User:Sbh/Sir Clyomon and Sir Clamydes (critical edition)/Scene vii

Scene vii

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

Clamydes

Ah happy day! my deadly foe submitted hath to death:

Lo, here the hand, lo, here the sword that stopped the vital breath!

Lo, here the head that shall possess my Juliana^[1] 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^[2] 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.

[Here let him sit down and rest himself.

Enter Bryan Sans-foy and [Subtle] Shift.

Bryan Sans-foy

Come, Knowledge, for here he lies, laid weary on the ground.

Subtle 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.

Bryan 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^[3] 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!

Subtle Shift

Ah, handle him softly, or else you will cause him to awake!

Bryan 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.

[Takes away from Clamydes his apparel, his shield, and the serpent’s head.]

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.

Subtle Shift

Well, do so, Master Bryan, and for your coming I’ll stay.

[Exit Bryan.

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 I not worthy to be hanged? was ever seen such a deceitful knave?

What villainy was in me when unto Bryan understanding I gave

Of my master’s being n 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 villainy 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 Bryan Sans-foy, two Servants.

Bryan 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.

[Carry him out.

Subtle Shift

How say you, Master Bryan, shall I of him have the guard?

Bryan 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.

Subtle Shift

Here’s my hand: charm, enchant, make a spider-catcher of me, if I be false to you ever.

Bryan Sans-foy

Well, then, come, follow after me, and the guard of him thou shalt have.

Subtle Shift

A thousand thanks I give you: this is all the promotion I crave.

[Exit Bryan Sans-foy.

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.

[Exit.

Textual Notes

1. Juliana] D B; Iulianas Q
2. her] D B; his Q
3. might] Q D B; may Dyce conjecture

Explanatory Notes

the Faithless Shield: i.e. the shield which has the impress Sans-foy.—Dyce.

dared: scared.

prevail: avail.

cloak: deal cunningly, dissemble.—Bullen.

spider-catcher: monkey.