's lodg'd Ne. Now do I know the Precise will call me damn'd Rogue for wronging my Friend especially such a soft sweet natur'd Friend as this gentle Prince Verily I say they lye in their Throats were the gravest of 'em in my condition and thought it shou'd never be known they wou'd rouze up the Spirit cast the dapper Cloak leave off their humming and haing and fall too like a Man of Honour Exit Pedro. I 'll face him till he enters the Bower and then call my Lord. Ex. Scene the Bower Lights Song The Princess of Cleve Irene SONG LOvely Selina Innocent and Free From all the dangerous Arts of Love Thus in a Melancholy Grove Enjoy'd the sweetness of her Privacy Till th' envious Gods designing to undo her Dispatcht the Swain not unlike them to wo her It was not long e'er the design did take A gentle Youth born to perswade Deceiv'd the too too easie Maid Her Scrip and Garlands soon she did forsake And rashly told the Secrets of her Heart Which the fond Man would ever more impart False Florimel Ioy of my Heart said she 'T is hard to Love and Love in vain To Love and not be Lov'd again And why shou'd Love and Prudence disagree Pity ye Powers that sit at ease above If e'er you knew what 't is to be in Love. Princess C. Alas Irene I do believe Nemours The Man thou represents him yet Oh! Heav'n And Oh my Heart in spite of my resolves Spite of those matchless Virtues of my Husband I love the Man my reason bids me hate Yet grant me some few hours ye Saints to live That I may try what Innocence so arm'd As mine with vows can do in such a cause The War 's begun the War of Love and Vertue And I am fixt to conquer or to dye Iren. Your Fate is hard and since you honour'd me With the important Secret of your Life I 've labour'd for the Remedy of Love. Princess C. I must to Death own thee my better Angel Thou know'st the struglings of my wounded Soul Hast seen me strive against this lawless Passion Till I have lain like Slaves upon the Rack My Veins half burst my weary Eye-balls fixt My Brows all cover'd with big drops of Sweat Which strangling Grief wrung from my tortur'd Brain Ir. Alass I weep to see you thus agen Princess C. Thou hast heard me curse the hour when first I saw The fatal charming Face of lov'd Nemours Hast heard the Death-bed Counsel of my Mother Yet what can this avail spite of my Soul The Nightly Warnings from her dreadful Shroud I love Nemours I languish for Nemours And when I think to banish him my Breast My Heart rebels I feel a gorgeing pain That choaks me up tremblings from Head to Foot A shog of Blood and Spirits Mad-mens Fears Convulsions gnawing Griefs and angry Tears Enter Nemours Ha! but behold My Lord Nem. O! Pardon me Spare me a minute's space and I am gone Princes C. Is this a time Sir Nem. O! I must speak or dye Princess C. Dye then e'er thus presume to violate The Honour of your Friend your own and mine Nem. Yet hear me and I swear by all things Sacred Never to see you more Princess C. Speak then And keep your word P. C. Horrour and Death Nem. Did you but know what 't is to love like me Without a dawn of Bliss to dream all day To pass the night in broken sleeps away Toss'd in the restless tides of Hopes and Fears With Eyes for ever running o'er with Tears To leave my Couch and fly to beds of Flow'rs T' invoke the Stars to curse the dragging hours To talk like Mad-men to the Groves and Bow'rs Cou'd you know this yet blame my tortur'd Love If thus it throws my Body at your Feet Oh! fly not hence Vouchsafe but just to view me in despair I ask not Love but Pity from the Fair. Princess C. O Heavens inspire my Heart Nem. The Heavenly Powers Accept the poorest Sacrifice we bring A Slave to them 's as welcome as a King. Behold a Slave that Glories in your Chains Ah! with some shew of Mercy view my Pains Your piercing Eyes have made their splendid way Where Lightning cou'd not pass Even through my Soul their pointed Lustre goes And Sacred Smart upon my Spirit throws Yet I your Wounds with as much Zeal desire As Sinners that wou'd pass to Bliss through Fire Yes Madam I must love you to my Death I 'll sigh your name with my last gasp of Breath Princess C. No more I have heard you Sir as you desir'd Enter the Prince of Cleve Reply not but withdraw if possible Fix to your word and let us trust our Fates Be gon I charge you speak not but retire Exit Nem. P. C. Excellent Woman and Oh! matchless Friend Love Friendship Honour Poison Daggers Death Falls Princess C. O Heaven Irene help help the Prince my Lord. My Dearest Cleve wake from this Dream of Death And hear me speak P. C. Curse on my Disposition That thus permits me bear the Wounds of Honour And Oh! thou foolish gentle love-sick Heart Why didst thou let my hand from stabbing both Princess C. Behold 't is yet my Lord within your Power To give me Death P. C. I do entreat thee leave me I 'm bound for Death my self and I wou'd make My passage easie if you wou'd permit me All that I ask thee for the Heart I gave thee And for the Life I love in thy behalf Is that thou'dst leave me to my self a while And this poor honest Friend Princess C. I wou'd obey you But cannot stir I know I know my Lord You think that I design'd to meet Nemours This night but by the Powers above I Swear P. C. O! do not Swear for Chartres credit me There is a Power that can and will revenge Therefore dear Soul for I must love thee still If thou wilt speak confess repent thy fault And thou perhaps may'st find a door of Mercy For me by all my hopes of Heav'n I swear I freely now forgive thee Oh! my Heart Pedro thy arm let me to bed Princess C. And do you then refuse My help P. C. In Honour Chartres after such a Fall I ought not to permit that thou shou'dst touch me Princess C. But Sir I will your arm I 'll hold you all Thus in the closest strictest dearest Clasps Nor shall you dye believing my Dishonor I swear I knew not of Nemours his coming Nor had I spoke those words which yet were guiltless Had he not vow'd never to see me more By our first Meeting by our Nuptial Joys By my dead Mother's Ghost by your own Spirit Which Oh! I fear is taking leave for ever I swear that this is true P. C. I do believe thee Thou hast such Power such Charms in those dear Lips As might perswade me that I am not dying Off Pedro by my most untimely Fate I swear I 'm reconcil'd and heark thee
wond'rous well And yet you knew not what Speak like a Friend What is the cause my Lord Nem. Shall I deal plainly with you I 'm not well P. C. I do believe it how hap'ned the Distemper Nem. It is too deep to search Nor can I tell you P. C. Then you 're no Friend Shou'd Cleve thus answer to Nemours I cannot Say rather that you will not trust a Man You do not love Nem. By Heav'n I do P. C. By Heav'n you do Yet 't is too deep to search For such a shallow Friend Nem. Of all Mankind You ought not P. C. Nay the rest Nem. It is not fit Be satisfied I 'll bear it to my Grave Whate'er it be P. C. You are in Love my Lord And if you do not Swear But where 's the need You start you change you are another Man You blush you 're all constraint you turn away Nem. Why take it then 't is true I am in Love In Torture Racks in all the Hells of Love Of hopeless restless and eternal Love. P. C. Her name my Lord. Nem. Her name my Lord to you P. C. To me Confusion Plagues and Death upon me Why not to me And wherefore did you say Of all Mankind I ought not There you stopt But wou'd have said To pry into this business Yet speak to ease the Troubles of my Soul By all our Friendship by the Life thou gav'st me I do conjure thee thunder in my Ears 'T is Chartres that thou lov'st Chartres my Wife Nem. Your Wife my Lord P. C. My Wife my Lord and I must have you own it Nem. I will not tell you Sir who 't is I love Yet think me not so base were it your Wife That all the subtlest Wit of Earth or Hell Shou'd make me vent a Secret of that nature To any Man on Earth much less to you P. C. Yet you cou'd basely tell it to the Vidam And he to all the Court But I waste time By all the boiling Venom of my Passion I 'll make you own it e'er we part Dispatch Say thou hast Whor'd my Wife Damnation on me Pronounce me Cuckold Nem. But then I give my self the Lye Who told you just before I wou'd not speak Tho I had done it Which I swear I have not Beside I fear you are going Mad. P. C. Draw then and make it up For if thou dost not own what I demand What you both know and have complotted on me Tho neither will confess I swear agen That one of us must fall Nem. Then take my Life P. C. I will by Heav'n if thou refuse me Justice Draw then for if thou dost not I will kill thee And tell my Wife thou basely didst confess Thy Guilt at last in hopes to save thy Life Nem That is a blast indeed that Honour shrinks at Therefore I draw but Oh! be witness Heav'n With such a trembling Hand and bleeding Heart As if I were to fight against my Father Therefore I beg thee by the name of Friend Which once with half this Suit wou'd have dissolv'd thee I beg thee gentle Cleve to hold thy hand P. C. I 'm Deaf as Death that calls for one or both Cleve is disarm'd Nemours gives him his Sword agen Nem. Then give it me I arm thy hand agen Against my Heart against this Heart that loves thee Thrust then for by the Blood that bears my Life Thou shalt not know the name of her I love Not but I swear upon the point of Death Your Wife 's as clear from me as Heav'n first made her P. C. No more my Lord you 've giv'n me twice my Life Nem. Are you not hurt P. C. Alass 't is not so well I have no Wound but that which Honour makes And yet there 's something cold upon my Heart I hope 't is Death and I shall shortly pay you With Chartres love for you deserve her better Nem. No Sir you shall not you shall live my Lord And long enjoy your beauteous vertuous Bride You shall Dear Prince why are you then so cold P. C. I cannot speak But thus and thus there 's something rises here Nem. I 'll wait you home nay shake these drops away And hang upon my arm P. C. I will do any thing So you will promise never to upbraid me Nem. I swear I will not P. C. But will you love me too As formerly Nem. I swear far more than ever P. C. Thou know'st my Nature soft yet Oh such Love Such Love as mine and injur'd as I thought Wou'd spleen the Gaul-less Turtle wou'd it not Nem. It wou'd by Heav'n You make a Woman of me Weeping P. C. Why any thing thou sayst to humour me Yet it is kind and I must love these Tears I hope my Heart will break and then we 're ev'n Yet if this cruel Love thy Cleve shou'd kill Remember after Death thou lov'st me still Exeunt SCENE II. Enter Tournon with the Vidam Tour. SO let that corner be your Post and as soon as ever you see St. Andre come stalking in his Dream slip to his Lady and when you have agreed upon the Writings I 'll be ready to bring you oâ—â— with a Witness Vid. Thou Dear obliging Tour. No more o' that away mark but how easily those that are gifted with Discretion bring things about in the name of Goodness let Men and Women have their Risks but still be careful of the Main Here 's a hot-headed Lord goes mad for a prating Girl Treats her Presents her Flames for her Dies for her till the Fool complies for pure Love and when the bus'ness fails is forc'd to live at last by the love of his Footmen but she that makes a firm Bargain is commonly thought a great Soul for my Lord having consider'd on 't thinks her a Person of depth and so resolves to have it out of her But why do I talk so my self when there 's something to do certainly I shou'd have made a rare Speaker in a Parliament of Women or a notable Head to a Female Jury when his Lordship gravely puts the question whither it be Satis or Non Satis or Nunquam Satis and we bring it in Ignoramus Ha! but who comes here I must attend for Bellamore Enter Poltrot Celia over-hearing Pol. My Wife and I went to Bed together and I 'll warrant full she was of Expectation so white and clean and much inclin'd to laugh and lay at her full length as who wou'd say come eat me Cel. Said she so sweet Sir Pol. Not a bit by the Lord not I not I Cel. Alas nice Gentleman Pol. A Farmer wou'd say this was barbarously done because he loves Beef But I have Plover in reserve Ha! St. Andre heark I hear him bustle O Lord how my heart goes pit a pat nay I dreamt last night I was Gelt Enter St. Andre in his sleep The Vidam goes in 'T is he 't is he by the twilight I see him Ay now the politick head
