Mucedorus

ACT III

SCENE I. Grove near the Court

Enter Mucedorus solus.

MUCEDORUS.
From Amadine, and from her father’s court,
With gold and silver, and with rich rewards,
Flowing from the banks of golden treasuries.
More may I boast, and say, but I,
Was never shepherd in such dignity.

Enter the Messenger and Mouse, the Clown.

MESSENGER.
All hail, worthy shepherd!

MOUSE.
All rain, lousy shepherd!

MUCEDORUS.
Welcome, my friends, from whence come you?

MESSENGER.
The King and Amadine do greet thee well.
And after greeting done, bid thee depart the court.
Shepherd, begone!

MOUSE.
Shepherd, take law-legs; fly away, shepherd.

MUCEDORUS.
Whose words are these? Come these from Amadine?

MESSENGER.
Ay, from Amadine.

MOUSE.
Ay, from Amadine.

MUCEDORUS.
Ah! luckless fortune, worse than Phaeton’s tale,
My former bliss is now become my bale.

MOUSE.
What, wilt thou poison thyself?

MUCEDORUS.
My former heaven is now become my hell.

MOUSE.
The worst alehouse that I ever came in, in all my life.

MUCEDORUS.
What shall I do?

MOUSE.
Even go hang thyself half an hour.

MUCEDORUS.
Can Amadine so churlishly command,
To banish th’ shepherd from her father’s court?

MESSENGER.
What should shepherds do in the court?

MOUSE.
What should shepherds do amongst us? Have we not lords enough o’er us in the court?

MUCEDORUS.
Why, shepherds are men, and kings are no more.

MESSENGER.
Shepherds are men, and masters o’er their flock.

MOUSE.
That’s a lie; who pays them their wages, then?

MESSENGER.
Well, you are always interrupting of me, but you are best look to him, lest you hang for him, when he is gone.

[Exit.]

MOUSE.
[Sings.] And you shall hang for company,
For leaving me alone.
Shepherd, stand forth, and hear thy sentence! Shepherd, begone within three days, on pain of my displeasure; shepherd, begone; shepherd, begone, begone, begone, begone; shepherd, shepherd, shepherd.

[Exit.]

MUCEDORUS.
And must I go? and must I needs depart?
Ye goodly groves, partakers of my songs,
In time tofore, when fortune did not frown,
Pour forth your plaints, and wail a while with me.
And thou bright sun, my comfort in the cold,
Hide, hide thy face, and leave me comfortless;
Ye wholesome herbs, and sweet-smelling savours,
Yea, each thing else prolonging life of man,
Change, change your wonted course that I,
Wanting your aid, in woful sort may die.

Enter Amadine and Ariena, her maid.

AMADINE.
Ariena,
If any body ask for me, make some excuse,
Till I return.

ARIENA.
What, an Segasto call?

AMADINE.
Do thou the like to him, I mean not to stay long.

[Exit Ariena.]

MUCEDORUS.
This voice so sweet my pining spirits revives.

AMADINE.
Shepherd, well met, pray, tell me how thou dost?

MUCEDORUS.
I linger life, yet wish for speedy death.

AMADINE.
Shepherd!
Although thy banishment already be decreed,
And all against my will, yet Amadine—

MUCEDORUS.
Ah, Amadine, to hear of banishment is death,
Ay, double death to me, but since I must depart,
One thing I crave—

AMADINE.
Say on, with all my heart.

MUCEDORUS.
That in my absence, either far or near,
You honour me as servant to your name.

AMADINE.
Not so.

MUCEDORUS.
And why?

AMADINE.
I honour thee as sovereign of my heart.

MUCEDORUS.
A shepherd and a sovereign nothing like.

AMADINE.
Yet like enough, where there is no dislike.

MUCEDORUS.
Yet great dislike, or else no banishment.

AMADINE.
Shepherd, it only is
Segasto that procures thy banishment.

MUCEDORUS.
Unworthy wights are most in jealousy.

AMADINE.
Would God, they would free thee from banishment,
Or likewise banish me.

MUCEDORUS.
Amen, I say, to have your company.

AMADINE.
Well, shepherd, sith thou sufferest this for my sake,
With thee in exile also let me live,
On this condition, shepherd, thou canst love.

MUCEDORUS.
No longer love, no longer let me live.

AMADINE.
Of late I loved one indeed, now love I none but only thee.

MUCEDORUS.
Thanks, worthy princess,
I burn likewise, yet smother up the blast,
I dare not promise what I mayn’t perform.

AMADINE.
Well, shepherd, hark what I shall say,
I will return unto my father’s court,
For to provide me of such necessaries
As for my journey I shall think most fit.
This being done, I will return to thee;
Do thou therefore appoint the place, where we may meet.

MUCEDORUS.
Down in the valley, where I slew the bear,
And there doth grow a fair broad-branched beech,
That overshades a well: so who comes first,
Let them abide the happy meeting of us both.
How like you this?

AMADINE.
I like it very well.

MUCEDORUS.
Now, if you please, you may appoint the time.

AMADINE.
Full three hours hence, God willing, I’ll return.

MUCEDORUS.
The thanks that Paris gave the Grecian queen,
The like doth Mucedorus yield.

AMADINE.
Then, Mucedorus, for three hours farewell.

[Exit.]

MUCEDORUS.
Your ’parture, lady, breeds a privy pain.

[Exit.]