boy break downe a gap and driue in my horse t were litle better than plaine knauerie for my horse is as honest a horse as any is in this towne Another Wel neighbor we wil haue the horse examined before an officer and my boy Iack shal write what the horse speaks and if the horse say a was driuen in against his wil Then you may haue the law of him neighbor For all the horses in the parish wil be sworne for his horse But I le stand to nothing Far. Wel to prison with thē til they haue paid your due away with them One poor Nay I pray be more miserable to me and I wil giue you fourtie shillings when I haue it Far. By the Mas the knaue hath a pretie cottage I le see and I can get that sirra you haue an old cottage If you will make me that ouer by deed of gift I am content to draw my action Another p. My house why t is my goods my wyfe my land My horse my asse or any thing that his his no you Caterpiller I will neuer make away my house I wil die first Squi. But tel me sir howe much wold you haue of them for their trespasse Far. Mary for fourtie shillings and yet I befriend them Why sir I hope you will not pay it for them Kni. But I wil sirra Bailie I will answere the poore mens debts and come home to me for thy fee anon go old men Get you home and praise God One poor Mary Iesus blesse you naibor how many such good Knightes haue you now a dayes Anoth. Too few neighbor the more is the pitie Exeunt But come le ts away Knight But who comes her Enter Perin and Honesty Per. God saue you gentlemen the king greets you and at this time Hauing some occasion to vse mony hath sent to know What you that be Knightes and Squires wil lend his Grace And you maister Farmer be brief sir for I cannot stay Kni. Sir though hous-keeping be some hindrance to my willing mind by reason it robs me of that which shuld bewray my louing mind both to my prince country money I meane which at this time I stand in some want of yet of that smal store that I haue am willing to impart the lending of the king xx. pound and more I assure you I am not able Perin Very wel and what say you maister Squire Squire I say that my reuenewes are but small yet I will lend his Maiestie ten pound Per. Very wel but what saith the Farmer What can he spare the King Far. Marry sir I am a poore Farmer yet I can affoord To lend the King a hundred or two of pounds And heare you sir if you prefer a suit I haue to the King I will giue you fourtie Angels for your paines Besides I will giue you the keeping of a dozen iades And now and then meat for you and your horse If you come to my house and lie a whole yeare Per. Why that 's well said and I commend thy honest mind Would all men wer of thy mind I warrant thee thou art an honest man one that loues the king But tel me what wouldst thou haue me doe Far. Nothing but procure me the Kings letter to conuey corn beyond seas for in England it is so good cheap that a man can make no liuing by selling thereof therfore if the King wil grant me his letter I will at any time lend him fiue or sixe hundred and perhaps neuer ask it again and I wil not forget your paines Per. Sir feare not I wil do it for you I warrant you For I tel you I can do much with the King Hon. I beleeue you wil do more than you wil be commended for The Courtier resembleth the Iay that decketh her self with the feathers of other birds to make her self glorious So the Courtier must be braue tho he be hangd at the gallous Far. Wel sir wil it please you to come and dine with me Per. I thanke you sir hartily Far. But what 's he there in your company Perin A plaine fellow and his name is Honesty Far. O let him go where he will for he shal not dine with me Hon. See how the Farmer feares my name What wold he doe if he knew my nature But hear you maister Courtier shall I dine with you I promise you sir I am very hungrie Per. Trulie Honesty if I were furnisht with money I would not stick to giue thee thy dinner But now thou seest I am but a guest my selfe Far. Truly honest fellow if I were certaine of my cheere I wold bid thee to dinner but know not my prouisiō I promise thee Kni. Heare you sir will it please you to take part of a peece of beefe with me you shal be welcome Perin I thank you sir but I must dine with my honest friend here els I would not refuse your gentle offer Exeunt Hon. See how he can vse my name and not me But I perceiue I may goe dine with Duke