my Comfort is I shall make a new discovery if she keeps her word and she has too much wit to break it before she tryes me Tour. And where are you to make this new discovery Nem. At the Ball in Masquerade Thus wou'd I have Time rowl still all in these lovely Extreams the Corruption of Reason being the Generation of Wit and the Spirit of Wit lying in the Extravagance of Pleasure Nay the two nearest ways to enter the Closet of the Gods and lye even with the Fates themselves are Fury and Sleep Therefore the Fury of Wine and Fury of Women possess me waking and sleeping let me Dream of nothing but dimpl'd Cheeks and laughing Lips and flowing Bowls Venus be my Star and Whoring my House and Death I defie thee Thus sung Rosidore in the Urn But where and when with my Fops Wives be quick thou know'st my appointment with this unknown and the Minute's precious Tour. Why I have contriv'd you the sweetest Wight in the World if you dare Nem. Dare and in a Woman's Cause why I have no drop of Blood about me but must out in their service and what matter is 't which way Tour. Know Poltrot's Lady has inform'd me how St. Andre walks in his sleep and that her Husband last night attempted to Cuckold him that she watch'd and overheard the whole matter but Poltrot cou'd not find the door before St. Andre return'd she doubts not but he will try agen to night Now if you can nick the time when Poltrot rises and steal to her ten to one but she 'll be glad to be reveng'd Nem. Or she wou'd not have told thee the bus'ness There wants but speaking with her taking her by the hand and 't is a bargain Enter Celia Elianora Mask'd Poltrot St. Andre following Tour. Step step aside they are upon the hunt for you and their Husbands have 'em in the wind stand by a while to observe and I 'll turn you loose upon 'em St. A. Ha Tournon by my Honour a Prize let 's board ' em Pol. Be not too desperate my little Frigat for I am that I am a Furious Man of Honour Cel. Now Heav'n defend us what will you give us a Broad-side El. Lord how I dread the Guns of the lower Tire St. A. Such notable Marks-men too we never miss hitting between Wind and Water Cel. I 'll warrant they carry Chain-shot Pray Heav'n they do not split us Sister Pol. Yield then yield quickly or no Mercy we have been so shatter'd to day already by two she Pirates that we are grown desperate El. But what alas have we done that you shou'd turn your Revenge upon us poor harmless Innocents that never wrong'd you never saw you before Cel. If you shou'd deal unkindly with us 't wou'd break our Hearts for we are the gentlest things St. A. And we will use you so gently so kindly like little Birds you shall never repent the loss of your Liberty El. I 'll warrant Sister they 'll put us in a Cage or tye us by the Legs Pol. No upon the word of a Man of Honour your Legs shall be at liberty Cel. What will you Pinnion our Wings then and let us hop up and down the House St. A. Not in the House where we live pretty Soul for there 's two ravenous Sow-Cats will Eat you El. Your Wives you mean. Pol. Something like two Melancholy things that sit purring in the Chimney-corner and to exercise their spite kill Crickets Cel. Oh! for God-sake keep us from your Wives St. A. I 'll warrant thee little Rosamond safe from my jealous Elianor Pol. And if any Wife in Europe dares but touch a hair of thee I say not much but that Wife were better be a Widow El. But are your Wives handsome and well qualited for whatever you say to us when you have had your will you 'll home at night and for my part I cry All or none Pol. And All thou shalt have dear Rogue never fear my Wive's Beauty or good Nature they are things to her like Saints and Angels which she believes never were nor never will be She 's a Bason of Water against Lechery and looks so sharp whenever I see her like Vinegar she makes me sweat St. A. And mine 's so fulsome that a Goat with the help of Cantharides wou'd not touch her Cel. But then for their Qualities St. A. Such Scolds like Thunder they turn all the Drink in the Cellar Pol. Such Niggards they eat Kitchin-stuff and Candles ends Once indeed raving mad my Wife seem'd Prodigal for a Rat having eat his way through an old Cheese she baited a Trap for him with a piece of pareing But having caught him by the Lord she eat him up without mercy tail and all El. Are they not ev'n with us Sister St. A. 