from me I must tell you One ioynt of him I lost was much more worth Then the rackt valew of thy entire bodie Ero. O know what ioynt shee meanes Lys. Well I haue done And well done frailtie proface how lik'st thou it Ero. Very toothsome Ingrediens surely sir Want but some lycor to incorporate them Lys. There t is carouse Ero. I humbly thanke you Sir Lys. Hold pledge me now Ero. T is the poison Sir That preserues life I take it bibit Ancill Lys. Doe so take it Ero. Sighing has made me somthing short-winded I le pledge y'at twice Lys. T is well done doe me right Ero. I pray sir haue you beene a Pothecarie Lys. Marrie haue I wench A womans Pothecarie Ero. Haue you good Ingredients I like your Bottle well Good Mistris tast it Trie but the operation t will fetch vp The Roses in your cheekes againe Doctor Verolles bottles are not like it There 's no Guaicum here I can assure you Lys. This will doe well anone Ero. Now fie vpon 't O I haue lost my tongue in this same lymbo The spring ants spoil'd me thinkes it goes not off With the old twange Lys. Well said wench oile it well t will make it slide well Ero. Aristotle saies sir in his Posterionds Lys. This wench is learned And what sales he Ero. That when a man dies the last thing that moues is his heart in a woman her tongue Lys. Right and addes further that you women are a kind of spinners if their legs be pluckt off yet still they 'le wag them so will you your tongues With what an easie change does this same weaknesse Of women slip from one extreame t' another All these attractions take no hold of her No not to take refection 'T must not be thus Well said wench Tickle that Helicon But shall we quit the field with this disgrace Giuen to our Oratorie Both not gaine So much ground of her as to make her eate Ero. Faith the truth is sir you are no fit Organe For this businesse T is quite out of your Element Let vs alone shee le eate I haue no feare A womans tongue best fits a womans eare Ioue neuer did employ Mercurie But Iris for his Messenger to Iuno Lys. Come let me kisse thee wench wilt vndertake To make thy Mistris eate Ero It shall goe hard Sir But I will make her turne flesh and bloud And learne to liue as other mortalls doe Lys. Well said the morning hasts next night expect me Ero. With more prouision good Sir Lys. Very good Exiturus Ero. And bring more wine Shee shuts vp the Tomb Lys. What else shalt haue enough O Cynthia heire of her bright puritie Whose name thou dost inherit Thow disdainst Seuer'd from all concretion to feede Vpon the base foode of grosse Elements Thou all art soule All immortalitie Thou fasts for Nectar and Ambrosia Which till thou find'st and eat'st aboue the starres To all foode here thou bidd'st celestiall warrs Exit Cynthia Ero the Tomb opening Ero. So le ts aire our dampish spirits almost stifl'd in this grose muddie Element Cyn. How sweet a breath the calmnesse of the night inspires the aire withall Ero. Well said Now y' are your selfe did not I tell you how sweet an operation the Souldiers bottle had And if there be such vertue in the bottle what is there in the Souldier know and acknowledge his worth when hee comes in any case Mistris Cyn. So Maide Ero. Gods my patience did you looke forsooth that Iuno should haue sent you meate from her owne Trencher in reward of your widdowes teares you might sit and sigh first till your heart-strings broke I le able 't Cyn. I feare me thy lips haue gone so oft to the bottle that thy tongue-strings are come broken home Ero. Faith the truth is my tongue hath beene so long tied vp that t is couer'd with rust I rub it against my pallat as wee doe suspected coines to trie whether it bee currant or no But now Mistris for an vpshot of this bottle let 's haue one carouse to the good speede of my old Master and the good speede of my new Cyn. So Damzell Ero. You must pledge it here 's to it Doe me right I pray Cyn. You say I must Ero. Must what else Cyn. How excellent ill this humour suites our habite Ero. Go to Mistris do not thinke but you and I shall haue good sport with this iest when we are in priuate at home I would to Venus we had some honest shift or other to get off withall for I le no more an t I le not turne Salt-peeter in this vault for neuer a mans companie liuing much lesse for a womans Sure I am the wonder 's ouer and 't was only for that that I endur'd