through his eares A madnesse to distemper all the braine Then I another pipe will take And Dorique musique make To Civilize with graver notes our wits againe An answer to Mr Iohnsoâ—…'s Odeâ—…o perswade him not to leave the stage BEn doe not leave the stage Cause 't is a loath some age For Pride and Impudence will grow too bold When they shall heare it told They frighted thee stand high as is thy cause Their hisse is thy applause More just were thy disdaine Had they appov'd thy vaine So thou for them and they for thee were borne They to incense and thou as much to scorne Wilt thou engrosse thy store Of wheat and powre no more Because their Bacon-braines have such a tast As more delight in mast No set'em forth a board of dainties full As thy best Muse can cull While they the while doe pine And thirst midst all their wine What greater plague can hell it selfe devise Then to be willing thus to tantalize Thou canst not find them stuffe That will be bad enough To please their pallats let 'em thine refuse For some Pye-corner Muse Shee is to faire an hostesse 't were a finne For them to like thine Inne 'T was made to entertaine Guests of a nobler straine Yet if they will have any of thy store Give 'em some scraps and send them from thy dore And let those things in plush Till they be taught to blush Like what they will and more contented bee With what Broome swept from thee I know thy worth and that thy lofty straines Write not to clothes but Braines But thy great spleene doth rise Cause moles will have no eyes This only in my Ben I faulty find He 's angry they ' le not see him that are blind Why should the Scene be Mute Cause thou canst touch a Lute And string thy Horace let each Muse of nine Claime thee and say thou art mine 'T wer fond to let all other flames expire To sitt by Pindar's fire For by so strange neglect I should my selfe suspect The Palsie were as well thy braines disease If they could shake thy Muse which way they please And though thou well canst sing The glories of thy King And on the wings of verse his chariot beare To heaven and fixe it there Yet let thy Muse as well some raptures raise To please him as to praise I would not have thee choose Only a treble Muse But have this envious ignorant Age to know Thou that canst sing so high canst reach as low A Dialogue Thirsis Lalage Th. MY Lalage when I behold So great a cold And not a spark of heat in thy desire I wonder what strange power of thine Kindles in mine So bright a flame and such a burning fire Lalag Can Thirsis in Philosophy A truant bee And not have learn'd the power of the Sun How he to sublunary things A favour brings Yet in himselfe is subject unto none Th. But why within thy eyes appeare Never a teare That cause from mine perpetuall showres to fall La. Foole 't is the power of fire you know To melt the snow Yet has no moisture in it selfe at all Th. How can I be deare Virgin show Both fire and snow Doe you that are the cause the reason tell More then miracle to me It seemes to be That so much heate with so much cold should dwell La. The reason I will render thee Why both should bee Audacious Thirsis in thy love too bold 'Cause thy sawcinesse durst aspire To such a fire Thy love is hot but 't is thy hope is cold Th. Let pitty move thy gentle brest To one opprest This way or that give ease to my desire And either let Loves fire be lost In hopes cold frost Or hopes cold frost be warm'd in loves quick fire La. O neither Boy neither of these Shall worke thy ease I ' le pay thy rashnesse with immortall paine As hope doth strive to freeze thy flame Love melts the same Th. As Love doth melt it Hope doth freez't again Come gentle swaines lend me a groane To ease my moane Chorus Ah cruell Love how great a power is thine Vnder the Poles although we lye Thou mak'st us frye And thou canst make us freeze beneath the line A Dialogue betwixt a Nymph and a Shepheard Nymp. WHy sigh you swain this passion is not coÌ„mon I' st for your kids or Lambkins Sh For a woman Nymp. How â—…aire is shee that on so sage a brow Prints lowring looks Shep Iust such a toy as thou Nymp. Is shee a maid Sh what man can answer that Nymp. Or widdow Sh No. Nym what then Sh I know not Saint-like shee lookes a Syren if shee sing Her eyes are starres her mind is every thing Nymp. If shee be fickle Shepheard leave to wooe Or fancy mee Sh No thoâ—… art woman too Nymp. But I am constant Sh Then thou art not faire Nymp. Bright as the morning Sh Wavering as the Ayre Nymp. What grows upon this cheeke Sh A pure Carnation Nym. Come tast a kisse Sh. O sweet ô sweet Temptation Cho. Ah Love and canst thou never loose the feild Where Cupid layes a seige the towne must yeild Hee warmes the chiller blood with glowing fire And thaws the Icy frost of cold desire A Pastorall Ode COy Coelia dost thou see Yon hollow mountaine tottering o're the plaine O're which a fatall Tree With treacherous shade betrayes the sleepy swaine Beneath it is a Cell As full of horrour as my brest of care Ruine therein might dwell As a fit roome for guilt and black dispaire Thence will I headlong throw This wretched weight this heape of misery And in the dust below Bury my Carcasse and the thought of thee Which when I finish'd have O hate me dead as thou hast done alive And come not neare my grave Least I take heat from thee and so revive A Song MVsick thou Queene of soules get up and string Thy pow'rful Lute and some sad requiem sing Till Rocks requite thy Eccho with a groane And the dull clifts repeate the duller tone Then on a suddaine with a nimble hand Runnne gently o're the Chordes and so command The Pine to dance the Oake his Roots forgoe The holme and aged Elme to foot it too Mirtles shall caper lofty Cedars runne And call the Courtly Palme to make up one Then in the midst of all their Iolly traine Strike a sad note and fixe 'em Trees againe The Song of Discord LEt Linus and Amphions lute With Orpheusâ—…itterne â—…itterne now be mute The harshest voice the sweetest note The Raven has the choicest throate A set of Frogs a quire for mee The Mandrake shall the Chaunter bee Where neither voice nor tunes agree This is discords Harmonie Thus had Orpheus learn'd to play The following Trees had run away To one Overhearing his private discourse I Wonder not my Laeda farre can see Since for her eyes shee might an Eagle bee And dare the Sun but that shee heares so well
persons O impudence Flow. It was a zealous prayer I heard a Brother make concerning Play-houses Bird. For Charity what is it Flow. That the Globe Wherein quoth he reigns a whole world of vice Had been consum'd The Phoenix burnt to Ashes The Fortune whipt for a blind whore Blackfriers He wonders how it scapd demolishing I' th' time of reformation lastly he wish'd The Bull might crosse the Thames to the Bear-garden And there be soundly baited Bird. A good prayer Flow. Indeed it something pricks my Conscience I come to sell 'em Pins and Looking-glasses Bird. I have their custome too for all their feathers 'T is fit that we which are sincere Professors Should gain by Infidels SCE. 2. Enter Roscius a Player Mr Roscius we have brought the things you spake for Rosc. Why t is well Flow. Pray sir what serve they for Rosc. We use them in our Play Bird. Are you a Player Rosc. I am Sir what of that Bird. And is it lawfull Good sister le ts convert him will you use So fond a calling Flow. And so impious Bird. So irreligious Flow. So unwarrantable Bird. Only to gain by vice Flow. To live by sinne Rosc. My spleene is up And live not you by sinne Take away vanity and you both may break What serves your lawfull trade of selling pins But to joynt gew-gawes and to knit together Gorgets strips neck-cloths laces ribbands ruffs And many other such like toyes as these To make the Baby Pride a pretty Puppet And you sweet Featherman whose ware though light Oreweighs your Conscience what serves your Trade But to plume folly to give Pride her wings To deck vain-glory spoiling the Peacocks tayle T' adorne an Idiots Coxcombe O dull ignorance How ill 't is understood what we doe meane For good and honest They abuse our Scene And say we live by vice Indeed t is true As the Physitians by diseases doe Only to cure them They doe live we see Like Cookes by pamp'ring prodigality Which are our fond accusers On the stage We set an Vsurer to tell this age How ugly looks his soule A prodigall Is taught by us how farre from liberall His folly bears him Boldly I dare say There has been more by us in some one Play Laugh't into wit and vertue then hath been By twenty tedious Lectures drawn from sinne And foppish humours Hence the cause doth rise Men are not wonn by th' eares so well as eyes First see what we present Flow. The sight is able To unsanctify our eyes and make 'em Carnall Rosc. Will you condemne without examination Bird. No Sister let us call up all our zeale And try the strength of this temptation Satan