Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A39712
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Erminia, or, The fair and vertuous lady a trage-comedy / written by Rich. Flecknoe.
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Flecknoe, Richard, d. 1678?
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1661
(1661)
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Wing F1220; ESTC R25430
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38,813
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104
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to comfort her in her solitude and sadness in her husbands absence Duc. Ha! this is a discovery I lookt not for Aside 't is well my Lord y' are very charitable to other mens wives in their absence give me example what to do when you are absent with other womens husbands too and is this your going a hunting I 'm glad I faith I know what Game it is you chase Exit Duke What have I done betray'd my self this is this foolish conscience makes us do such poor ignoble things a noble spirit wod be asham'd of she 's gone inrag'd and rage that in petty bosoms as winds in narrow brooks makes small commotion in mighty ones raises as fearful storms as boisterous winds in the vaste Ocean no matter let her go if Erminia's name can raise a tempest I have an exorcisme of Aurindo's can allay it again nor will I desist the bold and resolute when checkt and reprehended for their faults grow more licentious and devoid of shame onely the weak and timerous refrain Exit maner Althea Al. I 'm glad she 's gone and I safe here I was in a terrible fright for her calling me Bawd it never angred me it 's no disgrace to a waiting woman but to call me old Hag SCENA 8. Erminia Aurindo Althea Cleander Amynter Er. Prithy good boy no more pitty so much handsomeness shud be so unhandsomely imploy'd and so much good language and eloquence cast away upon so bad a cause find out somewhat wherein I may do thee good and I shall gladly do it but I shud do thee harm to make thee complice of anothers ill Au. She instructs me excellently her kindness invites me to discover my self unto her somewhat here bids me accept the invitation who knows she may be so nobly generous to help me in my love hinder me I 'm sure she cannot I 'le try 't is but my blushes lost and in a better cause I cannot lose my shame Noblest of Ladies whilst I discover t' ye a secret you 'l sooner wonder at then believe to take from your wonder and adde to your belief be pleased to behold this Portrait here Gives her her Portrait Er. What 's this Clea. How taking presents nay then sh 'as sold her self and is no longer mine and whispering womens shames go always with their whispers how close they ar as he were pouring out himself into her ear as she inclines her ear as she were careful nothing shud be lost now h 'as told her somewhat that tickles her now she looks on 's present now on him agen as she were begetting babies in his eyes Preludiums and images in little of procreation 'T is good 't is very good I see you but you see not the revenge I 'le take for it Er. Is 't possible comparing what I hear with what I see I can no wayes doubt the truth of what you say I 've seen your Portrait formerly and wonder comparing it with you now I knew you not before Au. You see Madam how your sweet goodness has imboldned me to the discovery of a secret to you I shud have conceal'd even from mine own bosom if it had been possible Er. And I shall keep it as safe as your own bosome sweet Cyrena assure your self Cle. See she even embraces him by heaven Au. Beseech you Madam call me Aurindo still and shew some kindness to the Prince when next he visits you lest he suspect I have neglected his commands and had more care of mine own concern then his Er. For your sake I 'le do any thing I may in honour do and I hope sweet friend e're long to let you see you not deceiv'd your self in trusting me Au. Dearest Madam my ravishment is so great my joy must needs burst forth in some expression or I shall burst my self here then before I go I make a solemn league of friendship with ye and seal it with my breast They embrace and depart severally SCENA 9. The Duchess enters and sees them embracing Cleander Amynter Cl. By heaven I le kill them both offers to draw Am. Fie fie be more advis'd and temperate Closes with him and leads him out Duc. Unparallel'd impudence embrace in publique the very action of coupling no strumpet lost to shame and abandoned to infamy wod e're have don 't I burn no less with rage and jealousie then they with lust and the fire of my love is quite extinguisht by 't as greater fires extinguish lesser ones I 'le be reveng'd on both for her I now do loath her worse then a Toad or Snake and for him ungrateful as he is I 'le let him see since he wod not have me for a friend what 't is to have me for an enemy Finis Actus tertii ACTUS 4. SCENA 1. The Prince Aurindo several wayes Prince AUrindo welcome I have awaited thee just as the trembling prisoner at the bar suspended 'twixt hope and fear awaits his doom and what is 't ha dost bring me life or death Au. Life life assure your self my Lord or else I shud not live to tell it you had rather dye my self a hundred times then bring you death Pri. Thanks gentle Aurindo I know thou lovest me Au. You know nothing yet compar'd to what I hope you 'l know e're long Prin. Well hast ' been there Au. I have my Lord. Pri. And how didst finde her ha Au. Beyond expectation kinde she hearkened to me and that is half consent and th' other half y' are to expect e're long well I say nothing but there are those in Missena here who love you dearly love you I can tell you that my Lord though I am sworn yet not to tell their names Pr. Come prithy tell me Au. Let it suffice 't is one you 'd least imagine one you 'l shortly know and I hope be happy in her knowledge too Pr. Enough enough I know then it is she for there 's none else in nature can make me happy but Erminia O my dear Aurindo how thou obligest me with thy joyful news Au. Happy conjuncture Embraces him blest moment that it wod alwayes last or that the heart did but go now with th' hands that thus embrace me Aside Pr. Never was Prince more happy in a Page then I in thee Au. I hope your Highness e're long will finde it so indeed Pr. More more I prithy more of Erminia Au. See here comes company Pri. Le ts withdraw then to my apartment and there I 'le take th' Ambrosrek food into mine ear SCENA 2. Cleora Olinda Cleo. Tell me Olinda wert thou ever in love Olin. Yes faith a little once for fashion sake as much as came to jeast and methought 't was pretty sport but never in earnest I to make me whine and cry leave my meat break my sleep and be melancholly and mad as my Lady is Cle. Thou wert the wiser for love indeed is but a sort of madness and as you have several sorts
