Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n
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A00725
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A vvoman is a vveather-cocke A new comedy, as it was acted before the King in White-Hall. And diuers times priuately at the White-Friers, by the Children of her Maiesties Reuels. Written by Nat: Field.
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Field, Nathan, 1587-1620?
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1612
(1612)
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STC 10854; ESTC S102043
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36,543
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70
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A Woman is Weather-cocke A New Comedy As it was acted before the King in WHITE-HALL And diuers times Priuately at the White-Friers By the Children of her Maiesties Reuels Written by NAT FIELD Si natura negat faciat Indagnatio versum Printed at London for Iohn Budge and are to be sold at the great South doore of Paules and at Brittaines Bursse 1612 Dramatis personae Count Fredericke Sir Iohn VVorldly Neuill Scudmore Strange Pendant Captaine Powts Sir Innocent Ninnie Sir Abraham Ninny Bellafront Katherine Lucida Lady Ninnie Mistris Wagtayle A Priest A Page Seruants To any Woman that hath beene no Weather Cocke I Did determine not to haue Dedicated my Play to any Body because forty shillings I care not for and aboue few or none will bestowe on these matters especially falling from so famelesse a pen as mine is yet And now I looke vp and finde to whom my Dedication is I feare I am as good as my determination notwithstanding I leaue a libertie to any Lady or woman that dares say she hath beene no weather-Cocke to assume the Title of Patronesse to this my Booke If she haue beene constant and be so all I will expect from her for my paynes is that she will continue so but till my next Play be printed wherein she shall see what amendes I haue made to her and all the sex and so I end my Epistle without a Latine sentence N. F. To the Reader REader the Sale-man sweares you le take it very ill if I say not somewhat to you too Introth you are a stranger to me why should I Write to you you neuer writ to mee nor I thinke will not answere my Epistle I send a Comedie to you heer as good as I could then make nor sleight my presentation because it is a play For I tell thee Reader if thou bee'st ignoraunt a Play is not so ydle a thing as thou art but a Mirrour of mens Liues and actions now be it perfect or imperfect true or false is the Vice or Vertue of the Maker This is yet as well as I can Qualeis ego vel Cluuienus Thou must needs haue some other Language then thy Mother rong for thou thinkst it impossible for me to write a Play that did not vse a word of Latine though he had enough in him I haue beene vexed with vile playes my selfe a great while hearing many nowe I thought to be euen with some and they shoulde heare mine too Fare thee well if thou hast any thing to say to me thou know'st where to heare of me for a yeare or two and no more I assure thee N. F. To his Loued Sonne Nat. Field and his Wether-cocke Woman TO many formes as well as many waies Thy Actiue Muse turnes like thy Acted woman In which disprais'd inconstancie turnes praise Th' Addition being and grace of Homers Sea-man In this life's rough Seas tost yet still the same So turns thy wit Inconstancy to stay And stay t' Inconstancy And as swift Fame Growes as she goes in Fame so thriue thy Play And thus to standing turne thy womans fall Wit turn'd to euerie thing prooues stay in all George Chapman A Woman 's a Weather-cocke Actus primus scen. prima Enter Scudmore as in his Chamber in a morning halfe ready reading a Letter Sc. Legit. WHereas you write my fortunes and my birth Made aboue yours may be a reall cause That I must leaue you know thou worthiest man Thou hast a soule whose plenteous wealth supplies All the leane wants blinde Chance hath dealt to thee Yet could I thinke the Goddes from all their store Who ne're knew indigence vnto their will Would out of all their stocke of Vertue left Or out of all new graces they can make Make such another peece as Scudmore is Then might he iustly feare but otherwise Sooner the Masculine Element of Fire Shall flame his Pyramids