Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A12130
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The constant maid A comedy. Written by Iames Shirley.
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Shirley, James, 1596-1666.
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1640
(1640)
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STC 22438; ESTC S117315
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34,769
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72
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Yes Bell. What should move 'em To leave my house so late and Mr. Hartwell Without his clothes Some knock there Beshrew me but I trembled Nur. 'T is a stranger And sayes he would speake with you Bell. At this late houre What accidents are these from whence Nur. I know not Bell. Has he no name what should this meane Nur. He sayes he is a Countrey-man of Mr. Startups Bell. Admit him he perhaps does bring some newes Enter Countrey-man Count By your leave Mistresse pardon my importunitie At so unfit an houre Bell. Y' are welcome sir Count I met with fortunate directions Though I came late I understand you have A guest one Startup of Northampton-shire That comes a wooing to your daughter Bell. Such an one there was that supt with us and went To bed but since as I have faith I know not Which way he has convey'd himselfe another Gentleman too is missing and his Rivall Count Pray do not mock me Lady I ha rid A great way and the businesse much concernes him Bell. You may beleeve me he is no such treasure I should conceale him Enter Frances Count Then I see you dally Know Mistresse you may slack your preparations Your daughter must look out another husband He is contracted Bell. How Count And something more Gotten with child one that without blushing I cannot call my daughter he shall make Her credit straight agen although my fortunes Have no equalitie with his I shall Find Law to force him Fran. You preferr'd this sutor This newes returnes my bloud Bell. Sir you shall find All truth I have deliver'd I am not sorrie To heare this newes this is no time to seek him Please you accept the lodging that was his My servant shall attend you in the morning To help your search Count You seeme a noble Gentlewoman I take your courtesie Bell. Nurse a light pray walk sir Fran. I was unkind to Hartwell he not wise But love still apprehends too much or nothing Exit Countrey-man Bell. Frances a word do not you know what is Become o' these Gentlemen Fran. Not I their absence Is strange to me Bell. Oh Franck I am undone Fran. Good Heaven forbid Bell. This Gentleman Mr. Hartwell Whom we shall never see agen I feare Fran. How mother are you acquainted With any cause to feare thus Bell. 'T is in vaine To tell thee how I loved him Fran. Blesse my senses you love him Bell. 'Bove all the world affectionately plac'd him Too neere my heart Fran. I heard you made pretence Of Love to trie him for my sake and pardon me If yet I dare not beleeve more Bell. Oh Franck Fran. My heart doth thrill I feele a coldnesse run Through all my veines already Bell. I had no other thought At first but wisely to distinguish whether His heart was fixt on thee or my estate With resolution if I found him more A Courtier of thy fortune than thy person To punish him with losse of both But Love Hath chang'd both scene and title in our Comedy And what I meant should shipwrack all his hopes Hath ruin'd us his modest and calme answer To accept my tender with such force and reason Directed to my fancie turn'd my purpose And made me his indeed his perfect Lover But now we ha' both lost him Fran. All the pietie That ever taught children to love their mother Will but suffice to keep my heart obedient Was ever Maid so miserable Was there No other in my fate to rivall me I live too long oh breake breake my poore heart For she that gave me life hath took it from me Bell. Why do you weep Fran. I do not weep or if I do I know not why Bell. Now I perceive Thy duty was but counterfeit you love him Upon my life you love him still Have my Commands no more respect My care and love So ill rewarded that my heart desiring One comfort in the world and shall my childe Rise up to take it from me Fran. Alas I knew not You loved him too indeed I had rather die Than you should call me rebell Bell. Now I see The cause of his departure in this fashion Pray heaven he have not made away himselfe Did ever childe deceive a mother so I have a sad presage you may to