leave me to my grief Duk. Peace to your thoughts Erminia nor shall I ever take that peace away by any act of mine so recommending to you a moderation of your grief and sorrow I take my leave this is some comfort yet Exit Er. He 's gone and I but dally with my grief fancying Cleander not dead whilst no other difference is 'twixt death and absence but onely this t'one's a short death t'other a long absence so he whilst absent for the time is dead to me and absence for the time zanies death and imitates it so t'one can do nothing that t'other does not do SCENA 10. The Prince Cleander following him Erminia Amynter Er. The Prince here too deluded by this news he comes I know onely to bring me fresh molestation and to serve Cyrena's end I 'le let him go on in the delusion Am. Here comes Cleander too he knows not she knows he is alive and I 'le leave him in his ignorance so perplex him strew his way with thorns I 'le make him weary of it and glad at last when he can't go forwards to return back agen Pri. Dearest Madam if at such a time when other widdows griefs are at the heighth I come to perswade you let yours fall and take comfort i' th' place on 't I hope you 'l pardon me when you shall see I bring you a full comfort not an empty one of words onely whilst in lieu of your dead husband I come to offer you a living one and such an one 't may be no boast to say adde but your esteem to 't does every way equal Cleander I mean my self Er. This falls out happily to my desire Aside my Lord although you might justly wonder I shud so soon be comforted and so far forget my first Lord to accept a second whilst other widdow strictness is so great first days of their widowhood they scarce admit so much as the light it self to comfort them the general comforter of all the world yet coming in so honourable a way as marriage I know not what to say but were I assur'd your Highness intents were but as honourable and real Pri. The words and actions of dying men are not more real I swear Er. There are those who love you dearly love you I can tell you that though their shames wo'nt suffer them to declare so much Pr. And why so Er. To hide their shames then come but i' th' dark to night unto my chamber Pr. Enough Er. And there after the holy vows of marriage Pri. I understand Er. You shall enjoy her for your wife Pr. Oh me most happy you overjoy me Madam Er. Go then and do not fail Pr. Which if I do may I fail to live Exit Er. Now for Cyrena she shall change habits and vail'd appear like me pardon me sacred truth if in so good a cause I transgress a little 't is not to violate thy laws but preserve them from greater violation Exit Cle. Why she 's married already Am. Can you blame her believing you dead and you letting her go on in the belief Cle. No matter let her go on her way I 'le go mine Am. And lose your self Cle. And trace her through all her wayes Am. And erre in all do'nt you see you are just like one who entring a Labyrinth farther he goes the farther still he strayes or one puzzled with tying a Gordian knot which he can ne're untie Cle. How y' are deceiv'd I do but as Hunters now who following the Chase minde not so much their way nor pains they take as taking of the prey and for the Gordian knot you speak of I know how to cut that which I can't unty Am. Had you not better discover your self now and do that with ease you can't do else without much toyl and pain Cle. Have patience a little there are farther mysteries yet I must reveal e're I reveal my self especially that of the boyes concealment Am. Of that I 'le say nothing 'cause I know not what to say but for the rest I dare engage my life and shud dye martyr in so good a cause she is all honorable and honor she are twins and so alike 't were no mistake to say Erminia is honour and honour Erminia Am. Well to night we shall know all mean time leaving you in your belief leave me in mine Exeunt several wayes Finis Actus quarti ACTUS 5. SCENA I. Clinias Cleobulo Clin. WHy this Moor 's a devil and now I know the reason why they paint the devil black of his colour he makes no more of beating us then Squirrils do of cracking nuts 't is his ordinary exercise before meals to get him an appetite and afterwards to help digestion we are never quiet for him but when we sleep and shortly I fear he 'l fall upon us like a night mare in our sleeps too Cle. I 'de compound with him for a limb with all my heart and let him chuse any he pleas'd except my neck Cli. Wod I were certain to escape with that but you are well enough serv'd now why wod you offer to beat him Cleo. Why because I thought he wod not beat me again else I 'de have seen him hang'd e're I 'de have meddled with him well we must hold together there is no remedy he 's too hard for either of us alone but Hercules himself they say is not strong enough for two Cli. I but if he shud prove stronger then Hercules what then that old saying wod do us but little ' light here he coms I 'm as feard of him good as of a bear broke loose and running after me and look every moment when he 'l catch me by the breech SCENA 2. Cleander Clinias Clebulo See see he becons us away Cleo. But let 's not stir for him yes I 'le warrant you when can you tell Cli. Look again Cleo. No matter let us but hold together Cli. He comes upon us fearfully look h 'as got a staff too now for a dry beating I 'm as sure of it Clâ— I 'le warrant you oh oh He yoaks his staff cross theirs necks whirls them round Cli. Oh oh a my conscience h 'as broke my neck Cleo. I think mine 's broke too and pray heaven it be no worse Cli. A vengeance on him are these his tricks he 'l make more work for Surgeons if he hold on then Brandee wine with Dutchmen in their Kirmesses or Stum in Taverns with quarrelsome English-men he made me spin like a top Cleo. And I imagin'd my self a hand-mill grinding mustard seed Cli. If he cod speak yet and give us but a reason for his misusing us 'twod never anger me Cle. For my part I 'm glad he 's dumb for if he cod speak I 'm sure 't would be but a word and a blow with him Cli. Away here comes my Lady SCENA 3. Erminia Cleander Althea following Er. The time draws nigh and night approaches I 'le go unto