'T is hop'd tho the Hangman will take 'em off of our hands for they are shroadly suspected for Witches mine noints her self ev'ry Night sets a Broom-staff in the Chimny and op'ns the Window for what purpose but to fly Pol. Gad and my Wife has Tets in the wrong place she 's warted all over like a pumpl'd Orange Cel. Yet sure Gentlemen you told these Hags another story once and made as deep Protestations to them as you do to us St. A. Never by this hand the Salt Souls fell in Lust with us and haul'd us to Matrimony like Bears to the Stake Pol. Where they set a long black thing upon us that cry'd Have and Hold. El. Put the question they had been Handsome brought you great Poâ—tions were Pleasant and Airy and willing to humour you Enter Nemours with the Vidam Nem. Nay then I can hold no longer Z'death there 's it Madam Willing That Willingness spoils all my Dear my Hony my Jewel it Palls the Appetite like Sack at Meals Give me the smart disdainful she that like brisk Champaign or spritely Burgundy makes me smack my Lips after she 's down and long for t'other Glass St. A. Nay if your Grace come in there 's no dallying I 'll make sure of one Pol. Nay and for my part I am resolv'd to secure another come Madam no striving for I am like a Lion when I lay hold if the Body come not willingly I pull a whole Limb away Nem. Yes Madam he speaks truth â—â—ake it on my word who am a rational Creature he is a great furious wild Beast Cel. Pray Heav'n he be not a horned Beast is the Monster married Vid. Yes Ladies they are both married El. Married For Heav'n sake Gentlemen save us from the Cattle Pol. Why what is the Breeze in your Tails Z'death Ladies we 'll not eat you Cel. Say you so But we 'll not trust you I am sure you both look hungrily Vid. It may be their Wives use 'em unkindly El. And the poor good-natur'd things take it to heart Cel. I swear 't is pity they have both promising looks Nem. Proceed sweet Souls we 'll defend you
Cleve If thou dost Marry Ha! I cannot speak Away to Bed yet love my Memory Princess C. To Bed and must we part then P. C. O! we must Were I to live I shou'd not see thee more But since I am dying by this Kiss I beg thee Nay I command thee part be gone and leave me Princess C. I go and leave this Farewel Prayer behind me For me if all I 've said be not most true True as thou think'st me False all Curses on me The Whips of Conscience and the Stings of Pleasure Soars and Distempers Disappointments plague me May all my Life be one continu'd Torment And that more Racking than a Woman's Labour In meeting Death may my least Trouble be As great as now my parting is with thee Exeunt severally Finis Actus Quarti ACT V. SCENE I. Poltrot Bellamore Bell. COme come take her into Grace agen 't was but a slip Pol. Take her into Grace agen Why sure you wou'd have her bring me to that pass she did in England when my Lord Hairbrain us'd to keep me in awe stand biting my Lips twisting my Hat playing with my Thumbs while they were at it and I durst not look behind me Bell. Meer Jealousie you say your self you saw nothing Pol. No Sir I thank you I had more care of my Throat neither is this the first Fault for once upon a time a little while after we were Married at London a Pox o' that Cuckolding Trojan Race she was talking to me one day out of her Window more pleasantly than ordinary And acted with her Head and Body wond'rous prettily Butting at me like a little Goat while I butted at her agen I being glad to find her in so good humour what did I Sir but stole away and came softly up the back-stairs thinking to cry Bo But Oh! Lord How was I Thunder-struck to find my Lord Hairbrain there all in a Sweat Kissing and Smacking Puffing and Blowing so hard you wou'd have sworn they had been at Hot-cockles Bell. A little Familiar perhaps things of Custom Pol. Ay Sir Kiss my Wife and welcome but for that Zeal in her shogging and Butting Noli me tangere I cry I am sure it ran so in my Imagination I have been Horn-mad ever since Therefore spare your pains for I am resolute Enter Celia Bell. See where