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

Scene x

Enter Shift with sword and target.

Subtle Shift

Be your leave, I came up so early this morning that I cannot see my way;

I am sure it’s scarce yet in the break of the day.

But you muse, I am sure, wherefore these weapons I bring:

Well, listen unto my tale, and you shall know every thing;

Because I played the shifting knave to save myself from harm,

And by my procurement my master was brought in this charm.

The ten days are expired, and this morning he shall awake,

And now, like a crafty knave, to the prison my way will I take

With these same weapons, as though I would fight to set him free,

Which will give occasion that he shall mistrust there was no deceit in me;

And having the charge of him here under Bryan Sans-foy,

I’ll open the prison-doors, and make as though I did employ

To do it by force, through good-will and only for his sake;

Then shall Clamydes, being at liberty, the weapons of me take,

And set upon Bryan and all his men, now that they are asleep,

And so be revenged for that he did him keep

By charm: in this order so shall they both deceived be,

And yet upon neither part mistrust towards me.

Well, near to the prison I’ll draw to see if he be awake:

Hark, hark, this same is he, that his lamentation doth make!

Clamydes

[in prison] Ah fatal hap! where am I, wretch? in what distressed case!

Bereft of tire, of head^[1], and shield, not knowing in what place

My body is! Ah heavenly gods, was e’er such strangeness seen?

What, do I dream? or am I still within the forest green?

Dream! no, no, alas, I dream not I! my senses all do fail,

The strangeness of this cruel hap doth make my heart to quail.

Clamydes, ah, by Fortune she what forward luck and fate

Most cruelly assigned is unto thy noble state!

Where should I be? or in what place hath destiny assigned

My silly^[2] corpse for want of food and comfort to be pined?

Ah, farewell hope of purchasing my lady! since is lost

The serpent’s head, whereby I should possess that jewel most.

Ah, farewell hope of honor eke! now shall I break my day

Before King Alexander’s grace, whereon my faith doth stay.

And shall I be found a faithless knight? fie on fell Fortune, she

Which hath her wheel of forward chance thus whirled back on me!

Ah, farewell King of Suavia land! ah, farewell Denmark dame!

Farewell, thou Knight of the Golden Shield! to thee shall rest all fame;

To me this direful destiny; to thee, I know, renown;

To me this blast of Ignomy; to thee Dame Honor’s crown.

Ah, hateful hap! what shall I say? I see the gods have ’signed

Through cruelty my careful corps in prison to be pined;

And naught, alas, amates me so, but that I know not where I am,

Nor how into this doleful place my woeful body came!

Subtle Shift

Alas, good Clamydes, in what an admiration is he,

Not knowing in what place his body should be!

Clamydes

[in prison] Who nameth poor Clamydes there? reply to him again.

Subtle Shift

And’t shall please you, I am your servant Knowledge, which in a thousand woes for you remain.

Clamydes

[in prison] Ah Knowledge, where am I, declare, and be brief.

Subtle Shift

Where are you! faith, even in the castle of that false thief,

Bryan Sans-foy, against whom to fight and set you free

Look out at the window, behold, I have brought tools with me.

Clamydes

[in prison] Ah Knowledge, then cowardly that caitiff did me charm?

Subtle Shift

Yea, or else he could never have done you any harm:

But be of good cheer; for such a shift I have made,

That the keys of the prison I have got, yourself persuade,

Wherewith this morning I am come to set you free,

And, as they lie in their beds, you may murder Bryan and his men, and set all other at liberty.

Clamydes

[in prison] Ah Knowledge, this hath me bound to be thy friend forever!

Subtle Shift

A true servant, you may see, will deceive his master never.

[Opens the prison-door.]

So, the doors are open; now come and follow after me.

[Clamydes] enter out.

Clamydes

Ah heavens, in what case myself do I see!

But speak, Knowledge, canst thou tell how long have I been here?

Subtle Shift

These ten days full, and sleeping still; this sentence is most clear.

Clamydes

Alas, then this same is the day the which appointed was

By the Knight of the Golden Shield to me that combat ours should pass

Before King Alexander’s grace; and there I know he is!

Ah cruel Fortune, why shouldst thou thus wrest my chance amiss,

Knowing I do but honor seek, and thou dost me defame,

In that contrary mine expect thou all things seeks to frame?

The faith and loyalty of a knight thou causest me to break:

Ah hateful dame, why shouldst thou thus thy fury on me wreak?

