A Yorkshire Tragedy.

Enter three Gentlemen, hearing him.

1. Gent. Still do these loathsome thoughtsiarre on
your tongue.

Your selfe to staine the honour of your Wife,
Nobly diffended ; thofe whom men call mad,
Endangers others, but hee's more then mad
That wounds him selfe, whoſe owne words
Do proclaime it is not fit, I pray forſake it.

2. Gent, Good fir, let modetſy reproue you.

3. Gent. Let honest kindnes ſway ſo much with you.

Hu. God den, I thanke you fir, how do you ? adieu,
I am glad to see you, farwell Inſtructions, Admoniti-
ons.

Exeunt Gent.

Enter a ſeruant.

Huf. How now firrha, what would you ?

Ser. Onely to certifie you fir, that my Miftris was
met by the way, by them who were ſent for her vp to
London by her honourable Vnckle, your Worſhips
late gardian.

Huf. So fir, then ſhe is gone, and ſo may you be,
But let her looke that the thing be done the wots of,
Or hell will ſtand more pleafant then her houſe at
home.

Exit ſeruant.

Enter a Gentleman.

Gent. Well or ill met, I care not.

Huf. No nor I.

Gent. I am come with confidence to chide you.

Huf. Who me ? chide me ? doo't finely then, let it
not moue me, for if thou chidt me angry, I ſhal ſtrike.

Gent. Strike thine owne follies, for it is they

Deferues

A Yorkshire Tragedy.

Deferue to be well beaten; wee are now in priuate,
Ther's none but thou and I, thou art fond & peeuish,
An vncleane ryoter, thy landes and credite
Lie now both sicke of a consumption,
I am forry for thee; that man spends with shame,
That with his riches doth confume his name,
And such art thou.

Huf. Peace.

Gent. No thou shalt heare me further.
Thy fathers and fore-fathers worthy honors,
Which were our Country monuments, our grace,
Follies in thee begin now to deface,
The spring time of thy youth did fairely promife
Such a moft fruitfull summer to thy friends
It fearse can enter into mens beleefes,
Such dearth should hang on thee, we that see it,
Are forry to beleeeue it: in thy change,
This voice into all places will be hurld:
Thou and the diuell has decciu'd the world.

Huf. Ile not endure thee.

Gent. But of all the worst,
Thy vertuous wife right honourably allied,
Thou haft proclaimd a ftrumpet.

Huf. Nay then I know thee,
Thou art her Champion thou, her priuate friend,
The party you wot on.

Gent. Oh ignoble thought,
I am paft my patient blood, shall I stand idle
And see my reputation toucht to death.

Huf. This has galde you, has it?

B

Gent.

A Yorkshire Tragedy.

Gent. No monster, I proue
My thoughts did onely tend to vertuous loue.

Huf. Loue of her vertues? there it goes.

Gent. Bafe spirit, to lay thy hate vpon
The fruitfull honour of thine owne bed.

They fight, and the Husband is hurt.

Huf. Oh.

Gent. Wilt thou yeeld it yet?

Huf. Sir, sir, I haue not done with you.

Gent. I hope nor nere shall do.

Fight agen.

Huf. Haue you got tricks? are you in cunning with me?

Gent. No, plaine and right.

He needs no cunning that for truth doth fight.

Husband falles downe.

Huf. Hard fortune, am I leueld with the ground?

Gent. Now sir, you lie at mercy.

Huf. I you slaue.

Gen. Alas, that hate should bring vs to our graue,
You see my sword's not thirsty for your life,
I am forrier for your wound, then your selfe,
Y'are of a vertuous house, shew vertuous deeds,
Tis not your honour, tis your folly bleeds,
Much good has beene expected in your life,
Cancell not all mens hopes, you haue a Wife,
Kinde and obedient: heape not wrongfull shame
On her and your posterity, let onely finne be fore,
And by this fall, rife neuer to fall more.

And so I leaue you.

Exit.

Huf. Has the dogge left me then

After

A Yorkshire Tragedy.

After his tooth hath left me? Oh, my heart
Would faine leape after him, reuenge I say,
Ime mad to be reueng'd, my strumpet Wife,
It is thy quarrell that rips thus my flesh,
And makes my breast spit blood, but thou shalt bleed:
Vanquished? got downe? vnable eene to speake?
Surely this want of money makes men weake,
I, twas that ore-threw me, Ide nere bene downe else.

Exit.

Enter wife in a riding suite, with a servingman.

Ser. Faith, miserau if it may not be presumption
In me to tell you so, for his excuse
You had small reason, knowing his abuse.

Wife. I grant I had, but alas,
Why should our faults at home be spread abroad,
Tis greefe enough within doores; at first fight
Mine Vnckle could run ore his prodigall life
As perfectly, as if his serious eye
Had numbred all his follies :
Knew of his morgagde lands, his friends in bonds,
Himselfe withered with debt; And in that minute
Had I added his vsage and vnkindnesse,
Twould haue confounded euery thought of good,
Where now, fathering his ryots on his youth,
Which time and tame experience will shake off,
Gueffing his kindnes to me (as I smoothd him
With all the skill I had) though his defarts
Are in forme vglier then an vnshapte Beare.
Hee's ready to prefer him to some Office
And place at Court; a good and sure releefe

B 2

To

A Yorkshire Tragedy.

To all his stooping fortunes, twil be a meanes I hope
To make new league betweene vs, and redeeme
His vertues with his lands.

Ser. I should thinke so miftris, If he should not now
be kinde to you and loue you, and cherifh you vp, I
should thinke the diuell himfelfe kept open houſe in
him.

Wife. I doubt not but he will now, prethree leaue
me, I thinke I heare him comming.

Ser. I am gone.

Exit.

Wi. By this good meanes I shall preferue my lands,
And free my husband out of vſurers hands :
Now there is no need of ſale, my Vnckles kinde,
I hope, if ought, this will content his minde,
Here comes my husband.

Enter Husband.

Huf. Now, are you come, where's the mony, lets
fee the mony, is the rubbifh ſolde, thoſe wifleakers
your lands, why then, the mony, where is it ? powre it
downe, downe with it, downe with it, I ſay powrt on
the ground, lets fee it, lets fee it.

Wife. Good fir, keepe but in patience, and I hope
My words ſhall like you well, I bring you better
Comfort then the ſale of my Dowry.

Huf. Ha, what's that ?

Wife. Pray doe not fright me fir, but vouchſafe me
hearing. My Vnckle, glad of your kindneſſe to me and
milde ſtage (for so I made it to him) hath in pitty of
your declining fortunes, prouided a place for you at
Court, of worth and credite; which so much ouer-
ioyed me.

Huf.