this and so a my conscience did you Neuer denie it Cyn. Nay pray thee take it to thee Enter Lysander Cyn. HEarke I heare some footing neare vs Ero. Gods me 't is the Souldier Mistris by Venus if you fall to your late black Santus againe I le discouer you Lys. What 's here The maid hath certainly preuail'd with her mee thinkes those cloudes that last night couer'd her lookes are now disperst I le trie this further Saue you Lady Ero. Honorable Souldier y' are welcome please you step in sir Lys. With all my heart sweet heart by your patience Ladie why this beares some shape of life yet Damzell th' ast performd a seruice of high reckoning which cannot perish vnrewarded Ero. Faith Sir you are in the way to doe it once if you haue the heart to hold on Cyn. Your bottle has poisond this wench sir Lys. A wholsome poison it is Ladie if I may be iudge of which sort here is one better bottle more Wine is ordaind to raise such hearts as sinke Whom wofull starres distemper let him drinke I am most glad I haue beene some meane to this part of your recouerie and will drinke to the rest of it Ero. Goe to Mistris pray simper no more pledge the man of Warre here Cyn. Come y' are too rude Ero. Good Lys. Good sooth Ladie y' are honour'd in her seruice I would haue you liue and shee would haue you liue freely without which life is but death To liue freely is to feast our appetites freely without which humanes are stones to the satisfaction whereof I drinke Ladie Cyn. I le pledge you Sir Ero. Said like a Mistris and the Mistris of your selfe pledge him in loue too I see hee loues you Shee 's silent shee consents sir Lys. O happy starres And now pardon Ladie me thinks these are all of a peece Ero. Nay if you kisse all of a peece wee shall n'ere haue done Well t was well offer'd and as well taken Cyn. If the world should see this Lys. The world should one so rare as your selfe respect the vulgar world Cyn. The praise I haue had I would continue Lys. What of the vulgar Who hates not the vulgar deserues
You had almost lifted his wit off the hinges That sparke ielousie falling into his drie melancholy braines had well neare set the whole house on fire Thar. No matter let it worke I did but pay him in 's owne coine Sfoot hee plied me with such a volley of vnseason'd scoffs as would haue made Patience it selfe turne Ruffine attiring it selfe in wounds and bloud but is his humour better qualified then Lyc. Yes but with a medicine ten parts more dangerous then the sicknesse how know you strange his dotage euer was on his wife taking speciall glorie to haue her loue and loialtie to him so renowm'd abrode To whom shee oftentimes hath vow'd constancie after life till her owne death had brought forsooth her widdow-troth to bed This he ioi'd in strangely and was therein of infallible beliefe till your surmise began to shake it which hath loos'd it so as now there 's nought can settle it but a triall which hee 's resolu'd vpon Thar. As how man as how Lyc. Hee is resolu'd to follow your aduise to die and make triall of her stablenesse and you must lend your hand to it Thar. What to cut 's throat Lyc. To forge a rumour of his death to vphold it by circumstance maintaine a publike face of mourning and all thinges appertaining Thar. I but the meanes man what time what probabilitie Lyc. Nay I thinke he has not lickt his Whelpe into full shape yet but you shall shortly heare an t Thar. And when shall this strange conception see light Lyc. Forthwith there 's nothing staies him but some odde businesse of import which hee must winde vp least perhaps his absence by occasion of his intended triall bee prolonged aboue his aimes Thar. Thankes for this newes i' faith This may perhaps proue happie to my Nephew Truth is I loue my sister well and must acknowledge her more then ordinarie vertues But shee hath so possest my brothers heart with vowes and disauowings seal'd with oathes of second nuptialls as in that confidence hee hath inuested her in all his state the ancient inheritance of our Familie and left my Nephew and the rest to hang vpon her pure deuotion so as he dead and shee matching as I am resolu'd shee will with some yong Prodigall what must ensue but her post-issue beggerd and our house alreadie sinking buried quick in ruin But this triall may remoue it and since t is come to this marke but the issue