ten pounde Teach them a way themselues to confounde For these are the two that Susan shall proue By all manner meanes to coole their hose loue And if they obtayne what get they than A Tabernacle forsooth with my Dad Sathan and if they doe not but she it discrye The rygor of Law shall force them to dye Lo thus you doe sée I haue gone the deuice That Mistresse Susan shall sore intice Sende them good lucke Dad be thou their spéede And graunt that with shame they may ende for their méede And thus because thinges doe grow fast vpon Farewell my maysters I will be gone Here goeth out Euill Reporte and Ioachim entreth Ioach. ¶ The waighty charge that God hath giuen to such as doe liue here And ioyned are the pore to guyde doth fret my hart with feare The charge we haue to helpe the iust and vyce to punish to O Lorde thou knowest it is to great for mortall men to do The Princes thought to liue at ease the pore man to take payne But daungerous is the Princes lyfe and daungerous once agayne O God let it not séeme to thée that I would chaunge my fate But if it be thy will good Lorde rid me from Rulers state The two Iudges come in Volup. ¶ God saue your goodnesse worthy syr God still augment your dayes Sensu. ¶ God send you Nestors tyme to raigne with helpe in all assayes Ioach. ¶ In froth right 〈◊〉 pity are you come I thought your absence long For when I am in place alone my passyons séeme full strong I cannot rid out of my brayne the charge of our degrée How rightly we should rule the world which crooked is to sée I promise you if I might speake without offence of God There is no sharper punishment then is the Rulers rod Yea let vs doe euen what we can to rule ech thing aright Thou knowest Lorde the waight is such it passeth much our might Sensu. ¶ Why Syr me thinkes you doe offend because you thus repyne Agaynst the doinges of that God whose workes are all deuyne He hath plaste you for chiefest here and vs to be your ayde We may not shrinke lyke fearefull ones but beare the burthen layde We may not thinke the burthen great nor yet the tyme to long That God shall keepe vs in this state but sée we doe no wrong 〈…〉 alas who liueth now and doth the people guyde But that agaynst his will O Lord his foote shall sometyme slyde The matters are so croockt and vyle that commeth forth ech day As how to ende without some wrong I know not well the way ¶ A Iudges state is straight indéede and to be lookte vpon But if so straight as you doe feare then were we wo begon But this I thinke if euidence our matters doe desyde Our ground is sure our path is straight our sentence cannot slyde ¶ Your if doth well but if your if do misse in any case How should we end our iorney straight and haue a crooked race But replye on wordes with wordes doth vaynely spende the tyme And tyme ill spent you know right well is eake a greeuous cryme What thinges we haue to do you know what matters to discusse The number of them Lorde thou knowest I thinke to much for vs Well it is our charge you know and therefore doe you two Peruse eche playnt with such effect as Iudges ought to do And when you haue with diligence done it with good aduyce I will you ayde to cut of doubtes if any doe aryse With that Sensuality and Voluptas sitteth downe at a Table turning of bokes and Ioachim kneeling on his knees sayeth ¶ O God when thou madste man of nought thou framdste him in suche blisse As he should still â—isy thy grace and feele no heauinesse Unto thy lykenesse him thou madste among thy workes of wonder And settest him in Paradice where is no thyrst 〈◊〉 hunger This ioyfull lyfe did he leade still till death the Deuill and Hell By disobeying of thy doome did spite his state so well He fell from that and now is come into such weakenesse Lord As what a loue of him doth come by thée it is abhorde Therefore good Lorde since thou haste plaste me for a Ruler here Graunt that no word may passe my mouth without thy loue and feare Here entreth Susanna and her two maydes Susanna ¶ I cannot but must marueyle much of Ioachim my Lorde And why he commeth not home to dyne according to his worde Was it not at 〈◊〉 a Clock that he sayd he would dyne How thinke you both in fayth is it not a little past that tyme Serua. ¶ Not much Madam he is not soont to breake his promyse iust Ancilla ¶ No no Madam he will ere long be with you you may trust Susanna ¶ What yonder he is me thinkes Serua. ¶ It is he in very deede With that she goeth to him and maketh Curtesy Susanna ¶ I will not say vnto you now what you did cause me thinke In déede I will conceale it now and at the matter winke Ioach. ¶ What Susan doest thou chyde me now I will fell thée my mynde That women there be none at all but shrewes they are by kynde Susanna ¶ Well well to auoyde this controuersye I will confesse that cryme And I pray you hartily to aryse and let vs home to dyne Note that from the entraunce of Susanna the Iudges eyes shall neuer be of her till her departure whispering betweene themselues as though they talked of her Ioach. ¶ What is it dinner tyme so soone me thinkes it scantly noone Susanna ¶ Yes good my Lord I pray you now make ready and go we soone With this Ioachim Susanna and her two Maydes go to the Table to the two Elders Ioach. ¶ Loe now my maysters you may sée the state of marryed men My wyfe is come I must be gone I must yéelde to her when Volup. ¶ And reason good forsooth it is for euery man to doe In some thing as his wyfe shall will his willing hart vnto ¶ Ye speake it well in very déede but it were harde to fynde If both your wordes and hart did gree in vttering this your mynde ¶ If he speake not his thought Madam I dare beshrew his harte For as he sayd I thinke in déede and shall doe for my parte ¶ Your conclusyon now I sée is that I should obay 〈◊〉 wyse in this her small request well well I say not nay But Susan come let vs go home the sooner shall we dyne As I doe you so shall you me obay another tyme ¶ And reason good in fayth my Lorde both now and alwayes to That I should follow your behestes as reason wils me do ¶ Well farewell my Maysters till after noone I trust you will dyne and be here agayne soone ¶ I warrant you we will not be long ¶ If we should we should do you wrong Here Ioachim Susanna and her two maydes depart and the Iudges make vp their
