Part 46

GENTLEMAN.

How say you, sweet, will you dance with me? And you [shall] have both land and ; My love shall want nor gold nor fee.

I thank you, sir, for your good will; But one of these my love must be: 50 I'm but a homely country maid, And far unfit for your degree; [To dance with you I am afraid.]

FRIEND.

Take her, good sir, by the hand, As she is fairest; were she fairer, By this dance, you shall understand, He that can win her is like to wear her.

FOOL.

And saw you not Nan to-day, My mother's maid have you not seen? My pretty Nan is gone away 60 To seek her love upon the green. [I cannot see her 'mong so many:] She shall have me, if she have any.

NAN.

Welcome, sweet-heart, and welcome here, Welcome, my love, now to me. This is my love [and my darling dear], And that my husband must be. And, boy, when thou com'st home thou'lt see Thou art as welcome home as he.

GENTLEMAN.

Why, how now, sweet Nan! I hope you jest. 70

NAN.

No, by my troth, I love the fool the best: And, if you be jealous, God give you good-night! I fear you're a gelding, you caper so light.

GENTLEMAN.

I thought she had jested and meant but a fable, But now do I see she hath play' with his bable. I wish all my friends by me to take heed, That a fool come not near you when you mean to speed.

FOOTNOTES:

First printed in The Alleyn Papers (for the Shakespeare Society), p. 8, by Collier, who remarks:--"In the original MS. this dramatic dialogue in verse is written as prose, on one side of a sheet of paper, at the back of which, in a more modern hand, is the name 'Kitt Marlowe.' What connection, if any, he may have had with it, it is impossible to determine, but it was obviously worthy of preservation, as a curious stage-relic of an early date, and unlike anything else of the kind that has come down to us. In consequence of haste or ignorance on the part of the writer of the manuscript, it has been necessary to supply some portions, which are printed within brackets. There are also some obvious errors in the distribution of the dialogue, which it was not easy to correct. The probability is that, when performed, it was accompanied with music."

MS. "Jack."

MS. "W. Fre."--which Dyce supposed to be an abbreviation for Wench's Friend.

MS. "Frend."

MS. "Wen" (i.e. Wench).

MS. "Wen."

Bauble.

APPENDICES.

APPENDICES.

No. I.

THE ATHEIST'S TRAGEDIE.

All you that have got eares to heare, Now listen unto mee; Whilst I do tell a tale of feare; A true one it shall bee: