The Birth of Merlin, or, the Childe Hath Found His Father
ACT III SCENE IV
Enter Clown.
CLOWN.
Well, I wonder how my poor sister does, after all this thundering; I think she's dead, for I can hear no tidings of her. Those woods yields small comfort for her; I could meet nothing but a swinherds wife, keeping hogs by the forestside, but neither she nor none of her sowes would stir a foot to help us; indeed, I think she durst not trust her self amongst the trees with me, for I must needs confess I offer'd some kindness to her. Well, I would fain know what's become of my sister: if she have brought me a yong cousin, his face may be a picture to finde his father by. So oh! sister Joan, Joan Go-too't, where art thou?
(Within.) JOAN. Here, here, brother, stay but a while, I come to thee.
CLOWN.
O brave! she's alive still, I know her voice; she speaks, and speaks cherfully, methinks. How now, what moon-calf has she got with her?
Enter Joan and Merlin with a book.
JOAN.
Come, my dear Merlin, why dost thou fix thine eye
So deeply on that book?
MERLIN.
To sound the depth
Of arts, of learning, wisdom, knowledge.
JOAN.
Oh, my dear, dear son,
Those studies fits thee when thou art a man.
MERLIN.
Why, mother, I can be but half a man at best,
And that is your mortality; the rest
In me is spirit; 'tis not meat, nor time,
That gives this growth and bigness; no, my years
Shall be more strange then yet my birth appears.
Look, mother, there's my uncle.
JOAN.
How doest thou know him, son? thou never saw'st him.
MERLIN.
Yet I know him, and know the pains he has taken for ye, to finde out my father.--Give me your hand, good uncle.
CLOWN.
Ha, ha, I'de laugh at that, yfaith. Do you know me, sir?
MERLIN.
Yes, by the same token that even now you kist the swinherds-wife i'th' woods, and would have done more, if she would have let you, uncle.
CLOWN.
A witch, a witch, a witch, sister: rid him out of your company, he is either a witch or a conjurer; he could never have known this else.
JOAN.
Pray, love him, brother, he is my son.
CLOWN.
Ha, ha, this is worse then all the rest, yfaith; by his beard he is more like your husband. Let me see, is your great belly gone?
JOAN.
Yes, and this the happy fruit.
CLOWN.
What, this hartichoke? A childe born with a beard on his face?
MERLIN.
Yes, and strong legs to go, and teeth to eat.
CLOWN.
You can nurse up your self, then? There's some charges sav'd for soap and caudle. 'Slid, I have heard of some that has been born with teeth, but never none with such a talking tongue before.
JOAN.
Come, come, you must use him kindly, brother;
Did you but know his worth, you would make much of him.
CLOWN.
Make much of a moncky? This is worse then Tom Thumb, that let a fart in his mothers belly; a childe to speak, eat, and go the first hour of his birth; nay, such a baby as had need of a barber before he was born too; why, sister, this is monstrous, and shames all our kindred.
JOAN.
That thus 'gainst nature and our common births
He comes thus furnisht to salute the world,
Is power of Fates, and gift of his great father.
CLOWN.
Why, of what profession is your father, sir?
MERLIN.
He keeps a hot-house i'th' Low Countries; will you see him, sir?
CLOWN.
See him? why, sister, has the childe found his father?
MERLIN.
Yes, and Ile fetch him, uncle. (Exit.
CLOWN.
Do not uncle me, till I know your kindred: for my conscience, some baboon begot thee.--Surely, thou art horribly deceived, sister, this urchin cannot be of thy breeding; I shall be asham'd to call him cousin, though his father be a gentleman.
Enter Merlin and Devil.
MERLIN.
Now, my kinde uncle, see: the childe has found his father, this is he.
CLOWN.
The devil it is; ha, ha, is this your sweet-heart, sister? have we run through the countrey, haunted the city, and examin'd the court to finde out a gallant with a hat and feather, and a silken sword, and golden hangers, and do you now bring me to a ragamuffin with a face like a frying-pan?
JOAN.
Fie, brother, you mistake, behold him better.
CLOWN.
How's this? do you juggle with me, or are mine eyes matches? Hat and feather, sword, and hangers, and all! this is a gallant indeed, sister; this has all the marks of him we look for.
DEVIL.
And you have found him now, sir:
Give me your hand, I now must call you brother.
CLOWN.
Not till you have married my sister, for all this while she's but your whore, sir.
DEVIL.
Thou art too plain, Ile satisfie that wrong
To her, and thee, and all, with liberal hand:
Come, why art thou fearful?
CLOWN.
Nay, I am not afraid, and you were the devil, sir.
DEVIL.
Thou needst not; keep with thy sister still,
And Ile supply your wants, you shall lack nothing
That gold and wealth can purchase.
CLOWN.
Thank you, brother: we have gone many a weary step to finde you; you may be a husband for a lady, for you are far fetcht and dear bought, I assure you. Pray, how should I call your son, my cousin here?
DEVIL.
His name is Merlin.
CLOWN.
Merlin? Your hand, cousin Merlin; for your fathers sake I accept you to my kindred: if you grow in all things as your beard does, you will be talkt on. By your mothers side, cousin, you come of the Go-too'ts, Suffolk bred, but our standing house is at Hocklye i'th' Hole, and Layton-buzzard. For your father, no doubt you may from him claim titles of worship, but I cannot describe it; I think his ancestors came first from Hell-bree in Wales, cousin.
DEVIL.
No matter whence we do derive our name:
All Brittany shall ring of Merlin's fame,
And wonder at his acts. Go hence to Wales,
There live a while; there Vortiger the king
Builds castles and strong holds, which cannot stand,
Unless supported by yong Merlins hand.
There shall thy fame begin: wars are a breeding;
The Saxons practise treason, yet unseen,
Which shortly shall break out.--Fair love, farewel;
Dear son and brother, here must I leave you all,
Yet still I will be near at Merlins call. (Exit.
MERLIN.
Will you go, uncle?
CLOWN.
Yes, Ile follow you, cousin.-- Well, I do most horribly begin to suspect my kindred; this brother in law of mine is the devil, sure, and though he hide his horns with his hat and feather, I spi'd his cloven foot for all his cunning.
(Exit.
On to Scene V
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