Lycus for all these solemne vowes if I doe not make her proue in the handling as weake as a wafer say I lost my time in trauaile This resolution then has set his wits in ioynt againe hee 's quiet Lyc. Yes and talkes of you againe in the fairest manner listens after your speede Thar. Nay hee 's passing kinde but I am glad of this triall for all that Lyc. Which he thinkes to be a flight beyond your wing Thar. But hee will change that thought ere long My Bird you saw euen now sings me good newes and makes hopefull signes to me Lyc. Somewhat can I say too since your messengers departure her Ladiship hath beene something alter'd more pensiue then before and tooke occasion to question of you what your addictions were of what tast your humor was of what cut you wore your wit and all this in a kind of disdainefull scorne Thar. Good Callenders Lycus Well I le pawne this iewell with thee my next encounter shall quite alter my brothers iudgement Come le ts in he shall commend it for a discreet and honourable attempt Mens iudgments sway on that side fortune leanes Thy wishes shall assist me Lyc. And my meanes Exeunt Argus Clinias Sthenio Ianthe Arg. I Must confesse I was ignorant what 't was to court a Ladie till now Sthe. And I pray you what is it now Arg. To court her I perceiue is to woo her with letters from Court for so this Spartane Lords Court discipline teacheth Sth. His Lordship hath procur'd a new Pacquet from his Altitude Clin. If he bring no better ware then letters in 's pacquet I shall greatly doubt of his good speede Ian. If his Lordship did but know how gracious his Aspect is to my Ladie in this solitarie humour Clin. Well these retir'd walkes of hers are not vsuall and bode some alteration in her thoughts What may bee the cause Sthenio Sthe. Nay t would trouble Argus with his hundred eies to descrie the cause Ian. Venus keepe her vpright that shee fall not from the state of her honour my feare is that some of these Serpentine suiters will tempt her from her constant vow of widdow-hood If they doe good night to our good daies Sthe. 'T were a sinne to suspect her I haue been witnesse to so many of her fearfull protestations to our late Lord against that course to her infinite oathes imprinted on his lips and seal'd in his heart with such imprecations to her bed if euer it should receiue a second impression to her open and often detestations of that incestuous life as shee term'd it of widdowes marriages as being but a kinde of lawfull adulterie like vsurie permitted by the law not approu'd That to wed a second was no better then to cuckold the first That women should entertaine wedlock as one bodie as one life beyond which there were no desire no thought no repentance from it no restitution to it So as if the conscience of her vowes should not restraine her yet the worlds shame to breake such a constant resolution should represse any such motion in her Arg. Well for her vowes they are gone to heauen with her husband they binde not vpon earth And as for Womens resolutions I must tell you The Planets as Ptolomie saies the windes haue a great stroke in them Trust not my learning if her late strangenesse and exorbitant solitude be not hatching some new Monster Ian. Well applied Argus Make you husbands Monsters Arg. I spoke of no husbands but you Wenches haue the pregnant wits to turne Monsters into husbands as you turne husbands into monsters Sthe. Well Ianthe 't were high time we made in to part our Ladie and her Spartane wooer Ian. We shall appeare to her like the two fortunate Stars in a tempest to saue the shipwrack of her patience Sthe. I and to him to I beleeue For by this time he hath spent the last dramme of his newes Arg. That is of his wit Sth. Iust good wittals Ian. If not that my Ladie be not too deep in her new dumps we shall heare from his Lordship what such a Lord said of his wife the first night hee embrac't her To what Gentleman such a Count was beholding for his fiue children What yong Ladie such an old Count should marrie what Reuells what presentments are towards and who penn'd the Pegmas and so forth and yet for all this I know her harsh Suiter hath tir'd her to the vttermost scruple of her forbearances and will doe more vnlesse we two like