downe to the Earth Sooner her Mountaines shall swell vp to Heauen Or softest Aprill showers quench fires in Hell Sooner shall Starres from this Circumference Drop like false fierie exhalation Then I be false to vowes made vnto thee In whom ought ne're a fault I ne're could see But that you doubted once my constancie Yours through the world and to the end of Time Bellafront Scud. Loqui ve raptus If what I feele I could expresse in words Methinkes I could speake ioy enough to men To banish sadnesse from all loue foreuer Oh thou that reconcil'st the faults of all That froathy sex and in thy single selfe Confin'st nay hast engrost Vertue enough To frame a spacious world of vertuous women Hadst thou bin the Beginning of thy sex I thinke the Deuill in the Serpents skin Had wanted Cunning to orecome thy goodnesse And all had liu'd and dy'de in Innocency The white Originall Creation Knockes within Whos 's there Come in Enter Neuill Ne. What vp already Scudmore neare a Wench with thee Not thy Laundresse Scud. Good-morrow my deare Neuill Ne. What 's this A Letter Sure it is not so A Letter written to Hieronimo Scud. By Heauen you must excuse me Come I know You will not wrong my friendship and your manners to tempt me so Ne. Not for the world my friend Farewell Good-morrow Exiturus Scud. Nay Sir Neither must you Depart in anger from this friendly hand I sweare I loue you better then all men Equally with all Vertue in the world Yet this would be a Key to lead you to A prize of that importance Ne. Worthy friend I leaue you not in anger What de' e meane Nor am I of that inquisitiue Nature fram'd To thirst to know your priuate businesses Why they concerne not me If they be ill And dangerous t' would greeue me much to know em If good they be so though I know em not Nor would I do your loue so grosse a wrong To Couet to participate affaires Of that neere touch which your assured loue Doth thinke not fit or dares not trust me with Scud. How sweetly does your friendship play with mine And with a simple subtilty steales my heart Out of my bosome By the holiest Loue That euer made a Story y' are a man With all good so repleate that I durst trust you Euen with this secret were it singly mine Ne. I do beleeue you farewell worthy friend Scud. Nay looke you this same fashion does not please me You were not wont to make your visitation So short and carelesse Ne. T is your Iealousie That makes you thinke it so for by my soule You have giuen me no distast in keeping from me All things that might be burthenous and oppresse me In troth I am inuited to a wedding And the Morne faster goes away from me Then I go toward it and so Good-morrow Scud. God-morrow Sir thinke I durst shew it you Ne. Now by my life I not desire it Sir Nor euer lou'd these prying listening men That aske of other states and passages Not one among a hundered but proues false
me twentie pound more then the other Luce. Introth both are not worth halfe the mony Count I hold my life one of them was broake and cost so much the healing Abr. Right hath your Lordship said t was broke indeed At footeball in the Vniuersitie Pen. I know he is in loue by his Verse vaine Stra. He cannot hold out on 't you shall heare Abra. Well since I am disdain'd off Garters blew VVhich signifies Sir Abrams loue was true Off Cypresse blacke for thou befits not me Thou art not Cypresse of the Cypresse Tree Befitting Louers Out greene Shoo-strings out Wither in pocket since my Luce doth pout Gush eyes thumpe hand swell heart Buttons flie open Thankes gentle Dublet else my heart had broken Now to thy Fathers Countrey house at Babram Ride post There pine and die poore poore Sir Abram Omnes Oh dolefull dumpe Musicke playes World Nay you shall stay the wedding Hark the Musick Your Bride is readie Cou. Put Spirit in your Fingers Lowder still And the vast Ayre with your enchantments fill Exeunt Om. Actus secundus Scen prima Enter Neuill like a Parson THus for my friends sake haue I taken orders And with my reasons and some hyre besides VVon the knowne Priest that was to Celebrate This Marriage to let me assume his place And heere 's the Charracter of his face and beard By this meanes when my friend confronts the Maide At the Church doore where I appointed him To meete him like my selfe for this strange shape He altogether is vnwitting of If she as one Vice in