promise Py. What was 't Iber. Any thing In your pow'r Py. Such a promise I did make Iber. Perform it your Injoyment's in your power Py. I have heard Casuists say That 's onely in Our pow'r which justly and safely we may do Iber. Then do what 's in your Pow'r perform your Promise That 's just and be my Love and you are safe Py. In Honor Iber. Honor Py. I love you my Lord Above all men my Husband not excepted But I love Virtue more than I love you Iber. If you love Virtue so much when you knew My application vitious why did you Incourage me to hope tell me the truth Py. The truth is I have fool'd you Iber. Cruelly Py. I have indeed cruelly fool'd your Lordship He rises and shuts the door Do y' lock the door you will not ravish me Iber. Oh no my fair inviting Cruelty You will be found the Ravisher no Law Adjudges him a Murderer that kills One that provok'd him Th' Anch'rite who has liv'd An Age in 's Grave remembers not his Mistris With greater horror than I thought of you Until you courted me and blew the sparks Of my old Love into a flame of Lust Which shall as your due Punishment consume you In your own Instrument of Tyranny Like the Designer of the Brazen Bull. Py. Your Brazen Bull 's an Ass th'Inventer of it A Novice in my Art of Tyranny He tortur'd but the Body I the Soul Which I know nothing more torments than Hope Rais'd high and levell'd Iber. Do you smile Py. I laugh To see so great a Soldier fool himself With a belief that th' Enemy the Traitor As you were graciously pleas'd to call me Would yield without a Summons true it is To work your Hope up to a Confidence My white Flag I hung out courted a Treaty As if I held a Fort untenable You 'l find it Man'd the Woman so well Man'd That you may sooner take Constantinople Iber. Yet valiant Madam notwithstanding all Your scornful Ranting in our Terms of War You are impolitique in your cruelty That to torment me sacrifize your Honour She catches a Knife from the Table Py. See what protects my Honour if you stir I 'l show you what poor Lucrece should have done My Honour shall not die before my Self Iber. But if you kill your self the Prince who knows You sought this meeting what will he report Py. Report can neither do me good nor hurt She lays her hand on her heart Here 's that will justifie me after death And know that since Iberio declar'd For Jealousie against Love I scorn'd life Nor had my Soul indur'd her Glog so long But to convince you of Apostacy This made me marry a Pool and then invite You to this Parley that your Eyes might give Your Heart the Lie when you beheld me stand The Flatteries and Threats of him I love Yet not dishonor him that I love not And now farewel to both Iber. Hold more than Woman Heroick Lady show one Bravery more Forgive me next ill thoughts I have of you I 'l pluck my heart out 't is no heart for me That thinks you less than Saint Py. Now we are friends She flings down the Knife Iber. And friend I 'l tell y' a secret kept from you When I was but your Servant I command These men rais'd by his Holiness to serve The State of Venice against the Grand Signor They are Imbark't this night I go aboard Therefore my Love still you 're my Virtuous Love Though it grieves me to speak Py And me to hear Iber. Yet the sad word must be pronounc'd Farewel Py. You shall not Farwel yet I 'l call for Cards And hold you one hour longer Iber. What you please I am your Soldier you command in Chief Py. Then play a little to beguile our grief Exeunt Actus Tertius Enter Decio and Arviedo By a Lawrel-Tree is set a Shepheards Hook a Pipe and a Wreath of Lawrel Dec. THe breath of Musick Brother Lutenist Is Sound which into points of Time Art breaks But Poetry's the Language Musick speaks Poetry's that Divinity of Numbers By which Pythagoras transform'd himself Into the sev'ral Shapes of Men and Gods And thou or I may do 't as well as He. Arv. I think we may Dec. Behold th' Experiment I 'm Decio now but now that I take up This Shepheards Hook Pipe and Poetick Lawrel I am Apollo Shepheard to Admetus Not Herdsman I have left his Royal Droves In Thessaly to keep his Flocks in Naples Will Arviedo be my Favourite My Hyacinthus Arv. What must transform me Dec. Poetry a new