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第3节

the life of sir john oldcastle-第3节

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I served your father; and your grandfather;
Show me such two men now!
No!  No!  Your backs; your backs; the devil and pride;
Has cut the throat of all good housekeeping。
They were the best Yeomens' masters;
That ever were in England。

COBHAM。
Yea; except thou have a crew of seely knaves
And sturdy rogues still feeding at my gate;
There is no hospitality with thee。

HARPOOLE。
They may sit at the gat well enough; but the devil of
any thing you give them; except they will eat stones。

COBHAM。
Tis long; then; of such hungry knaves as you。

'Pointing to the beggars。'

Yea; sir; here's your retinue; your guests be come。
They know their hours; I warrant you。

OLD MAN。
God bless your honour!  God save the good Lord Cobham
And all his house!

SOLDIER。
Good your honour; bestow your blessed alms
Upon poor men。

COBHAM。
Now; sir; here be your Alms knights。  Now are you
As safe as the Emperour。

HARPOOLE。
My Alms knights! nay; th' are yours。
It is a shame for you; and I'll stand too 't;
Your foolish alms maintains more vagabonds;
Than all the noblemen in Kent beside。
Out; you rogues; you knaves! work for your livings!
Alas; poor men!  O Lord; they may beg their hearts out;
There's no more charity amongst men than amongst
So many mastiff dogs!What make you here;
You needy knaves?  Away; away; you villains。


SECOND SOLDIER。
I beseech you; sir; be good to us。

COBHAM。
Nay; nay; they know thee well enough。  I think that all
the beggars in this land are thy acquaintance。  Go bestow
your alms; none will control you; sir。

HARPOOLE。
What should I give them? you are grown so beggarly;
you have scarce a bit of bread to give at your door。  You
talk of your religion so long; that you have banished
charity from amongst you; a man may make a flax shop
in your kitchen chimneys; for any fire there is stirring。

COBHAM。
If thou wilt give them nothing; send them hence:  let
them not stand here starving in the cold。

HARPOOLE。
Who!  I drive them hence?  If I drive poor men from your
door; I'll be hanged; I know not what I may come to my
self。  Yea; God help you; poor knaves; ye see the world;
yfaith!  Well; you had a mother:  well; God be with thee;
good Lady; thy soul's at rest。  She gave more in shirts 
and smocks to poor children; than you spend in your 
house; & yet you live a beggar too。

COBHAM。
Even the worst deed that ere my mother did was in
relieving such a fool as thou。

HARPOOLE。
Yea; yea; I am a fool still。  With all your wit you will
die a beggar; go too。

COBHAM。
Go; you old fool; give the poor people something。  Go
in; poor men; into the inner court; and take such alms
as there is to be had。

SOLDIER。
God bless your honor。

HARPOOLE。
Hang you; rogues; hang you; there's nothing but misery
amongst you; you fear no law; you。

'Exit。'

OLD MAN。
God bless you; good master Rafe; God save your life;
you are good to the poor still。

'Enter the Lord Powis disguised; and shroud himself。'

COBHAM。
What fellow's yonder comes along the grove?
Few passengers there be that know this way:
Me thinks he stops as though he stayed for me;
And meant to shroud himself amongst the bushes。
I know the Clergy hate me to the death;
And my religion gets me many foes:
And this may be some desperate rogue; suborned
To work me mischief。As it pleaseth God!
If he come toward me; sure I'll stay his coming
Be he but one manwhat so'er he be。

'The Lord Powis comes on。'

I have been well acquainted with that face。

POWIS。
Well met; my honorable lord and friend。

COBHAM。
You are welcome; sir; what ere you be;
But of this sudden; sir; I do not know you。

POWIS。
I am one that wisheth well unto your honor;
My name is Powis; an old friend of yours。

COBHAM。
My honorable lord; and worthy friend;
What makes your lordship thus alone in Kent;
And thus disguised in this strange attire?

POWIS。
My Lord; an unexpected accident
Hath at this time inforc'd me to these parts;
And thus it hapt:Not yet full five days since;
Now at the last Assize at Hereford;
It chanced that the lord Herbert and my self;
Mongst other things; discoursing at the table;
Did fall in speech about some certain points
Of Wickliffe's doctrine gainst the papacy
And the religion catholique; maintained
Through the most part of Europe at this day。
This wilful teasty lord stuck not to say
That Wickliffe was a knave; a schismatic;
His doctrine devilish and heretical;
And what soe'er he was maintained the same;
Was traitor both to God and to his country。
Being moved at his peremptory speech;
I told him some maintained those opinions;
Men; and truer subjects than lord Herbert was:
And he replying in comparisons;
Your name was urged; my lord; gainst his challenge;
To be a perfect favourer of the truth。
And to be short; from words we fell to blows;
Our servants and our tenants taking parts
Many on both sides hurtand for an hour
The broil by no means could be pacified;
Until the Judges; rising from the bench;
Were in their persons forced to part the fray。