worke ynough I warrant you and more then he can do Here haue I now a busynesse that is of meruaylous waight The way to fynde the truth thereof is also very straight But yet in doing of the same I would we had begone The sooner that we do begin the sooner is it done What Bayly haue ye here the crye that I wilde you to make Bayly ¶ Yea my Lorde Here the Iudge sitteth downe Iudex ¶ Then let the Cryer here an O yes make And you your selfe doe to him make the order of the crye And let him speake it after you come of and do you hye Bayly ¶ Ill Reporte make an O yes here Then Ill Report goeth vp Ill Rep. ¶ Helpe me vp Bayly ¶ O yes All manner creatures That haue humayne features And dwell within this Lande Come in and disclose What you heare and suppose By this woman Susan And what you can tell Shall now be heard well As reason it is Your worke shall be good In sauing her blood If she did not amis But if she be guilty Then is it necessitie That she die for her sinne Then what you can say Let vs know straight way For the Court doth begin Ill Report ¶ O yes All maner traytours That are yeomen fâ—utours That leade Dogges in bande Doe stop well your nose For feare of the pose And giue me your hand And if you cannot smell Then are you not well For reasons by gis Will doe you small good But chaunge your good blood To stinking ywis But if you be guiltie With order of necessitie By shyting so thin Then get you away And that straight way And to clense you begin Here shall the Cryer the Bayly and the rest go stand before the Iudge and tell him the crie is made ¶ Cryer call Susanna ¶ Susanna ¶ Here my Lorde ¶ Stand forth and holde vp thy hand ¶ If any here within this court there is that can detect This woman guilty of that cryme whereof she is suspect Come forth and say your mindes at large and all that you know true For now is time and other time you haue not that to do ¶ My Lorde Susanna is the wighte whose fault we must accuse And what she is that standeth there we can do nought but muse She is so muffled about the face we thinke it is not she A crafty Dame may compasse so to haue vs go awry Voluptas shall seeme to whisper in the others eare ¶ Thou sayest as wel as hart can think for though we could not touch Yet pleasing our eyes with this her sight shall serue our lust as much ¶ What peace horeson My Lorde vnder correction I meane to sée her face And know if it be she or no before I speake in place ¶ Discouer her face Bayly ¶ I will my Lorde Come on fayre Lady you here your selfe what I am bid to do 〈◊〉 ¶ I pray thee Gayler holde thée still my selfe wil do it to O liuing God that all thing séeth what meanes this crueltie Doe not I feele ynough good Lord but all the world must sée I mourne the lesse O Lord thou knowest an innocent to dye But yet my gréefe is to to great to end with infamy Yet Lorde I leaue me to thy will and I wil say no more Thou aâ—â—e my strength in thée I hope I haue none other power ¶ Now Cryer holde them a Boke Lay on you handes and marke well what I shall say the euidence that you shall giue agaynst this woman here Is for trothes sake and not for meede for hatred nor for feare Ye shall declare the truth of all and there from shall not slyde Nor any part of it at all from vs you shall not hyde They kis the Boke This is your charge I charge you with sée thereto you doe looke You swere by God who knoweth all and also by this Booke Sensua. ¶ As we two in the Orcharde walkte and none but we alone In came this woman with two maydes but straight she sent them home And wayghty charge she gaue them both we could but muse wherfore In any case that they should shut and spar the Orchard dore With that a yong man straight slept forth that hidden secrete lay And came to her right shamefullye and found her Uenus play For vs to see the ende of this in secrete corner stoode The open sight of this fowle deede appalde our auncient bloode And when we saw with both our eyes that they had lyen togither Pretending for to take the wretch our selues we did discouer But when we layde our handes of him we could not hold him still His strength was of much fortitude and ours very ill This done he hyde him to the gate and so from thence away For reason sayth one â—usty blood two weake men cannot stay Now when this woman thus we tooke Dame quoth we what is he That thus your husbandes bed hath fyld as we with sorrow sée But she because that tyme would helpe to frame a lye full well And craftily then could hold her peace and spared that to tell So this the matter is in déede and both we witnesse be And as we meane to aunswere it we say but what we sée Iudex ¶ How say you syr I charge you now by the oth that you did take Is this conclusyon but the truth that this your friend doth make Volup. ¶ True Syr yea true in deede I would there were no cause For Ioachim her husbandes sake to punish her with lawes Iudex ¶ Susanna now thou seest here the euidence of these men Speake for thy selfe it is high tyme what haste thou to say then Wherefore thou oughtest not to dye for I must sentence giue Speake forth or else I know not how that longer thou shouldste liue Susanna ¶ Oh God oh King oh mighty one oh euerliuing Lorde What secretes is there thou séest not what sinne is not abhorde Before eche thing doe come to passe thou knowest what it will be Thou knowest good Lorde these wicked men haue falsly blamed me Because I would not to their lust most shamefully consent Agaynst me Lorde thou knowest they doe this matter thus inuent Behold my God I dye therefore through mallice of their harte Therefore my God receaue my soule none else can ease my smarte ¶ Susanna holde thée still a whyle and harken to my talke Thy earthly dayes are almost past now must thou change thy walke Thou séest here before thy face how playne thy fault is seene For as I doe I must néedes doe although thou werte a Quéene Be thou therefore attentiue to and harken to thy doome Repent the life is gone and past thinke on the life to come Know that there is a God in déede on whome I heard thée call That were thy sinnes ten times as great he would forgiue them all Well hence thou must and to the place where then shalt end thy life Lo thus I end my sentence now and thou
shalt end thy stryfe Here the Iudge ryseth and Susanna is led to execution and God rayseth the spirite of Danyell 〈◊〉 ¶ Oh foolish folke of Israell that know not ill from good I am you sée an innocent and guiltlesse of this blood ¶ I pray thee friend what meane thy wordes which séeme of such a waight Disclose the secretes of thy mynde and tell vs thereof straight 〈◊〉 ¶ That I meane speake I tell you true shall straight be playnly sayd Why are you fooles O Israell or are your wits dismayde Or haue you not the pollicie the truth to know and trie Why haue you now condemned here this Israelite to die And that which worst is yet of all and filleth her harte with ruth You haue done this oh foolish men and haue not knowen the truth Go sit in iudgement once agayne the witnesse they haue borne Is false and yet their grauity your sences doth subborne ¶ Mary chylde with all my hart we will retourne vs soone And also what thou thinkest meete it shall straight way be done And synce that God by thée hath giuen a warning to vs all Come sit with vs in iudgement seate least we agayne should fall Susanna for ioy shall seeme to sound the Vice shall call for Vineger and Mustarde to fetche her agayne the Bayly shall say ¶ Is Mustard good for sick folkes reléefe Ill Rep. ¶ Yea Syr Uineger and Mustarde both is good for béete Susanna ¶ Why Lord my God my King and ioy what haue I done for thée That in the midst of all my woes thus thou shouldst succour me I as touching fylthy flesh nought but a lump of clay Yet thou O Lorde I fynde it still wilt alway be my stay What can I doe for recompence vnto thy heauenly grace Nought else good Lorde but prayse thy name whyle I haue liuing space And I shall be a witnesse still to those that cleaue to thee Thou wilt not suffer them to fall but wilt their ayder bée Now Lord while life and dayes shall last and till my breth be spent I will set forth thy gloryous prayse which is so parmament Here they returne all back to iudgement Iudex ¶ Danyell I pray thee with all my hart Sit downe and in this waighty charge Doe helpe to take our part Danyell ¶ Cause that sylence be proclaimed Iudex ¶ Bayly cause the Cryer to make an O yes Here the Cryer goeth vp agayne and maketh an O yes Iudex speaketh Iudex ¶ How many