shall see we dare defie his Engines Flow. I am content Rosc. Then take your places here I will come to you And moralize the plot Flow. That moralizing I doe approve it may be for instruction SCE. 3. Enter a deformed fellow Defor Roscius I heare you have a new Play to day Rosci We want not you to play Mephostopholis A pretty naturall vizard Defor What have you there Rosci A Looking-glasse or two Defor What things are they Pray let me see them Heaven what sights are here I a've seene a Divell Looking-glasses call you them There is no basilisque but a Looking-glasse Rosci T is your own face you saw Defor My own thou liest I 'de not be such a Monster for the world Rosci Look in it now with me what â—…eest thou now Defor An Angell and a Divell Rosci Look on that Thou callst an Angell mark it well and tell me Is it not like my face Defor As t were the same Rosci Why so is that like thine Dost thou not see 'T is not the glasse but thy deformitie That makes this ugly shape if they be fayre That view the Glasse such the reflections are This serves the body The soule sees her face In Comedy and has no other Glasse Defor Nay then farewell for I had rather see Hell then a Looking-glasse or Comedie Exit Defor Rosci And yet me thinks if 't were not for this Glasse Wherein the forme of man beholds his grace We could not find another way to see How neere our shapes approach Divinitie Ladies let they who will your glasse deride And say it is an Instrument of Pride I will commend you for it there you see If yee be fayre how truly fayre yeebee Where finding beauteous faces I doe know You 'l have the greater care to keepe them so A heavenly vision in your beauty lyes Which nature hath denied to your own eyes Were it not pitty you alone should bee Debarr'd of that others are blest to see Then take your glasses and your selves enjoy The benefit of your selves it is no toy Though ignorance at slight esteeme hath set her That will preserve us good or make us better A Country slut for such she was though here i th City may be some as well as there Kept her hands clean for those being alwaies seene Had told her else how sluttish she had beene But â—…ad her face as nasty as the stall Of a fishmonger or a Vsurers Hall Daub'd oâ—…e with dirt One might have dar'd to say She was a true peice of Prometheus clay Not yet inform'd And then her unkemb'd haire Drest up with cobwebs made her hag-like stare One day within her paile for Country Lasses Faire Ladies have no other Looking-glasses She spied her uglinesse and faine she would Have blusht if through so much dirt she could Asham'd within that water that I say Which shew'd her filth she wash'd her filth away So Comedies as Poets doe intend them Serve first to shew our faults and then to mend them Vpon our Stage two glasses oft there be The Comick Mirrour and the Tragedie The Comick glasse is full of merry strife The low reflection of a Country life Grave Tragedy void of such homely sports Is the sad glasse of Cities and of Courts I 'le shew you both Thalia come and bring Thy Buskin'd sister that of Bloud doth â—…ing SCE. 4. Comedy Tragedy Mime Satyre Comed Why doe you stop goe on Trag. I charge him stay My robe of state Buskins and Crown of Gold Claime a priority Come Your Crown of Gold Is but the wreath of wealth 'T is mine of Lawrell Is vertues Diadem This grew greene and flourish'd When nature pittying poore mortalitie Hid thine within the bowells of the earth Men looking up to heaven found this that 's mine Digging to find out hell they li't on thine Trage. I know you'have tongue enough Come Besides my Birth-right Gives me the first possession Trag. How your Birth-right Come Yes sister Birth-right and a Crown besides Put on before the Altar of Apollo By his deare Priest Phenomoe she that first Full of her God rag'd in Heroique numbers Trag. How came it then the magistrate decreed A publique charge to furnish out my Chorus When you were faine t' appeare in rags and tatters And at your
language but in ours They thank you and they say they will have none Elves Ti-ti-ta-tâ—…-Tititatie Io. What say they now Do. They doe request you now To grant them leave to dance a Fayry ring About your servant and for his offence Pinch him doe you the while command the traitour Not dareto stirre not once presume to mutter Io. Traytour for so Prince Oberon deignes to call thee Stirre not nor mutter Bro. To be thus abus'd Io. Ha mutter'st thou Bro. I have deserved better Io. Still mutter'st thou Bro. I see I must endure it Io. Yet mutter'st thou Now Noble Lords begiâ—… When it shall please your honours Do. Ti ti tatie Our noble freind permits Tititatie Doe you not sir Io. How should I say I doe Do. Ti ti ta tie Io. Ti ti ta tie my Noble Lords Elves Quoniam per te violamur Vngues hic experiamur Statim dices tibi datam Cutem valdè variatam They dance Io. Tititatie to your Lordships for this excellent musick Bro. This 't is to have a coxcombe to on 's master Io. Still mutter'st thou Exit Bromius Dorylas from the tree Iocastus falls on his knees Do And rise up Sir Iocastus our deare Knight Now hang the hallowed bell about his neck We call it a mellisonant Tingle Tangle Indeed a sheep-bell stolne from 's own fat wether The ensigne of his knighthood Sir Iocastus Wee call to mind we promis'd you long since The President of our Dances place we are now Pleas'd to confirme it on you give him there His Staffe of Dignity aside Io. Your Grace is pleas'd To honour your poore leigeman Do. Now begone Io. Farewell unto your Grace and eke to you Tititatie my Noble Lords farewell Exit Dor. Tititatie my noble foole farewell Now my Nobility and honourd Lords Our grace is pleas'd for to part stakes here Iocalo These are your share these his and these our Graces Have we not gull'd him bravely see you Rascalls These are the fruits of witty knavery Mopsus enters barking Dor. Heaven shield Prince Oberon and his honour'd Lords We are betraid Mop. Bow wow wow Nay nay since you have made a sheepe of my Brother I 'le be a dog to keepe him Do. O good Mopsus Mop. Does not your Grace most lowe and mighty Dorylas Feare whipping now Do. Good Mopsus but conceale us And I will promise by to morrow night To get thee Thestylis Mop. I will aske leave Of the birds first An owle the bird of night An owle That plainly shewes that by to morrow night shreekes He may performe his promise Do. And I will Mop. Why then I will conceale you But your Grace Must thinke your Grace beholding to mee Do. Well We doâ—… Mop. And thanke the owle she stood your friend And for this time my witty Grace farewell Do. Nay be not so discourteous Stay and take An apple first you Iocalo give him one And you another and our Grace a third Mop. Your Grace is liberall But now I feare I am not hee that must interpret th' Oracle My brother will prevent me to my griefe I much suspect it for this Dorylas A scarre-crow cozend him most shamefully Which makes me feare hee 's a more foole then I. Exit Mopsus Dor. So we are clean got off come noble Peeres Of Fairy come attend our Royall Grace Let 's goe and share our fruit with our Queen Mab And th' other Dary maids where of this theam We will discourse amidst our Cakes and Cream Elves Cum tot poma habeamus Triumphos laeti iam canamus Faunos ego credam ortos Tantum ut frequentent hortos I domum Oberon ad illas Quae nos manent nunc ancillas Quarum osculemur sinum Inter poma lac vinum Finis Actus tertii ACTVS 4. SCEN 1. Mopsus The stilis Mop. I would have you to know The stilis so I would I am no dog but mortall flesh and blood As you are Thes. O be patient gentle Mopsus Mop. Slid fetch and carry Thes. Nay good sweet heart Be not so angry Mop. Angry why 't would anger A dog indeed to be so us'd a dog I would not use a dog so bid a dog That comes of a good house to fetch and carry Discourteous â—…et him get dogs of his own For I have got my neck out of the collar Let him unkennell's Oracles himselfe For Mopsus if I starte or spring him one I 'le dye the dogs death and be hang'd mad foole Thes. But Mopsus you may now securely visit Mee and my house Amyntas heaven be prais'd Is now recover'd of his wits again Mop. How and grown wise Thes. Ceres be prais'd as ever Mop. Shut up your doores then Carduus Benedictus Or Dragon water may doe good upon him Thes. What mean you Mopsus Mop. Mean I what mean you To invite me to your house when 't is infected Thes. Infected Mop. I Amyntas has the Wits And doe you think I 'le keepe him company Though as I told you still I am suspitious Iocastus is the man that must The. Doe what Mop. It grieves me to think of it The. Out with 't man Mop. That must interpret I have cause to think With sorrow be it spoken he will prove The verier foole but let him yet now my Augâ—…ry That never failes me tells mee certainly That I shall have thee Thestylis yet ere night It was an owle SCEN. 2. Claius Amyntas And see see Thestylis Here