pleasure I for my part will say that if her faith bee as constant as her loue is heartie and vnaffected her vertues may iustly challenge a Deitie to enshrine them Thar. I there 's an other point too But one of those vertues is enough at once All natures are not capable of all gifts If the braine of the West were in the heads of the learned then might Parish-Clerkes be common counsaile men and Poets Aldermens deputies My sister may turne Niobe for loue but till Niobe bee turn'd to a Marble I le not despaire but shee may proue a woman Let the triall runne on if shee doe not out-runne it I le say Poets are no Prophets Prognosticators are but Mountibankes none tell true but wood-mongers Exit Lyc. A sweet Gentleman you are I meruaile what man what woman what name what action doth his tongue glide ouer but it leaues a slime vpon 't Well I le presently to Dipolis where Lysander staies and will not say but shee may proue fraile But this I le say If she should chance to breake Her teares are true though womens truths are weake Exit Enter Lysander like a Souldier disguisde at all parts a halfe Pike gorget c. be discouers the Tombe lookes in and wonders c. O Miracle of nature womens glorie Mens shame and enuie of the Deities Yet must these matchlesse creatures be suspected Accus'd condemn'd Now by th' immortall Gods They rather merit Altars Sacrifice Then loue and courtship Yet see the Queene of these lies here interred Tearing her haire and drowned in her teares Which Ioue should turne to Christall and a Mirrour Make of them wherein men may see and wonder At womens vertues Shall shee famish then Will men without disswasions suffer thus So bright an Ornament to earth tomb'd quick In Earths darke bosome Ho! Who 's in the Tombe there Ero. Who calls whence are you Lys. I am a Souldier of the watch and must enter Ero. Amongst the dead Lys. Doe the dead speake ope or I le force it open Ero. What violence is this what seeke you here Where nought but death and her attendants dwell Lys. What wretched soules are you that thus by night lurke here amongst the dead Ero. Good Souldier doe not stirre her Shee 's weake and quickly seiz'd with swowning and passions and with much trouble shall we both recall her fainting spirits Fiue daies thus hath shee wasted and not once season'd her Pallate with the tast of meate her powers of life are spent and what remaines of her famisht spirit serues not to breath but sigh Shee hath exil'd her eies from steepe or sight and giuen them wholly vp to ceaselesse teares ouer that ruthfull herse of her deare Spouse slaine by Bantditos Nobly borne Lysander Lysand. And hopes shee with these heauie notes and cries to call him from the dead in these fiue daies hath shee but made him stirre a finger or fetch one gasp of that forsaken life shee mournes Come honour'd Mistris I admire your vertues But must reproue this vaine excesse of mone Rowse your selfe Ladie and looke vp from death Well said t is well stay by my hand and rise This Face hath beene maintain'd with better huswiferie Cyn. What are you Lys. Ladie I am Sentinell Set in this hallowed place to watch and guard On forfait of my life these monuments From Rape and spoil'd of sacrilegious handes And saue the bodies that without you see Of crucified offenders that no friends May beare them hence to honour'd buriall Cyn. Thou seem'st an honest Souldier pray thee then Be as thou seem'st betake thee to thy charge And leaue this place adde not affliction To the afflicted Lys. You misname the children For what you terme affliction now in you Is but selfe-humour voluntarie Penance Impos'd vpon your selfe and you lament As did the Satyre once that ran affrighted From that hornes sound that he himselfe had winded Which humor to abate my counsaile tending your term'd affliction What I for Phisicke giue you take for poison I tell you honour'd Mistris these ingredients Are wholesome though perhaps they seeme vntoothsome Ero. This Souldier sure is some decai'd pothecarie Lys. Deere Ghost be wise and pittie your faire selfe Thus by your selfe vnnaturally afflicted Chide back heart-breaking grones clear vp those lamps Restore them to their first creation Windowes for light not sluces made for teares Beate not the senselesse aire with needlesse cries Banefull to life and bootlesse to the dead This is the Inne where all Deucalions race Sooner or later must take vp their lodging No priuiledge can free vs from this prison No teares no