Ode which I 've compos'd Sit down and hear it 't is Apollo's Song Here I Pipe here I keep King Admetus's Sheep Here I gather Lawrel for my Wreath But Apollo where Do'st thou live Oh not here Absent Lovers live not where they breath But my Spirit is In a Place of Bliss Wheresoe're that Blessed Place may lie In a Garden or a Grove In a Grott or an Alcove Ever where my Love is there am I. Uncircumscrib'd thus acts the Mind Why should the Body be confin'd Swift as Thought can move Little God of Love Carry me upon thy nimble Wings To the top of yonder Tow'r Where precisely at this hour Hyacinthus strikes his Lute and sings We are met sweet Boy What I now enjoy Not a God besides my self shall know Cupid thou hast leave to play To thy Mother fly and say That Apollo has a Heav'n below Arv. You have feasted mine Ear. Dec. I 'l treat thy Eye The sweetest Prospect Naples has I 'l show thee The Pasture where Apollo feeds his Flocks The Scene is discovered over which in Capital Letters is writ CAMPI ELYSII Decio describes it thus Th' Elysian Fields my Hyacinthus sees Those Walks are Jessamine and Orange-trees Beneath a Chrystal River cuts the Plain Wherein you see those fair Trees o're again Close by the Flow'ry Bank a Flock of Sheep Feeds in a Mead the Shepheards fast asleep The Shepheardesses lying arm in arm Arv. Is 't Life or Art Dec. Art Magick hear the Charm Rise dull Sleepers fie how coldly You move Shepheards come on boldly No Wol shall your Flocks indanger Dance and welcom this young stranger The Shepheards dance and go off Arv. I take this as a high Civility For which I 'l thank you with a Friend's Advice Go to your Wife lose her not the first day If she think you neglect her she will hate you Dec. She cannot think it a Neglect in me To leave her with Iberio and the Prince Can she have better company than they Arv. She may have safer the Prince flies at all You know my Lord Iberio was your Rival Dec. True he and Pyramena were contracted Upon Conditions mutually agreed to And pr'y thee Arviedo tell me truly Which of our Titles dost thou think the best Arv. I am no competent Judge but questionless You would resolv't before you marri'd her It must not now
be question'd Dec. Not in publick But in a Court of Conscience thou may'st be Judge or Assistant Arv. How do y' mean Assistant Dec. I mean if you conceive the Match unlawful You then may lawfully assist your Kinsman To Cuckold me Arv. Keep distance we shall meet As Friends no more I am thy Enimy As much as thou art Enimy to Virtue Draw I will fairly vindicate my Honour Dec. I will not fight Arv. Draw or I vow to kill thee Ingrateful Villain is an Infamy All the return thou mak'st for a Friend's counsel Against my Kinsman's Opportunity I gave it that thou might'st not be a Witall He an Adulterer I a Property I 'l talk no longer Dec. Hear me but a word Arv. Quick for my Wrong call for a swift Revenge Dec. It needs not any know all I said now And all I did before when I brought Gold To work upon thy Poverty and make thee For thy advantage poison thy great Kinsman Was but to try the gallantry of thy Mind Which I find equal to thy outward Beauty Arv. No fooling now Dec. If you believe me not Decio delivers up his sword Behold I put my life into your hands Arv. I must believe th' Innocence of that face A thousand times better than mine Dec. Dost like it Arv. Better than any face I ever saw Dec. It seems thou and my Lord Iberio Are not alli'd in Judgment for my Sister Whose heart he broke was like me Arv. To preserve So sweet a Maid I rather would have dy'd Dec. Pray wear this Ring for Ericina's sake 'T was hers Arv. The Diamond is a rich Stone But Ericina's name doubles the value Dec. Something from me you must accept I know You 're neither Lord of Gold nor Silver-Mines Arv. My Ancestor did service here in Naples Which both the Indies could not pay him for It pleas'd the King to call him into Spain And so his Branches at this distance wither'd Dec. Here take this Purse Arv. I take no Purses Sir I am no Thief I have more of the Merchant The Money I receive I will return Dec. I 'l show thee how to pay this Debt and leave Me in Arrier get Dancers and this Ev'ning Make me a Serenade 't is onely a Round Well-danc'd and a short Song or two let 's see Thy Poetry Arv. I never studi'd it Yet naturally I 'm a Ballet-maker I 'l keep your Purse and lay out the Gold for you Dec. Then I 've the noblest Steward in the world Exit Arviedo Enter Corbulo Cor. Good e'n what day 's this Dec. St. Gennaro's day Patron of Naples Cor. And your Wedding-day I take it here 's the Bridegroom at his Pastime But where 's the Bride what Sport is she at Cards Who plays with her Dec. The Prince Cor. The Prince is gone My Lord Iberio plays with your Wife Dec. I like that well Cor And they 're lock'd up you like That well too Dec. Do you grumble at it Slave Cannot my Wife be private with her Servant But that my Servant must take notice of it Cor. Why do I wait Dec. What did I hire thee for To be my Porter and to guard my Wife Cor. That she may take her pleasure undisturb'd Dec. That she may take her pleasure undisturb'd Cor. But must she take it with another man Cannot you Sir contenta Wife Dec. Nor you Sir Nor any man in Europe with one Body He sooner might content her with one Gown Cor. The you 'l allow your Lady a Gallant Dec. I hold it Husband's Duty to provide An Adjutant Cor. Th' Opinion's new and strange Dec. 'T is strange that you a Soldier say 't is new Why Generals have Adjutants General Cor. This I pass over look I never hear In things of baseness that you use again The noble name of Soldier if I do I 'l lay down your Commission here my Staff And cut your throat Dec. Thou know'st Lieutenant I Love Soldiers and have show'd my love to thee Reliev'd thy wants because thou wert a Soldier A Sufferer trusted thee with the guard Of my fair Wife because thou hast the name Of a stout Soldier but though I love thee I do not love thy humor mine is fooling And by a Jeaster's privilege I speak Severe things against Women as if we Had no Italian Wives but Messalinas But I know many Portias gallant Ladies Whose life and death depends upon their Husbands And would st thou have me jealous of my Wife Cor. Sir I would have you jealous of your Honour Dec. What Honour can be greater than to see The Ladies point at me and call me Mirrour Of Marri'd men Mirrour of Marri'd men Cor. They 'l point at you and call you what do y' think Dec. Not Cuckold Cor. No not Cuckold Dec. That were shameful Cor. But this dishonorable They 'l call you The basest kind of Cuckold Wittall Sir Dec. How Wittall that 's an ugly name indeed Now thou hast spoke to my capacity I 'l not indure it but my Lord Iberio May challenge me Cor. Against the world I'lbe Your Second Dec. I shall do brave things I think Lead Soldier Devil Wittall I defie thee Exeunt Enter Filomarini and Gioseppe Gio. Ha ha ha Fil. This Laugh promises good news Gio. If 't be not profitable news 't is pleasant Pray wish your old Camrade Peralta joy He 's marri'd to Menanthe Fil. They 're well match'd Pirate and Cheat the Gallies give 'em joy Is this the pleasant news Gio. No the sport is The two Cheats mean to cozen one another Fil. Why sure the Pirate will not cheat his Bride Gio. Ev'n of his first nights service he 's in love With his Wife's Maid his suppos'd Country-woman Your Grand-child she has told it to your Mistris Fil. But when Thieves fall out me-thinks true men might Come by their own Gio. This is the pleasant news Fritilla hopes to cozen the two Cheats Enter Menanthe and Diacelia Peralta following aloof Fil. See see the Pirate Gio. How he tacks about To weather her he 's got to Windward of her But the small Pinnace to the Leau-ward proves The better Sailer Fil. Let us give 'em Sea-room Exeunt Fil. Gios. Me. Dog Dog Piratick Sea-dog Dia. Patience Madam I may mistake believe your eyes from his That Pillar will obscure you Me. Good good Girl Menanthe stands behind the Pillar and peeps Per. Fritilla hist Fritilla is she gone Dia. Her business requires haste and so does mine Per. One little word with me before you go Dear Country-woman pitty a poor Spaniard Or like a Roman Funeral I shall burn To ashes for thy love Dia. For love to me You have a Wife Per. Foh a rich stinking Iew Taken into my Body-Politick I marri'd an Expedient not a Wife Jewels and Gold I marri'd Me. A Rope take thee My Garter Rogue would serve Queen Ioan of Naples Hang'd up her Husband in her Wedding-garter Per. I took a rich Jade for her wealthy Burden Me. Cheated