comes the Ivy bush I 'le stand aside For I am still most bodily afraid Amy. What Deity lives here the soule of Phoebus Breaths in this powerfull man sure Aeculapius Revisits earth againe and in this shape Deales health amongst us I before was nothing But bruiâ—… and beast O tell me by what reliques Of heavenly fire have you inspir'd me with This better soule of reason worthy sir If y' are some God as lesse I cannot deeme you That pittying of my miseries came downe From heaven to cure mee tell mee that I may With sacrifice adore you Mop. Adore him Are there such Ruffian Gods in heaven as he Such beggarly Deities Amyn. If you will conceale it And I by ignorance omit to pay Those sacred duties that I ought be pleas'd To pardon me Mop. Heighday well Thestylis You may be glad your house is not infected Hee'sten times madder now then ere he was To deify this rude ill-favour'd Silvan This fellow with the beard all over Thestylis I dare not stay unlesse my heeles maintaine My safety I shall turne a dog againe Exit Mopsus Clai I am as you are mortall 't is my skill In Physick and experience in the rare Vertue of herbes that wrought this miracle No Divinity or power in me Thest. Amyntas when shall wee requite this kindnesse Amynt Never I would willingly Have sacrific'd unto him but his modesty Will not permit it though he will not suffer us T' adore him as a God yet we may pay A reverence to him as a father Claius
his head for pleasure now Held all his soule and with erected brow To flatter's Loue he sung he strives to play And hisses forth a well tun'd Roundelay This wakes the Nymph her eyes admit the day Here flowers and there her scatter'd garlands lay Which as shee picks up and with bents retyes Shee in her lap the speckled Serpent spyes The Nymph no signe of any terrour shows How bold is beauty when her strength shee knows And in her hand the tender worm shee grasp'd While it sometimes about her finger clasp'd A ring enamel'd then her tender wast In manner of a girdleround imbrac't And now upon her arme a braslet hung Where for the greater ornament he flung His limber body into severall folds And twenty winding figures where it holds Her amorous pulse in many a various twist And many a love-knot tyes upon her wrist Lycoris to the Gods thou art too deare And too too much of heaven belov'd I feare This or that Nymph's the red-sea spoiles may be But Lybia ne're sent Iewels but to thee What e're to us are deaths and poysons sent Desire to be Lycoris ornament For that same litle spider that hangs up Together with her web on the house top When shee beheld the snake a bracelet made Struck with an envy and a love shee said And shall a snake thy Gemme Lycoris bee And such bright for me receive no tyres from mee Then flings her nets away and throwing by Her subtle toyl shee sets to catch the fly To th'loom Arachne goes and plyes it there To work a robe for my Lycoris weare But thou ô Serpent which so blest canst bee To reap those joyes for which I envy thee That happy worm upon her lip hast hung Sucking in kisses with thy three-fork'd tongue So may'st thou age and skin together cast And oft recall thy youth when it is past Teach my Lycoris what your Arts may bee Let her th' Ingredients of thy Cordials see That shee may ne're grow old that times dull plow May never print a wrincle in her brow I charge thee in the pow'rfull Cupids name May a new beauty alwayes and the same Lycoris shew ne're may shee in her glasse Look for her own and find another face Venus for beauty may shee then appear When shee has liv'd to old Sybilla's year And when deare snake thou wilt no more renew Thy youthfull vigour bid base earth adiew Adde glory to the night or from his spheare Huge Python pull and fix thy torches there Where like a river thou shalt bending go And through the Orbe a starry torrent flow And thou Lycoris when th' art pleas'd to take No more of life next thy beloved Snake Shine forth a constellation full and bright Blesse the poor heavens with more majestick light Who in requitall shall present you there Ariadnes Crown and Cassiopae as Chayr A complaint against Cupid that he never made him in Love HOw many of thy Captives Love complaine Thou yoak'st thy slaves in too severe a chaine I'have heard 'em their Poetique malice shew To curse thy Quiver and blaspheme thy bow Calling thee boy and blind threatning the rod Prophanely swearing that thou art no God Or if thou be not from the starry place But born below and of the Stygian race But yet these Atheists that thy shafts dislike Thou canst be freindly to and daigne to strike This on his Cloris spends his thoughts and time That chaunts Corinna in his amorous rime A third speaks raptures and hath gaind a wit By praising Caelia else had mis't of it But I that think there can no freedom be Cupid so sweet as thy Captivity I that could wish thy chains and live content To wear them not my Gives but ornament I that could any ransom pay to thee Not to redeem but sell my liberty I am neglected let the cause be known Art thou a niggard of thy arrows grown That wert so prodigall or dost thou please To set thy Pillars up with Hercules Weary of conquest or should I disgrace Thy victories if I were daign'd a place Amongst thy other Trophies none of these Witnesse thy dayly triumphs who but sees Thou still pursuest thy game from high to low No age no Sexe can scape thy pow'rfull bow Decrepite age whose veins and bones may bee An Argument against Philosophy To prove an emptinesse that has no sense Left but his feeling feels thy influence And dying dotes not babes thy shafts can misse How quickly Infants can be taught to kisse As the poor Apes being dumb these words would borrow I' was born to day to get a babe to morrow Each plow-man thy propitious wounds can prove Tilling the earth and wishing t' were his love Am I invulnerable is the dart Rebeaten which thou level'st at my heart Ill rest my Parents bones if they have done As Tethis once did to her God-like sonne The great Archilles dipt in Stygian lake Though I am so Cupid thy arrows take Try where I am not proof and let me feel Thy ' archery if not i' th heart i' th heel Perchance my heart lyes there who would not be A Coward to be valiant made by thee I cannot say thy blindnesse is the cause That I am barr'd the freedom of thy laws The wretched out-Law of thy Mothers Court That place of comfort Paradise of sport For they may say that say thou blind canst be Eagles want eyes and only moles can see Not Argus with so many lights did shine For each fair Ladies sparkling eyes are thine Think'st thou because I doe the Muses love I in thy Camp would a faint souldier prove How came Musaeus and Anacreon then Into thy troops how came Tibullus pen Amongst thy spears and how came Ovid say To be enrold great Generall in thy pay And doubts thou me suspect you I will tell The hidden misteries of your Paphian cell To the straight lac'd Diana or betray The secrets of the night unto the day No Cupid by thy mothers doves I swear And by her sparrows 't is an idle fear If Philomel descend to sport with me Know I can be great Love as dumb as shee Though shee hath lost her tongue in such delights All should be like her only talk by nights Make me thy Preist if Poets truth divine I 'le make the Muses wanton at thy shrine They all shall wait and Dian's selfe shall be A votresse to thy Mothers Nunnerie Where zeale with nature shall maintaine no strife Where none swear chastity and single life To Venus-Nuns an easier oath is read Shee breaks her vow that keeps her maiden head Reject not then your Flamin's ministry Let me but deacon in thy Temples be And see how I shall touch my pow'rfull lyre And more inspir'd with thine then Phoebus fire Chaunt such a moving verse as soon should frame Desire of dalliance in the coyest dame Melting to amorous thoughts her heart of stone And force her to untrusse her Virgin Zone Is Lucrece or Penelope