praiers can redeeme from hence A captiu'd soule Make vse of what you see Let this affrighting spectacle of death Teach you to nourish life Ero. Good heare him this is a rare Souldier Lysan. Say that with abstinence you should vnlose the knot of life Suppose that in this Tombe for your deare Spouse you should entomb your selfe a liuing Corse Say that before your houre without due Summons from the Fates you send your hastie soule to hell can your deare Spouse take notice of your faith and constancie Shall your deare Spouse reuiue to giue you thankes Cynth. Idle discourser Lysan. No your moanes are idle Goe to I say be counsail'd raise your selfe Enioy the fruits of life there 's viands for you Now liue for a better husband No will you none Ero. For loue of courtesie good Mistris eate Doe not reiect so kinde and sweet an offer Who knowes but this may be some Mercurie Disguis'de and sent from Iuno to relieue vs Did euer any lend vnwilling eares To those that came with messages of life Cynth. I pray thee leaue thy Rhetorique Ero. By my soule to speake plaine truth I could rather wish t' employ my teeth then my tongue so your example would be my warrant Cynth. Thou hast my warrant Lysand. Well then eate my wench Let obstinacie starue Fall to Ero. Perswade my Mistris first Lysand. Slight tell me Ladie Are you resolu'd to die If that be so Choose not for shame a base and beggars death Die not for hunger like a Spartane Ladie Fall valiantly vpon a sword or drinke Noble death expell your griefe with poison There 't is seize it Tush you dare not die Come Wench thou hast not lost a husband Thou shalt eate th' art now within The place where I command Ero. I protest sir Lys. Well said eate and protest or I le protest And doe thou eate thou eat'st against thy will That 's it thou would'st say Ero. It is Lys. And vnder such a protestation Thou lost thy Maiden-head For your owne sake good Ladie forget this husband Come you are now become a happy Widdow A blessednesse that many would be glad of That and your husbands Inuentorie together Will raise you vp husbands enow What thinke you of me Cynth. Trifler pursue this wanton Theame no further Lest which I would be loth your speech prouoke Vnciuill language
suspected our relation or had not patience to expect it or whether that furious frantique capricious Deuill iealousie hath tost him hether on his hornes I can not coniecture But the case is cleare hee 's the Souldier Sister looke to your fame your chastetie 's vncouer'd Are they here still here beleeue it both most wofully weeping ouer the bottle He knocks Ero. Who 's there Thar. Tharsalio open Ero. Alas Sir t is no boote to vexe your sister and your selfe she is desperate will not heare perswasion she 's very weak Thar. Here 's a true-bred chamber-maid Alas I am sorrie for 't I haue brought her meat and Candian wine to strengthen her Ero. O the very naming an 't will driue her into a swowne good Sir forbeare Thar. Yet open sweet that I may blesse mine eies with sight of her faire shrine and of thy sweetest selfe her famous Pandresse open I say Sister you heare me well paint not your Tomb without wee know too well what rotten carcases are lodg'd within open I say Ero opens and hee sees her head layd on the coffin c. Sister I haue brought you tidings to wake you out of this sleeping mummerie Ero. Alas shee 's faint and speech is painefull to her Thar. Well said frubber was there no Souldier here lately Ero. A Souldier when Thar. This night last night tother night and I know not how many nights and daies Cyn. Whos 's there Ero. Your brother Mistris that asks if there were not a souldier here Cyn. Here was no souldier Ero. Yes Mistris I thinke here was such a one though you tooke no heede of him Thar. Goe to sister did not you ioyne kisses embraces and plight indeede with him the vtmost pledge of Nuptiall loue with him Deni 't deni 't but first heare me a short storie The Souldier was your disguis'd husband dispute it not That you see yonder is but a shadow an emptie chest containing nothing but aire Stand not to gaze at it t is true This was a proiect of his owne contriuing to put your loialtie constant vowes to the test y' are warnd be arm'd Exit Ero. O fie a these perils Cyn. O Ero we are vndone Ero. Nay you 'd nere be warn'd I euer wisht you to withstand the push of that Souldiers