directly all the Bootie's gone Body and Goods I 'l venture after it But I 'l revenge me on this Spanish Rogue My Husband Gusman Per. Smile some consolation Dia. Why Don think you here 's such a dearth of Spaniards That I must be a Spanish Pirate's Wench Our Country-Fig a Spanish Fig for Pirates Me. Would mine had one in 's guts a Spanish Fig Would cure his Itch but he shall smart I 'l scratch him The merry Greek will claw her mangie Don. Per. My Wench I scorn it thou shalt be my Wife Dia. The Church allows no man two Wives at once Per. True but this Marriage is a Nullity 'T is within the Degrees prohibited My Mother was a Grecian and her Father Was I can prove it Brother to Menanthe Th'old-woman's my Great-Aunt Me. O lying Raskal Per. But say thou wilt be mine and 't is enough I 'l hire a passage for 's in the Pope's Galley That 's bound for Ostia and I 'l marry thee In the face of the Church my Girl at Rome Dia. You see I 'm silent Per. Silence gives consent Dia. No Captain Per. Maids say no and take it Jewel Now I name Jewel I will give Fritilla All Lugo's Jewels Dia. If you keep one back It is no Match Per. A match then Dia. You must get My Grand-fathers good-will Here 's your Great-Aunt Enter Menanthe Per. That we may be kept from committing Incest The Devil choak her heark you pretty one Lugo must not know we are marri'd Lamb. Me. I would he knew we were unmarri'd Goat Enter Gioseppe and Filomarini Gio. Madam here 's my Lord Lugo Me. Call Leandra Exit Gioseppe Enter Lugo Fil. The Prince is come Me. Wait him in honest Draco Exit Fil. Lug. Two thousand Pistols Madam I have brought you In new-coin'd Gold Per. I 'l give 'em to her Maid Peralta takes the bag Me. Hey Snap she knows for what use they 're design'd Per. And I know for what use your Maid's design'd Enter Leandra Me. My Lord you 've made a purchase of a Wife Lug. I 've purchas'd Happiness in so much Beauty But her sweetness of Obedience And Harmony of Nature all those Worlds Of Musick which Divine Pythagoras Plac'd in the Planets Where 's the Priest Enter Salerno and Filomarini Lean. Here 's one That looks more like the Bride-groom than the Priest Fil. 'T is the Prince of Salerno to Leandra Lug. What wind blowes My cousen of Salerno Dia. The Prince Madam to Leandra Sal. Directed to the life by this fair Figure He shous her Picture Lug. Decline his courtship slight him Lean. Slight a Prince Me. Withdraw I pr'y thee Lean. Pr'y thee pr'y thee peace I never heard so simple an old Soul When a Prince makes his first Address withdraw Me. I charge thee Lug Do you hear who charges you Your Mother never disobey'd Lean. There is A time for all things for my Mother too To be advis'd better than to enjoyn Ill manners leave a Prince that visits me Lug. Not when your Mother that groan'd for you bids Lean. I 'l ask a question first pray Sir how got you My Picture Sal. Madam by a Miracle Me. Get y' in Lean. I 'l stay to hear the Miracle Sal. Now for a Story to excuse Love's Envoy to Fil. 'T was news at Court that the great Virtuoso Virgetio was come from Rome to Naples And had brought with him a rare Concave-glass Made with Art more than Mathematical So that upon a white Plane 't would cast off The Form or Species of the Man or Woman Any one wish'd to see to him I went Out of an Airy curiosity To see my Mistris Lean. And he show'd you this Sal. The form by which my Servant drew this Piece Lean. This what a Villain was the Virtuoso This Mistris Mother pardon Lug. Her first fault Me. Take heed my Girl take heed of a Relapse If you forget your duty any more Lean. Then do not you remember such a child Enter Gioseppe Gio. The Priest is ready Lug. We are ready for him Sal. I must beg of you Lean. Of me Lug. Hear him not Lean. Not hear a Prince that comes a begging to me I 'l hear and answer Sir what 's your command Sal. Madam my sute is that you 'l please to sit for Your Picture and I 'l send you a great Master Shall limn it rarely by the life Lean. He shall Me. Daughter he shall not Lean. Woman Shall thy Men Those thou imploy'st the