bids me I intreat Phoebus to lend thee some of his own heat To cure thy Palsie else I will complaine He has no skill in hearbs Poets in vaine Make him the God of Physicke 't were his praise To make thee as immortall as thy Baies As his owne Daphne 't were a shame to see The God not love his Preist more then his Tree But if heaven take thee envying us thy Lyre 'T is to pen Anthems for an Angels quire In Lesbiam Histrionem I Wonder what should Madam Lesbia meane To keep young Histrio and for what scene So bravely shee maintaines him that what sence He please to blesse 't is done at her expence The play-boy spends secure he shall have more As if both Indies did supply his store As if he did in bright Pactolus swim Or Tagus yellow waves did water him And yet has no revenews to defray These charges but the Madam shee must pay His prodigall disbursments Madams are To such as he more then a treble share Shee payes which is more then shee needs to doe For her owne comming in and for his too This is reward due to the sacred sin No charge too much done to the beardlesse chin Allthough shee stint her poore old Knight Sr Iohn To live upon his exhibition His hundred marks per Annum when her Ioy Her sanguine darling her spruce active boy May scatter Angels rub out filks and shine In cloths of gold cry loud the world is mine Keepe his Race-nags and in Hide-parke be seen Briske as the best as if the stage had been Grownethe Court's Rivall can to Brackly goe To Lincolne Race and to New-market too At each of these his hundred pounds has vie'd On Peggabrigs or Shotten-herrings side And looses without swearing Let them curse That neither have a Fortunatus purse Nor such a Madam if this world doe hold As very likely 't will Madams growne old Will be the best Monopolies Histrio may At Maw or Gleeke or at Primero play Still Madam goes to stake Histrio knows Her worth and therefore dices too and goes As deepe the Caster as the only Sonne Of a dead Alderman come to twenty one A whole weeke since you 'd know the reason why Lesbia does this guesse you as well as I Then this I can no better reason tell 'T is 'cause he playes the womans part so well I see old Madams are not only toyle No tilth so fruitfull as a barren soyle Ah poore day labourers how I pitty you That shrinke and sweat to live with much adoe When had you wit to understand the right 'T were better wages to have work'd by night Yet some that resting here doe only thinke That youth with age is an unequall linke Conclude that Histrio's taske as hard must bee As was Mezentius bloody cruelty Who made the living to embrace the dead And so expire but I am rather lead His bargaine of the two the best to call He at one game keeps her shee him at all De Histrice Ex Claudiano FAm'd Stymphall I have heard thy birds in flight Shoot showers of arrowes forth all levied right And long the fable of those quills of steele Did seeme to me a tale incredible Now have I faith the Porcupine I see And then th' Herculean birds no wonders bee Her longer head like a swines snowt doth show Bristles like hornes upon her forehead grow A fiery heat glows from her flaming eye Vnder her shaggy back the shape doth lye As 't were a whelpe nature all Art hath try'd In this small beast so strangely fortified A threatning wood o're all her body stands And stiff with Pikes the spectled stalks in bands Grow to the warre while under those doth rise An other troope girt with alternate dyes Of severall hue which while a blacke doth fill The inward space ends in a solid quill That lessning by degrees doth in a while Take a quick point and sharpens to a Pile Nor doth her squadrons like the hedghogs stand Fixt but shee darts them forth and at command Farre of her members aimes shot through the skie From her shak'd side the Native Engines flie Sometimes retiring Farthian like shee 'l wound Her following foe sometimes in trenching round In battaile forme marshalling all her flanks Shee 'l clash her javelins to aff right the ranks Of her poore enemies lineing every side With speares to which shee is her selfe allied Each part of her 's a souldier from her back But stir'd a horse and horrid noise doth crack That one would think the trumpets did incite Two adverse Armies to begin to fight So great a noise from one so small did rise Then to her skill in Armes shee is so wise As to adde Policy and a thrifty feare Of her owne safety shee a wrath doth beare Not prodigall of weapons but content With wary threatning and hath seldome sent An arrow forth caus'd by an idle strife But spends 'em only to secure her life And then her diligent stroke so certaine is Without all error shee will seldome misse No distance cozens her the dumbe skin aimes right And rules the levy of the skillfull sight What humane labour though we boast it such Withall her reason can performe so much They from the Cretan Goats their hornes must take And after those with fire must softer make Buls guts must bend their bows and e're they fight Steele armes their darts and fethers wing their flights When loe a little beast wee armed see With nothing but her owne Artillery Who seeks no for raine aide with her all goe Shee to her selfe is Quiver darts and bow One Creature all the Arts of warfare knows If from examples then the Practice flows Of humane life hence did th' Invention grow At distance to incounter with our foe Hence the Cydoniaus instructed are Their Stratagems and manner of their warre Hence did the Parthians learne to fight and fly Taught by this bird their skilfull Archery In Archimedis Sphaeram ex Claudiano IOve saw the Heavens fram'd in a little glasse And laughing to the Gods these words did passe Comes then the power of mortall cares so farre In brittle Orbes my labours acted are The statutes of the Poles the faith of things The Laws of Gods this Syracusian brings Hither by art Spirits inclos'd attend Their severall spheares and with set motions bend The living worke Each yeare the faigned Sun Each Month returnes the counterfeited Moon And viewing now her world bold Industrie Grows proud to know the heavens her subjects bee Beleive Salmonius hath false thunders thrown For a poore hand is Natures rivall grown De Magnete Ex Claudiano WHo in the world with busy reason pryes Searching the seed of things there descryes With what defect labours th' Ecclipsed moon What cause commands a palenesse in the Sun Whence ruddy comets with their fatall haire Whence winds doe flow and what the Motions are That shake the bowels of the trembling earth What strikes the lightning forth
that in our water playes The Goose for us her tender plumes hath bred To lay us on a softer bed Our blankets are not dy'd with Orphans teares Our Pillows are not stuff'd with cares To walke on our owne grounds a stomack gets The best of sawce to tart out meats In midst of such a feast 't is joy to come And see the well fed Lambs at home 'T is pleasure to behold th' inversed Plow The Languid necks of Oxen bow And view th' industrious servants that will sweat Both at labour and at meat Lord grant me but enough I aske no more Then will serve mine and helpe the poore An Elegie upon the Lady Venetia Digby DEath who 'ld not change prerogatives with thee That dost such rapes yet mayst not question'd bee Here cease thy wanton lust be satisfi'd Hope not a second and so faire a bride Where was her Mars whose valiant armes did hold This Venus once that thou durst be so bold By thy too nimble theft I know 't was feare Lest he should come that would have rescu'd her Monster confesse didst thou not blushing stand And thy pale cheeke turne red to touch her hand Did shee not lightning-like strike suddaine heat Through thy cold limbs and thaw thy frost to sweat Well since thou hast her use her gently Death And in requitall of such pretious breath Watch sentinell to guard her doe not see The wormes thy rivals for the Gods will bee Remember Paris for whose pettier sin The Troian gates let the stout Grecians in So when time ceases whose unthrifty hand Ha's now almost consum'd his stock of sand Myriads of Angels shall in Armies come And fetch proud ravisher there Helen home And to revenge this rape thy other store Thou shalt resigne too and shalt steale no more Till then faire Ladies for you now are faire But till her death I fear'd your just dispaire Fetch all the spices that Arabia yeelds Distill the choycest flowers of the fields And when in one their best perfections meet Embalme her course that shee may make them sweet Whilst for an Epitaph upon her stone I cannot write but I must weepe her one Epitaph Beauty it selfe lyes here in whom alone Each part injoy'd the same perfection In some the Eyes we praise in some the Haire In her the Lips in her the Cheeks are faire That Nymphs fine Feet her Hands we beauteous call But in this forme we praise no part but all The ages past have many beauties showne And I more plenty in our time have knowne But in the age to come I looke for none Nature despaires because her pattern's gone An Epitaph upon Mrs I. T. REader if thou hast a teare Thou canst not choose but pay it here Here lyes modesty meeknesse zeale Goodnesse Piety and to tell Her worth at once one that had showne All vertues that her sex could owne Nor dare my praise too lavish bee Least her dust blush for soe would shee Hast thou beheld in the spring's bowers Tender buds breake to bring forth flowers So to keepe vertues stock pale death Tooke her to give her infant breath Thus her accounts were all made even Shee rob'd not earth to adde to heaven An Epithalamium MVse be a bride-maid dost not heare How honoured Hunt and his faire Deere This day prepare their wedding cheere The swiftest of thy pinions take And hence a suddaine journey make To helpe 'em breake their bridall Cake Hast 'em to Church tell 'em love sayes Religion breeds but fond delayes To lengthen out the