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  • Title: Fair Em (Quarto 1, 1593)
  • Editor: Brett Greatley-Hirsch

    • 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
    Editor: Brett Greatley-Hirsch
    Not Peer Reviewed

    Fair Em (Quarto 1, 1593)

    Enter William taken with souldiers.
    1005William. Could any crosse, could any plague be worse?
    Could heauen or hell? Did both conspire in one
    To afflict my soule, inuent a greater scourge
    Then presently I am tormented with?
    Ah Mariana cause of my lament:
    1010Ioy of my hart, and comfort of my life.
    For thee I breath my sorrowes in the ayre,
    And tyre my selfe: for silently I sigh,
    My sorrowes afflictes me soule with equall passion.
    Souldier. Go to sirha, put vp, it is to small purpose.
    1015William. Hence villaines hence, dare you lay your hands
    Vpon your Soueraigne?
    Souldier. Well sir, we will deale for that.
    But here comes one will remedie all this.
    Enter Demarch.
    1020Souldier. My Lord, watching this night in the campe,
    We tooke this man, and know not what he is:
    And in his companie was a gallant dame,
    A woman faire in outward shewe shee seemde,
    But that her face was maskte we could not see
    1025The grace and fauour of her countenance.
    Demarch. Tell me good fellow of whence and what thou art.
    Souldier. Why do you not answere my Lord?
    He takes scorne to answere.
    Demarch. And takest thou scorne to aunswer my demaunde?
    1030Thy proud behauiour verie well deserues
    This misdemeanour at the worst be construed.
    Why doest thou neither know, nor hast thou heard?
    That in the absence of the Saxon Duke,
    Demarch is his especiall Substitute
    1035To punish those that shall offend the lawes.
    William. In knowing this, I know thou art a traytor,
    A rebell, and mutenous conspirator.
    Why Demarch, knowest thou who I am?
    Demarch. Pardon my dread Lord the error of my sence,
    1040And misdemeaner to your princely excellencie.
    Willi. Why Demarch, what is the cause my subiects are in armes?
    Demarch. Free are my thoughts my dread and gratious Lord
    From treason to your state and common weale,
    Only reuengement of a priuate grudge
    1045By Lord Dirot lately profered me,
    That standes not with the honor of my name,
    Is cause I haue assembled for my guard
    Some men in armes that may withstand his force,
    Whose setled malice aymeth at my life.
    1050William. Where is Lord Dirot?
    Demarch. In armes my gratious Lord
    Not past two miles from hence,
    As credibly I am assertained.
    William. Well, come let vs goe,
    1055I feare I shall find traytors of you both.Exit.
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