in this court doth stand to heare what God hath done I charge them in that God his name their sylence to vse soone And Bayly vndoe Susanna and rid her from her bandes And binde those wicked Elders two both by their féete and handes Susanna ¶ See here good people vnto you all I speake How God doth helpe the innocent and eake their sorrowes breake Let myne example comfort you in all kinde of distresse That if you suffer for his sake he will your caâ—â—s â—â—â—case And let not feare of any man your constant that 〈◊〉 From him that thus most constantly his 〈◊〉 doth true You sée I am at libertye that earst hath bene in thrall And thus will God deale with all such as end is mercy call Danyell ¶ Where be these wicked people two that would haue sâ—ed the blood Of guiltlesse Susan for that she their fylthy lust withstoode ¶ Uoluptas and Sensualitas holde vp your handes ¶ Here my Lord Danyell to the people ¶ Amongest ech thinges that beareth lyfe there is nothing so excelent Then man nor yet there is nothing more pestilent God made of man an Innocent thereby to show his power Man made himselfe a wicked wight as you sée at this hower God also did make Maiestrates the pore to helpe and stay Yet some doe vyle examples show which now doe beare a sway I speake it not I will you know the worst man to offende But for that such as guiltie be their guilt may soone amende And you that wicked are in déede haue you none other trust God will confound your acttes and deedes turne your selues to dust And then for your iust deserte he will place you to dwell In Plutoes Pit a fyery Lake the déepest dyke in Hell And therefore I aduertise you doe learne your selues to know And reade Gods bokes where you shall fynde I nought but truth doe showe And let these wicked Elders two be sample to you all Uiew well their lofty state of late and now doe marke their fall ¶ What witnesse shall we haue to trye that they would do this act So closely twixt themselues they haue this fylthy cryme compact ¶ CoÌ„maund that these two wicked men may straight be put asunder And how they shall accuse themselues it will make you to wonder ¶ Cryer take asyde Uoluptas while Sensualitas be examined Here he takes asyde Voluptas and sayth ¶ Come on you Knaue thou bawdy wretch I hope to haue thy cote And for exchaunge thereof thou shalt be strangled in a rope Mary syr a bloody gowne vpon my back will make me looke a hye And then that I am Ill Reporte no worldly man can spye ¶ Well friend I would not haue thée prate nor place thy words awry For all the world doth know right well thou art as ill as I Ill Rep. ¶ Gogs wouÌ„ds knaue thou shitteÌ„ slaue hast thou none to check but me I am an honest man proue it he that can I will not be iudged by thee Volup. ¶ No God shall iudge thée Ill Rep. ¶ What haste thou learned that Lesson now Had you learned it sooner it had bene better for you Danyell ¶ What sayest thou now Sensualitas now that thy mate is gone And no man is to helpe thée here but thou art left alone Oh olde and crooked cancred Carle whose auncient wickednesse And rape and rygor thou haste done now thus detected is What false decrées hast thou decreed what Innocentes opprest What guilty folke haste thou set frée which good folke doe detest Thou haste forgot what God doth say O wicked thou knowest whan Thou shalt not hurt the Innocent nor yet the righteous man Well if that thou the truth haste spoke then tell vnder what tree The mutuall talke betweene these two in Orchard thou didst see Sensua. ¶ Under a Mulbery trée I saw their conference And vnder that trée she committed her offence And meaning not for to conceale that faulte but it to tell We marke the order and the trée we also markt it well Danyell ¶ Oh now thou lyest thou wicked man vnto thy head I speake And looke that God his vengeance will with shame vpon thee wreake And loe thy sentence he hath heard and thus he means to doe according to thy due desert to cut thy lyfe in two And hearst thou Bayly take thou asyde this vyle and wicked wight And so he commeth not to his mate nor once within his sight Iudex ¶ Now that this man is gone I
beséech you here me speake Me thinkes he telleth still the tale that he at fyrst did breake Daynell ¶ Yea one man may still in one tale in onely order tell But yet his Mate will not agrée doe therefore marke him well ¶ Hoe Cryer bring in Uoluptas there Iudex ¶ Anon my Lorde see how he commeth here Ill Rep. ¶ Stande forth Uoluptas and aunswere for thy selfe Iudex ¶ Thou must stand forth and show thée lyke an elfe Ill Rep. ¶ Oh wicked séede of Canaan and not of Iuda kynde Danyell Fayrenesse hath thyne eyes deceaude and lust hath made thée blynd With Israels daughters thus you delt and they for feare consent But Iuda Daughter would not byde your poâ—â—es â—o 〈◊〉 Now if such thing thou sawest by her as thou haste made reporte What kynd of tree I pray thée waste where vnder they did sport ¶ Under a pomgranate tree she vsed fylthy sporte And take her part that taketh it list it was in shamefull sorte 〈◊〉 ¶ Loe now thou lyest naughty man thy tongue hath thee betrayde And calls thy fellowes talke before your fylthy lust bewrayde And now your fylthy lust is spyde we see it very well Oh wicked wight oh diuelish deede oh act that soundes to hell Gods Aungell standeth with his sworde euen prest to spill thy blood And to dismember both your corpes which earst was neuer good ¶ Cryer call in the Bayly with Sensualitas Now God be praysed and thankes I giue to thée oh Danyell And for this act I am most bound Gods glory forth to tell He hath saued here the innocent blood which in him put her trust And by the wordes of their owne mouth hath cast downe the vniust Now prayse be to his name therefore both now and eake alway Let all the world that know his might Amen with vs here say 〈◊〉 ¶ Here my Lord here is Sensualitas ¶ Set him by Uoluptas Shall it please you Danyell now their Sentence for to giue For all the world must néedes confesse they are not meete to liue 〈◊〉 ¶ No Iudex I haue done Gods will proceede you in your charge And giue them sentence to the death doe you your selfe discharge ¶ Sensualitas and Uoluptas to I speake vnto you twayne How falsly you accused her all men doe now see playne And God him selfe to saue her blood hath wonderfully wrought And you that sought to spill the same are also come to nought Well God forgiue your wicked déede and giue your selues to pray For of your course of mortall lyfe this same is the last day For hence you shall vnto the place where such doe vse to dye As doe transgresse the Princes lawes euen forthwith by and by And there with stones you shall be stonde while lyfe and 〈◊〉 doth last Hoe there away with them I say let it be done in haste Here goeth out Iudex and Danyell and Ill Reporte and the Bayly leade the two Iudges to execution Ill Rep. ¶ Come of with the mischiefe Is it now more gréefe For you two to dye Then other you thought Whome you accused for nought Mary fye for shame fye Be of good cheare You shall be past feare Within this halfe hower Much good do your hartes That thus doe take partes In euery stower They that shall spye You Iudges to dye For transgressing the law Shall say that by might In stéede of good right You kept men in awe Then he brings them to the stake Now holde vp your handes And receiue your bandes Now throw on your stones And there is for me One as