tedious dayes Childe the slow Preist that so goes on As if he feard he should have done His sermon e're the glasse be runne Bid him post o're his words as fast As if himselfe were now to tast The pleasure of so â—…aire a wast Now lead the blessed Couple home And serve a dinner up for some Their banquet is as yet to come Maids dance as nimbly as your blood Which I see swell a purple flood In Emulation of that good The bride possesseth for I deeme What shee enjoyes will be the theme This night of every virgins dreame But envy not their blest content The hasty night is almost spent And they of Cupid will be shent The Sunne is now ready to ride Sure 't was the morning I espide Or 't was the blushing of the bride See how the lusty bridegrooms veins Swell till the active torrent strains To breake those o're stretcht azure chains And the faire bride ready to cry To see her pleasant losse so nigh Pants like the sealed Pigeons eye Put out the torch Love lovesno lights Those that performe his misticke rites Must pay their Orisons by nights Nor can that sacrifice be done By any Priest or Nun alone But when they both are met in one Now you that tast of Hymens cheere See that your lips doe meet so neare That Cockels might be tutor'd there And let the whisprings of your love Such short and gentle murmurs prove As they were Lectures to the dove And in such strict embraces twine As if you read unto the Vine The Ivy and the Columbine Then let your mutuall bosomes beat Till they create by virtuall heat Mirrhe Balme and spikenard in a sweat Thence may there spring many a paire Of Sonnes and Daughters strong and faire How soone the Gods have heard my praier Me thinks already I espy The cradles rock the babies cry And drousy Nurses Lullaby An Epitaph upon his honour'd friend Mr Warre HEre lyes the knowing head the honest heart Faire blood and courteous hands and every part Of gentle Warre all with one stone content Though each deserv'd a severall monument He was beleive me Reader for 't is rare Virtuous though young and learned though an heire Not with his Blood or Natures gifts content He paid them both their tribute which they lent His ancestors in him fixed their pride So with him all reviv'd with him all dyed This made death lingring come asham'd to bee At once the ruine of a familie Learne Reader here though long thy line hath stood Time breeds consumptions in the noblest blood Learne Reader here to what our Glories come Here 's no distinction 'twixt the House and Toombe Vpon the losse of his little finger ARithmetique nine digits and no more Admits of then I still have all my store For what mischance hath tane from my left hand It seemes did only for a Cipher stand But this I 'le say for thee departed joynt Thou wert not given to steale nor pick nor point At any in disgrace but thou didst go Vntimely to thy Death only to show The other members what they once must doe Hand arme legge thigh and all must follow too Oft didst thou scan my verse where if I misse Henceforth I will impute the cause to this A fingers losse I speake it not in sport Will make a verse a Foot too short Farewell deare finger much I greive to see How soone mischance hath made a Hand of thee
inherit Has Madam Davers dispossest her spirit Or will the Welchmen give me leave to say There is no faith in Merlin none though they Dare sweare each letter creed and pawne their blood He prophecied an age before the flood Of holy Dee which was as some have said Ten generations ere the Arke was made All your predictions but Impostures are And you but prophecy of things that were And you Coelestiall Iuglers that pretend You are acquainted with the starres and send Your spyes to search what 's done in every spheare Keeping your state intelligencers there Your art is all deceit for now I see Against the Rules of deepe Astrologie Girles may be got when Mars his power doth vaunt And boyes when Venus is Predominant Nor doth the Moone though moist and cold shee bee Alwaies at full work to produce the shee Had this been true I had foretold no lie It was the Art was in the wrong not I. Thence I so dully err'd in my beleife As to mistake an Adam for an Eve O grosse mistake and in the civill pleas Error Personae Mr Doctor sayes And may admit divorce but farewell now You hungry star-fed Tribe hence forth I vow Talmud Albumazar and Ptolomie With Erra Pater shall no Gospell bee Nor will I ever after this I sweare Throw Dice upon the shepheards Calender But why doe I t' excuse my Ignorance Lay blame upon the Art no no perchance I have lost all my skill for well I know My Physiognomie two years agoe By the small Pox was mar'd and it may bee A fingers losse hath spoild my Palmistry But why should I a grosse mistake confesseâ—… No I am confident I did but guesse The very truth it was a male child then But Aunt you staid till 't was a wench agen To see th' unconstancy of humane things How little time great Alteration brings All thing are subject unto change we know And if all things then why not sexes too Tyresias we read a man was borne Yet after did into a woman turne Levinus a Physitian of great fame Reports that one at Paris did the same And devout Papists say certaine it is One of their Popes by Metamorphosis Indur'd the same else how could Ioan be heire To the succession of Saint Peters chaire So I at Chairing crosse have beheld one A statue cut out of the Parian stone To figure great Aloides which when well The Artist saw it was not like to sell He takes his chissell and away he pares Part of his sinewy neck shaving the haires Of his rough beard and face smoothing the brow And making that looke amorous which but now Stood wrinkled with his anger from his head He poles the shaggy locks that had o're spread His brawny shoulders with a fleece of haire And workes insteed more gentle tresses there And thus his skill exactly to expresse Soone makes a Venus of an Hercules And can it then impossible appeare That such a change as this might happen here For this cause therefore Gentle Aunt I pray Blame not my Prophecy but your delay But this will not excuse me that I may Directly cleare my selfe there is no way Vnlesse the Iesuits will to me impart The secret depth of their mysterious art Who from their halting Patriot learne to frame A Crutch for every word that fals out lame That can the subtle difference discry Betwixt aequivocation and a lie And a rare scape by sly distinction find To sweare the Tongue and yet not sweare the mind Now arm'd with Arguments I nothing dread But my own cause thus confidently plead I said there was a boy with in your wombe Not actually but one in time to come Or by Antiphrasis my words might bee That ever understands the contrary Or when I said you should a man-child beare You understood me of the sexe I feare When I did meane the mind and thus define A woman but of spirit masculine Or had I said it should a girle have been And it had prov'd a boy you should have seen Mee solve it thus I meant a boy by fate But one that would have been effeminate Or thus I had my just excuse begun I said my Aunt would surely bring a sonne If not a daughter what we seers forsee Is certaine truth unlesse it falshood bee Or I affirme because shee brought forth one That will bring boyes shee hath brought forth a sonne For doe not we call Father Adam thus Because that he got those that have got us What ere I said by simple Affirmation I meant the right by mentall reservation An Epithalamium to Mt F. H. FRanke when this Morne the harbinger of day Blush'd from her Easterne pillow where shee lay Clasp'd in her Tythons arms red with those kisses Which being injoy'd by night by day shee misses I walk'd the feilds to see the teeming earth Whose wombe now swells to give the flowers a birth Where while my thoughts with every object tane In severall contemplations rapt my braine A suddaine lustre like the Sunne did rise And with to great a light eclips'd mine eyes At last I spyed a Beauty such another As I have sometimes heard call theâ—… her Brother But by the chariot and her teame of Doves I guest her to be Venus Queene of Loves With her a pretty boy I there did see But for his wings I 'had thought it had been thee At last when I beheld his quiver of darts I knew t' was Cupid Emperour of our hearts Thus I accosted them Goddesse divine Great Queene of Paphos and Cytherian shrine Whose Altars no man sees that can depart Till in those flames he sacrifice his heart That conquerst Gods and men and heaven divine Yea and hell too Beaâ—…e witnesse Prâ—…serpine And Cupid thou that canst thy Trophies show Over all these and o're thy Mother too Witnesse the night which when with Mars shee lay Did all her sports to all the Gods betray Tell me great Powers what makes such glorious beams Visit the lowly banks of Ninus streams Then Venus smil'd and smiling bid me know Cupid and shee must both to Weston goe I guest the cause for Hymen came behind In saffron robes his Nuptiall knots to bind Then thus I pray'd Great Venus by the Love Of thy Adonu as thou hop'st to move Thy Mars to second kisses and obtaine Beauties reward the Golden fruit againe Bow thy faire eares to my chast prayers and take Such Orisons as purest Love can make Thou and thy boy I know are posting thither To tye pure hearts in purest bonds together Cupid thou know'st the maid I'have seene thee lye With all thy arrowes lurking in her eye Venus thou know'st her love for I have seene The time thou would'st have faine her Rivall been O blesse them both Let their affections meet With happy omens in the Geniall sheet Both comely beauteous both both equall faire Thou canst not glory in a fitter paire I would not thus have praid if I had seen Fourscore and ten wed
