Complete Dramatic Works of Thomas Dekker

by Thomas Dekker

  In this strong fight, just with the self same weapons

  Which I would wear to guard me, and those are

  My readings and belief settled by reading,

  And this I find:

  Quod non sunt facienda male, vt veniant bona.

  For good, how great soever, must be done,

  No ill how small soever.

  PARIDEL

  ’Tis no evil

  To bar out so great ill, with so great good.

  ALBANOIS

  All good must not be done, but only that Quod benè et legitimè fiery potest.For, sir, I know, that Deus magis amat aduerbia quam nomina.Quia in actionibus magis ei Placent Benè et legitimè quàm bonum.Ita vt nullum bonum Liceat facere, nisi bene et legitime fieri potest.Quod in hoc Casu fieri non potest.

  PARIDEL

  Yet, with your favour, several learned men

  Are clean from your opinion, and do hold

  Quòd licet.

  ALBANOIS

  Those learned men perhaps may hold it fit

  That to save many, they to one man’s danger,

  Referring all to the depth inscrutable,

  May allow of a particular; on no warrant

  That they can show me written, but being stirr’d

  With a humane compassion to men’s lives.

  And less you revelation have divine

  That bids you do, do not.Thus you have mine.

  OMNES

  What so hard at it?

  PARIDEL

  We have done.The time

  Does pull me from your sweet society.

  PALMIO

  You will to Babylon.

  PARIDEL

  I cannot tell.

  Whether I do or no, you shall have notice

  How this great work goes forward.Strengthen me

  With all your comforts, and commend my service

  To the most glorious throne.If I get o’er,

  There lands black vengeance on the Fairy shore.

  OMNES

  If prayers can do, it shall. [Exeunt.

  Act Three, Scene Three

  ENTER PLAIN DEALING and TRUTH.

  PLAIN DEALING

  But how shall I know that art the right Truth?

  TRUTH

  Because I am not painted.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Nay, if thou hast no better colour than that, there’s no truth in thee, for I’m sure your fairest wenches are free of the painters.

  TRUTH

  Besides I am not gorgeous in attire,

  But simple, plain, and homely.In mine eyes

  Doves sit, not sparrows; on my modest cheeks

  No witching smiles do dwell; upon my tongue

  No unchaste language lies; my skins not spotted

  With foul disease, as is that common harlot,

  That baseborn truth that lives in Babylon.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Why?Is she spotted?

  TRUTH

  All over with strange ugliness, all over.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Then she has got the pox, and lying at my host Grymcums, since I left her company.Howsoever it be, thou and I will live honest together on one house, because my court mistress will have it so.I have been a traveller a great while.Plain Dealing hath leapt from country to country, till he had scarce a pair of soles to carry him.

  TRUTH

  Why?In what countries have you been?

  PLAIN DEALING

  In more than I had mind to stay in.I have been amongst the Turks too; the Turks made as much of poor Plain Dealing as those whom we call Christians.

  TRUTH

  What man is that great Turk?I never saw him.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Nor ever shalt.Why the great Turk is a very little fellow.I have seen a scurvy little bad paltry Christian has been taken for the greatest Turk there.

  TRUTH

  Where had you been when now you met with me?

  PLAIN DEALING

  Looking up and down for thyself.And yet I lie too, now I remember, I was in the city.Our mistress would needs have me go thither to see fashions.I could make an excellent tailor for ladies and gentlemen and fools, for I have seen more fashions there than a picture drawer makes scurvy faces, the first two years of his trade.Its the maddest circle to conjure in that ever rais’d spirit.

  TRUTH

  Tell me, good kinsman, what in the city saw you?

  PLAIN DEALING

  What did I see?Why I’ll tell thee, cousin, I saw no more conscience in most of your rich men then in tavern faggots, nor no more soberness in poor men than in tavern spigots.I see that citizens’ fine wives undo their husbands, by their pride, within a year after they are married, and within half a year after they be widows, knights undo them.They’ll give a hundred pound to be dubb’d ladies, and to ride in a coach, when they have scarce another hundred pound left to keep the horses.But, cousin Truth, I met in one street a number of men in gowns with papers in their hands.What are all those?

