two months he is thine: unbind him, I set him free;
Which time once expired, if he appear not the next day by noon,
Without further delay thou shalt lose thy life, and that full soon.
Whether he die by the way, or lie sick in his bed,
If he return not then, thou shalt either hang or lose thy head.
Pithias. For this, O mighty king, I yield immortal thanks. O joyful day!
Dionysius. Gronno, take him to thee: bind him, see him kept in safety:
If he escape, assure thyself for him thou shalt die.
Eubulus, let us depart, to talk of this strange thing within.
Eubulus. I follow.
[Exeunt.
Gronno. Damon, thou servest the gods well today; be thou of comfort.
As for you, sir, I think you will be hanged in sport.
You heard what the king said; I must keep you safely:
By Cock, so I will, you shall rather hang than I.
Come on your way.
Pithias. My Damon, farewell; the gods have thee in keeping.
Damon. O my Pithias, my pledge, farewell; I part from thee weeping.
But joyful at my day appointed I will return again,
When I will deliver thee from all trouble and pain,
Stephano will I leave behind me to wait upon thee in prison alone,
And I, whom fortune hath reserved to this misery, will walk home.
Ah my Pithias, my pledge, my life, my friend, farewell.
Pithias. Farewell, my Damon.
Damon. Loth am I to depart. Sith sobs my trembling tongue doth stay,
O music, sound my doleful plaints, when I am gone my way.
[Exit Damon.
Gronno. I am glad he is gone, I had almost wept too. Come, Pithias,
So God help me, I am sorry for thy foolish case
Wilt thou venter thy life for a man so fondly?
Pithias. It is no venter: my friend is just, for whom I desire to die.
Gronno. Here is a madman! I tell thee, I have a wife whom I love well,
And if ich would die for her, chould ich were in hell.
Wilt thou do more for a man than I would for a woman?
Pithias. Yea, that I will.
Gronno. Then come on your ways, you must to prison haste.
I fear you will repent this folly at last.
Pithias. That shalt thou never see. But O music, as my Damon requested thee,
Sound out thy doleful tunes in this time of calamity.
[Exeunt. Here the regals play a mourning song, and Damon cometh in in mariner apparel and Stephano with him.
Damon. Weep no more, Stephano, this is but destiny:
Had not this happ’d, yet I know I am born to die:
Where or in what place, the gods know alone,
To whose judgment myself I commit. Therefore leave off thy moan,
And wait upon Pithias in prison till I return again,
In whom my joy, my care and life doth only remain.
Stephano. O my dear master, let me go with you; for my poor company
Shall be some small comfort in this time of misery.
Damon. O Stephano, hast thou been so long with me,
And yet dost not know the force of true amity?
I tell thee once again, my friend and I are but one:
Wait upon Pithias, and think thou art with Damon.
Whereof I may not now discourse, the time passeth away;
The sooner I am gone, the shorter shall be my journey:
Therefore farewell, Stephano, commend me to my friend Pithias,
Whom I trust to deliver in time out of this woful case.
Stephano. Farewell, my dear master, since your pleasure is so.
O cruel hap! O poor Stephano!
O cursed Carisophus, that first moved this tragedy!—
But what a noise is this? is all well within, trow ye?
I fear all be not well within, I will go see.—
Come out, you weasel: are you seeking eggs in Damon’s chest?
Come out, I say, wilt thou be packing? by Cock, you were best.
Carisophus. How durst thou, villain, to lay hands on me?
Stephano. Out, sir knave, or I will send ye.
Art thou not content to accuse Damon wrongfully,
But wilt thou rob him also, and that openly?
Carisophus. The king gave me the spoil: to take mine own wilt thou let me?[78]
Stephano. Thine own, villain! where is thine authority?
Carisophus. I am authority of myself; dost thou not know?
Stephano. By’r Lady, that is somewhat; but have you no more to show?
Carisophus. What, if I have not?
Stephano. Then for an earnest penny take this blow.
I shall bombast you, you mocking knave; chill put pro in my purse for this time.[79]
Carisophus. Jack, give me my sword and target.
Jack. I cannot come to you, master, this knave doth me let. Hold, master.
Stephano. Away, Jackanapes, else I will col’phise you[80] by and by:
Ye slave, I will have my pennyworths of thee therefore, if I die.
About, villain!
Carisophus. O citizens, help to defend me.
Stephano. Nay, they will rather help to hang thee.
Carisophus. Good fellow, let us reason of the matter quietly: beat me no more.
Stephano. Of this condition I will stay, if thou swear, as thou art an honest man,
Thou wilt say nothing to the king of this when I am gone.
Carisophus. I will say nothing; here is my hand, as I am an honest man.
Stephano. Then say on thy mind: I have taken a wise oath on him, have I not, trow ye?
To trust such a false knave upon his honesty?
As he is an honest man (quoth you?) he may bewray all to the king,
And break his oath for this never a whit—but, my franion,[81] I tell you this one thing:
If you disclose this, I will devise such a way,
That whilst thou livest, thou shalt remember this day.
Carisophus. You need not devise for that, for this day is printed in my memory;
I warrant you, I shall remember this beating till I die:
But seeing of courtesy you have granted that we should talk quietly,
Methinks in calling me knave you do me much injury.
Stephano. Why so, I pray thee heartily?
Carisophus.