could keepe a meane Disorder is the Masque we bring And Discords are the Tunes we sing No sound in our harsh eares can find a place But highest Trebles or the lowest Base Flow. See Brother if mens hearts and Consciences Had not been sear'd and cauterized how could they Affect these filthy harbingers of hell These Procters of Belzebub Lucifers Hinch-boyes Rosci I pray yee stirre your selves within a while Exeunt Roscius Solus And here unlesse your favourable mildnesse With hope of mercy doe encourage us Our Author bids us end he dares not venture Neither what 's past nor that which is to come Vpon his Country 't is so weake and impotent It cannot stand a triall nor dares hope The benefit of his Cleargy But if rigour Sit Iudge must of necessity be condemn'd To Vulcan or the Spunge All he can plead Is a desire of Pardon for he brings you No plot at all but a meere Olla Podrida A medly of ill-plac'd and worse pen'd humours His desire was in single Scenes to shew How Comedy presents each single vice Ridiculous whose number as their Character He borrowes from the man to whom he owes All the poore skill he has great Aristotle Now if you can endure to heare the rest Y' are welcome if you cannot doe but tell Your meaning by some signe and all farewell If you will stay resolve to pardon first Our Author will deserve it by offending Yet if he misse a Pardon as in Iustice You cannot grant it though your mercy may Still he hath this left for a comfort to him That he picks forth a subject of his Rime May loose perchance his credit not his time Exit Finis Actus 1. ACTVS 2. SCENA I. Roscius Bird. Flowrdew Rosc. REceive your places The first that we present are the Extreams of a vertue necessary in our Conversation call'd Comitas or Courtesy which as all other vertues hath her deviations from the Mean The one Colax that to seeme over Courteous falls into a servile flattery the other as fooles fall into the contraries which they shunne is Dyscolus who hating to bee a slavish Parasite growes into peevishnesse and impertinent distast Flow. I thought you taught two vices for one vertue Rosci So does Philosophy but the Actors enter Colax Dyscolus Colax How farre they sinne against humanity That use you thus Believe me 't is a Symptom Of Barbarisme and rudenesse so to vexe A gentle modest nature as yours is Dysco Why dost thou vexe methen Colax I Heaven defend My breeding has been better I vexe you You that I know so vertuous just and wise So pious and religious so admir'd So lov'd of all Dysc Wilt thou not leave me then Eternall Torture could your cruelty find No back but mine that you thought broad enough To beare the load of all these Epithites Pious Religious he takes me for a foole Vertuous and Iust Sir did I ever cheat you Cozen or gull you that you call me just And vertuous I am grown the common scoff Of all the world the scoff of all the world Colax The world is grown too vile then Dysc So art thou Heaven I am â—…un'd ridiculous Colax You ridiculous But 't is as impious Age There was a time And pitty 't is so good a time had wings To fly away when reverence was payd To a gray head 't was held a sacriledge Not expiable to deny respect To one Sir of your years and Gravity Dysc My yeares and gravity Why how ol d am I I am not rotten yet or grown so ranke As I should smell oth'grave O Times and manners Well Colax well goe on you may abuse me Poore dust and ashes wormes meat yeares gravity He takes me for a Carkasse what see you So crazy in me I have halfe my Teeth I see with spectacles doe I not and can walke too With th' benefit of my staffe marke if I cannot But you sir at your pleasure with years and gravity Think me decrepit Colax How Decrepit sir I see young roses bud within your cheeks And a quick active blood run free and fresh Through your veines Dysco I am turn'd boy again A very stripling schooleboy have I not The Itch and kibes am I not scabb'd and mangy About the wrists and hams Colax Still Dyscolus Dysc Dyscolus and why Dyscolus when were we Grown so familiar Dyscolus by my name Sure we are Pylades and Orestes are we not Speak good Pylades Colax Nay worthy Sir Pardon my error 't was without intent Of an offence I le finde some other name To call you by Dysc What doe you mean to call mee Foole Asse or Knave my name is not so bad As that I am asham'd on 't Colax Still you take all worse then it was meant You are too Iealous Dysco Iealous I ha'not cause for 't my wife 's honest Dost see my hornes Doest if thou doest Write Cuckold in my forehead doe write Cuckold With Aqua-fortis doe Iealous I am jealous Free of the Company wife I am jealous Colax I mean suspitious Dysc How suspitious For what for Treason Felony or Murder Carry me to the Iustice bind me over For a suspitious person hang me too For a suspicious person O O O Some courteous plague ceazeme and free my soule From this immortall Torment every thing I meet with is vexation and this this Is the vexation of vexations The Hell of Hells and Divell of all Divells Flow. For pitty sake fret not the good old Gentleman Dysc O! have I not yet torments great enough But you must adde to my affliction Eternall silence ceaze you Colax Sir we strive To please you but you still misconstrue us Dysc I must be pleas'd a very babe an infant I must be pleas'd give me some pappe or plummes Buy me a rattle or a hobby-horse To still me doe be pleas'd wouldst have me get A Parasite to be flatter'd Col. How a Parasite A cogging flatt'ring slavish Parasite Things I abhorre and hate T is not the belly Shall make my brains a captive Flatterers Soules below reason will not stoope so low As to give up their Liberty only flatterers Move by anothers wheele They have no passions Free to themselves All their affections Qualities humors appetites desires Nay wishes vowes and prayers discourse thoughts Are but anothers Bondman Let me tugg At the Turkes Gallies be eternally Damn'd to a Quarry In this state my minde Is free A flatterer has nor soule nor body What shall I say No I applaud your temper That in a generous bravenesse take distast At such whose servile nature strives to please you T is royall in you Sir Dysc Ha! What 's that Colax A feather stuck upon your cloak Dysc A feather And what have you to doe with my feathers Why should you hinder me from telling th' world I doe not lye on flockbeds Colax Pray be pleas'd I brusht it off for meere respect I bare you Dysc Respect a fine respect Sir is it not To
life Amar. It was my selfe Or one as deare Cla. Who 's that Ama. I 'le rather dye Then name him though it be a name I use Oft to repeat and every repetition Is a new soule unto mee 't is a name I have taught the birds to caroll every Laurell and Cedar beares it registred Vpon his tender barke it is a name In which is all the life I yet have left A name I long to speake yet I had rather Dye all the severall sorts of death twice over Then speake it once Clai I charge thee by that duty Thou ow'st to me Amarillis that thou owest to me Who gave thee life Pil. What should this mean Corymbus Cl. And by the womb that bare thee by the breasts Of thy dead mother Lalage Cor. This is strange Cla. Conceale him not in plain I am thy father Thy father Amarillis that commands thee By these gray haires to tell mee I am Claius Pilum How Claius and so fortunatly found Claius I glut your hate Pilumnus let your soule That has so long thirsted to drinke my blood Swill till my veines are empty and carowse Deep in my heart till you grow drunke and reele And vomit up the surfet that your cruelty Quaft off with so much pleasure I have stood Long like a fatall oake at which great Iove Levels his thunder all my boughes long since Blasted and wither'd now the trunke falls too Heaven end thy wrath in mee Pilum Blessed be Ceres What unexpected happines is here Rejoyce Sicilians miserable lovers Crowne all your browes with roses and adore The Deity that sent him he is come Whose blood must quench the fire of Ceres wrath And kindle more auspitious flames of love In every brest Cla. I doe I feare not death Let every Virgins hand