pike and not enter him too deep into your bosom but to keep sacred your widowes vowes made to Lysander Cyn. Thou did'st thou did'st Ero. Now you may see th' euent Well our safetie lies in our speed hee le doe vs mischiefe if we preuent not his comming Le ts to your Mothers and there cal out your mightiest friends to guard you from his furie Let them begin the quarrell with him for practising this villanie on your sexe to intrappe your frailties Cyn. Nay I resolue to sit out one brunt more to trie to what aime hee le enforce his proiect were he some other man vnknowne to me his violence might awe me but knowing him as I doe I feare him not Do thou but second me thy strength and mine shall master his best force if he should proue outragious Despaire they say makes cowardes turne couragious Shut vp the Tomb Shut the Tomb Enter one of the Souldiers sent out before to seeke the Sentinell 1. All paines are lost in hunting out this Souldier his fear adding wings to his heeles out-goes vs as farre as the fresh Hare the tir'd hounds Who goes there Ent. 2. souldier another way 2. A friend 1. O your successe and mine touching this Sentinell tells I suppose one tale hee 's farre enough I vndertake by this time 2. I blame him not the law 's seuere though iust and can not be dispenc'd 1. Why should the lawes of Paphos with more rigour then other Citie lawes pursue offenders that not appeas'd with their liues forfait exact a iustice of them after death And if a Souldier in his watch forsooth lose one of the dead bodies he must die for 't It seems the State needed no souldiers when that was made a law 2. So we may chide the fire for burning vs or say the Bee 's not good because she stings T is not the body the law respects but the souldiers neglect when the watch the guard and safetie of the Citie is left abandon'd to all hazards But let him goe and tell me if your newes sort with mine for Lycus apprehended they say about Lysanders murther 1. T is true hee 's at the Captaines lodge vnder guard and t is my charge in the morning to vnclose the leaden coffin and discouer the bodie The Captaine will assay an old conclusion often approu'd that at the murtherers sight the bloud reuiues againe and boiles a fresh and euery wound has a condemning voice to crie out guiltie gainst the murtherer 2. O world if this be true his dearest friend his bed companion whom of all his friends he cull'd out for his bosome 1. Tush man in this topsie turuy world friendship and bosom kindnes are but made couers for mischief meanes to compasse il Near-allied trust is but a bridge for treson The presumptions crie loud against him his answeres found disiointed crosselegd tripping vp one another He names a Town whether he brought Lysander murther'd by Mountainers that 's false some of the dwellers haue been here and all disclaim it Besides the wounds he bears in show are such as shrews closely giue their husbands that neuer bleede and finde to be counterfait 2. O that iade falshood is neuer sound of all but halts of one legge still Truth pace is all vpright sound euery where And like a die sets euer on a square And how is Lycus his bearing in this condition 1. Faith as the manner of such desperate offenders is till it come to the point carelesse confident laughing at all that seeme to pittie him But leaue it to th' euent Night fellow Souldier you le not meet me in the morning at the Tomb and lend me your hand to the vnrigging of Lysanders herse 2. I care not if I do to view heauens power in this vnbottomd seller Bloud though it sleep a time yet neuer dies The Gods on murtherers fixe reuengefull eies Exeunt Lysander solus with a crow of yron and a halter which he laies downe and puts on his disguise againe COme my borrow'd disguise let me once more Be reconcild to thee my trustiest friend Thou that in truest shape hast let me see That which my truer selfe hath hid from me Helpe me to take reuenge on a disguise Ten times more false and counterfait then thou Thou false in show hast been most true to me The seeming true hath prou'd more false then her Assist me to behold this act of lust Note with a Scene of strange impietie Her husbands murtherd corse O more then horror I le not beleeue 't vntri'd If shee but lift A hand to act it by the fates her braines flie out Since shee has madded me let her beware my hornes For