WILLIAM. I hold that man most shameless in his sin That seeks to wrong an honest Ladies name Whom he thinks worthy of his marriage bed.
MARIANA. In hope your oath is true, I leave your grace till the appointed time.
[Exit Mariana.]
WILLIAM. O happy William, blessed in th love, Most fortunate in Mariana's love! Well, Lubeck, well, this courtesy of thine I will requite, if God permit me life.
[Exit.]
SCENE II.
Manchester. Near the Mill.
[Enter Valingford and Mountney at two sundry doors, looking angrily each on other with Rapiers drawn.]
MOUNTNEY. Valingford, so hardly I disgest An injury thou hast profered me, As, were it not that I detest to do What stands not with the honor of my name, Thy death should pay thy ransom of thy fault.
VALINGFORD. And, Mountney, had not my revenging wrath, Incenst with more than ordinary love, Been loth for to deprive thee of thy life, Thou hadst not lived to brave me as thou doest. Wretch as thou art, Wherein hath Valingford offended thee? That honourable bond which late we did Confirm in presence of the Gods, When with the Conqueror we arrived here, For my part hath been kept inviolably, Till now too much abused by thy villainy, I am inforced to cancel all those bands, By hating him which I so well did love.
MOUNTNEY. Subtle thou art, and cunning in thy fraud, That, giving me occasion of offence, Thou pickst a quarrell to excuse thy shame. Why, Valingford, was it not enough for thee To be a rival twixt me and my love, But counsell her, to my no small disgrace, That, when I came to talk with her of love, She should seem deaf, as faining not to hear?
VALINGFORD. But hath she, Mountney, used thee as thou sayest?
MOUNTNEY. Thou knowest too well she hath: Wherein thou couldest not do me greater injury.
VALINGFORD. Then I perceive we are deluded both. For when I offered many gifts of Gold, And Jewels to entreat for love, She hath refused them with a coy disdain, Alledging that she could not see the Sun. The same conjectured I to be thy drift, That faining so she might be rid of me.
MOUNTNEY. The like did I by thee. But are not these Naturall impediments?
VALINGFORD. In my conjecture merely counterfeit: Therefore lets join hands in friendship once again, Since that the jar grew only by conjecture.
MOUNTNEY. With all my heart: Yet lets try the truth hereof.
VALINGFORD. With right good will. We will straight unto her father, And there to learn whither it be so or no.
[Exeunt.]
SCENE III.
Outside the Danish Palace.
[Enter William and Blanch disguised, with a mask over her face.]
WILLIAM. Come on, my love, the comfort of my life. Disguised thus we may remain unknowen, And get we once to Seas, I force no then, We quickly shall attain the English shore.
BLAUNCH. But this I urge you with your former oath: You shall not seek to violate mine honour, Until our marriage rights be all performed.
WILLIAM. Mariana, here I swear to thee by heaven, And by the honour that I bear to Arms, Never to seek or crave at hands of thee The spoil of honourable chastity, Until we do attain the English coast, Where thou shalt be my right espoused Queen.
BLANCH. In hope your oath proceedeth from your heart, Let's leave the Court, and betake us to his power That governs all things to his mighty will, And will reward the just with endless joy, And plague the bad with most extreme annoy.
WILLIAM. Lady, as little tarriance as we may, Lest some misfortune happen by the way.
[Exit Blanch and William.]
SCENE IV.
Manchester. The Mill.
[Enter the Miller, his man Trotter, and Manville.]
MILLER. I tell you, sir, it is no little grief to me, you should so hardly conseit of my daughter, whose honest report, though I say it, was never blotted with any title of defamation.
MANVILLE. Father Miller, the repair of those gentlemen to your house hath given me great occasion to mislike.
MILLER. As for those gentlemen, I never saw in them any evil intreaty. But should they have profered it, her chaste mind hath proof enough to prevent it.