[Exit Demarch.]
[Enter Rosilio with the Marques.]
ROSILIO. Pleaseth your highness, here is the Marques and Mariana.
ZWENO. See here, Duke William, your competitors, That were consenting to my daughters scape. Let them resolve you of the truth herein. And here I vow and solemnly protest, That in thy presence they shall lose their heads, Unless I hear where as my daughter is.
WILLIAM. Oh, Marques Lubeck, how it grieveth me, That for my sake thou shouldest indure these bonds, Be judge my soul that feels the marytrdom!
MARQUES. Duke William, you know it is for your cause, It pleaseth thus the King to misconceive of me, And for his pleasure doth me injury.
[Enter Demarch with the Lady Blaunch.]
DEMARCH. May it please your highness, Here is the Lady whom you sent me for.
WILLIAM. Away, Demarch! what tellest thou me of Ladies? I so detest the dealing of their sex, As that I count a lovers state to be The base and vildest slavery in the world.
DEMARCH. What humors are these? Here's a strange alteration!
ZWENO. See, Duke William, is this Blaunch or no? You know her if you see her, I am sure.
WILLIAM. Zweno, I was deceived, yea utterly deceived; Yet this is she: this same is Lady Blaunch. And for mine error, here I am content To do whatsoever Zweno shall set down. Ah, cruel Mariana, thus to use The man which loved and honored thee with his heart!
MARIANA. When first I came into your highness court, And William often importing me of love, I did devise, to ease the grief your daughter did sustain, She should meet Sir William masked, as I it were. This put in proof did take so good effect, As yet it seems his grace is not resolved, But is was I which he conveyed away.
WILLIAM. May this be true? It cannot be but true. Was it Lady Blaunch which I conveyed away? Unconstant Mariana, thus to deal With him which meant to thee nought but faith!
BLAUNCH. Pardon, dear father, my follies that are past, Wherein I have neglected my duty, Which I in reverence ought to shew your grace; For, led by love, I thus have gone astray, And now repent the errors I was in.
ZWENO. Stand up, dear daughter: though thy fault deserves For to be punisht in the extremest sort, Yet love, that covers multitude of sins, Makes love in parents wink at childrens faults. Sufficeth, Blaunch, thy father loves thee so, Thy follies past he knows but will not know. And here, Duke William, take my daughter to thy wife, For well I am assured she loves thee well.
WILLIAM. A proper conjunction! as who should say, Lately come out of the fire, I would go thrust my self into the flame. Let Maistres nice go Saint it where she list, And coyly quaint it with dissembling face. I hold in scorn the fooleries that they use: I being free, will never subject my self To any such as she is underneath the Sun.
ZWENO. Refusest thou to take my daughter to thy wife? I tell thee, Duke, this rash denial may bring More mischief on thee then thou canst avoid.
WILLIAM. Conseit hath wrought such general dislike, Through the false dealing of Mariana, That utterly I do abhore their sex. They are all disloyal, unconstant, all unjust: Who tries as I have tried, and finds as I have found, Will say theres so such creatures on the ground.
BLANCH. Unconstant Knight, though some deserve no trust, Theres others faithful, loving, loyal, and just.
[Enter to them Valingford with Em and the Miller, and Mountney, and Manville, and Elner.]
WILLIAM. How now, Lord Valingford, what makes these women here?
VALINGFORD. Here be two women, may it please your grace, That are contracted to one man, and are In strife whether shall have him to their husband.
WILLIAM. Stand foorth, women, and say, To whether of you did he first give his faith.
EM. To me, forsooth.
ELNER. To me, my gratious Lord.
WILLIAM. Speak, Manville: to whether didst thou give thy faith?
MANVILLE. To say the troth, this maid had first my love.
ELNER. Yes, Manville, but there was no witness by.