Limner comes to me And I 'l not have him Shall'd Me. Woman Lean. Good Woman Meddle with thy own Matters good Old Woman Me. Th' Old Woman's Mother to my fine Young Lady If she be pleased to remember it Sal. Remember that you are a Prince's Mistris Lean. A Prince's Mistris though 't was my Resemblance That Mistris could not be Leandra's Spirit I do remember that you are my Mother And once again I pray to be forgiven But send your Picture-drawer Sir I 'l sit If she were all the Mothers under th' Sun Fil. Go leave the Prince to pause on 't to Leandra Lug. Come my Love Exeunt Lug. Lean. Menan Gios. Sal. She would be my Love too but not my Mistris But Mistris I may Master you I may Fil. You shall in my Experience Sir confide Youth marches safe that follows an old Guide Exeunt Enter Decio and Corbulo Cor. Your Wife comes Dec. I 'm grown valiant now Lieutenant I 'l march but stand thou Enter Pyramena Centree for my Captain Exit Corb. Py. My heart I was at such a loss Dec. At Cards Py. No I won all I play'd for but I was At such a Loss for want of thee Dec. To fool I know my duty 't is my Family-duty Tell me true had'st thou ever marri'd me But for the noble quality of fooling Taking me for a Gifted man Py. That gift I must confess brib'd me Dec. Th' Acknowledgment Is most ingenuous at another time I 'l be as free with thee and tell thee why I marri'd thee Py. Will you not tell me now Dec. Now you shall tell me who play'd at Cards with you Py. None but my Lord Iberio and I play'd Dec. Who waited Py. No body Dec. No Page Py. No Page Dec. No Groom Py. No Groom I tell you no body Dec. What not your Woman Py. Not my Woman lack How your tongue runs Dec. If any man but I Be private with my Wife is 't for her Honour Py. Is Honour treated of by your small Poets Do y' find it among Gods and Goddesses Pray tell me what 's our Honour or Dishonour Dec. What 's th' Honour or Dishonour of a Wife 'T is at her death when clear unbyass'd Truth Takes th' Inventory of her Vice and Virtue The Total Sum th' Account which Fame gives of her Py. How this is sense these are not Parot's words This Husband is no Engin but a Man A jealous Man I shall love Jealousie If it awake his Soul I 'l try
Prince and Lugo make appeal to you Dia. Speaks he not well Lean. He looks exceeding well As if his Cause were good Dec. First I charge you My Lord Iberio with my Sisters's death Ibe Falsely I am not guilty Dec. How not guilty Did not my Sister upon your Ingagement Send for me then in Candy but ere I Could come to Venice you were got to Naples And had disown'd her which perfidiousness Soon after broke her heart Ibe You do me wrong To charge her Death upon my breach of promise Indeed my Father promis'd I should marry Your Sister Ericina and if I Who lov'd this Lady had declar'd my self I had been disinherited My Father Dying of the Pestilence that reign'd in Venice I went to settle my Affairs in Naples And from thence writ your Sister a Discharge Dec. Of Life For who could live to be so scorn'd As Ericina was all Naples call'd her The Slighted Maid in short it cost her life And to revenge her death I came to Naples Here I past for an insignificant Poet A Raillier invited to all Tables Where I but watch'd an Opportunity To poison you until as luck would have it You being fool'd out with your Mistris she Fools in with me but now that she 's my Wife Faces about you are in love again And make no scruple of Cuckolding poor Decio Ibe Thou li'st for Pyramena is as far From any loose as thou from noble thoughts Dec. I 'l but examine you to that point then 'T will appear who 's the liar were not you Contracted to my Wife Ibe I was Dec. Conclude What the pretension of a Precontract Were you not preingag'd to Cuckold me Pray what am I Py. Our Executioner Therefore 't is to no purpose to dissemble For us that are to die I do renounce you I 'l die Iberio's Wife Decio gives a sign to the Cyclops they unbind Iberio and Pyramena Dec. No I forbid The Banes of Death you shall live Man and Wife Your scorn is now sufficiently reveng'd Behold the Slighted Maid Decio puts off his Night-gown discovers himself to be a Woman Ibe Lives Ericina Sal. What a strange Mother of the Maid is Venice