User:Sbh/Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes (critical edition)/Scene ii

Explanatory Notes

 * the Vice: "The Vice"—equivalent in this stage-direction to "the buffoon"—was a prominent character in the early Moral Plays.—Dyce


 * booted: Sir Clyomon and Shift are "booted" (in their riding-boots) as they are going on a journey.—Bullen


 * wanion: With a wanion = with a curse, with a murrain.—Dyce, Bullen


 * berayed: befouled.


 * it skills not: It skills not = it matters not.


 * languishes: A corruption of languages.


 * say nay, and take it: A proverbial expression. "Faire de guedon guedon. To mince or simper it; to be nice, quaint, scrupulous of receiving what inwardly is longed for; to say nay and take it, as men say maids do."—Cotgrave. (Cf. Richard III, iii. 7:—“Play the maid’s part,—still answer nay, and take it.”)


 * towards: in preparation, at hand.


 * corps: Often used for the living body.—So in Byrd’s Psalms, Sonnets and Songs:—“Care for thy corps, but chiefly for soul’s sake, / Cut off excess, sustaining food is best.”—Bullen


 * bruit: report


 * ancients: ensigns


 * this: i.e. this wight (the speaker)?—Bullen


 * God's ames: Does it mean God's soul (Fr. ame)—Dyce. A corrupt oath.—Bullen


 * togither: So spelt for the rhyme—Dyce


 * than: A form of then, used here for the sake of the rhyme.—Dyce

Old Spelling
Enter Sir Clyomon, Knight of the golden Sheeld, ſonne to the King of Denmarke, with subtill Shift the Vice, booted.


 * Clyo. Come on good fellow follow me, that I may vnderſtand
 * Of whence thou art, thus trauelling here in a forraine land:
 * Come why doſt thou not leaue loytering there, and follow after me?


 * Shift. Ah I am in ant ſhall pleaſe you.


 * Clyo. In, why where art thou in?


 * Shift. Faith in a dirtie Ditch with a woman, ſo beraide, as it’s pittie to ſee.


 * Clyo. Well, I ſee thou art a merrie cõpanion, I ſhall like better of thy cõpany:
 * But, I pray thee, come away.


 * Shift. If I get out one of my legs, as faſt as I may
 * Ha lo, A my buttocke, the very foundation thereof doth breake,
 * Ha lo, once againe, I am as faſt, as though I had frozen here a weeke.

Here let him flip vnto the ſtage backwards, as though he had puld his leg out of the mire, one boote off, and then riſe vp to run in againe.


 * Clyo. Why how now, whither runſt thou, art thou fooliſh in thy mind?


 * Shi. But to fetch one of my legs ant ſhall pleaſe, that I haue left in the mire behind.


 * Clyo. One of thy legs, why looke man, both thy legs thou haſt,
 * It is but one of thy bootes thou haſt loſt, thy labour thou doeſt waſt.


 * Shift. But one of my bootes, Ieſu, I had ſuch a wrench with the fall,
 * That I aſſure, I did thinke one of my legs had gone withall.


 * Clyo. Well let that paſſe, and tell me what thou art, and what is thy name?
 * And from whence thou cam’ſt, and whither thy iourney thou doeſt frame,
 * That I haue met thee by the way, thus trauelling in this ſort?


 * Shift. What you haue requeſted, ant ſhall pleaſe, I am able to report,
 * What I am by my nature each wight ſhall perceiue
 * That frequenteth my company, by the learning I haue.
 * I am the ſonne of Appollo, and from his high ſeate I came,
 * But whither I go, it skils not, for knowledge is my name:
 * And who ſo hath knowledge, what needs he to care
 * Which way the wind blowe, his way to prepare.


 * Cly. And art thou knowledge, of troth I am glad that I haue met with thee.


 * Shift. I am knowledge, and haue as good skill in a woman as any man whatſoeuer he bee.
 * For this I am certaine of, let me but lie with her all night,
 * And Ile tell you in the morning, whether ſhe is maid, wife, or ſprite:
 * And as for other matters, ſpeaking of languiſhes, or any other thing,
 * I am able to ſerue, ant ſhall pleaſe, ant were great Alexander the King.


 * Clyo. Of troth, then for thy excellencie, I will thee gladly entertaine,
 * If in caſe that with me thou wilt promiſe to remaine.


 * Shift. Nay ant ſhall pleaſe ye, I am like to a woman, ſay nay, and take it,
 * When a gentleman profers entertainment, I were a foole to forſake it.


