Classic Poem

[SCENE XVI.]

Enter T HRASELLUS , King of Norway, and two Lords.

Thra. My lords, pursue her speedily, she cannot far be gone;
And, lo, himself to seek her out, your king he will be one.
Ah fraudulent dame, how hath she glozed from me to get away!
With surged words how hath she fed my senses night and day!
Professing love with outward shows, and inwardly her heart
To practise such a deep deceit, whereby she might depart
From out my court so suddenly, when I did wholly judge
She loved me most entirely and not against me grudge,
She made such signs by outward shows! I blame not wit and policy,
But here I may exclaim and say, “Fie, fie, on women's subtilty!”
Well, well, my lords, no time delay, pursue her with all speed,
And I this forest will seek out myself, as is decreed,
With aid of such as are behind and will come unto me.
Both Lords. We shall not slack what here in charge to us is given by thee.
Thra. Ah subtle Neronis, how hast thou me vex'd!
Through thy crafty dealings how am I perplex'd!
Did ever any win a dame and lose her in such sort?
The maladies are marvellous the which I do support
Through her deceit; but forth I will my company to meet:
If ever she be caught again, I will her so entreat
That others all shall warning take by such a subtle dame,
How that a prince for to delude such engines they do frame.

Enter C LYOMON , Knight of the Golden Shield .

Clyo. Nay, traitor, stay, and take with thee that mortal blow or stroke
The which shall cause thy wretched corps this life for to revoke:
It joyeth me at the heart that I have met thee in this place,
Thra. What, varlet, dar'st thou be so bold with words in such a case
For to upbraid thy lord and king? what art thou, soon declare.
Clyo. My lord and king I thee defy; and in despite I dare
Thee for to say, thou art no prince, for thou a traitor art;
And what reward is due therefore, to thee I shall impart.
Thra. Thou braggest all too boldly still: what hight thy name, express.
Clyo. What hight my name thou shalt not know, ne will I it confess;
But for that thou my lady stolest from father's court away,
I'll sure revenge that traitorous fact upon thy flesh this day,
Since I have met so luckily with thee here all alone,
Although, as I do understand, from thee she now is gone;
Yet therefore do defend thyself, for here I thee assail
Thra. Alas, poor boy, thinkest thou against me to prevail?

Here let them fight, the King fall down dead.

Thra. Ah heavens, Thrasellus he is slain!—Ye gods, his ghost receive!
Clyo. Now hast thou justice for thy fact, as thy desert doth crave
But, ah, alas, poor Clyomon, though thou thy foe hast slain,
Such grievous wounds thou hast received as do increase thy pain:
Unless I have some speedy help, my life must needly waste,
And then, as well as traitor false, my corps of death shall taste.
Ah my Neronis, whereart thou? ah, where art thou become?
For thy sweet sake thy knight shall here receive his vital doom:
Lo, here, all gorèd in [his] blood, thy faithful knight doth lie!
For thee, ah faithful dame, thy knight for lack of help shall die!
For thee, ah, here thy Clyomon his mortal stroke hath ta'en!
For thee, ah, these same hands of his the Norway King have slain!
Ah, bleeding wounds from longer talk my foltring tongue do stay,
And, if I have not speedy help, my life doth waste away!

Enter Father C ORIN , the shepherd, and his dog.