COBHAM。
I hope no man was violently slain。

POWIS。
Faith; none; I trust; but the lord Herbert's self;
Who is in truth so dangerously hurt;
As it is doubted he can hardly scape。

COBHAM。
I am sorry; my good lord; of these ill news。

POWIS。
This is the cause that drives me into Kent;
To shroud my self with you; so good a friend;
Until I hear how things do speed at home。

COBHAM。
Your lordship is most welcome unto Cobham;
But I am very sorry; my good lord;
My name was brought in question in this matter;
Considering I have many enemies;
That threaten malice; and do lie in wait
To take advantage of the smallest thing。
But you are welcome:  and repose your lordship;
And keep your self here secret in my house;
Until we hear how the lord Herbert speeds。
Here comes my man。

'Enter Harpoole。'

Sirra; what news?

HARPOOLE。
Yonder's one master Butler of the privy chamber; 
is sent unto you from the King。

POWIS。
I pray God the lord Herbert be not dead;
And the King; hearing whither I am gone;
Hath sent for me。

COBHAM。
Comfort your self my lord; I warrant you。

HARPOOLE。
Fellow; what ails thee? doost thou quake? dost thou
shake? dost thou tremble? ha?

COBHAM。
Peace; you old fool!  Sirra; convey this gentleman
in the back way; and bring the other into the walk。

HARPOOLE。
Come; sir; you are welcome; if you love my lord。

POWIS。
God have mercy; gentle friend。

'Exeunt。'

COBHAM。
I thought as much:  that it would not be long;
Before I heard of something from the King
About this matter。

'Enter Harpoole with Master Butler。'


HARPOOLE。
Sir; yonder my lord walks; you see him;
I'll have your men into the Cellar the while。

COBHAM。
Welcome; good master Butler。

BUTLER。
Thanks; my good lord:  his Majesty doth commend
His love unto your lordship;
And wills you to repair unto the court。

COBHAM。
God bless his Highness; and confound his enemies!
I hope his Majesty is well。

BUTLER。
In health; my lord。

COBHAM。
God long continue it!  Me thinks you look
As though you were not well:  what ails you; sir?

BUTLER。
Faith; I have had a foolish odd mischance;
That angers me:  coming over Shooters hill;
There came a fellow to me like a Sailor;
And asked me money; and whilst I stayed my horse
To draw my purse; he takes th' advantage of
A little bank and leaps behind me; whips
My purse away; and with a sudden jerk;
I know not how; threw me at least three yards
Out of my saddle。  I never was so robbed
In all my life。

COBHAM。
I am very sorry; sir; for your mischance。  We will send 
our warrant forth; to stay such suspicious persons as
shall be found。  Then; master Butler; we will attend you。

BUTLER。
I humbly thank your lordship; I will attend you。



ACT II。 SCENE I。 The same。

'Enter the Sumner。'

SUMNER。
I have the law to warrant what I do; and though the
Lord Cobham be a noble man; that dispenses not
with law:  I dare serve process were a five noble men。
Though we Sumners make sometimes a mad slip in a 
corner with a pretty wench; a Sumner must not go always 
by seeing:  a man may be content to hide his eyes; where
he may feel his profit。  Well; this is my Lord Cobham's
house if I can devise to speak with him; if not; I'll clap
my citation upon's door:  so my lord of Rochester bid
me。  But me thinks here comes one of his men。

'Enter Harpoole。'

HARPOOLE。
Welcome; good fellow; welcome; who wouldst thou
speak with?

SUMNER。
With my lord Cobham I would speak; if thou be one of
his men。

HARPOOLE。
Yes; I am one of his men; but thou canst not speak with
my lord。

SUMNER。
May I send to him then?

HARPOOLE。
I'll tell thee that; when I know thy errand。

SUMNER。
I will not tell my errand to thee。

HARPOOLE。
Then keep it to thy self; and walk like a knave as thou
camest。

SUMNER。
I tell thee; my lord keeps no knaves; sirra。

HARPOOLE。
Then thou servest him not; I believe:  what lord is thy
master?

SUMNER
My lord of Rochester。

HARPOOLE。
In good time!  And what wouldst thou have with my
lord Cobham?

SUMNER。
I come; by virtue of a process; to ascite him to appear 
before my lord in the court at Ro

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