 * Clyo. Well knowledge, then ſith thou art content my ſeruant to bee,
 * And endued with noble qualities, thy perſonage I ſee,
 * Thou hauing perfect knowledge, how thy ſelfe to behaue:
 * I will ſend thee of mine arrant; but haſte thither I craue:
 * For here I will ſtay thy comming againe.


 * Shift. Declare your pleaſure ſir, and whither I ſhall go, and then the caſe is plaine.


 * Clyo. Nay of no great importance, but being here in Suauia
 * And neare vnto the Court, I would haue thee to take thy way
 * Thither with all ſpeed, becauſe I would heare
 * If any ſhews or triumphs be towards, elſe would I not come there,
 * For onely vpon feates of armes is all my delight.


 * Shift. If I had knowne ſo much before, ſerue that ſerue will, I would haue ſeru'd no martiall Knight.
 * Well ſir, to accompliſh your will, to the court I will hy,
 * And what news is there ſtirring, bring word by and by.

Exit.


 * Clyo. Do ſo good knowledge, and here in place thy comming I will ſtay:
 * For nothing doth delight me more, than to heare of martiall play.
 * Can foode vnto the hungrie corps, be cauſe of greater ioy,
 * Then for the haughtie heart to heare, which doth it ſelfe imploy,
 * Through martiall excerciſes much to winne the brute of Fame,
 * Where mates do meete which therevnto their fancies ſeemes to frame:
 * Can muſicke more the penſiue heart or daunted mind delight,
 * Can comfort more the carefull corps and ouer palled ſpright,
 * Reioyce, then ſound of Trumpet doth each warlike wight allure,
 * And Drum and Fyfe vnto the fight doth noble hearts procure,
 * To ſee in ſunder ſhiuered, the Lance that leades the way,
 * And worthy knights vnbeauered, in field amidſt the fray,
 * To heare the ratling Cannons roare, and Hylts on Helmets ring,
 * To ſee the ſouldiers ſwarm on heapes, where valiant hearts doth bring
 * The cowardly crew into the caſe of carefull Captiues band,
 * Where auncients braue diſplayed be, and wonne by force of hand.
 * What wight would not as well delight as this to heare and ſee,
 * Betake himſelfe in like affairs a fellow mate to bee,
 * With Clyomon, to Denmarke King the onely ſonne and heire,
 * Who of the Golden Sheeld as now, the knightly name doth beare
 * In euery land ſince that I foyld the worthy Knight of Fame,
 * Sir Samuel before the King, and Prince of martiall game.
 * Alexander cald the Great, which when he did behold,
 * He gaue to me in recompence, this Shield of glittering Gold:
 * Requeſting for to know my name, the which ſhall not be ſhowen
 * To any Knight, vnleſſe by force he make it to be knowen.
 * For ſo I vowed to Denmarke King, my fathers grace when I
 * Firſt got his leaue, that I abroad my force and ſtrength might try.
 * And ſo I haue my ſelfe behau'd, in City, Towne and field,
 * That neuer yet did fall reproach, to the Knight of the Golden Shield.

Enter Subtill Shift, running.


 * Shift. Gods ames, where are you, where are you? and you bee a man come away.


 * Clya. Why what is the matter knowledge? to tell thy arrand ſtay.


 * Shift. Stay, what talke you of ſtaying, why then all the ſight will be paſt,
 * Clamides the Kings ſonne ſhall be dubd Knight in all haſt.


 * Clyo. Ah knowledge, then come indeed, and good paſtime thou ſhalt ſee,
 * For I will take the honour from him, that dubbed I may bee.
 * Vpon a couragious ſtomacke, come let vs haſte thither.

Exit.


 * Shift. Leade you the way and ile follow, weele be both made knights togither.
 * Ah ſirrah, is my maſter ſo luſtie, or dares he be ſo bold?
 * It is no maruell then, if he beare a Sheeld of Gold.
 * But by your patience if he continue in this buſineſſe, farewell maiſter than,
 * For I promiſe you, I entend not very long to be his man:
 * Although vnder the title of knowledge my name I do faine,
 * Subtill Shift I am called, that is moſt plaine.
 * And as it is my name, ſo it is my nature alſo,
 * To play the ſhifting knaue whereſoeuer I go.
 * Well, after him I will, but, ſoft now, if my maiſter chance to be loſt
 * And any man examine me, in telling his name I am as wiſe as a poſt.
 * What a villaine was I, that ere he went, could not aske it?
 * Well, its no great matter, I am but halfe bound, I may ſerue whom I will yet.

<DIV style="text-indent:56%;">Exit.</DIV>