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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    Enter Mariana and Marques Lubeck.
    660Lubeck. Ladie, since that occasion forward in our good
    Presenteth place and opportunitie:
    Let me intreat your woonted kind consent
    And freindly furtherance in a suit I haue.
    Mariana. My Lord you know you neede not to intreat,
    665But may command Mariana to her power
    Be it no impeachment to my honest fame.
    Lubeck. Free are my thoughts from such base villanie
    As may in question, Ladie, call your name:
    Yet is the matter of such consequence,
    670Standing vpon my honorable credit,
    To be effected with such zeale and secresie,
    As should I speake and faile my expectation
    It would redound greatly to my preiudice.
    Mariana. My Lord wherein hath Mariana giuen you occasion
    675That you should mistrust or else be iealous of my secresie?
    Lubeck Mariana, do not misconster of me:
    I not mistrust thee, nor thy secresie,
    Nor let my loue misconster my intent,
    Nor thinke thereof but well and honourable
    680Thus stands the case: Thou knowest from England
    Hither came with me Robert of Windsor, a noble man at Armes,
    Lustie and valiant, in spring time of his yeares,
    No maruell then though he proue amorous.
    Mariana. true my Lord, he came to see faire Blanch.
    685Lubeck. No Mariana, that is not it.
    His loue to Blanch was then extinct
    When first he saw thy face
    Tis thee he loues: yea, thou art onely shee
    That is maistris and commander of his thoughts.
    690Mariana. Well, well, my Lord, I like you, for such drifts
    Put silly Ladies often to their shifts,
    Oft haue I heard you say, you loued me well:
    Yea, sworne the same, and I beleeued you to.
    Can this be found an action of good faith,
    695Thus to dissemble where you found true loue?
    Lubeck. Mariana, I not dissemble on mine honour:
    Nor failes my faith to thee. But for my friend,
    For princely William, by whom thou shalt possesse
    The title of estate and Maiestie,
    700Fitting thy loue and vertues of thy minde,
    For him I speake, for him do I intreat,
    And with thy fauour fully do resigne
    To him the claime and interest of my loue.
    Sweet Mariana then denie mee not.
    705Loue William, loue my friend and honour mee
    Who else is cleane dishonoured by thy meanes.
    Mariana, Borne to mishap, my selfe am onely shee,
    On whome the Sunne of fortune neuer shined:
    But Planets rulde by retrogarde aspect,
    710Foretold mine ill in my natiuitie.
    Lubeck. Sweet Ladie cease, let my intreatie serue
    To pacifie the passion of thy griefe,
    Which well I know proceeds of ardent loue.
    Mariana. But Lubeck now regards not Mariana.
    715Lubeck. Euen as my life, so loue I Mariana.
    Mariana. Why do you post mee to another then?
    Lubeck. He is my friend, and I do loue the man.
    Mariana. Then will Duke William rob me of my loue?
    Lubeck. No as his life Mariana he doth loue.
    720Mariana. Speake for your selfe my Lord let him alone.
    Lubeck. So do I Madam, for he and I am one.
    Mariana. Then louing you I do content you both.
    Lubeck. In louing him you shall content vs both.
    Me, for I craue that fauour at your hands:
    725He for hopes that comfort at your hands.
    Mariana. Leaue of my lord, here comes the Ladie Blanch.
    Enter Blanch to them.
    Lubeck. Hard hap to breake vs of our talke so soone,
    Sweet Mariana, doe remember me.Exit Lubeck.
    730Mariana. Thy Mariana cannot chuse but remember thee.
    Blanch. Mariana well met, you are verie forward in your loue?
    Mariana. Madam be it in secret spoken to your selfe,
    If you wil but follow the complot I haue inuented
    You will not think me so forward
    735As your selfe shall proue fortunate.
    Blanch. As how?
    Mariana. Madam as thus: It is not vnknowen to you
    That Sir Robert of Windsor,
    A man that you do not little esteeme,
    740Hath long importuned me of loue:
    But rather then I will be found false
    Or vniust to the Marques Lubeck,
    I will as did the constant ladie Penelope
    Vndertake to effect some great taske.
    745Blanch. What of all this?
    Mariana. The next time that Sir Robert shall come
    In his woonted sort to solicit me with loue,
    I will seeme to agree and like of any thing
    That the Knight shall demaund, so far forth
    750As it be no impeachment to my chastitie:
    And to conclude, point some place for to meet the man,
    For my conueyance from the Denmarke Court:
    Which determined vpon, he will appoynt some certaine time
    For our departure: whereof you hauing intelligence,
    755You may soone set downe a plot to weare the English Crowne.
    And then:
    Blanch. What then?
    Mariana. If Sir Robert proue a King and you his Queene
    How then?
    760Blanch. Were I assured of the one, as I am perswaded
    Of the other, there were some possibilitie in it.
    But here comes the man.
    Mariana. Madam begon and you shall see
    I will worke to your desire and my content. Exit Blanch.
    765William. Con. Lady this is well and happily met,
    Fortune hetherto hath beene my foe,
    And though I haue oft sought to speake with you,
    Yet stil l haue beene crost with sinister haps.
    I cannot Madam tell a louing tale
    770Or court my Maistres with fabulous discourses,
    That am a souldier sworne to followe armes:
    But this I bluntly let you vnderstand,
    I honour you with such religious zeale
    As may become an honorable minde.
    775Nor may I make my loue the siege of Troy
    That am a stranger in this Countrie.
    First what I am, I know you are resolued,
    For that my friend hath let you that to vnderstand,
    The Marques Lubeck to whom I am so bouud,
    780That whilest I liue I count me onely his.
    Mariana. Surely you are beholding to the Marques,
    For he hath beene an earnest spokes-man in your cause.
    William. And yeelds my Ladie then at his request
    To grace Duke William with her gratious loue;
    785Mariana. My Lord I am a prisoner, and hard it were
    To get me from the Court.
    William. An easie matter to get you from the Court.
    If case that you will thereto giue consent.
    Mariana. Put case I should, how would you vse me then?
    790William. Not otherwise but well and honorably.
    I haue at Sea a ship that doth attend,
    Which shall forthwith conduct vs into England;
    Where when we are, I straight will marrie thee.
    We may not stay deliberating long
    795Least that suspition, enuious of our weale
    Set in a foot to hinder our pretence.
    Mariana. But this I thinke were most conuenient
    To maske my face the better to scape vnknowne.
    William. A good deuise: till then, Farwell faire loue.
    800Mariana. But this I must intreat your grace,
    You would not seek by lust vnlawfully
    To wrong my chast determinations.
    William. I hold that man most shamelesse in his sinne
    That seekes to wrong an honest ladies name
    805Whom he thinkes worthy of his marriage bed.
    Mariana. In hope your oath is true,
    I leaue your grace till the appointed time.
    Exit Mariana.
    William. O happie William, blessed in thy loue:
    810Most fortunate in Marianaes loue:
    Well Lubeck well, this courtesie of thine
    I will requite if God permit me life.Exit.
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