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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    Not Peer Reviewed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)

    350Enter Em and Trotter the Millers man with a kerchife on
    his head, and an Urinall in his hand.
    Em. Trotter where haue you beene?
    Trotter. Where haue I bene? why what signifies this.
    Em. A kerchiefe, doth it not?
    355Trotter. What call you this I praye?
    Em. I saie 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 be so: but the Phismicary tels me that you can help me
    Em. Why, any thing I can do 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 beginning of a new bargaine.
    370Em. What bargaine?
    Trot. That you promised to do anything to recouer my helth.
    Em. On that condition I giue thee my hand.
    Trot. Ah sweete Em. Here he offers to kisse her.
    Em. How now Trotter? your maisters daughter?
    375Trot. Yfaith I aime at the fairest,
    Ah Em, sweet Em: fresh as the flowre:
    That hath poure to wound my harte,
    And ease my smart, of me poore theefe,
    In prison bounde.
    380Em. So all your ryme lies on the grounde.
    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 me inioye my loue my deere,
    And thou possesse thy Trottter 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 I praye thee hartely.
    Trotter. That same word (hartely) is of great force.
    400I will goe: but I praye sir, beware you
    Come not too neere the wench.Exit Trotter.
    Manuile. I am greatly beholding to you
    Ah Maistres, somtime I might haue said my loue,
    But time and fortune hath bereued me of that,
    405And I am abiect in those gratious eyes
    That with remorse earst sawe into my griefe,
    May sit and sigh the sorowes of my heart.
    Em. In deede 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 the 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 handes,
    For that my conscience cleeres me of offence.
    Manuile. Ah impudent and shamelesse in thy ill,
    That with thy cunning and defraudfull toung,
    420Seekese to delude the honest meaning minde:
    Was neuer heard in Manchester before,
    Of true louer then hath beene betwixte vs twaine:
    And for my parte how I haue hazarded
    Displeasure of my father and my freindes
    425Thy selfe can witnes. Yet notwithstanding this:
    Two genlemen attending on Duke William
    Mountney and Valingford, as I heard them named,
    Oft times resort to see and to be seene,
    Walking the streete fast by thy fathers dore,
    430Whose glauncing eyes vp to the windowes cast,
    Giues testies of their Maisters amorous hart.
    This Em is noted and too much talked on.
    Some see it without mistrust of ill.
    Others there are that scorning grynne thereat,
    435And saith, there goes the millers daughters wooers.
    Ah me, whome chiefely and most of all it doth concerne
    To spend my time in griefe and vexe my soule,
    To thinke my loue should be rewarded thus,
    And for thy sake abhore all women kind.
    440Em. May not a maide 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 maide 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 gnawe vpon?
    Ah Manuile, little wottest thou,
    455How neere this parting goeth to my heart.
    Vncourteous loue whose followers reapes reward,
    Of hate, disdaine, reproach and infamie,
    The fruit frantike, bedlome ielozie.
    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 vnkindnes cause me from him to starte.
    Mountney. For this good fortune, Venus be thou blest,
    465To meete my loue, the mistres of my heart,
    Where time and place giues oportunitie
    At full to let her vnderstand my loue.
    He turnes to Em, & offers to take her by the hand, & shee 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, syr:
    Mountney. Yet stay sweete 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 enclyned to.
    Em. The Gentle-man your friend Syr,
    I haue not seene him this foure dayes at the least.
    Mountney. Whats that to me? I speak not sweete 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:
    Whome 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 keep me here so long?
    I cannot vnderstand you by your sygnes.
    You keepe a pratling with your lippes,
    But neuer a word you speake that I can heare.
    490Mountney. What is shee 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 pryde of art
    Hath wrought perfections ritch 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 bootes 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 sute.
    I am acquainted with the Kings Phisitions:
    505Amongst the which, theres one mine honest friend,
    Seignior Alberto, a verie 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 mee deere.
    510But Mountney: stay, this may be but deceit,
    A matter fained onely to delude thee.
    And not vnlike, perhaps by Ualingford,
    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 enimie,
    And giue her counsell to dissemble thus.
    Ile try the euent, and if it fall out so?
    Frindship farewell: Loue makes me now a foe.Exit Mountney.
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