  TRUTH

  Oh!They are the sons of justice.They are those

  That beat the kingdom level, keep it smooth

  And without rubs.They are the poor man’s captain,

  The rich man’s soldier, and call’d lawyers.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Lawyers?Dost know any of them?

  TRUTH

  A few.

  PLAIN DEALING

  I wondered what they were.I asked one of them if they were going to foot-ball.“Yes,” said he, “Do you not see those country fellows?We are against them.”“And who do you think shall win?” said I.Said he, “The gowns, the gowns.”

  Enter TIME.

  TIME

  Follow me, Truth.Plain Dealing, follow me.[Exit.

  PLAIN DEALING

  He charges like a constable.Come, we are his watch.Follow me?Is our Time mad?Oh, brave mad Time! [Exeunt.

  Act Four, Scene One

  Dumb Show.A cave suddenly breaks open, and out of it comes FALSEHOOD, attired as TRUTH is, her face spotted; she sticks up her banner on the top of the cave, then with her foot in several places, strikes the earth, and up riseth CAMPEIUS, a Friar with a box; a gentleman with a drawn sword, another with rich gloves in a box; another with a bridle.TIME, TRUTH with her banner, and PLAIN DEALING enter and stand aloof beholding all.

  TIME

  See there’s the cave where that hyena lurks

  That counterfeits thy voice and calls forth men

  To their destruction.

  PLAIN DEALING

  How full of the smallpox she is!What ails she to stamp thus?Is the whore mad?How now?Yea, do you rise before doomsday!Father Time, what conduit-pipes are these, that breat out of the earth thus?

  TIME

  The conduit-heads of treason, which convey

  Conspiracies, scandals, and civil discord,

  Massacres, poisonings, wracks of faith and fealty

  Through Fairies’ hearts to turn them into elves.

  See, Truth, see son, the snake slips off his skin,

  A scholar makes a ruffian.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Now must that ruffian cuff the scholar, if I were as he.

  TIME

  And see, that shape which erst show’d reverend,

  And wore the outward badge of sanctity,

  Is cloth’d in garments of hypocricy.

  PLAIN DEALING

  See, see, father, he has a jack-in-a-box.What’s that?

  TIME

  A wild beast, a mad bull, a bull that roars

  To fright allegiance from true subjects’ bosoms.

  That bull must bellow at the Flamen’s gate.

  His gate that tends the flocks of all those sheep

  That graze in the fatt’st pasture of the land

  Being all enclos’d; that bull will on his back

  Bear all.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Whither?Whither?

  TIME

  To hell.’Tis said to heaven

&nb
sp; That will but sit him will with hoof or horn

  He gore the anointed Fairy.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Such bulls have I seen sent out of Babylon to run at people.I should once have rid upon one of them, but he that begg’d my office broke his neck by the bargain and sav’d me a labour.What’s he with the sword?A master of the noble science?

  TIME

  A noble villain.See, he pulls down heaven

  With imprecations.If that blade he sheath not

  In our sweet mistress’ breast.

  PLAIN DEALING

  O rogue!What good clothes he wears and yet is a villain!

  TIME

  Ay, do, clap hand upon’t.That poisoned glove

  Shall strike thee dead to death with the strong scent

  Of thy discovered treason.

  PLAIN DEALING

  What’s that horse courser with the bridle?

  TIME

  A slave, that since he dares not touch her head,

  Would work upon her hand.Laugh and conspire;

  The higher villains climb, they fall the higher.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Stay, father.Now the army comes forward, she takes down the flag; belike their play is done.What wills he bear the colours?Thou hast colour enough in thy face already, thou needst no more.Did ye ever see a more lousy band?There’s but two rapiers in the whole regiment.Now they muster, now they double their files.Mark how their hands juggle and lay about.This is the main battle.O, well floursh’d ancient!The day is theirs.See, nowthey sound retreat.Whither march they now? [Exeunt Dumb Show.

