song Was well applied in this For like the antes they eate the gaine of mens wealth But flye them lyke the fiends when they are falne These Cicero and Aristotle tearm'd a troope of seruile Base dishonest men Stay here here cometh more stand by awhile VVee shall behold the world anatomiz'd Enter the other Senator reading a letter The Florentiens of late haue fought a field Wherein Lord Lelio hath deserued well For why his countrie scornes to succour him Lord Brishio tendeth on the Millane camp And hath atchieued many a worthie deed I ioy to heare of Brishios good successe Your marchandise are solde and we haue sent Bils of Exchange to receiue the monie A merrier heart hath Treuerey for that How now you sausie youths stand backe I say What make you lingering here about my doores Zep I hope your Lordship knowes vs well Senat I would you knew your selues as well as I Go get you hēce it is for yong men to ply their books To practise musicke and delight in armes And not to loiter vp and downe the streets Orph. Dishonest Lord our father in thy wants Did vse thee better And wilt thou leaue his sonnes in miserie Senat When Brishio and I meete we le talke of that Let him come craue himselfe I le answere him Zeph Why he is banisht and may not returne Senat The better cause haue I to cast him off I will not rase my house to raise you vp Let me see you are two good tall youths And fit for souldiers goe you to Millane to VVhere your father is liue by the warres And do not vex vs in peace for you get not a pennie of mee Exit Senat. Orph. These strange repulses make me desperate Speake brother Zepherus what shall we do Sem How now yong gallants what distempers you But grieue not thus at worldly chances If sinne were dead vertue were neuer seene Are you the sonnes of Brishio gentle friends Zep VVe are the sonnes of haplesse Brishio Sem And these ranke churles whom earst your father tide By many great deserts vnto his house Haue left you thus in your extremities Giue me your hands you relikes of renowme Now haue I got an Empire to my minde A vent for my religious charitie Hold take these iewels buy you what you want But heedfully beware of gourmandize Lead you a sober decent comely life Remember truly the effects of things Before you shall affect and make your choice Heare in a word who made the planets seuen First sent downe loue and charitie from heauen But auarice was christned in hell Speake holy men haue I not counceld well Orp What man art thou that fauourst miserie Sem Euen he that thankes my God That sends mee ought whereby to succour you And call me Penitent experience Who giues thee thankes for what thy father did VVho giues thee thankes for what thy brother did And charge you both as you are noble borne To let me see your weapons presently Zep. Take them and vse them gentle minded man Sem Here are the blades well polisht faire and bryght Were it not pittie Sirs that these swordes Should rust within their sheathes of blisse While some Venetian letcher and his mate Should rauish thy sister and deflower thy neece Orp What swords are these frind reporte the truth Sem. This night Annetta and faire Lucida If gods and frindes forsake them in their wantes By lawlesse rauishers will be surprised I meane to succour them if you refuse Giue me my Iewels for I will succour none That leaues their sisters in extremitie Or. God leaue vs if we forsake our frindes Or leaue our sister in extremitie Semp. Then take more Iewels heire tall men And vnderneath this wall watch all this night If any man shall attempt to breake your sisters doore Be stout assaile him kill him for his cause is bad Zep Lead vs the way and we will follow thee For in our sisters cause we le spend our blood Sem. The gaine is yours the glory must be Gods Who made you to defend the innocenets Exit omnis Enter Forsa Duke of Myllan with Brishio and his traine Enter Medesa Duke of Florence with Lelio and his traine at the other doore For. Now Brishio since thy country Venice scorneth thee And thou an abiect wretch exild from thence Yet I haue made thee champion of my right If thou expect the cause it is for dowrie The which the Florentines denies to pay In right of marriage with faire Orrelio my wedded wife For this thou fightes now get the victory And thou hast purchast Country lyfe and friends Br. Reason no more my Lord For vertue plucketh occasiō ere he draweth his sword Look on great Princes and see an old man fight Euen as the candel falling downe aside Then burneth brightest when it gins to fayle In age so I will shewe greate valor And will not now submit Fo. I take thy word God mantaine now the right Me. Now Lelio I haue laid the burden of my warre on thee Thou art the champion of my weale or woe Deceiue not my firme hope but in a manly fight Attempt the winning of this happie day Le. By those moyst teares which with a mournful hart I often shed vpon Sempronios herst And by the loue I beare Annetta faire Naught but my death shall make me lose thy right More then my life I cannot hazard mighty Florentine Mede I like thy courage gentleman charge the combatants Here sound Trompets Le. Whom doe my eyes behold art thou not Brishio my father Who forsaking weale and friends Madest thy choyse of baleful banishment Rather then liue and seeme banisht Bri. Art not thou