much as thrée Shall breake all their bones Volup. ¶ Soft I pray thée yet a whyle I pray thée holde thy handes And suffer vs to call on God vpon vs now it standes And Lord receiue vs yet at last that earst did neuer know Thy goodnesse nor thy mightie hand our welth did blynde vs so I haue bene giuen in all my time my flesh to follow still Now Lorde forgiue my sences all I leaue me to thy will My sinnes are more then I can tell my sorrowes passing great The shiuering passions of my bones doth cause my flesh to sweate Now Lorde into thy handes I leaue my sobbing sorrowfull spirite Receaue it Lord and from the Fiend defend me with thy mighte Sensua. ¶ And to me Lord doe not account the number of my sinnes Reiect the same and heare me now for now my plaint begins And though the falshood of the flesh in welth would let me know Yet in this my extremitie doe thou thy mercie show The whole doe néede no medicine it is bought for thée sicke So mercie Lorde doe helpe the froward and those against the kick Not iustice Lord but mercie we doe craue to ease our bandes And by thy mercie both we yéelde our soules into thy handes Ill Rep. ¶ Are ye readie yet Volup. ¶ Yea when you will Here they stone them and the Vyce lets a stone fall on the Baylies foote and fall togither by the eares and when the Iudges are deade the Vyce putteth on one of their Gownes ¶ Now the world is rid of a couple of Knaues we sée ¶ And yet one to much alyue by thée ¶ Nay nay my friend and brother A Knaue is one and you 〈◊〉 another I could but maruayle of the wordes they did speake Before they did dye and whence they did breake ¶ Why foole knowest thou not yet that nature will teach Thee when thou goest to hanging how thou shouldste preach ¶ Hanging quoth a mary I trust or I dye To see thy good face hang full hye Here entreth Seruus and true Reporte ¶ I promise you I feare me much that Ill Reporte is fled If not I haue commissyon to hang all but his head ¶ Who who Diuell who How doth the world go Must Ill Reporte dye No no I trow The world goes not so Then all were awry For neyther of Prince nor King Nor of any other thing But my tongue shall walke The prowdest of them all Shall not giue me such a fall Or shall let me to talke 〈◊〉 Rep. ¶ Except I be deceaued much that same is Ill Reporte That standes in yonder scarlet gowne and prates in such a sorte Come neare and we will sée in déede whether it be he or no For if it be I tell thee true he shall no further go For why the Iudge hath giuen in charge where so we could him spye We should for his demerites sake hang him by and by ¶ It is he in déede I thinke I will aske him the questyon Seruus ¶ Syr what is your name Ill Rep. ¶ A Iudge Knaue thou seest I am the very same I am had in great pryce both in Cittie and in towne I am a Magistrate doest not sée by my gowne Tru Rep. ¶ By my troth I thinke more grauitie consistes in your coâ—e Then abydes in your hart or goes thorow your throate You may be honest and sober but your countenaunce doth giue That you
did giue it me Volup. ¶ Why friend shall we lose our Money III Rep. ¶ Why foole though I know not Phisick I know a connye Sensua. ¶ Mayster Uoluptas for the Money force not he is a good fellow And will otherwyse deserue it I doe right well know Volup. ¶ I will say no more of it but doe remitte the same But I pray thee tell me what is thy name ¶ Mary Syr a woman ¶ What act thou a man and haste a womans name ¶ Why syr are you a woman and haue a man to your Dame ¶ Nay I pray thee iest not but tell me thy name ¶ In fayth syr she can doe you no pleasure for she goeth with crooches ¶ 〈◊〉 goâ—th vpon crooches I pray thee tell ¶ Mary my Dame syr her Arse is not well For she had a vengeaunce bote payne betwéene her legges And her Surgeon hath magmed her with driuing in pegges ¶ Thou art a merry fellow I aske thée thy name ¶ By my Fathers soule syr I know not the same But yet I will talke lyke a mayster of arte Though my cheefe erudition hath bene at the Carte Twert Iâ—faâ—de Redding any Portsmouth You shall fynde my name I tell you forsooth ¶ If thou werte gentle thou wouldst not sende me so farre But friendly declare and show what you are ¶ Why whether I be friendly or no in fayth thou arte foolish And mad to I thinke that vnderstandest not English Take the fyrst Syllable of these Townes thrée And what my name is thou shalt playnely see ¶ I will rid the stryfe and tell in playner sorte His name as I tolde you is Ill Reporte ¶ What playne Ill Report no mayster at all in fayth for all your bloody gowne I will ray you on the scall ¶ Why gentle Mayster Ill Reporte it is a friendly parte With playne wordes to salute a friend proceeding from the harte And I dare speake in your behalfe although you seeme to sweare That friendly you do take his wordes as we doe friendship beare ¶ Geue me thy hande my friend I sweare by my Dad and Lorde Thou art arse honest a man as is in the vnâ—arshole worlde Thou louest me and thou louest me and I loue thée and I loue thée And is not Ill Reporte Voluptuousnesse and Sensualitie A glorious and blessed trinitie a pestelence on you both ¶ Let vs leaue now mayster Ill Reporte ¶ Why Knaue doste thou check me in such a sorte Sensu. ¶ No syr but we haue waighty masters to discus And for your wysedomes sake we account you cheefe of vs And because it concerneth womens kynde I know you as good as any man may fynde Ill Rep. ¶ In womens geare I am alone it is my whole delight And I will helpe you in that case be it wrong or right Volup. ¶ Well then I will be shorte vnto thée man We burne both with lust to Susan Ill Rep. ¶ And Uenus with Bacchus for wyne and Ceres for Corne Is alwayes colde and thou burnest after a horne Volup. ¶ Why syr why say you so Ill Rep. ¶ Thyne owne wordes in such sort go Didst not thou say to me euen now man That thou waste in loue and could not get thy shoes on Volup. ¶ No syr no I speake of Susanna Ill Rep. ¶ Who syr the countrey hath no peare a And is not a Neates feather I pray thée a Better to pull on thy shoes a Then to pull them on with thy fyngers end a. Volup. ¶ We talke of Ioachims wyfe whose name in Latten is Susan Ill Rep. ¶ Oh oh Est nomen Mulieris And you would haue tactus ipsius ventris You loue well Salmon of the meses For a womans belly your dyet doth please But if you meane to haue my helpe to fortefy your forte All that I can doe is to giue her an ill Reporte By which meanes if you proue and cannot speede That she desyres you the peoples cares I will feede Whereby and by your demure countenaunce You shall by loue or feare obtayne your desyred dalyaunce Sensua. ¶ Oh excellent wit and friendship irrecompensible We will requyte you with the lyke iâ— euer we be able Ill Rep. ¶ By my troth you say very well for so do the common sorte in recompence of a good turne giue an ill reporte Well get you packing to dinner and when you fynde her alone Spéede your purpose if you may and let me alone For I will cloke your doinges and hers shall be the blame You shall doe the fault and she shall haue the shame Well once agayne adue ¶ And to be short as much agayne to you Here go out the Iudges and the Vice taryeth still ¶ Must not a common welth Be néedes in good health That haue such Rulers They are syck of the sweat And to auoyde their heat They must haue coolers They must néedes spéede well That know I come from hell And seeke myne aduyce Well doe them