  TIME

  To death; their falls.Thus Time and Truth proclaim:

  They shall like leaves drop from the tree of shame.

  Let’s follow them.

  PLAIN DEALING

  To the gallows?Not I.What do we know, but this freckled face quean may be a witch?

  TIME

  She is so.She’s that damned sorceress

  That keeps the enchanted towers of Babylon.

  This is the Truth that did bewitch thee once.

  PLAIN DEALING

  Is this speckled toad she?She was then, in mine eye, the goodliest woman that ever wore fore part of satin.To see what these female creatures are when they deal with two or three nations!How quickly they wear carbuncles and rich stones!Now she is more ugly than a bawd.

  TRUTH

  She look’d so then.Fairness itself doth clothe her

  In men’s eyes, till they see me, and then they loath her.

  TIME

  Lose no more minutes.Come, let’s follow them.

  PLAIN DEALING

  With hue and cry, now I know her.This villainous drab is bawd, now I remember, to the Whore of Babylon, and will never leave her till she be carted.Her face is full of those red pimples with drinking aquavite, the common drink of all bawds.Come. [Exeunt.

  Act Four, Scene Two

  ENTER TITANIA, FIDELI, ELFIRON, FLORIMEL, a Gentleman standing aloof, and ROPUS.

  TITANIA

  What comes this paper for?

  FIDELI

  Your hand.

  TITANIA

  The cause?

  FIDELI

  The moon that from your beams did borrow light

  Hath from her silver bow shot pitchy clouds

  T’eclipse your brightness.Heaven took your part,

  And her surpris’d.A jury of bright stars

  Have her unworthy found to shine again.

  Your Fairies therefore on their knees entreat,

  She may be pull’d out from the firmament

  Where she was plac’d to glitter.

  TITANIA

  Must we then

  Strike those whom we have lov’d?Albeit the children

  Whom we have nourish’d at our princely breast

  Set daggers to it, we could be content

  To chide, not beat them.Might we use our will,

  Our hand was made to save, but not to kill.

  FORIMELL

  You must not, cause he’s noble, spare his blood.

  TITANIA

  We should not, for he’s noble, that is good.

  FIDELI

  The fall of one, like multitudes on ice,

  Makes all the rest, of footing, be more nice.

  But if by vent’ring on that glassy floor

  Too far, he sinks, and yet rise with no more harm

  Ten thousand to like danger it doth arm.

  All mercy in a prince makes vile the state;

  All justice make seven cowards desperate.

  TITANIA

  In neither of these seas spread we our sails,

  But are the impartial beam between both scales.

  Yet if me needs must bow, we would incline

  To that where mercy lies, that scale’s divine.

  But so to save were our own breast to wound,

  Nay, which is more, our peoples; for their good

  We must the surgeon play and let out blood.

  Every peer’s birth sticks a new star in heaven,

  But falling by Luciferan insolence,

  With him a constellation drops from thence.

  Give me his axe.[Writes.] How soon the blow is given?

  Witness.So little we in blood delight

  That doing this work we wish we could not write.

  Let’s walk, my lords.Florimell?

  FLORIMELL

  Madam?

  TITANIA

  Stay.

  Not one arm’d man amongst us?You might now

  Be all old-beaten soldiers.Truth, I thank ye;

  If I were now a jewel worth the stealing

  Two thieves might bind you all.

  OMNES

  With much ado.

  TITANIA

  [To Gentleman.] Ay, marry I commend you, gentleman.

  Pray, sir, come near.Look you, he’s well-provided

  For all rough weathers.Sir, you may be proud

  That you can give arms better than these lords.

  I thank you yet, that if a storm should fall

  We could make you our shelter.A good sword?