Lelio whom my zealous prayers Haue alwaies wisht and wild thy greatest good Cease trumpets cease we two must neuer fight Le. What meaneth thy champion Medesa to faynt Me. What meanes thy champion Forsa that he faints Brish To combate with my sonne were worse then death Lelio To combate with my father were my death Forsa Father and sonnes both champions in our wars Mede Brother and brother causer of the same Forsa What fauor merit they who loue so well Med. What infamy deserue we that contend See Forsa these champions are so kinde they cannot fight Shall wee contend for tytles wretchedly While meaner men contend in perfectt loue Lelio A pardon Medesa all the world beside Had not this man this father of my wife Incountred me I would haue died and perisht in thy cause Bri. A pardon Forsa had not this vertuous husband of my child Incountred me I would haue died and perisht in thy cause For. Rise combatants you teach vs what to do Come Medesa Ioyne you hands And let these two which loue so well Be Iudges of our warres and let it end Me. Brother content Now champions end debate What you conclude shall make a peace with vs Bris See see my sonne our loue hath well nigh made their peace Princes are you agreed to
censurd by himselfe These for assalting my Fortunio For Fit we to censure wrongs done to our selues I le be their aduocate they must not die Whom hath they wrongd not law for none is slayne They did but punish me If anie wrong were done t was done to these If anie death be due t is due to me Duke By breach of prison they haue forfeted For No my Lord for they were vniustly punished An I pardon thee Fortunio for all thy wrongs For pleading zealously for innocents Lu But if thou keepe my father from the sword I le paie thee further kindnes than I owe. Enter Brishio Bri Preuent not zealous faith you angrie heauens Let raging rigor stay till Brishio come What liue they yet liues Lelio liue my sonnes bound censured prest to die the heads-man heere Come let me make the fourth thou minister Leade me to death with these if these must die Duke How dares thy child Brishio visit vs Fearest thou not law Brish Yes prince I honor law And for the loue I beare to iustice now I come to paie my ransome of contempt And leaue my life in Venice for my crime 2. Sen Thy fault deserues not death The law requires a hundred crowns for penalty froÌ„ thee Bri I haue no crownes my head must be my coine I had one friend and you will rob me of him I haue two sonnes and they are bound to die Thus all my wealth is in your hands my Lords Giue these to me giue me these liuing ioyes For whom I haue aduentured breach of law Then take this hand cut it off for one And take this other cut it off for him But take for this my bodie hart and all Ah Lelio Lelio couldst thou serue me so Sen We looke for monie Brishio not for plaints Lu You shall haue monie heere receiue my dowrie I le paie my grandsires penaltie my selfe Bri No no redeeme the yonger sort let me die Lel Mightie magnificent and gracious lord Why staie you silly soules with dalliance Command these murdering hands to cut my throate And if that iustice florish in this state Pittie my father friend my ioy and weale Bri Call not for death my sonne he cals not thee For pittie Corrodino censure me For if I loose these I must loose my lyfe And if I loose him I loose my soule Then let vs all haue lyfe or lets all die Taxing this state with inhumanitie Du Drawe all these souldiers presently apart The Senators will counsell of these euents Enter Sempronio Sem Let vertue liue let villanie be slaine let Lelio liue for vertue liues in him O pittie thy campe is pitched heere But griefe and sorrow that remaineth here But faith and honestie that remaineth here Come Charitie and lend to me a tong Else Penitent Experience is quite vndone Bri Thou hast a tongue then raue not so Sem I haue no tongue because I cannot shew Nor tell to thee the secrets of my thoughts I haue no speech but such as helpe me not But such as sings thy vertue thy deserts Thy bountie thy true heart thy honestie O were there one could find Sempronio out How might we make a famous comedie Du Shall this conclusion stand you noble peeres Sen Wee ratifie the same by our consent Du Bring forth the prisoners Brishio march thou forth Waying the wondrous working of the heauens We thus conclude That Brishio shall be free from his supposd exile and inioy the goods and fortune he inioyd before We likewise doo release his forward sonnes and pardon their defaults what ere they be We grant the pension of a thousand crownes To Lucida as we haue promised Onely in this our iustice stands in force That Lelio must for murther suffer death Bri Nay my lorde spare all or none wee craue no further grace Sem Let Fortune spite or hate do what she can Here is a knacke to know an honest man Not age not life not sonnes not wealth nor friend Can drawe thee from affecting thy deare friend O let me make the third if Lelio die Hie thee kind charitie lend me a tongue Duke Beare hence the prisoner we dissolue the court Sem Stay suffer Penitent Experience inioy one boone For Dispatch then and tell vs what it is Se Let none but I be executioner to cut off Lelios head Duke We grant thy sute Sem Then giue me this keene sword Since none but Experience Hath power to cut off vertues