Cor. A plague on thee for a cur! a ha driven my sheep above from the flock:
Ah thief, art not ashamed? I'll beat thee like a stock;
And cha been a-zeeking here above vour miles and more:
But chill tell you what, chave the bravest lad of Jack the courtnoll that ever was zeen bevore.
Ah, the whorecop is plaguily well loved in our town!
And you had zeen go to church bevore Madge my wife in her holiday gown,
You would have bless'd yourzelves t'ave seen it: she went even cheek by jowl
With our head-controm's wife, brother to my neighbour Nichol;
You know ha dwells by Master Justice over the water on the other side of the hill,
Cham zure you know it, between my neighbour Filcher's varm-house and the wind-mill.
But and you did zee how Joan Jenkin and Gillian Geffrey love my boy Jack,—
Why, it is marvellation to see; Joan did so baste Gillian's back,
That, by Go's bones, I laugh'd till cha be-piss'd myzelf when cha zaw it:
All the maids in town valls out for my boy, but and the young men know it,
They'll be zo jealisom over them, that cham in doubt
Ich shall not keep Jack my boy till seven years go about.
Well, cham ne'er the near vor my sheep, chave sought it this vour mile;
But chill home and send Jack foorth to zeek it another while.
But, bones of God, man, stay! Jesu, whather wilt? wha, what mean'st lie here?
Clyo. Ah, good father, help me!
Cor. Nay, who there, by your leave! chill not come near—
What, another? bones of me, he is either kill'd or dead!—
Nay, varewell: vorty pence, ye're a knave!—Go's death, 'a doth bleed!
Clyo. I bleed, indeed, father; so grievous my wounds be,
That if I have not speedy help, long life is not in me.
Cor. Why, what art thou? or how chanced thou camest in this case?
Clyo. Ah father, that dead corps which thou seest there in place,
He was a knight and mine enemy whom here I have slain,
And I a gentleman whom he hath wounded with marvellous pain.
Now thou knowest the truth, good father, show some courtesy
To stop my bleeding wounds, that I may find some remedy
My life to preserve, if possible I may.
Cor. Well, here you, gentleman, chould have you know this by the way,
Cham but vather Corin the shepherd, cham no suringer I;
But chill do what cha can vor you, cha were loth to see you die.
Lo, how zay you by this? [ Raises him ] have cha done you any ease?
Clyo. Father, thy willingness of a certainty doth me much please.
But, good father, lend me thy helping hand once again,
To bury this same knight whom here I have slain:
Although he was to me a most deadly enemy,
Yet to leave his body unburied were great cruelty.
Cor. Bones of God, man, our priest dwells too far away.
Clyo. Well, then, for want of a priest, the priest's part I will play:
Therefore, father, help me to lay his body aright,
For I will bestow a hearse of him because he was a knight,
If thou wilt go to a cottage hereby and fetch such things as I lack.
Cor. That chill, gentleman, and by and by return back
Clyo. But, Clyomon, pluck up thy heart with courage once again;
And I will set o'er his dead corse, in sign of victory [plain],
My golden shield, and sword but with the point hanging down,
As one conquer'd and lost his renown,
Writing likewise thereupon, that all passengers may see,
That the false King of Norway here lieth slain by me.

Re-enter C ORIN with a hearse .

Cor. Lo, gentleman, cha brought zuch things as are requisite for the zame.
Clyo. Then, good father, help me the hearse for to frame.
[ Cor. ] That chall, gentleman, in the best order that cha may.
O, that our parish-priest were here! that you might here him say;
Vor, by Go's bones, and there be any noise in the church, in the midst of his prayers he'll swear:
Ah, he loves hunting a-life! would to God you were acquainted with him a while:
And as vor a woman,—well, chill zay nothing, but cha know whom he did beguile.
Clyo. Well, father Corin, let that pass, we have nothing to do withal:
And now that this is done, come, reward thy pain I shall;
There is part of a recompense thy good-will to requite.
Cor. By my troth, cha thank you, cham bound to pray vor you day and night:
And now chill even home, and send Jack my boy this sheep to seek out.
Clyo. Tell me, father, ere thou goest, didst thou not see a lady wandering here about?
Cor. A lady! no, good vaith, gentleman, cha zaw none, cha tell you plain.
Clyo. Well, then, farewell, father; gramercies for thy pain
Ah Neronis, where thou art or where thou dost abide,
Thy Clyomon to seek thee out shall rest no time nor tide!
Thy foe here lieth slain on ground, and living is thy friend,
Whose travel till he see thy face shall never have an end.
My ensign here I leave behind; these verses writ shall yield
A true report of traitor slain by the Knight of the Golden Shield;
And, as unknown to any wight, to travel I betake,
Until I may her find whose sight my heart may joyful make.