bed And rise without my blessing yet You may stay wherefore should I despaire Of his returne You say you could not tell That I affected him Fran. Indeed not I And do believe it now against my will But I am your daughter Bell. Shew it in confirming Your selfe to my desires and what is past I can forgive you if he come againe Will you be rul'd and shew no favour to him For 't is in you I see to make me happy I will not tye you to affect the other Choose any for your husband but this man My love and prayers shall go along with you Answer Fran. Indeed I dare not yet could I Put off the knowledge that you are a mother Bell. What then Fran. Though in imagination I allow you The greatest woman in the earth whose frowne Could kill and eyes at pleasure make alive Agen I could say Bell. Pray let 's heare Fran. I durst tell you In confidence of my cause that you betray Two innocents to sorrow and though heaven Looke on and seem to smile upon your cruelty Yet there is punishment for divorcing those Whose hearts that hath conjoyned I durst tell you Though all your terrours were prepared to punish My bold defence you were a tyrant Bell. How Fran. A most unjust a sacrilegious tyrant Bell. You would not be so violent Fran. That thus Not only ruine and deface the Altar But steal away the very Sacrifice And I durst adde and smile upon your anger Though as you frown'd death stood in every wrinckle My soul 's above your tyranny and would From torturing flame receive new fire of love And make your eye faint to behold the brightnesse Of my poore bodies Martyrdome and if ever Love shewed a miracle my heart should beare The Characters of him you have torne from it With beames about it like a Saint that suffer'd But as you are my mother thus I kneele And beg a pardon for my innocence If that offend you Live you happy still And be the Mistris of your vowes live to Enjoy whom you affect may every houre Returne new blessings on you both renew Your spring and let him thinke you young againe And let me beg but this for all my duty Against that day you marry him to provide My Coffin for I feare I shal not have Breath many minutes after to pray for you The herbs that shall adorne your Bridall chamber Will serve my Funerall and deck my Herse Beneath which you should say there lies your daughter That dies to shew obedience Bell. Why shouldst thou Continue thus to him Fran. I know he loves me yet hereafter your affections May not Bell. But never procure thee one sad
THE CONSTANT MAID A Comedy Written by Iames Shirley LONDON Printed by I. Raworth for R. Whitaker 1640 The names of the Persons Hornet a rich Vsurer Hartwell a young Gentleman Lover of Mistresse Frances Playfaire a Gallant A Gentleman Cousen to Playfaire Sir Clement a Iustice Startup a foolish Gentleman A Countrey-man Close Servant to Hartwell Three Servants disguised sometimes as Lords one of them once disguised as a Pursevant A Constable Three Watchmen Masquers Officers Servants and Attendants Bellamy a Widdow Frances her Daughter Nurse their Servant Neece to Hornet The Scene London THE CONSTANT MAID Act. I. Enter Hartwell Close Servants Hartwell NAy let 's not part so heavily Clo. For mine owne part It does not trouble me so much that you Have broke up house for hospitalitie Went out of fashion with crop-doublets And cod-peeces but I that have worne out So many liveries under the worshipfull Old Gentleman your father Hart. My father had an office which brought in A faire revenew I inherit but His little land whose annuall profits wo'not Encourage me to live at the same height Yee may meet better fortunes there 's enough Preferment in the world my love and best Assistance promise to your selves Clo. I do not Stand upon wages Sir I will not leave you Hart. How woot thou live Clo. As other mortals do yet I 'll not play The thiefe that is a course by which a man May soone ascend the ladder of preferment But I ne're lov'd these climbing trees I cannot Cheat though I have heard there is an art A devillish deale of knowledge in the dice And if men wonot part with money some Will fetch it out o' th' bones but the best casting Is in a Taverne when the wine and reckoning Come up together some doe spin a living by 't And there are many secret wayes for Serving-men To live it is not wages does maintaine All of our Tribe Sir and especially Those that have Mistresses Hart. But I am a Bachelour Clo. I pray let me be one of your buttons still then I am not halfe worne out you know what mould I 'm made off