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  • Title: Fair Em (Quarto 2, 1631)
  • Editors: Brett Greatley-Hirsch, Kevin A. Quarmby

    • ISBN:

    Copyright Digital Renaissance Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Anonymous
    Editors: Brett Greatley-Hirsch, Kevin A. Quarmby
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Fair Em (Quarto 2, 1631)

    350Enter Em, and Trotter the Millers man with a kerchife on
    his head, and an Vrinall in his hand.
    Em. Trotter where haue you beene?
    Trotter. Where haue I beene? why, what signifies this?
    Em. A kerchiefe, doth it not?
    355Trotter. What call you this I pray?
    Em. I say it is an Vrinall.
    Trotter. Then this is mystically to giue you to vnderstand
    I haue beene at the Phismicaries house.
    Em. How long hast thou beene sicke?
    360Trotter. Yfaith, euen as long as I haue not beene halfe well,
    And that hath beene a long time.
    Em. A loytering time I rather immagine.
    Trot. It may bee so: but the Phismicary tels me that you can (help me.
    Em. Why, any thing I can doe for recouerie of thy health
    365Be right well assured of.
    Trot. Then giue me your hand.
    Em. To what end.
    Trot. That the ending of an old indenture
    Is the begining of a new bargaine.
    370Em. What bargaine?
    Trot. That you promised to do any thing to recouer my health.
    Em. On that condition I giue thee my hand,
    Trot. Ah sweet Em.Here he offers to kisse her.
    Em. How now Trot? your masters daughter?
    375Trot. Yfaith I aime at the fairest,
    Ah Em. sweet Em, fresh as the flower:
    That hath power to wound my hart.
    And ease my smart, of me poore theefe,
    In prison bound.
    380Em. So all your rime lies on the ground.
    But what meanes this?
    Trot. Ah marke the deuise,
    For thee my loue full sicke I was, in hazard of my life
    Thy promise was to make me whole and for to be my wife.
    385Let mee inioy my loue my deere,
    And thou possesse thy Trotter here.
    Em. But I meant no such matter.
    Trot. Yes woos but you did, Ile goe to our Parson Sir Iohn,
    And he shall mumble vp the marriage out of hand.
    390Em. But here comes one that will forbid the Banes.
    Here Enters Manuile to them.
    Trotter. Ah Sir you come too late.
    Manuile. What remedie Trotter.
    Em. Goe Trotter, my father calles.
    395Trotter. Would you haue me goe in, and leaue you two here?
    Em. Why, darest thou not trust me?
    Trotter. Yes faith, euen as long as I see you.
    Em. Goe thy waies l pray thee hartily.
    Trotter. That same word (hartily) is of great force.
    400I will goe: but I pray sir, beware you
    Come not too neere the wench.Exit Trotter.
    Manuile. I am greatly beholding to you.
    Ah Maistres, sometime I mitgh haue said my loue,
    But time and fortune hath bereaued me of that,
    405And I am abiect in those gratious eyes
    That with remorse earst saw into my griefe,
    May sit and sigh the sorrowes of my heart.
    Em. In deed my Manuile hath some cause to doubt,
    When such a swaine is riuall in his loue,
    410Manuile. Ah Em, were he the man that causeth this mistrust,
    I should esteeme of thee as at thee first.
    Em. But is my loue in earnest all this while?
    Manuile. Beleeue me Em, it is not time to iest
    When others ioyes, what lately I possest.
    415Em. If touching loue my Manuile charge me thus?
    Vnkindly must I take it at his hands,
    For that my conscience cleeres me of offence.
    Manuile. Ah impudent and shamelesse in thy ill,
    That with thy cunning and defraudfull tongue
    420Seeks to delude the honest meaning minde:
    Was neuer heard in Manchester before,
    Of truer loue then hath beene betwixte vs twaine:
    And for my part how I haue hazarded
    Displeasure of my father and my freindes
    425Thy selfe can witnes. yet notwithstanding this:
    Two gentlemen attending on Duke William
    Mountney and Valingford, as I heard them named,
    Oft times resort to see and to be seene,
    Walking the street fast by thy fathers dore,
    430Whose glauncing eyes vp to windowes cast,
    Giues testies of their Maisters amorous heart.