not blame For to open shame I will them intyce And so at the last I shall bring to passe My Fathers desyre For Susan or the Iudge To please his olde grudge Shall burne in his fyre What seace Knaue seace Holde thy tongue and be peace What is he comes here It is Ioachim alas I will be gone by the Masse It is he that I feare Ioachim entreth and the Vice runneth out ¶ Seuen tymes is sayd that in one day the iust man doth offend Then seuen tymes seuen doe I alas good Lorde doe it amend And graunt that what I take in hande or what I shall begin May guyded be by thy good grace and so I shall not sinne Well to sée what my mates haue done to helpe ech pore mans case I will absent my selfe a whyle and get me from this place But yet before that I go hence Lord shield me with thy might And graunt me by thy wonted grace to iudge eche thing aright I passe not of this pomped worlde nor might that is therein I séeke good Lorde by thy good grace in heauen a place to win And therefore I assure my self my hope shall be no lesse That if thou guide me with thy grace I shall obtayne thy blesse And so shall all that vertue séekes and liue here on the ground And they that doe the contrary God will them sure confound Well waighty busynesse cals me hence to God I leaue you all Who graunt vs all to stand vpright and not in sinne to fall Here goeth out Ioachim and Susannas two mayds enter Ancilla ¶ When fyrst I came into the Court where we doe serue and dwell What I did thinke would moue you laugh if I that tale should tell â—erua. ¶ To laugh sometyme is medsonable therefore thou mayest do well Thy merry thought to vtter now that tyme doth serue to tell Ancilla ¶ I heard once in my fathers house a Gentleman declare The worthy customes of the court and â—ake the Princely fare The gorgeous Garmentes of eche Dame their
tyne and famous lyfe The noble workes of amorous Knights their stoute and louing stryfe The pleasure of eche worthy Dame how they doe hunt and hawke And wearyed with eche pastyme thus the streates how they did walk The noble maskes that were showed forth in euery winters night The Reuels and the reueling cheare that did eche harte delight Musitions how they did deuyse with songes to please the eare And Musickes arte by instrument that gladded hartes to heare And sometyme the pore mans chylde that there is plaste to be To honour clymes for vertues sake and brought to hye degrée Tush then was I on fyre set till I could get the grace Of Fathers and of mothers graunt to dwell in such a place They graunted me and I was glad thus came I here to dwell But now I thinke both you and I another tale can tell And yet can none of vs denye but that his wordes were true But that pertaynes not to my state nor yet belonges to you For we but wayters are on them that leade these happy days We trudge and trauayle and take payne they do possesse the prayse Thus when I thinke how wyde I shot when I shot at this marke I laugh to sée how ready youth is still to chaunge his worke I leapte from ease and quyet state within my natiue soyle And came into a stranger ayre to trauayle and to toyle Serua ¶ And can you laugh at this conceite then I will make make you smile When tyme and place shall serue agayne for vs to talke a whyle But now let vs be packing hence our Dame may thinke vs long She will forsooth giue vs the right if we giue her the wrong ¶ Harke Serua harke the clock strikes one t is tyme for vs to go It is a poynt of policy to loue and feare a throw They go out and Sensualitie and Voluptas enter ¶ Heu mihi quod nullis amor est medicabilis herbis Wo to me wretch wo once agayne wo to this day and hower Wherein my heate of ardent loue will coole with hearbe nor flower Wo to the God that sendes the loue wo to him 〈◊〉 the Dart And can so stryke as will not heale by hearbe or medicines arte Wo to my selfe that fyxt my hart where I cannot reuoke Wo to that blynde boy once agayne that gaue my hart the stroke if I may fynde a tyme and place to coole this my desyre I will doe it to spyte the Gods I care not for their yre ¶ Sensualitas my friend you know as well as I How fyrst we found by secrete meanes Susannas haunt to spye Shée goeth ech day when she hath dynde vnto a certayne spring Within here Orcharde her to wash which is a wholesome thing There were we sure at the least our eyes to fyll and please Be quiet then that may perhaps our sorrowes partly ease ¶ Ye say full well and I thinke sure if we could closely hyde Our selues within some couert place a tyme there might be spyde Wherein we might take her alone and then through loue or might We would haue both our pleasure there to voyd this sorrowfull plight ¶ Well let vs go and hyde our selues within that Orcharde then For after dinner she comes there I know her wonted when And Ill Report vs promysed what so we say or doe That he would sense vs of the fault and blame Susanna to ¶ Haue with you then with all my hart O Lord that the were there Away apace go on afore me thinke she commeth here Here they go afore into the Orchard and Susanna and her two maydes come vpon the stage ¶ If any woman in this world my God may iustly prayse It is I good Lorde aboue the rest that liueth in these days Thou blessest me my Lord my God and take my louing Spouse My Cattayle in the field abroade my seruauntes in the house My Corne both in the Barne and field doth yeeld full great increase And thus O Lord thy benifytes towardes vs doth neuer seace O Lorde doe graunt that these thy giftes doe not our hartes so fyll That if thou lay thy hand on vs we take that part for ill But as by this thy prouidence we liue and take our rest We may if any storme doe fall account it for the best Ancilla haue you warnde the Cooke his busynesse so to ende As slacknesse in the same his acte my Lorde doe not offende Ancilla ¶ Yea Madam ech thing is prest and shall be in good hower He is right carefull for his parte I doe it you assure Susanna ¶ And Serua haue you for your part done that I bid you doe Serua. ¶ Those thinges which you gaue me in charge My selfe haue done them to Susanna ¶ Well then will I go wash my selfe to the Orchard let vs go Here they goe into the Orcharde Me thinkes the wether very warme the season very hote And yet there is a thing or two that both you haue forgot Ancilla ¶ What is that Madam Susanna ¶ Neyther of you both I thinke haue brought me sope and oyle To wash the sweate of from my skin or rid away the soyle Well go you both togither hence I thinke you know wherefore And spéede agayne but here you hoe make fast the Orchard dore Serua. ¶ Yee forsooth Here they go out and shut the Orchard dore Ancilla ¶ Prone with your foote if that the Dore as we were had he lockt Serua. ¶ I warrant him that must come here must stande awhile and knock Ancilla ¶ How say you friend and fellow both did we not go hence well Gods blessing haue his honest harte that fyrst did found that bell You said if you remember well when I did tell my tale To recompence the same with like you sayd you would not fayle ¶ You say but true and to it then for losing of the tyme My Mother is a Farmers wyfe her maydes doe serue her swyne But here you what if I agayne were at my countrey home I would not leape thus to the court to sit there lyke a mome For pleasure more is in one hower there with our Gill and Iack Then here is in fyue hundred yeres for nothing there doth lack There had I for to run abroade my frée and youthly will Here may we not once péepe for feare our mouthes are shut vp still I nothing doubt but when I shall to mother make my mone For lack of talke my tongue and lippes togither will be growne Well chaunge I would this my straight life I tell you for my parte And he that brought me to the court beshrew his naked harte ¶ Not long ago I heard one say I thinke he ment by vs A latten sence and this it was Nemo sua sorte contentus Women are inquisitiue I asked him what he ment He sayd not one in all this world was with his chaunce content ¶ Well we must now and therefore peace and let vs go our way For we it is