when I am slaine Ring me a knell of Plaudits let my Dirges Be amorous Ditties and in stead of weeping Dance at my funerall T is no griefe for mee To dye to make my countrymen some sport Here 's one in whom I only wish to live Another age Amar. What joy have I to live That nere liv'd yet the time that I have spent Since first I wept then when I first had entrance Into this world this cold and sorrowfull world Was but a scene of sorrow wretched I Fatall to both my parents For my birth Ruin'd my mother and my death my father O Tragick life I either should have been Nere borne or nere have died When I began To be my sinne began why should it then Out live mee for though now I cease to be That still continues Eyes flow forth a pace And be asham'd to see my wound run blood Faster then you drop teares Enter Damon See here he comes His absence never untill now I wisht Dam. My Conscience brings me back the feet of guilt Goe slow and dull 't is hard to run away From that we beare about us Cla. The Murtherer Is in this place the issue of her blood Is stop'd o th' sudden Cruell man 't is thou Hast done this bloudy act that will disgrace The story of our nation and imprint So deepe a blemish in the age we live in For savage Barbarisme that eternity Shall nere weare out Pilumnus on my knees I beg the justice of Sicilian lawes Against this monster Pilum Claius 't is your hate And old revenge instructs you to accuse My Sonne you would have fellowes in your death And to that purpose you pretend I know not What mysteries of art Cla. Speak Amaryllis I' st not this wolfe Pilum Say virgin was it hee Ama. O I am angry with my blood for stopping This coward ebbe against my will betraies mee The streame is turn'd my eyes run faster now Pilum Can you accuse my sonne Amar. By Ceres no I have no heart to doe it does that face Look cruell doe those eyes sparkle with hate Or malice Tell me Father lookes that brow As if it could but frowne Say can you thinke T is possible Damon could have the heart To wound a Virgin surely barbarous cruelty Dwels not in such a brest mercy and mildnesse Courtesy love and sweetnesse breath in him Not Anger wrath or murther Damon was not Fed at a Thracian teat Venus did send Her Doves to nurse him and can he be cruell Whence should he learne so much of barbarisme As thus to wrong a Virgin if he wound mee T is only from his eyes where loves blind God Whets his pil'd arrowes He besides you know Had never cause to wrong mee for he knowes Alwaies I lov'd him Father doe not wrong An innocent his soule is white and pure T is sinne to thinke there lives a sinne in him Impiety to accuse him Clai In his lookes He carries guilt whose horror breeds this strange And obstinate silence shame and his conscience Will not permit him to deny it Amar. T is alas His modest bashfull nature and pure innocence That makes him silent think you that bright rose That buds within his cheekes was planted there By guilt or shame no he has alwaies been So unacquainted with all act of sinne That but to be suspected strikes him dumb With wonder and amazement For by Ceres I think my oath be lawfull I my selfe Was cause of this Cla. Still I am confident 'T was hee Pilum It is your envy makes you so SCEN. 9. Alexis Laurinda Lau. I will Alexis And so he must if oathes be any tye Alex. To lovers they are none we break those bonds As easily as threds of silke A bracelet Made of your maidens haire 's a stronger chaine Then twenty cobweb oathes which while we break Venus but laughs it must be your perswasion That works him to it Lau. Damon you must stand To what you promis'd how shall I believe Those other oathes you sweare if you respect This one no better It was my device To have her judge was it not Amarillis How all in blood Cla. Yes this unmercifull man If he be man that can doe such a crime Has wounded her Amar. Indeed it was not hee Pil. You see her selfe frees him Lau. When last we left her She was with Damon Ama. Pray believe her not She speaks it out of anger I nere saw Damon to day before Alex. And when we left 'em He was incens'd Amar. You are no competent witnesse You are his Rivall in Laurinda's love And speak not truth but malice 't is a plot To ruin innocence Lau. O ungratefull man The wolfe that does devoure the brest that nurst it Is not so bad as thou here here this Letter Th' eternall Chronicle of affection That ought with golden characters to be writ In Cupids Annals will false man convince thee Of fowle ingratitude you shall hear me read it The Letter Laurinda you have put it unto mee To choose a husband for you I will be A judge impartiall upright just and true Yet not so much unto my selfe as you Alex. Now I expect to hear my blessed
wench I dare not stay Least I displease my Father who in this age Of haplesse lovers watches me as close As did the Dragon the Hesperian fruit Farewell Exit Laur. Thest. Farewell Laurinda Thus poore â—…oole I toyle for others like the painfull Bee From every flower cull hony drops of love To bring to others hives Cupid does this Cause I am Claius sister Other Nymphs Have their varietie of loves for every gowne Nay every petticote I have only one The poore foole Mopsus yet no matter wench Fooles never were in more request then now I le make much of him for that woman lyes In weary sheetes whose Husband is too wise SCEN. 3. Thestylis Mopsus Iocastus Mop. Iocastus I love Thestylis abominably The mouth of my affection waters at her Io. Be wary Mopsus learne of mee to skorne The mortalls choose a better match goe love Some Fairy Lady Princely Oberon Shall stand thy friend and beauteous Mab his Queene Give thee a Maid of Honour Mop. How Iocastus Marry a puppet Wed a mote i th' Sunne Goe looke a wife in nutshells wooe a gnat That 's nothing but a voice No no Iocastus I must have flesh and blood and will have Thestylis A fig for Fairies Thes. T is my sweet-heart Mopsus And his wise brother O the twins of folly These doe I entertaine only to season The poore Amyntas madnesse Mop. Sacred red and white How fares thy reverend beauty The. Very ill Since you were absent Mopsus where have you Beene all this live-long houre Mop. I have been Discoursing with the birds The. Why can birds speake Io. In Fairy land they can I have heard 'em chirpe Very good Greeke and Latin Mop. And our Birds Talke better farre then they a new-laid egge Of Sicilie shall out talke the bravest Parrat In Oberons Vtopia The. But what languages Doe they speake servant Mop. Severall languages As Cawation Chirpation Hootation Whistleation Crowation Cackleation Shreekation Hissation The. And Fooleation Mop. No that 's our language we our selves speak that That are the learned Augurs The. What successe Does your Art promise Mop. Very good The. What Birds Met you then first Mop. A Wood-cock and a Goose. The. Well met Mop. I told 'em so The. And what might this portend Mop. Why thus and first the Wood-cock Wood and Cock Both very good signes For first the wood doth signify The fire of our love shall never goeout Because it has more fuell wood doth signify Morefuell The. What the Cock Mop. Better then t'other That I shall crow ore those that are my rivalls And roost my selfe with thee The. But now the Goose Mop. I I the Goose that likes me best of all Th' ast heard our gray-bâ—…ard sheapherds talk of Rome And what the Geese did there The Goose doth signify That I shall keep thy Capitâ—…ll The. Good gander Io. It cannot choose but strangely please his highnesse The. What are you studying of Iocastus ha Io. A rare devise a Masque to entertaine His Grace of Fairy with The. A Masque what i' st Io. An Anti-masque of fleaes which I have taught To dance Currantoes on a spiders thread Mop. An Anti-masque of fleaes brother me thinkes A masque of Birds were better that could dance The morrice in the aire Wrens and Robin-redbrests Linnets and Titmise Io. So and why not rather Your Geese Wood-cocks Mortall hold thy tongue Thou dost not know the mystery The. T is true He tells you Mopsus leave your Augurie Follow his counsell and be wise Mop. Be wise I skorne the motion follow his counsell and be wise That 's a fine trick i'faith is this an age For to be wise in The. Then you mean I see T' expound the Oracle Mop. I doe mean to be Th'interpreter Io. And then a jig of Pismires Is excellent Mop. What to interpret Oracles A foole must be th'interpreter The. Then no doubt But you will have the honour Mop. Nay I hope I am as faire for 't as another man If I should now grow wise against my will And catch this wisdome The. Never feare it Mopsus Mop. T were dangerous ventring Now I think on 't too Pray Heaven this aire be wholsome is there not An antidote against it what doe you think Of garlick every morning The. Fy upon 't 'T will spoile our kissing and besides I tell you Garlick's a dangerous dish eating of garlick May breed the sicknesse for as I remember T is the Phylosophers