Now will King Alexander judge the thing in me to be

The which, since first I arms could bear, no wight did ever see.

But, Knowledge, give from thee to me those weapons, that I may

Upon that Bryan be revenged, which cowardly did betray

Me of my things, and here from thrall all other knights set free

Whom he by charm did bring in bale as erst he did by me.

Come, into his lodging will I go, and challenge him and his.

Subtle Shift

Do so, and to follow I will not miss.

[Exit [Clamydes with the weapons.]

Ah sirrah, here was a shift according to my nature and condition!

And a thousand shifts more I have to put myself out of suspicion;

But it doth me good to think how that cowardly knave, Bryan Sans-foy,

Shall be taken in the snare; my heart doth even leap for joy.

Hark, hark! my master is amongst them; but let him shift as he can,

For not, to deal with a dog, he shall have help of his man.

[Exit. ^[3]

Re-enter, after a little fight within, Clamydes, three Knights.

Clamydes

Come, come, sir knights; for so unfortunate was never none as I;

That I should joy that is my joy the heavens themselves deny:

That cowardly wretch that kept you here, and did me so deceive,

Is fled away, and hath the shield the which my lady gave

To me in token of her love, the serpent’s head like case,

For which this mine adventure was, to win her noble grace.

First Knight

And sure that same th’ occasion was why we adventured hether.

Clamydes

Well, sith I have you delivered, whenas you please, together,

Each one into his native soil his journey do prepare;

For though that I have broke my day, as erst I did declare,

Through this most cowardly caitiff’s charms, in meeting of the knight

Which of the Golden Shield bears name, to know else what he hight

I will to Alexander’s court, and if that thence he be,

Yet will I seek to find him out, lest he impute to me

Some cause of cowardliness to be; and therefore, sir knights, depart;

As to myself I wish to you with fervent zeal of heart:

Yet, if that any one of you do meet this knight by way,

What was the cause of this my let, let him perstand I pray.

All the Knights^[4]

We shall not miss, O noble knight, t’accomplish this your will.

Clamydes

Well, then, adieu, sir knights, each one; the gods protect you still!

[Exeunt [Knights.]

What, Knowledge, ho! where art thou, man? come forth, that hence we may.

Subtle Shift

[within] Where am I! faith, breaking open of chests here within, for I’ll have the spoil of all away.

Clamydes

Tush, tush, ^[5]

I pray thee come, that hence we may; no riches thou shalt lack.

[Re-enter] Shift with a bag, as it were, full of gold on his back.

Subtle Shift

I come now with as much money as I am able to carry of my back;

A[h], there was never poor ass so loaden! But how now! that cowardly Bryan have you slain?

And your shield, the serpent’s head, and coat, have you again?

Clamydes

Ah, no Knowledge! ^[6]

The knights that here were captives kept, they are by me at liberty,

But that false Bryan this same night is fled away for certainty,

And hath all things he took from me conveyed where none doth know.

Subtle Shift

O the bones of me! how will you, then, do for the serpent’s head to Juliana to show?

Clamydes

I have no other hope, alas, but only that her grace

Will credit give unto my words, whenas I show my case,

How they were lost: but first, ere I unto that dame return,

I’ll seek the Knight of the Golden Shield whereas he doth sojourn,

T’accomplish what my father willed; and therefore come away.

Subtle Shift

Well, keep on before, for I mind not to stay.

[Exit Clamydes.

Ah sirrah, the craftier knave, the better luck! that’s plain:

I have such a deal of substance here, where Bryan’s men are slain,

That it passeth: O, that I had while for to stay!

I could load a hundred carts full of kitchen-stuff away.

Well, it’s not best to tarry too long behind, lest my master over-go,

And then some knave, knowing of my money, a piece of cozenage show.

[Exit.

Textual Notes

1. tire, of] D B; Tyro Q
2. silly] D; sely Q B
3. Exit] D B; Exeunt Q
4. All the Knights] Omnes Q
5. Tush, tush] Printed as part of the following line in Q
6. Ah, no Knowledge] Printed as part of the following line in Q

Explanatory Notes

Be: By

silly: poor, wretched. Here Q has “sely” but in [scene i] it has “my silly barke,” and in [scene xxiii] “a sillie [silly] shepheards boy.”—Dyce.

'signed: assigned

bale: misery

condition: quality, disposition

joy: enjoy

let: hindrance

perstand: understand

of: on

passeth: i.e. passeth belief.—Bullen