that must accoumpt which way we spend the day Here they go out and the two Iudges that lye hidden talke in this wise ¶ The greatest scourge that may be giuen to any liuing wight I feele it now alas alas that she is in my sight Why Cupids flames doe burne my harte why sée my tormentes here And yet to ease my hugy smart I dare not proue for feare Now is the tyme and let it go we neuer fynde the léeke And yet to heale my secrete wo my hart is now to seeke ¶ Peace friend consyder well your state and let your sorrow slake For I it is that must and will this matter on me take if you do this with languishing our presence here descrye Before that we lay handes on her then were we neare the nye Peace I say I say be still I will to her alone And follow you as you sée tyme as soone as I am gone ¶ I will ¶ Fayre Lady be you not afrayde that you doe sée vs heare We both be come to doe you good and not to yeeld you feare You sée the Orchard dores are fast the wailes are close and iust In all this world none can vs see we may do what we lust I say agayne in all this world none can see what we do We burne towarde thee with feruent lust consent vs therefore to We are but men and of that kinde that thou thy selfe arte made Come lye with vs we loue thée well Susan be not afrayde For if thou wilt not then we shall a testimoniall lay Against thee of a maruailous force and thus both we will say A yongman with thée here we found in very secrete sporte Which caused thée away to send thy maydes in such a sorte Susanna ¶ Alas me thinkes your thoughtes and wordes togither do not grâ—e You are of age and know right well that no such sinne should be You know also God doth it curse and â—ake our lawe on earth Doth recompence such sinners to with sharpe and cruell death And therefore good my friend I say doe leaue as you begon And I will holde me so content and hyde that you haue done Sensu. ¶ Nay nay Madame we meane not so we meane to haue our will Doe you consent you shall vs fynde both sure and secrete still And so we may haue company no wight can vs correct And this I know assuredly no man will vs suspect This doe or else I sweare for troth we shall declare at large as this my friend hath sayd afore which were to great a charge Therfore consent we might haue done while we haue vsde this talke If not doe you assure you our euidence shall walke Susanna ¶ Oh Lord oh God oh King of blisse what stormes doe stop my breth If I fulfill your fylthy lust I know it breedes my death And if I doe not then ah alas you trap me in your bandes And thus can I pore Innocent by no meanes scape your handes Well better it is without the act your daunger to fall in Then to attempt my Lord my God with this so vyle a sinne Se. Vo. ¶ Helpe helpe helpe Here two seruauntes of the house run out and breake open the Orchard dore and asketh what is the matter and then Voluptas speaketh ¶ What is the matter ¶ It was our chaunce in ending things which we haue for to ende Secretly to common here where none should here our mynde And lying close and secrete still we shame to much to shew But what we saw we kéepe it close till Ioachim may it know 〈◊〉 ¶ There is but one that liueth for aye and séeth euery thing He knoweth the fruite of euery trée before the braunche doe spring I leaue to him in this my néede that which I haue to do I am but one thou knowest my God these wicked men are two ¶ Me thinkes this matter very straunge and soundes not lyke a truth My Mistresse vertue all the world haue noted from her youth ¶ Our Mistresse yea she doth her lyfe in such sorte still direct As fyckle fame at no tyme durst her honest lyfe suspect I tell thée true Seruus my friend I flatter not for méede It shal be found that they them selues haue wrought this wicked déede And cause that she would not consent to serue their fylthy lust They haue wrought this to scuse themselues Seruus thou mayst me trust ¶ Come away come away in fayth Madame you are a secrete whore Full long haue I mistrusted it though I tooke you not before ¶ A whore yea vyle and fylthye whore fye on it fylthy acte I thinke a thousand of her toyes the vyldest whore doth lack Here goe out the two Iudges and Susanna and sayeth as she goeth 〈◊〉 ¶ Why God if I most synfull wight might reason once with thée Canst thou permit and suffer still these wicked thus to lye My sorrowes all and some I sende them to thy heauenly throne Receiue my sobbing teares oh Lord and ease me that do mone They be gone 〈◊〉 ¶ Harde you not my fellow deare I thought her hart had broke And eke my soule did sorrow much to here the wordes she spoke But I know this assuredly that if she guiltlesse bée God will defende the innocent from cruell destinie 〈◊〉 ¶ Guiltlesse man yes assuredly and marke what I doe tell Thou shalt sée them dye shamefully and she shall doe full well Why God himselfe hath spoken this the fruite showeth euery trée And marke if synce thou knowest her fyrst where is one such as shée She serueth God deuoutly still she helpeth eke the pore And to ayde them that want reléefe she goeth from dore to dore And now in this her greatest néede she doth vpon God call I promise thée I trust in God he will not let her fall Seruus ¶ Oh Lord that neuer didst refuse a synners iust complaynt kneele downe With teares I aske reléefe of thee in this her great constraint That if she guiltlesse be good Lorde as I doe hope full well Doe strength her Lorde and teache her tongue which way her tale to tell Not Lord that thou haste néede of vs but for to heape thy prayse Which thy deserte shall herein get for now and eake alwayes The world shall wonder at thy worke and alwayes in thée trust Because thou doest deliuer her from those that are vniust Tru Rep. ¶ Ryse vp Seruus for I haue heard eare this some men to say The sore that suddayne taken is doth soonest weare away And ofte the paynter in his workes to shew the fayrer whyte Doth set the blackest black of all agaynst it ouer right And I haue heard and so haue you our mistresse often say Why Lorde doest thou loue me so well that liue in welth alway Graunt to me God once in my lyfe a little péece of thrall But stande by me good Lord I say let me not synke nor fall And this hath God I warrant thée done for to shew his might
