A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 342 pages of information about A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4.

A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 342 pages of information about A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4.
It will beget strange actions full of feare,
And overthrowe the actor unawares. 
For first Fallerios life must satisfie
The large effusion of their guiltlesse bloods,
Traind on by him to these extremities;
Next, wife and children must be disposest,
Of lands and goods, and turnde to beggerie;
But most of all, his great and hainous sinne,
Will be an eye-sore to his guiltlesse kinne. 
Beare hence away these models of his shame,
And let us prosecute the murtherer
With all the care and diligence we can.

[Two must be carrying away Pertillo

Allen.  Forbeare awhile to beare away my joy,
Which now is vanisht since his life is fled;
And give me leave to wash his deadly wound
With hartie teares, outflowing from those eyes
Which lov’d his sight, more then the sight of heaven. 
Forgive me God for this idolatrie! 
Thou ugly monster, grim imperious death,
Thou raw-bonde lumpe of foule deformitie,
Reguardlesse instrument of cruell fate,
Unparciall Sergeant, full of treacherie,
Why didst thou flatter my ill-boding thoughts,
And flesh my hopes with vaine illusions? 
Why didst thou say, Pertillo should not dye,
And yet, oh yet, hast done it cruelly? 
Oh but beholde, with what a smiling cheere,
He intertain’d thy bloody harbinger! 
See, thou transformer of a heavenly face
To Ashie palenesse and unpleasing lookes,
That his fair countenance still retaineth grace
Of perfect beauty in the very grave. 
The world would say such beauty should not dye;
Yet like a theefe thou didst it cruelly. 
Ah, had thy eyes, deepe-sunke into thy head,
Beene able to perceive his vertuous minde,
Where vertue sat inthroned in a chaire,
With awfull grace and pleasing maiestie,
Thou wouldest not then have let Pertillo die,
Nor like a theefe have slaine him cruellie. 
Inevitable fates, could you devise,
No means to bring me to this pilgrimage,
Full of great woes and sad calamities,
But that the father should be principall,
To plot the present downfall of the sonne? 
Come then kind death and give me leave to die,
Since thou hast slaine Pertillo cruellie.

Du.  Forbeare, Allenso; hearken to my doome,
Which doth concerne thy fathers apprehension. 
First we enjoyne thee, upon paine of death,
To give no succour to thy wicked sire,
But let him perrish in his damned sinne,
And pay the price of such a treacherie. 
See that with speede the monster be attach’d,
And bring him safe to suffer punishment. 
Prevent it not, nor seeke not to delude
The Officers to whom this charge is given;
For if thou doe, as sure as God doth live,
Thy selfe shall satisfie the lawes contempt. 
Therefore forward about this punishment.

[Exeunt omnes:  manet Allenso.

Al.  Thankes, gratious God, that thou hast left the meanes
To end my soule from this perplexitie. 
Not succour him on paine of present death! 
That is no paine; death is a welcome guest
To those whose hearts are overwhelm’d with griefe. 
My woes are done, I having leave to die
And after death live ever joyfullie. [Exit.

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A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.