    This Em is noted and too much talked on,
    Some see it without mistrust of ill.
    Others there are that scorning grin thereat,
    435And saith, there goes the Millers daughters wooers.
    Ah me, whome chiefly and most of all it doth concerne
    To spend my time in griefe and vex my soule,
    To thinke my loue should be rewarded thus,
    And for thy sake abhorre all women kind,
    440Em. May not a maid looke vpon a man
    Without suspitious iudgement of the world?
    Manuile. If sight do moue offence, it is the better not to see.
    But thou didst more vnconstant as thou art,
    For with them thou hadst talke and conference.
    445Em. May not a maid talke with a man without mistrust?
    Manuile. Not with such men suspected amorous.
    Em. I grieue to see my Manuiles ielosie
    Manuile. Ah Em, faithfull loue is full of ielosie,
    So did I loue thee true and faithfully,
    450For which I am rewarded most vnthankfully.
    Exit in a rage, Manet Em,
    And so awaie? what in displeasure gone?
    And left me such a bitter sweete to gnaw vpon?
    Ah Manuile, little wottest thou,
    455How neere this parting goeth to my heart.
    Vncourteous loue whose followers reaps reward,
    Of hate disdaine, reproach and infamie,
    The fruit franticke, bedlame ielousie.
    Here enter Mountney to Em.
    460But here comes one of these suspitious men:
    Witnes my God without desert of me:
    For onely Manuile honor I in harte:
    Nor shall vnkindnesse cause me from him to start.
    Mountney. For this good fortune, Venus be thou blest,
    465To meet my loue, the mistres of my heart,
    Where time and place giues opportunitie
    At full to let her vnderstand my loue.
    He turnes to Em &offers to take her by the hand, &she goes from him.
    Faire mistres, since my fortune sorts so well:
    470Heare you a word. What meaneth this?
    Nay stay faire Em.
    Em. I am going homewards, Sir:
    Mountney. Yet stay (sweet loue) to whom I must disclose
    The hidden secrets of a louers thoughts,
    475Not doubting but to finde such kinde remorse
    As naturally you are enclined to.
    Em. The Gentleman your friend Sir,
    I haue not seene him this foure dayes at the least.
    Mountney. whats that to mee? I speake not (sweet) in person of (my friend,
    480But for my selfe, whom if that loue deserue
    To haue regard being honourable loue:
    Not base affects of loose lasciuious loue,
    Whom youthfull Wantons play and dally With:
    But that Vnites in honourable bands of holy rytes,
    485And knits the sacred Knot that Gods.Here Em cuts him off.
    Em. What meane you sir to keepe me here so long?
    I cannot vnderstand you by your signes,
    You keepe a pratling with your lips,
    But neuer a word you speake that I can heare.
    490Mountney. What is she deafe? a great impediment.
    Yet remedies there are for such defects.
    Sweete Em, it is no little griefe to mee,
    To see where nature in her pride of Art
    Hath wrought perfections rich and admirable.
    495Em. Speake you to mee Sir?
    Mountney. To thee my onely ioy.
    Em. I cannot heare you.
    Mountney. Oh plague of fortune: Oh hell without compare.
    What boots it vs to gaze and not enioy?
    500Em. Fare you Well Sir.Exit Em. Manet Mountney.
    Mountney. Fare well my loue Nay farewell life and all.
    Could I procure redresse for this infirmitie,
    It might be meanes shee would regard my suit.
    I am acquainted with the Kings Phisitions:
    505Amongst the which there's one mine honest friend,
    Seignior Alberto, a very learned man,
    His iudgement will I haue to help this ill.
    Ah Em, faire Em, if art can make thee whole:
    Ile Buy that sence for thee, although it cost me deare.
    510But Mountney: stay, this may be but deceit,
    A matter fained onely to delude thee.
    And not vnlike, perhaps by Valingford,
    He loues faire Em as well as I.
    As well as I? ah no, not halfe so well.
    515Put case, yet may he be thine enemie,
    And giue her counsell to dissemble thus.
    Ile try the euent and if it fall out so,
    Friendship farewell: Loue makes me now a foe.Exit Mountney.
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