  This would go through stitch. Had I heart to kill

  I’d wish no better weapon, but our days

  Of quarrelling are past. Shall we put up, sir?

  We ha’ put up wrongs ere now, but this si right.

  Nay, we are not falling yet. [Exit Gentleman.

  FLORIMELL

  It did us good

  To see how your majestic presence daunted

  The silly gentleman.

  TITANIA

  The silly gentleman!

  FIDELI

  He knew not now to stand nor what to speak.

  TITANIA

  The silly gentleman!Knew you him, lords?

  Where is he?

  FLORIMELL

  Gotten hence, poor wretch, with shame.

  TITANIA

  That wretch hath sworn to kill me with that sword.

  OMNES

  How?

  FIDELI

  The traitor.

  FLORIMELL

  Lock the court gates.

  OMNES

  Guard her person.[Exeunt omnes.

  TITANIA

  You guard it well.Alack!When lovers woo,

  An extreme joy and fear them so appal

  That over much love shows no love at all.

  Zeal sometimes overdoes her part.It’s right.

  When the fray’s done, cowards cry “Where’s the fight?”

  Enter FLORIMELL.

  FLORIMELL

  The wolf’s in his own snare.O, damned slave!

  I had like to ha’ made his heart my poniard’s grave.

  How got you to this knowledge?Blessed heaven!

  TITANIA

  It came unto me strangely.From a window.

  Mine eyes took mark of him.That he would shoot

  ’Twas told me, and I tried if he durst do’t.

  Is Ropus here, our doctor?

  RO
PUS

  Gracious lady.

  TITANIA

  You have a lucky hand since you were ours.

  It quickens our taste well.Fill us of that

  You last did minister.A drought, no more,

  And give it fire, even, Doctor, how thou wilt.

  ROPUS

  I made a new extraction.You shall never

  Relish the like.

  TITANIA

  Why?Should that be my last?

  ROPUS

  Oh, my dear mistress!

  TITANIA

  Go, go.I dare swear

  Thou lov’st my very heart. [Exit ROPUS.

  Enter PARTHENOPHLL.

  PARTHENOPHIL

  This Scaly serpent

  Is thrown, as he deserves, upon the sword

  Of justice; and to make these tidings twins,

  I bring this happy news:Campeius,

  A snake that in my bosom once I warm’d,

  The man for whom —

  TITANIA

  Oh, we remember him.

  PARTHENOPHIL

  This owl that did not love your sacred light

  Stole o’er the seas by darkness, and was held

  In Babylon a bird of noble flight;

  They turn’d him with talents, and then gave him bells,

  And hither charg’d him fly; he did, and soar’d

  O’er all your goodliest woods and thickest groves,

  Enticing birds that had the skill in song

  To learn harsh notes; and those that fail’d in voice,

  He taught to peck the tender blossoms off

  To spoil the leavy trees, and with sharp bills

  To mangle all the golden ears of corn.

  But now he’s ta’en.

  TITANIA

  Good shepherds ought not care

  How many foxes fall into the snare.

  Enter ELFIRON.

  ELFIRON

  Your civil doctor, Doctor Paridell,

  Casts anchor on your shores again, being frighted

  With a good venture, which he says yourself

  Must only have the sight of.

  TITANIA

  Bring him hither.[Exit ELFIRON.

  Lord Florimell, pray call Fideli to us. [Exit FORIIMELL.

  Re-enter FLORIMELL with FIDELI and ROPUS.

  Sure, ’tis too hot.

  FIDELI

  Oh, rogue!

  TITANIA

  Set it to cool.

  FIDELI

  Hell and damnation!Devils!

  FLORIMELL

  What’s that?

  FIDELI

  The damned’st treason!Dog, you whoreson dog!

  Oh, blessed maid, let not the toad come near her!

  What’s this?If’t be his brewing, touch it not,

  For ’tis a drench to kill the strongest devil