That breeds such Furies Dec. But my Brother Decio The very night he came to Venice di'd Of that Mortality which took away My noble Friend your Father I conceal'd My Brother's suddain death and gave it out Eas'ly believ'd that your neglect kill'd me My Brother Decio's Funeral pass'd for mine In his shape putting off my Love and Sex I follow'd you my Lord as far as Naples Here I tri'd several Keys of Death and Fortune To open me a door to my Revenge But still compassion stept in to your reskue Till Hatred springing from your Scorn was buri'd In Love return'd by one of your own blood Enter Arviedo The noblest and the sweetest Person living Who will not slight me if you like the Match Ibe So well that Ericina now shall know Which of my Kinsmen she makes choice of this Is Giulio Heir to the Family Of Great Gonsalvo for his poverty Conceal'd under the name of Arviedo I bred him and resolv'd the frowning World Should never know him till he had a Fortune A noble one fair Ericina brings Arv. With it I 'l serve my Love next to my Prince Sal. Nay the Kings service will go roundly on I warrant she 'l bring a whole Nurserie Of Generals she 'l stock thee with young Gonsalvo's Dec. I 'l promise onely Possibilities Though I deserve not the Great Captain 's Heir I hope to make him what has been accepted By Kings themselves a Gentleman of Venice Judges can you pardon a Woman's weakness That will revenge her blushes Py. I forgive The cruelty of Ericina's Spleen Which cur'd Iberio's Jealousie Sal. All 's pleas'd With such a fortunate Close Send for our Coaches Mean time let 's have a Dance as your Grand Mask They Dance So now at the next Chapel we 'l be marri'd Then at my House I 'l treat you where th' Inviter Shall be Leandra's Guest But still there wants A just Reward for this deserving Soldier That boldly at his lowest ebb of Fortune Durst check a Prince in his cariere to Vice Dec. Who taking me for what I seem'd a Man That would have given my Wife a wanton freedom Advis'd me to be jealous of my Honour And when he swearing to do my commands Knew me to be a Woman for his Oath 's sake Against his Nature he made you my Pris'ner to Iber. Ibe I 'l do my self the honour to advance him Sal. Then make him your Lieutenant-Colonel Ibe I can't but I 'l give him my Regiment And get the Vice-Roy to Sign his Commission Dec. And from a Slave poor Vindex thou shalt be As I have promis'd made both Rich and Free Ibe Corbulo manage thou our Candian Arms The Battel I must fight in is at home Cor. I 've not a Courtier 's tongue to speak my thanks But to the Turk I 'l sell my blood so dear I hope the Christian Cause will thank my Raiser For sending me to Candy My grief is I 've but one Life to lose for the King's Honour Sal. No Cor'nel doubtless the King 's better Stars Will guard thy life to serve him nearer Spain Let 's all now joy this Military Bride-groom Patience thou seest may lend blind Fortune Eyes To find out Men and make low Suff'rers rise Exeunt THE EPILOGUE Spoke by The SLIGHTED MAID SLighted you know I was but Gentlemen Resembling you in Shape and Courage then I look'd upon it with an angry brow 'T would grieve me if I should be slighted now But though our Sex the proud Italians scorn Th' English are Civil you are Courtiers born And she 's curst in her Cradle that promotes Her Sute to you and is deni'd your Votes Behold your Candidate before you stands Your Semele sees Thunder in your hands Let 's hear it Claps that would make some afraid Will make the Slighted the Exalted Maid EPILOGUE TO THE KING I 'Ve spoke before your Majesty but yet I never kneel'd in such a shaking Fit For Sir the Author bids me kneel and pray Against your Iustice all that he can say In his defence is that you would condemn His faults if strictly you examin'd them He hopes you will not and why should he fear Your Majesty was never yet severe To any thing well-meant though ill-exprest And he presumes you think he did his best To please you therefore would be hard if he In making for your mirth a Comedy Should write's own Tragedy yet that 's his Case If your Impartial Iustice should take place But if your Gracious Favour intervene The Epilogue is clearly his best Scene FINIS