dyet Mop. Certainly I am infected now the fit 's upon mee T is some thing like an ague sure I caught it With talking with a Scholar next my heart The. How sad a life live I Betwixt their folly and Amyntas madnesse For Mopsus I le prescribe you such a diet As shall secure you Mop. Excellent she Doctor Your women are the best Physitians And have the better practice The. First my Mopsus Take heed of fasting for your hungry meales Nurse wisdome Mop. True O what a stomach have I To be her patient The. Besides take speciall care You weare not thred-bare clothes 't will breed at least Suspicion you are wise Io. I marry will it The. And walke not much alone or if you walke With company be sure you walke with fooles None of the wise Mop. No no I warrant you I le walke with no body but my brother here Or you or mad Amyntas The. By all meanes Take heed of Travell your beyond-sea wit Is to be feard Mop. If ere I travell hang mee Io. Not to the Fairy land The. Thither he may But above all things we are no beards long beards Are signes the braines are full because the excrements Come out so plentifully Io. Rather empty Because they have sent so much out as if Their brains were sunk into their beards King Oberon Has ne're a beard yet for his wit I am sure He might have beene a Gyant Who comes here Enter Dorylas Dor. All haile unto the fam'd interpreter Of fowles and Oracles Mop. Thankes good Dorylas Dor. How fares the winged cattell are the woodcocks The jayes the dawes the cuckoes and the owles In health Mop. I thank the gracious starres they are Dor. Like health unto the president of the jigs I hope King Oberon and his joyall Mab Are. well Io. They are I never saw their Graces Eate such a meale before Dir. E'ne much good doe 't em Io. They 're rid a hunting Do. Hare or Deere my Lord Io. Neither a brace of snailes of the first head The. But Dorylas there 's a mighty quarrell here And you are chosen umpire Dor. About what The. The exposition of the Oracle Which of these two you think the verier foole Dor. It is a difficult cause first let me pose'em You Mopsus cause you are a learned Augur How many are the seven Liberall Sciences Mop. Why much about a dozen Dor. You Iocastus When Oberon shav'd himselfe who was his Barber Io. I knew him well a little dapper youth They call him Periwinckle
Dor. Thestylis A weighty cause and askes a longer time The. Wee 'll in the while to comfort sad Amyntas Exeunt The. Mop. Io SCEN. 4. Dorylas Laurinda Lau. I wonder much that Dorylas staies so long Faine would I heare whether they 'l come or no. Do. Ha would you so Lau. I see in your own messages You can goe fast enough Dor. Indeed forsooth I loiter'd by the way Lau. What will they come Dor. Which of them Lau. Damon Dor. No. Lau. Alexis will Dor. Nor he Lau. How neither am I then neglected Dor. Damon will come Lau. And not Alexis too Dor. Only Alexis comes Lau. Let him not come I wonder who sent for him unlesse both I le speak with none Dor. Why both will visit you Lau. Both one had been too many Was e're Nympâ—… So vex'd as I you sawcy rascall you How doe you strive to crosse me Dor. And sweet Mistresse Still I will crosse you 't is the only way Truely to please you SCENA 5. Enter Medorus Medo So you 'l all please her I wonder who 'l please mee you all for her Can run on errants carry love-sick letters And amorous eglogues from her howling suiters To her and back againe be Cupids Heraulds And point out meetings for her Dor. Truly Sir Not I pray aske my Mistresse Doe I call Your sweet-hearts speak nay speak it if you can Doe I Lau. Why no. Do. Nay say your worst I care not Did I goe ever Lau. Never Dor. La-you now We were devising nothing but a snare To catch the Pole-cat Sirrah get you in Take heed I doe not find your haunts Dor. What haunts Med. You 'l in Dor. I know no haunts I have but to the Dairy To skimme the milke-bowles like a lickorish Fairy Exit Dor. Me. He that 's a womans keeper should have eyes A hundred more then Argus and his eares Double the number Now the newes what letters What posy ring or bracelet wooes to day What Grove to night is conscious of your whispers Come tell mee for I know your trusty squire Your litle closet blabbes into your eare Some secret let me know it Lau. Then you feare Least I should be in love Me. Indeed I doe Cupids a dangerous boy and often wounds The wanton roving eye Lau. Were I in love Not that I am for yet by Dian's bow I have not made my choice and yet suppose it Suppose I say I were in love What then Me. So I would have thee but not yet my Girle Till loves prove happier till the wretched Claius Hath satisfied the Gods Lau. Why Claius Father Me. Hast thou not heard it Lau. Never Me. T is impossible Lau. How should I sir you know that my discourse Is all with walls and pictures I nere meet The Virgins on the downes Me. Why I will tell thee Thou knowest Pilumnus Lau. The high Priest of Ceres Me. Yes This Pilumnus had a sonne Philaebus Who was while yet he was the only joy The staffe and comfort of his fathers age And might have still beene so had not fond love Vndone him Lau. How did love undoe Philaebus Me. Why thus one Lalage a beauteous Nymph As ever eye admired Alphestus daughter Was by her father promis'd him in marriage Lau. Why hitherto his love had good successe Me. But only promis'd for the sheapherd Claius A name accursed in Sicilian fields Being rich obtain'd the beauteous Lalage From sweet Philaebus he sad heart being rob'd Of all his comfort having lost the beauty Which gave him life and motion seeing Claius Injoy those lips whose cherries were the food That nurs'd his soule spent all his time in sorrow In melancholy sighes and discontents Look'd like a witherd tree oregrowne with mosse His eyes were ever dropping Iceacles Disdaine and sorrow made Pilumnus rage And in this rage he makes his moane to Ceres Ceres most sacred of Sicilian powers And in those moanes he prosecutes revenge And that revenge to fall on Lalage Lau. Would Ceres heare his praiers Me. Silly maid His passions were not causelesse and with what justice Could she deny Pilumnus how oft hath he sprinkled The finest flowre of wheat and sweetest myrrhe Vpon her Altars Lalage ru'd the time She flowted brave Philaebus Now she was great With two sweet twins the faire chast Amaryllis And mad Amyntas an unlucky paire These shee brought forth but never liv'd to see them Lucina caus'd her sorrowes stop her breath Leaving this matchlesse paire of beauteous infants In whom till now she lives Lau. After her death How far'd the sorrowfull Philaebus Me. Worse Then ever Shee being dead whose life was his Whose lookes did hold his eyes from shutting up He pin'd away in sorrowes griefe it was To see she was not his but greater farre That she was not at all Her Exequies being past He casts him down upon that turfe of earth Vnder whose roofe his Lalage was hous'd And parlied with her ashes 'till his own lampe Was quite extinguish'd with a fatall dampe Here ended th'noble sheapheard Lau. Vnhappy lover T is pitty but the Virgins once a yeare Should wash his tombe with maiden teares but now Both Lalage being dead and her Philebus How comes it other loves should prove unfortunate Med. Pilumnus having lost this hopefull Sonne Though he had two more children fair Vrania And noble Damon yet the death of Lalage Suffic'd not his revenge but he a new implores His goddesse wrath 'gainst Claius Doth Ceres prize me thus Shall Claius tread upon the flowry Plaine And walke upon the Ashes of my boy Will I be Archyflamen where the Gods Are so remisse let wolves approach their shrines Their howlings are as powerfull as the Praiers Of sad Pilumnus Such disgusts at last Awaken'd Ceres with hollow murmuring noise Her Ompha like a thunder'gins to roare The Ompha if it menace speakes at large In copious language but perplexed termes And laid this curse on all Trinacria Sicilian swaines ill luck shall long betide To every bridegroome and to every bride No sacrifice no vow shall still mine Ire Till Claius blood both quench and kindle fire The wise shall misconceive me and the wit Scornd and neglected shall my meaning hit Lau. Angry and Intricate Alas for love What then became of Claius Me. Why the Ompha Having denounc'd against him and he knowing The hate of old Pilumnus fled away I think hee 's sayl'd to the Antipodes No tydings can be brought what ground receives him Vnlesse Corymbus make a happy voyage Corymbus that will search both East and Occident And when he finds him spill his captive blood Which Ceres grant he may Tender Laurinda Now dost thou see the reason of my care And why my watchfull eyes so close observe Thy steps and actions Lau. And I promise father To temper my affections 'till the Goddesse Doe mitigate her anger Med. Doe so then For now you see with what unfortunate choice Pilumnus daughter delicate Vrania loves The mad Amyntas for the angry Goddesse