Classic Poem

[SCENE XIV.]

Enter C LAMYDES and Shift with his bag of money still .

Clam. Come, Knowledge, thou art much to blame thus for to load thyself,
To make thee on thy way diseased with carrying of that pelf.
But now take courage unto thee, for to that Isle I will
Which of Strange Marshes callèd is; for fame declareth still
The Knight of the Golden Shield is there and in the court abideth:
Thither will I him to meet, whatsoever me betideth,
And know his name, as, thou canst tell, my father chargèd me,
Or else no more his princely court nor person for to see.
Come, therefore, that unto that isle we may our journey take,
And afterwards, having met with him, our viage for to make
To Denmark, to my lady there, to show her all my case,
And then to Suavia, if her I have, unto my father's grace.
S. Shift . Nay, but, and't shall please you, are you sure the Knight of the Golden Shield in the Isle of Strange Marshes is?
Clam. I was informèd credibly; I warrant thee, we shall not miss.
S. Shift. Then keep on your way; I'll follow as fast as I can.
Faith, he even means to make a martris of poor Shift his man:
And I am so tied to this bag of gold I got at Bryan Sans-foy's,
That, I tell you, where this is, there all my joy is.
But I am so weary, sometimes with riding, sometimes with running, and other times going a-foot,
That, when I come to my lodging at night, to bring me a woman it is no boot;
And such care I take for this pelf, lest I should it lose,
That where I come, that it is gold for my life I dare not disclose.
Well, after my master I must: here's nothing still but running and riding;
But I'll give him the slip, sure, if I once come where I may have quiet biding.