I did ever honest service And though my fellow Vermin can forsake Your falling house I doe not feare the rafters By this hand Sir I 'll wait upon you though Like great mens servants I do live on nothing But looks and the aire of commendations Hart. Well since you are so resolute attend me The rest I here discharge there 's somewhat more Not worth the name of bountie I wish all A happier entertainment 2 Serv. And there be No remedy heaven blesse you Sir Clo. Pray give me leave to wet my lips with these My fellowes sorrow has made but a dry proverb I must toth ' Taverne and condole a quart Hart. Meet me at Mistresse Bellamies then Exit Clo. I shall Sir Enter Playfare Play How now Masters Clo. You speake not To me Sir I am a servant still indeed With them the case is alter'd they are masters For they want services 1 Ser. Oh Master Playfare 2 It is not now as when Andrea liv'd 3 This place was made for pleasure not for death 1 There was a time when mortals whetted knives 2 In time of yore when men kill'd brutish beasts 3 Oh cruell Butcher whosoe're thou wert Clo. Do not you know what all this signifies Play Not I Clo. My master has given over house-keeping 1 He has committed Burglarie broke up the cellar And throwne the kitchin out at the hall window Clo. His house Sir has a superscription And is directed to his loving friend Will pay the rent you 'l hardly know me now I have no fellow Play You are verie merrie Sir 2 He has some cause we are discharg'd Clo: For certaine my master only Belongs to me if you would speake with him He 's gone to Mistresse Bellamies Sir In the meane time please you to understand I Close follow my master and shall feed still Although my fellowes here are become blanks And do want filling Play Lads I have knowne you long Although you be at losse in confidence Of all your future honesties I 'll employ yee In a device which if it hit may Reward your paines Clo. All Play Your Master only Sir belongs to you Follow him still and if there be occasion I shall enquire for you you will be faithfull Ser. omnes Doubt not M. Playfaire Play I have a project Follow me for instructions farewell Close Commend me to your master 2 Buoy Close buoy honest Close we are blanks blanks Clo. Roule up your selves in paper-liveries and Be drawne at the next Lotterie I wo'not Forsake my certaintie for all your projects If it should faile I shall find some of you Sneaking in Pauls behind a pillar with A zealous prayer some Gentleman would read The bed-roll of your commendation And pitie a verie serviceable fellow That would faine wait on him but wants a cloake Go prosper with your project Exeunt Enter Hornet Mistresse Bellamy Horn. Widdow be rul'd by me I know the world And I have studied it these fiftie yeares There 's no man to be trusted Bell. Without good Securitie you meane Horn. No young man widdow That talks and sayes he loves you writes you verses And sweares he shall goe hang himselfe unlesse You pitie him take me an old man Bell. So take you an old man Horn. Season'd with care and thrift not led away By vicious conversation nor corrupted With pride and surfet one that knowes the use Of money Do yee mark the use Bell. Yes Sir Use upon use you meane Hor. And dares not spend it prodigally knowing The principall end it was ordain'd to was To releeve our necessitie and lay up What is above Bell. To help the poore Horn. You may If you be so dispos'd but 't is as commendable To give it in your will to build an Hospitall And so our charitie comes altogether I would not have your state be eaten up By Catterpillers but preserv'd and made Greater by marrying some discreet old man Bell. And such an one you shew your selfe Horn. You happily Interpret me Bell. I would not tell you Sir Till our next meeting how much you have won By your good counsell on me Horn. She inclines 'T is your good nature I am plaine and have No tricks I 'll tell you all my fault I am Addicted verie much to gather wealth I have no children to devoure my state Nor kinred only a Neece left to my trust One that is never like to marrie Bell. Why Horn. She never thriv'd since she came to mee Bell. I easily beleeve it Horn. Melancholly Will kill her and yet I pursue all wayes That promise her delight I spare no cost Of Physick what her Doctor sayes is done Bell. 'T is lovingly perform'd Enter Hartwell and Mistresse Frances Horn. What 's he Bell. A Gentleman that beares my daughter much Affection Horn. Sure I have seene him Bell. Master Hartwell Horn. Oh he 's