A Select Collection of Old English Plays Volume Ii Part 43

I shall ruffle among them of another sort Than Isaac hath done, and with another port.

But now will go see, what haste within they make, That part of my hunting my old father may take.

[_Exit_.

ACTUS QUINTI, SCAENA QUARTA.

ISAAC. MIDO. ESAU.

ISAAC. Mido, come, Mido, where art thou, little Mido?

MIDO. Here ready, master Isaac, what shall I do?

ISAAC. Come, lead me to mine old place, that I may sit down.

MIDO. That can I as well as any boy in this town.

ISAAC. O Lord my G.o.d, how deep and unsearchable Are all thy judgments, and how immutable?

Of thy justice, whom it pleaseth thee, thou dost reject; Of thy mercy, whom it pleaseth thee, thou dost elect In my two sons, O Lord, thou hast wrought thy will, And as thy pleasure hath wrought, so shall it stand still.

Since thou hast set Jacob in Esau his place, I commit him to the governance of thy grace.

_Enter_ ESAU.

ESAU. Now where is Isaac, that he may come and eat?

Lo, where he is sitting abroad upon his seat.

Dear father Isaac, the Lord thy G.o.d thee save.

ISAAC. Who art thou, my son? what thing wouldest thou have?

ESAU. I am your eldest son, Esau by my name, New come home from hunting, where I had joyly[276] game, I have made meat thereof for your own appet.i.te, Meat for your own tooth, wherein you will much delight.

Come, eat your part, dear father, that, when ye have done, Your soul may bless me as your heir and eldest son.

ISAAC. Ah Esau, Esau, thou comest too late, Another to thy blessing was predestinate, And clean gone it is from thee, Esau.

ESAU. Alas!

Then am I the unhappiest that ever was, I would the savage beasts had my body torn.

ISAAC. The blessing that thou shouldest have had, another hath.

ESAU. Alas, what wretched villain hath done me such scath?

ISAAC. Thy brother Jacob came to me by subtlety, And brought me venison, and so prevented[277] thee.

I ate with him, ere thou cam'st, and with my good-will Blessed him I have, and blessed he shall be still.

ESAU. Ah Jacob, Jacob, well may he be called so: For he hath undermined me times two.

For first mine heritage he took away me fro, And see, now hath he away my blessing also.

Ah father, father, though Jacob hath done this thing: Yet let me Esau also have thy blessing.

Shall all my good huntings for thee be in vain?

ISAAC. That is done and pa.s.sed, cannot be called again.

Mine act must now stand in force of necessity.

ESAU. And hast thou never a blessing then left for me?

ISAAC. Behold, I have made thy brother Jacob thy lord.

ESAU. A most poignant sword unto my heart is that word.

ISAAC. All his mother's children his servants have I made.

ESAU. That word is to me sharper than a razor's blade.

ISAAC. I have also 'stablished him with wine and corn.

ESAU. Woe be the day and hour that ever I was born!

ISAAC. What am I able to do for thee, my son?

ESAU. Ah Jacob, Jacob, that thou hast me thus undone!

O unhappy hap: O misfortune! well away!

That ever I should live to see this woful day.

But hast thou one blessing and no mo, my father?

Let me also have some blessing, good sweet father.

ISAAC. Well, nature p.r.i.c.keth me some remorse on thee to have.

Behold, thy dwelling-place the earth's fatness shall have, And the dew of heaven, which down from above shall fall: And with dint of sword thy living get thou shall, And to thy brother Jacob thou shalt be servant.

ESAU. O, to my younger brother must I be servant?

O, that ever a man should be so oppressed!

ISAAC. Thine own fault it is, that thou art dispossessed.

ESAU. Father, change that piece of thy sentence and judgment.

ISAAC. Things done cannot be undone; therefore be content, Let me be in quiet, and trouble me no more.

Come, Mido, in G.o.d's name, lead me in at the door.

[_Exeunt Isaac and Mido_.

ESAU. O, would not this chafe a man, and fret his guts out, To live as an underling under such a lout?

Ah hypocrite, Ah hedgecreeper, Ah 'sembling wretch!

I will be even with thee for this subtle fetch.

O G.o.d of Abraham, what reason is herein, That to sle one's enemy it should be made sin?

Were not one as good his part of heaven forego, As not to be revenged on his deadly foe?

G.o.d was angry with Cain for killing Abel: Else might I kill Jacob marvellously well.

I may fortune one day him to dispatch and rid: The Lord will not see all things; something may be hid.

But as for these misers[278] within my father's tent, Which to the supplanting of me put their consent, Not one, but I shall coil them, till they stink for pain, And then for their stinking coil them off fresh again.

I will take no days[279]; but, while the matter is hot, Not one of them shall 'scape, but they shall to the pot.