noble head Thou shalt not die For Do not delude our trust Sem Nor do you condemne a guiltles man O Charitie is come I see him now Enter olde Phillip Du Heads-man dispatch except Sempronio liue Lelio must die Phil Sempronio liues my Lord see where he stands Du Hermit why dalliest thou Sempronio was yong but this is olde Sempronio was dead but he doth liue Her Old Sempronio now is young againe And dead Sempronio now doth liue Beholde him Lelio dost thou know him now Lel Sempronio Sem Ah deare Lelio Her This Lord left dead by shepheards in the field Was found againe and healed thus by me And by my art hauing his haire disguisde He past a solemne oath to hide his name And doo good deeds where he had liued loose Since when cald Penitent Experience He hath remaind and liu'd a pensiue life Speake my Sempronio for I discharge thy vow Tell thou the rest for why my vision Foretolde and promist such an accident As neuer Venice had or sawe the like Sem Sempronio liues and Lelio now must liue Greeu'd for my breach of faith greeu'd for my crime Heere are the tokens of my fatall wounds Which when I eyed Annetta I haue wept To thinke vpon my loose vnbrideled loue Let vs not ioy in words but ioy in hearts And let our armes our tongues discourse imbrace Where our three liues are heard of agen Call them three knackes to finde out honest men Du God wrought these things we do applaud his works See how by mute imbrace these friends imbrace Marke how they whisper in each others eares Their troublous fortunes cares discontents And now loue workes see how Lelio hand in hand Ioynes Sempronio with his Lucida The holy hermit knitteth vp the knot And all applaud this vnitie of peace How now what seekes this maide Enter Phillidae Phil. Pardon for my father Du Comst thou to plead for Seruio Phillida Go fetch him forth ioy shall haue fulnes now Sempronio stand aside we le make some sport Exit Phillida Enter Phillida with her father Seruio Duke Now Seruio for thy forfeit to the state What fine wilt thou affoord for libertie Ser Dread Lord those lands and profits fell to me By deare Sempronios death my neere a kin I frankly giue in lieu of my contempt Du What wilt thou make bequeath of others lands Why man he liues againe Ser First tell me I am dead my Lord. Du Thou must restore to him his goods againe Sâ—r O misery Is he restord to life to take away my goods Command me death nay prisonment and what ye wil So he reuiue not so I meet him not Sem See here the picture of true auarice Where men preferre their goods before their friends How fare you vnkle Ser Iesus blesse me a spirit What cosin Sem I vnkle the same and grieue not to yeeld your kinsman his right Du Nay force perforce he shall restore thy owne Phillida behold thy vnkle liues See my Lords no care of kindred holdeth her She runs to meet Orphinio loue conducteth her Phil Are you returnd my Lord what safe returnd Orp Returnd to keepe my faith with Phillida Du Knit vp that knot within with iollitie And Register record this commoditie Sem Nay stay my Lord before this comicke end Let measure knackes to finde out honest men For all these listning eares would finde them out Who list to know a perfect honest man Shall see his purse still open to the poore His tongue detesting lewd detractions He scornes to grieue the needfull heart with griefe But liues as borne to euerie mans releefe A knaue will gaine by all vnlawfull meanes But good men still their goods by vertue gleanes A knaue makes shift his thrift forsweares and lies An honest man on loue and faith relyes A knaue makes lust his loue respects no friend An honest man for friendship life will spend Oh how I should tire both tong thought and pen To scan out knaues from perfect honest men Point where I list if so my finger light On honestie I sweare I point aright Du Thankes good Sempronio for this worthie skill To register the memorie of this Henceforth where ere this historie is heard The worlde shall praise thee in whose life began The perfect knacke to knowe an honest man Finis
slew Sempronio But that assertion Seruio must not serue To proue him guiltie in these reuerend eares 2. Sen. What proofes produceth Seruio to the state To proue Lord Lelio guiltie of the murther When as through Venice nothing was more found Then faithfull friendship plighted twixt them twain Ser That loue which was twixt them before Doth make the murther farre more monstrous But princes in a word behold the man That sawe the murder and can witnes it Examine him and let his proofes preuaile Duke Lords let not Lelios honor bleare your eies Speake sirrha Did Lelio kill Sempronio Shep And shal please your honors grace and worships I for fault of a better shepheard to Lord Seruio heere And vpon a time let me see O t was yesterday when my masters sheep I were at breakfast together I sawe Lelio and Sempronio fighting so long That Lelio thrust his sword into Sempronios belly Whereupon he died and it shall please your worshipfull worships All this wil I be forsworne to with my neighbor Menalchus good man Coridon the rest that followed the crie with Slip my dog others forsoth Duke This homely tale doth sauor of truth Ser Truth soundeth sweetly in a silly tong 1. Sen Craft often lurketh in a shepheards coate Shep Sir you do abuse our profession For Craft goodman Coridons