And though her case doe now séeme crookte he will set it aright You sée that tyme weares fast away and we haue much to do Let vs go home and nothing say as nought at all we knew Ioachim entreth loking about him Ioach. ¶ Are not the Iudges yet come here alas what is their care They waigh at all no pore mans case but plye their daintye fare I hearde of late I trust not true they care not who doe curse Or who doe blesse they force it not so they may fyll their purse Oh Lord thou knowest how thou doest hate the wicked bribing wight And I know Lord not one at all can hyde him from thy sight And if they be such wicked men as Fame hath spread for true Doe teache them Lord to mend their fault frame themselues anew Thou gloriest not in sinners seate which from thy lawes remeue Thou grauntest them tyme of thy grace for to repent and liue I speake but as the common brute hath fylled euery eare I hope my selfe oh Lord my God they do thée loue and feare Well synce they are not come in déede I will go home agayne Where till they come in vewing thinges my selfe will take some payne And God preserue and blesse you all I speake to eche degrée And he alwayes remayne with you and also go with me Here goeth out Ioachim and Helchia and his wyfe enter 〈◊〉 ¶ Sorrow oft tymes doth trye a man it is a manly part When sorrowes doe oppresse a man to shew a manly harte Where weeping will not vayle nor helpe nor curtesy will serue What vayieth then a manly hart his courage to let swerue Well wyfe she is our daughter deare and we her parentes eke Uertuous euer me thought the wenche gentle wyse and méeke And for our partes thou knowest O Lorde it was our chiefest awe Our Daughter to instruct and teach the trade of Moyses lâ—we And therefore Lord if our offence or else her owne desarte Haue bene the cause of this her fall yet quallify her smarte And graunt that with her lyfe her fame may also dye And that we heare no more her fault this onely bowne aske I 〈◊〉 ¶ The losse of goods sometyme doth moue a man his hart to breake But of his childe Ah me alas my sobs nill let me speake These brests my Spouse with tender milke procéeding from my hart Did giue her suck did nourish her alas moste gréeuous smart And from my brest vntill you gaue her to be made a wyfe I nourisht her in God his feare and loued her as my lyfe 〈◊〉 And sure I am those wicked men that doe accuse her still Doe it because that she her selfe would not obay their will Then Lorde of thy hye maiesty this only bowne aske I By guilty meanes thou wilt not let an innocent to dye 〈◊〉 ¶ Peace wyfe attempt not God thou knowest all flesh is frayle ¶ I know also where is Gods feare such lust cannot preuayle 〈◊〉 ¶ Peace fye I know as well as you that God can well withstande All kynde of ill that may befall but who can scape his hande If God to show vs what we are doth suffer vs to fall What flesh can that O Lorde withstand not one amongst vs all And yet he shall not thinke by this that I doe iudge it true That this is layde vnto her charge and both we thus doe rue Vxor. ¶ True no no alas not true I trust it be And yet that she shall dye therefore both our two eyes shall sée Helchia ¶ Fye wyfe how oft haste thou thy neighbours gréefe releeued And why in this thy owne distresse are all thy sences méeued Doest thou not know our Lorde and God is able to make right The weakest parte of simple men agaynst all Tyrantes spight Doest thou not know how God himselfe did Toby alwayes ayde And sent him home his sonne agayne for whome he was dismayde And knowest not eake how that that God the more to shew his might When Toby had long tyme bene blynde he gaue to him his sight Remember how the children thrée for seruing God aright Were thrust into the burning Ouen with Terrour and with spight And how that he defended them amidst the flaming fyre And made the Prince prayse him by them and mittigate his yre These and a thousand samples mo Gods goodnesse still doth show That God will guiltlesse let her dye good wyfe doe not thinke so Vxor. ¶ Gods goodnesse and his power and might all liuing creatures sée And therefore Lorde euen as thou wilt we leaue it vnto thée Helchia ¶ You say right well and in distresse friendes comfort euery man We will go sée her heauinesse and ease her if we can Here they go out and the Vice entreth and sayeth in my best peticote c. with a bell in his hande Ill Rep. ¶ In my best petticote Is there a hole My sister burnt it with a cole A skeane of silke Will not make it whole will ye by any sand mistresse Now I desyre The pox and wylde fyre And all the plagues of Hell May recompence his méede That first wrought this déede To giue me this bell Ill Report is a cryer Ring Bell And a common lyer As euery Knaue sayth now In fayth I was an honest man But I cannot tell whan Come sporte me to you is it not prety geare That I must spend and weare My Shooes in this sorte And trot about the countrey Upon my ten toed Palfray It is a prety sporte Know you not Ioachims wyfe it is a péece with a mischéefe She must haue two at ones There is neuer a wench here But in her best geare Would haue flesh without bones Why why do you winke Shame to you that shame thinke it is but your kynde So you may do it couertly And cloke it honestly You care not where you fynde wel I wold maister gailer would come Then shall all and some Know the cause of my comming it is as I feare For other manner of geare Then for masking or mumming Then the Gaylor commeth in ¶ What Ill Reporte how do ye ¶ I come to séeke a Knaue I thinke it be ye ¶ What sweare not fellow it is not an hower ago Since we were both Knaues the people sayeth so But what busynesse haste thou to do ¶ Why you shitten Knaue what is that to you ¶ The cause why I come hither now is my maisters will to done And to tell thée that Susanna shall be here araigned soone ¶ And worthy to I make God auow but what ill luck had I That could not get graunt to hunt in her haunt before that she dye Dispatche I pray thée for yonder I sée the Iudges are comming And therefore take payne I say once agayne let vs doe something ¶ We néede not synce we are here redy Here entreth Iudex Sensualitas Voluptas and Susanna and Iudex speaketh ¶ Who liueth in this world and hath to guide the people to Haue
will grow worse and worse so long as you do liue Ill Rep. ¶ Gogs wounds knaue vyld knaue to doest thou speake blasphemy I am as honest a man as is in all this countrey And for the antiquitie of the house I was borne in Was a famous house before thou was heard of or any of thy kin And thou doest not well to vse me in this sorte Seruus ¶ Why syr is not your name Ill Reporte Ill Rep. ¶ My name is mayster Ill Reporte in déede Seruus ¶ Hearst thou True Report this is the man we loke for True Rep ¶ Mary then is it he that I come for Ill Rep. ¶ My good fellow why what is thy name True Rep ¶ True Reporte I am the very same Ill Rep. ¶ Gogs wounds Cosin Hugh Reporte how the Deuill met we here I thinke thou sawest not Willyam Reporte this seuen yeare Me thought by thy spéeche we should be acquaynted Though prolixitie of tyme thy Uisage had taynted Oh Cosyn Hugh why good Cosin Hugh take it in good part That I fawne thus on thée for I loue thée with all my hart True Rep ¶ Thou arte a false wretch and not my Cosin I sweare He would haue Ill and true to be Cosyns is not this good geare Ill Rep. ¶ Oh Cosin Hugh it gréeues me thou wantest lerning art so prety a man I will tell thée foole how thy name is Hugh and myne Wylliam Though thou knowest it not thy selfe I may not much blame thée It is so long ago since thou waste in my countrey His no Letter but an asperation Which may be left out in many a fashion Helin with an H harke and be attentiue Or Elin without an H is not offensyue So whether the H be put in or the H be left out The worde standes indifferent this is no doubt Now take the H from thy