she comes my Lord But you are resolv'd you say However let me advise you have a care of making her desperate Exit Pol. Desperate Damn her Polluter of my Sheets Damn her Seek Celia not to shun me for where'er you fly I 'll follow hang upon thy knees and dye Poltrot behold Ah! canst thou see me kneel And yet no Bowels of Compassion feel Why dost thou bluster by me like a Storm And ruffle into Frowns that Godlike Form Why dost thou turn away those Eyes of thine In which Love's Glory and his Conquests shine Pol. What is this thing call'd Woman she is worse Than all Ingredients ram'd into a Curse Were she a Witch a Bawd a Noseless Whore I cou'd forgive her so she were no more But she 's far worse and will in time Forestall The Devil and be the Damning of us all Cel. Yet Honour bids you sink with her you call So foul whose Frailties you too sharply nam'd Like Adam you shou'd choose with her to fall And in meer Generosity be Damn'd Pol. No by thy self and all alone be curst And by the Winds thy Venom dust be hurl'd For thou' rt a Serpent equal to the first And hast the will to Damn another World. Cel. But am I not thy Wife Let that attone Pol. My Dear Damn'd Wife I do confess thou art Flesh of my Flesh and Bone too of my Bone Wou'd mine had all been broke when first thou wert Cel. Why then I 'll cringe no longer heark you Sir leave off your Swelling and Frowning and awkward ambling and tell me in fine whether you 'll be reconcil'd or no for I am resolv'd to stoop no longer to an ungrateful Person Pol. To your Husband to your Head to your Lord and Master you will not Goodey Bathsheba but you cou'd stoop your Swines Flesh last night you cou'd to your Rank Bravado that wou'd have struck his Tusks in my Guts he had you with a Beck a Snort nay o' my Conscience thou wou'dst not give him time to speak but hunch'd him on the side like a full Acorn'd Boar cry'd Oh! and mounted Cel. Are you resolv'd then never to take me into Grace agen for one Slip Pol. No I 'm the Son of a Carted Bawd if I do a Slip do you call it what when I heard the Bed crack with the Violence of my Cuckoldom No I will ascend the Judge of my own Cause proceed to Condemnation and banish thee for ever the Confines of our Benevolence Cel. What here before the Vidam here Pol. Yes Impudence before the Vidam and the Duke Nemours nay to thy eternal Confusion I will post thee in the Market-place but first I 'll find out St. Andre and tell him the whole matter that he may know too what a Ram his blessed Ewe has made him and then Cel. And then I 'll have your Throat cut Pol. Ha! Tygress cut my Throat why thou Shee Bear thou Dam of Lyons Whelps thou Cormorant of Cormorants why what wilt thou devour me Horns and all Cel. He that miss'd your Guts in the dark shall take better aim at your Gullet by day-light nay to thy Terror of Heart be it known thou Monster of ill nature if I wou'd have consented last night to have run his Fortune which is no small one he wou'd have murder'd thee in thy Bed for I heard him speak these very words Let him lye In Mortuis in limbo Patrum Where I must have pray'd for that unthankful Soul or thou wou'dst have been Damn'd to all Eternity dying suddenly and without Repentance Pol. O Lord O Lord In Mortuis in limbo Patrum what to be toss'd on burning Pitchforks for my Sins why what a Bloody-minded Son of Belial is this Cel. In fine since you will have the truth he has long had a design upon both our Bodies to Ravish mine and rip open yours Pol. Why then he 's a Cannibal Lord Lord Lord Lord why what pleasure can it be to any Man to rip me open to Ravish thee indeed there 's some Sense in that But there 's none in ripping me open why this is such a brutish Cruelty Cel. Rogue and so I told him Therefore when he found that nothing cou'd make me consent to your Murder he Swore and caught me by the hair if I stir'd or made the least noise he wou'd Murder us all set the House o' Fire and so leave us to our selves Pol. And so thou wert forc'd to consent why then by this Kiss I Swear from my Soul which might have been Damn'd as thou sayst but for thee I forgive thee And what was he that Cuckolded St. Andre such another