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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    Not Peer Reviewed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 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 suite I haue.
    Mariana. My Lord you know you neede not to intreat,
    665But may commaund 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
    I would redound greatly to my preiudice.
    Mariana. My Lord wherein hath Mariana giuen you occasion
    675That you should mistrust or else be ielous of my secrecie.
    Lubeck Mariana, do not misconster of me:
    I not mistrust thee, nor thy secresie,
    Nor let my loue misconster my intente,
    Nor think thereof but well and honorable.
    680Thus stands the case: Thou knowest from England
    Hether 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 non it.
    His loue to Blunch was then extinct
    When first he sawe thy face.
    Tis thee he loues: yea, thou art onely shee
    That is maistres and commaunder of his thoughts.
    690Mariana. Well well my Lord, I like you, for such driftes
    Put silly Ladies often to their shiftes
    Oft haue I heard you saye, 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 tytle 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.
    Sweete Mariana then denie mee not,
    705Loue William, loue my friend and honour mee
    Who els is cleane dishonored by thy meanes.
    Mariana Borne to mishap, my selfe am onely shee,
    On whome the Sunne of Fortune neuer shyned:
    But Planets rulde by retrogard aspect,
    710Foretolde mine yll in my natiuitie.
    Lubeck. Sweete Ladie seace, let my intreatie serue
    To pacifie the passion of thy griefe,
    Which well I know proceedes of ardent loue.
    Mariana. But Lubeck now regardes not Mariana:
    715Lubeck. Euen as my life, so loue I Mariana.
    Mariana. Why do you poste mee to another then?
    Lubeck. He is my friend, and I do loue the man.
    Mariana. Then will Duke William robb me of my Loue?
    Lubeck. No as his life Mariana he doth loue.
    720Mariana. Speake for yourselfe 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 handes:
    725He for hopes that comfort at your hands.
    Mariana. Leaue of my Lord, here comes the Ladie Blaunch.
    Enter Blaunch 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.
    Blaunch. 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.
    Blaunch. 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.
    745Blaunch. What of all this?
    Mariana. The next tyme 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 shal demaund, so far foorth
    750As it be no impeachment to my chastitie:
    And to conclude, poynt some place for to meete the man,
    For my conueiance 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 were the English Crowne.
    And than?
    Blanch. What then?
    Mariana. If Sir Robert proue a King and you his Queene
    How than?
    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. Ladie this is well and happelie met,
    Fortune hetherto hath beene my foe,
    And though I haue oft sought to speake with you,
    Yet still I haue beene crost with sinister happs.
    I cannot Madame tell a louing tale
    770Or court my Maistres with fabulous discoursies,
    That am a souldier sworne to followe armes:
    But this I bluntly let you vnderstand,
    I honor you with such religious Zeale
    As may become an honorable minde.
    775Nor may I make my loue the seege of Troye
    That am a straunger 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 whome I am so bound,
    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 yealdes 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 Courte.
    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 than?
    790William. Not otherwise but well and honorably.
    I haue at Sea a shipp that doth attend,
    Which shall foorthwith conducte 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 foote to hinder our pretence.
    Mariana. But this I think were most conuenient
    To maske my face the better to scape vnknowen.
    William. A good deuise: till then, Farwell faire loue.
    800Mariana. But this I must intreat your grace,
    You would not seeke by lust vnlawfully
    To wrong my chast determinations.
    William. I hold that man most shameles in his sinne
    That seekes to wrong an honest Ladies name
    805Whome he thinkes worthie of his mariage bed.
    Mariana. In hope your othe is true,
    I leaue your grace till the appoynted tyme.
    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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