name then it standes lyke an Ewe And some friend hath put in Tr and so calles thée trew As by a familyer example I know a false knaue or two That are Hostlers in Innes yet men call them trew Therefore leaue of Tragayne fye man for shame And be cald Hugh agayne for that is thy Christen name And now to my owne name first we are children then grow to men And Wyll for Wylliam is heard often then And Children at fyrst when they learne to prattle In stéede of Will doe ill often tattle Thus being yong and called Ill for Will Men for a custome doe call me so still And it contentes me well to heare the same Because for my purpose it often doth frame And I my selfe did neuer séeke it to amend Because by good learning I can it defende Aphaeresis is a figure which Latinestes vse And Apocope another which they will not refuse The one from the beginning of a word a sillable may cut The other from the end another may shut Now twixt Aphaeresis and Appocope you may sée full playne That Ill for Wylliam is vsde without shame Loe thus doe you sée that we both haue take maymes By figuratiue calling of our Christen names But as for that kindreds doe not alwayes agrée In their christen names as euery man doth sée But in the syr name consanguinitie doth grow And so euery kinseman his kinseman doth know As Thomson to Thomson and so in in lyke sorte â— gentle mayster Wyllyam thou Hugh Reporte ¶ Such a diffinition heard you neuer I trow Syr you can make a Silligismus in Buccardo ¶ I beshrew your hart you smell of learning This Knaue hath bene at Oxforde I giue you warning In Buccardo quoth you I sweare by saint Megge Once was I there a yeare fast tyed by the legge And at my comming forth I scaped a check That had not héeles helped handes my arâ—â— had breke my neck True Rep ¶ Exore tuo te iudeco thou hast bene an olde théefe Seruus ¶ Now shalt thou be hanged in signe of releefe Loe True Reporte for all his great cunning Himselfe hath bewrayed his knauery in something Tru Rep. ¶ Ill Report troth will be troth whosoeuer say no And thou must be hanged before thou doe go Ill Rep. ¶ Nay by the masse then haue I ill luck If wordes will not serue I will fight a pluck Bayly ¶ Nay then let me come and helpe For though my tongue be ill and I cannot vse talking Yet I loue to be where fystes are walking Here they struggle togither the Gaylour casts the Rope about Ill Reports neck Ill Rep. ¶ Why Knaue wilt thou choke me Bayly ¶ No not yet syr but I will by and by Ill Rep. ¶ Yet for pittie sake let me fyrst say my Pater noster Seruus ¶ Content I fayth we will beare with him till than Ill Rep. ¶ Now by my Fathers soule thou art an honest man And since thou doest so gently that tyme to me giue I will not say my Pater noster whyle I haue a day to liue And if you shall at any tyme heare that I so do Then hang me hardely and draw me to True Rep ¶ Fye on him Knaue away with the villayne Ill Rep. ¶ Sée the Knaue himselfe can now call me Willyam I fayth Cosyn True I shall but prepare your way Your selfe will be hanged to another day Here they haue him to hanging the Deuill entreth saying Oh oh oh Diuell ¶ How long haue I with toyling payne sought Susans blood to get What engines snares and other craftes about that haue I set And yet that God still doth me wrong he doth my force withstande And them that I doe seeke to get he keepes them in his hande He suffers some to leane to me as they would come alone And when I thinke with them to méete by him my pray is gone Oh God wilt thou not yet thy spight leaue of wilt thou yet still Seeme for to offer as thou doest and yet denye my will Well Ill Reporte thou villayne boy thy bones I meane to gnaw Because of that I gaue thée charge I am no whit in aw Why stand I heare and suffer him all this whyle to take rest His soule his bones his flesh and all by me shall be possest And what there is in Hell to harme or punish him withall Or what I may deuyse anew his flesh shall séele it all Oh Boy oh Knaue oh foolish Sot shouldst thou be put in trust And haste not wit to bring to passe that thing I after lust Well well thou villayne Boy and wretch I ioy thy selfe art come And what I would haue done to her thou shalt haue all and some From hence therefore euen presently my iorney I will take And hye me fast for tyme it is to myne infernall lake The Deuill goeth forth and Ioachim Susanna Helchia his wife enter ¶ WheÌ„ stormy clouds doth show their force boisterous winds work care Then ech man sayth when these are past the wether wil be faire And semblably my Lord my God amidst my heauy cheare I hopte at length as now it doth my quiet would appeare I haue to thanke thy maiesty for euery kinde of gifte But chéefely for myne honest wyfe my harte to thée I lifte How didst thou Lorde agaynst her foes her simplenesse defende How didst thou cleane deliuer her euen at her latter ende I thanke thée Lord yet once agayne thou haste deserued so That from thy prayse my hart nor lippes shall hence forth neuer go ¶ Nay then am I good Lord moste bound to yéelde thée harty prayse That haste by helping this my chyld prolonged these my dayes Sorry I was to heare her fault more sorry for her death Her fault was none and she liues still what ioy lyke this on earth To serue thée still as I haue done it is my whole pretence Thou art my strength my hope my ayde I séeke no other defence Vxor. ¶ Myne are the ioyes and yours none God hath giuen all to me For greater ioyes then I doe féele there surely none can be My Daughter was giuen to the death thou kepst her with thy might Thou helpest her for thy mercy sake because her cause was right Thus I confesse and will doe still whyle lyfe in me doth raigne Thou onely God haste strength ynough to rid ech wight from payne Susanna ¶ No no good Lord aboue the rest to prayse thee I am bound That me doest helpe myraculously and eake my foes confound I was but dead and thou to lyfe restoredst me silly wight What is she then that beareth breth that more can shew thy might And this thyne acte shall so increase within me euermore And from thy lawes I will not slyde although I dye therefore Ioach. ¶ Also good Lorde amongst thy giftes which euery day are seene We haue to prayse thy mighty grace for our most noble Queene Defende her Lorde in all affayres giue passage to thy word And cut them short that will her wo graunt this O liuing Lord Helchia ¶ And to her noble counsayle Lord giue wisedome and good helth Graunt that they doe may glory thée and mende the common welth Vxor. ¶ And for the commons of this realme O Lord graunt my request But what thou and the Prince doth will they iudge it for the best Susanna ¶ And for this company gathered here doe I my prayer make God graunt them their lyfe in quietnes and then their soules do take They goe out and the Prologue entreth ¶ Heare haue you heard good Audience the end of this our worke Wherein we trust no cause of gréefe in any poynt doth lurke And though we cannot bewtify the same with musickes song Beare with our rudenesse in that part we troubled you not long And if our Authour may perceaue you take this in good part To doe the lyke you comfort him agayne with all his hart If any thing hath bene amis informe him if you please If euery thing doe lyke you well to God giue all the prayse To whome I leaue you euery one and eke my selfe withall Who graunt vs all eternall lyfe Amen now say you all FINIS