dog Nere wore coate nor breeches I le stand to it For My Lord and father breake contention off The proofes are found then let it not be sayde Your mightines should be miscarried By contradiction of two Senators Duke My sonne my silence tels me many things By it I finde the deapth of each mans drifte And gathering things by certaine circumstance Am better able to discerne the truth Lordes take your places and resolue on this That Lelio by approued truth is found To be the murtherer of Sempronio His lands and goods be siez'd to publike vse We doome him dead Besides whateuer man Can bring his head vnto the Senate house Shall haue a thousand crownes for recompence Paid him forth of our treasurie Further least priuate friends should succor him We do enact that whatsoeuer man Shall dare conceale or hide the murtherer Shall be banisht and his goods confiscat Senators allow you this Ser Iustice this sentence great Venetian Duke 2. Sen Remit thou yet thy sterne austeritie Most mightie prince and be not so seuere Though Lelio by the lawe do merit death There is no lawe that may defraud his wife Or leaue his daughter without maintenance O grant thou this iust fauor mightie Duke That they may keepe possession of his house Although the common-wealth command his goods Duke A lawfull plea which may not be denide Thy suite is granted register it downe Now let our gard beset the citie round Search euerie house to finde out Lelio Meane while graue Senators bethinke your selues Of some strict lawe against our Sessions That may repulse these insolent debates Exeunt omnes Enter Brisheo and Franco Brish Sirrha Franco what sayde olde Seruio to my money Fran Mary sir as soon as his fore eies had ouerlookt it And his fingers trembling had ouertolde it He tooke it vp and verie furiously cast it into hell Brish Into hell knaue what meanst thou by that Fran. Marie sir into his chest I meane the verie bottomlesse pit of vsurie where I am sure God neuer came but the deuil his angels fil it vp to the brim Brish Well sirrha leaue your ieasting and goe will the master of my barke to vnlode the wares and see that at the crane you hoise them vp Fran I will sir Ex. Fran. Enter Lelio Lel Where shall I hide me from too searching eies Oh whether may I go to saue my life Brish Me thinkes I see my Lelio quite dismaid What aileth thee my sonne Lel O staie me not Brishio for thy daughters sake Be not thou the meanes to bring me to my end Brish Be not so foolish to mistrust thy friend Thy troubles taint my weale Lel Father by marriage friend in my misdeed Thus fortune hath deprest my weake estate Sempronio found in Venice for my friend Deare to my soule while he held vertue deare Incenst thy daughter and my wedded wife Who scorning to defame her ancient stocke Disburdned his lewd suit within my eares Heereon in a rage I drew him to the field There he lies slaine I flie to saue my life Now as thou art a father for my sake Pittie thy daughter and my wofull child For by the law I am condemnd to die Farewel the rest who cannot tel if you enquire Brish Stay Lelio stay if for my daughters sake thou slewest thy friend I for thy vertues sake will keepe thee close within my house And ship thee priuily this present night So vnperceiu'd thou shalt escape awaie Lel Hast thou not heard the sentence of the Duke That who so succors me must loose his goods And liue a banisht life Brish Why thinkest thou threates shall make me leaue my friend When is the time for friends to shew themselues But in extremitie I blesse sweet fortune that giues me such meanes To shew how much I fauor true nobilitie Lel What God wil haue folly may not withstand Brish Go in my sonne I wil be day the night the euening the morning to thee my sonne The day to helpe thee flie from foes pursuit The euen to giue thee rest from all thy toile No daie nor night shall I retaine my rest Till Brishio know that thou art safely fled Exe omnes Enter Sempronio disguised with Phillip Semp Here leaue me father walke no further forth Leaue me supposed dead reuiu'd by thee Hide thou my name and couer from the world My fortunes and my birth and all misdeeds Here is that Venice that beheld me fond Here is that Venice that shall beholde me wise Looke how thy science hath disguisde these lookes So hath thy councell reconcilde my heart I hate all worldly pompe I scorne lewd lust This tongue from tempting in dishonest loue Shall labour to releeue the innocent Farewell thou knowest my vow Which I haue sworne to keepe irreuocable Neuer to disclose my name Vntill such time as thou releasest me Phil I wil conceale thy name thy fortune thy birth Thy friends and what thou wilt I will conceale And now redeemed from the iawes of death Loue deeds of vertue worthie Gentleman And euerie daie discouering of thy wound Thinke how thy God hath thus preserued thee Sem Phillip farewell and welcome pouertie From sinfull proud I waxe a cynike pure Die fortune flie deceit florish true repent Sinne folly breeds a good mans discontent Enter Fortunio and Marchetto with the gard For Marchetto if thou louest me grant me this That if thou enter Lelios house thy selfe I may accompanie or tend on thee Mar Your Lordship cannot will or wish the thing Wherein Marchetto will not pleasure you The gard alreadie hath beset the house And I will knocke