Classic Poem

[SCENE VII.]

Enter C LAMYDES with the head [of the flying serpent] upon his sword .

Clam . Ah happy day! my deadly foe submitted hath to death:
Lo, here the hand, lo, here the sword that stopt the vital breath!
Lo, here the head that shall possess my Juliana dear!
The Knight of the Golden Shield his force what need I now to fear?
Since I by force subdued have this serpent fierce of might,
Who vanquished hath, as I have heard, full many a worthy knight,
Which, for to win my lady's love, their lives have ventured here.
Besides, that cowardly Bryan, which the Faithless Shield doth bear,
A number keeps, as I have heard, as captives in his hold,
Whom he hath by enchantment got and not through courage bold:
Shall such defamed dastards, dared by knights, thus bear their name?
Shall such as are without all faith live to impair our fame?
Shall valiant hearts by cowardly charm be kept in captives' thrall?
Shall knights live subject to a wretch which hath no heart at all?
Nay, first, Clamydes, claim to thee fell Atropos her stroke,
Ere thou dost see such worthy knights to bear the heavy yoke
Of cowardly Bryan Without-faith: his charms let daunt not thee;
And for his force thou need'st not fear, the gods thy shield will be
Well, to meet the Knight of the Golden Shield yet ten days' space I have
And to set free these worthy knights; but rest a while I crave:
Here in this place near to this fort, for that I weary am
With travail since from killing of the serpent late I came,
Lo, here a while I mind to rest, and Bryan then subdue,
And then to Alexander's court, to keep my promise true.

Enter B RYAN S ANS-FOY and Shift .

B. Sans-foy . Come, Knowledge, for here he lies, laid weary on the ground
S. Shift . Nay, I'll not come in his sight, if you would give me a thousand pound,
For he is the terriblest knight of any you have heard spoke;
He'll beat a hundred such as you and I am down at one stroke.
B. Sans-foy . Tush, fear thou naught at all: I have charmed him, and he is fast asleep,
Lying near unto the castle here which I do keep;
And ten days in this sleep I have charmed him to remain
Before nature shall overcome it that he might wake again.
In the mean season, lo, behold, the serpent's head I'll take away,
His shield, and his apparel: this done, then will I convey
His body into prison, with other his companions to lie,
Whose strengths, ah Knowledge, I durst never attempt to try!
S. Shift. Ah, handle him softly, or else you will cause him to awake!
B. Sans-foy. Tush, tush, not if all the noise in the world I were able to make:
Till ten days be expired the charm will not leave him;
And then, I am sure, he will marvel who did thus deceive him.
So, now he is stripped, stay thou here for a season,
And I'll go fetch two of my servants to carry him into prison.
S. Shift. Well, do so, Master Bryan, and for your coming I'll stay.
Gog's blood, what a villain am I my master to betray!
Nay, sure, I'll awake him, if it be possible, ere they carry him to jail —
Master! what, master! awake, man! what, master! — Ah, it will not prevail!
Am not I worthy to be hanged? was ever seen such a deceitful knave?
What villany was in me when unto Bryan understanding I gave
Of my master's being in this forest? but much I muse, indeed,
What he means to do with my master's apparel, his shield, and the head.
Well, seeing it is through my villany my master is at this drift,
Yet, when he is in prison, Shift shall not be void of a shift
To get him away; but if it ever come to his ear
That I was the occasion of it, he'll hang me, that's clear.
Well, here comes Bryan: I'll cloak with him, if I may,
To have the keeping of my master in prison night and day.

Re-enter B RYAN S ANS-FOY , two Servants

B. Sans-foy. Come, sirs, take up this body, and carry it in to the appointed place,
And there let it lie, for as yet he shall sleep ten days' space.
S. Shift. How say you, Master Bryan, shall I of him have the guard?
B. Sans-foy. By my troth, policy thy good-will to reward;
In hope of thy just service, content, I agree
For to resign the keeping of this same knight unto thee:
But give me thy hand that thou wilt deceive me never.
S. Shift. Here's my hand: charm, enchant, make a spider-catcher of me, if I be false to you ever.
B. Sans-foy. Well, then, come, follow after me, and the guard of him thou shalt have.
S. Shift. A thousand thanks I give you: this is all the promotion I crave.
Ah sirrah, little knows Bryan that Clamydes my master is;
But to set him free from prison I intend not to miss:
Yet still in my mind I can do no other but muse
What practice with my master's apparel and shield he will use.
Well, seeing I have played the crafty knave with the one, I'll play it with the other;
Subtle Shift for advantage will deceive his own brother.