Peer Reviewed
- Edition: An Humorous Day's Mirth
An Humorous Day's Mirth (Modern)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Facsimiles
1546.1[Scene 12]
12.0.11547Enter the Queen, Lemot, and all the rest of the 1548lords [Foyes and Labervele], and the Countess; Lemot始s [right] 1549arm in a scarf.
[Aside] Have at them, i始faith, with a lame counterfeit 1551humour.
12.2[Aloud] Ache on, rude arm, I care not for thy pain,
Oh, tell me, sweet Lemot, how fares the King?
That you shall know when other things are told.
Keep not the Queen too long without her 1558longing.
No, for I tell you it is a dangerous thing.
Little care cruel men how women long.
What, would you have me then put poison in my 1562breath,
12.12And burn the ears of my attentive Queen.
Tell me whate始er it be, I始ll bear it all.
Bear with my rudeness, then, in telling it,
1567Queen
始Tis well enough.
Yea, well enough, you say
12.19Then thus:
12.22Is fat and flat, and that your nether lip
1573Queen
Oh, wicked man.
12.25That, when he married me, he thought divine?
Nay, madam, though he said your face was fat,
Oh, did he so? Why, that was right even as it should be.
You see now, madam, how much too hasty you 1582were in your griefs.
If he did so esteem of me indeed, happy am I.
So may your highness be that hath so good a 1585husband, but hell hath no plague to such an one as I.
Indeed, madam, you have a bad husband. Truly, 1587then did the King
12.37And swore no king could more enrichèd be,
O, monstrous man, and accurst, most miserable dame!
‘But始, says the King, ‘I do enjoy as fair,
12.42Yet I'll not wrong my wife for all the world始.
This proves his constancy as firm as brass.
It doth, it doth. Oh, pardon me, my lord,
In heaven your highness lives, but I in hell.
But when he viewed her radiant eyes again,
Oh, dismal news! What, is my sovereign blind?
Blind as a beetle, madam, that, a while
Could her eyes blind him?
Eyes, or what it was, I know not,
Come, bring me to my prince, my lord, that I may 1608lead him. None alive but I may have the honour to direct 1609his feet.
How lead him, madam? Why, he can go as right 1611as you, or any here, and is not blind of eyesight.
Of what then?
Of reason.
Why, thou saidst he wanted his cheerful light.
Of reason still I meant, whose light you know
What mocking changes is there in thy words,
Why, madam, 始tis your fault. You cut me off 1622before my words be half done.
Forth, and unlade the poison of thy tongue.
Another lord did love this curious lady,
12.74Of his, and two or three black ruffians more,
12.78With them I fought a while and got this wound,
Why raised you not the streetes?
1634Lemot
That I forbore,
12.83What a disgrace my liege was subject to,
Whose daughter was it that he forced, I pray?
Your daughter, sir.
Whose son was it that ran so mad for her?
Your son, my lord.
O gods and fiends forbid!
I pray, sir, from whom did he take the lady?
From your good lord.
O Lord, I beseech thee, no!
始Tis all too true. Come, follow the Queen and I where 1646I shall lead you.
Oh, wretched Queen, what would they take from 1648him?
The instrument of procreation.
12.95.1[Exeunt omnes.]