that sex alone Were a great Vertue to inconstancy past Ioyne impudency and sleight him to his face Shewing a resolution to this match By this attempt it will be frustrate And so we haue more time though but till night To worke to speake with her or vse violence For both my bloud and meanes are at his seruice The reason too I do this past his knowledge Is that his ioy may be the more compleat When being resolu'd shee 's married and gone I can resolue him otherwise Thus I know Good deeds shew double that are timely done And ioy that comes past expectation Enter Scudmore in Tawny Yonder he comes dead in his melancholy I le question him and see if I can raise His Spirit from that it restlesse rests vpon He cannot know me Ho Good-morrow Sir Scud. Good-morrow to no liuing thing but one And that is Neuill Oh the Vowes the Vowes The protestations and becomming Oaths Which she has vtter'd to me so sweet so many As if she had beene couetous not to leaue One word for other Louers which I pittied She saide indeede I did deserue em all Her lips made swearings sound of piety So sweet and prettily they came from her And yet this Morne shee 's married to a Lord Lord Lord how often has she kist this hand Lost her selfe in my eyes plaid with my haue And made me a sinne I am not subiect too Go away prou'd emproued by her fauors And yet this Morne shee 's married to a Lord The Bels were ringing as I came along Neu. Yes Sir t is for the great Marriage twixt Scud. Pray hold there I know it too well The Tokens and the Letters I haue still The dangers I haue past for her deere sake By day and night to satisfie her wishes That Letter I so lately did receiue And yet this Morne shee 's married to a Lord Oh memory thou blessing to all men Thou art my curse and cause of misery That tel'st me what I haue bin in her eyes and what I am as it is impossible To find one good in the whole word of women But how I loose my selfe and the remembrance Of my deere friend who said he would meet me heere What is this Priest that walkes before the Church Why walke you heere so earely Sir Neu. I am appointed Heere to attend the comming of the Brides Old Sir Iohn Worldyes Daughters Scud. Are there two Ne. Yes Sir the eldest marries Count Frederick Scud. Oh Neu. The middlemost weares willow for his sake The youngest marries the rich Merchant Strange Scud. He is right worthy and my well knowne friend But Parson if you marry Bellafront The horror of thy Conscience shall exceed A Murtherers Thou shalt not walke alone Nor eate nor sleepe but a sad Louers grones and cursses shall appeare and fright thy soule I tell thee Priest they 're sights more terrible Then Ghosts or Sprights of which old wiues tell Tales Thou shalt run mad thou shalt be damn'd indeed Neu. Now God foresend the reason Sir I pray Scud. She is contracted Sir nay married Vnto another man though it want forme And such strange passages and mutuall Vowes T' would make your short haire start through your blacke Cap should you but heare it Neu. Sir I le take no notice Of things I do not know the iniur'd Gentleman May bring em after into the Spirituall Court and haue a faire pull on 't a poore Gentleman For so I take him by his being deceiu'd Gainst a great Count and an old wealthy Knight Scud. Thou Pancridge Parson Oh for my frend Nevil Some wile or other might remoue this Priest and giue vp breathing to crosse their intent Neu. Alas my deere friend Scud. Sir do but you refuse To ioyne em Neu. Vpon what acquaintance Sir They are great persons and I meane to rise I hope in time to haue three liuings man and this were not the way I take it Sir Scud. Why looke thee there is Gold Neu. Oh by no meanes Scud. I seldome knew 't refusd yet by thy Coate But where it would haue bin a cause of good Ne. But looke ye you shall see I 'me a Deuine Of Conscience quite opposite to a Lawyer I le giue you Counsell Sir without a fee This way they are to come if you dare doo 't Challenge her as your owne at the Church doore I will not hinder you Musicke playes Scud. Oh harke they come Neuill my friend well I must something do Oh why should Musicke which ioyes euerie part Strike such sharpe killing discords to my hart Musicke Enter Sir Iohn Worldly who meets the Parson entertaines him Count Bellafront Strange Kath. Lucida with Willow Pendant Sir Inno Ninnie my Ladie Ninnie Mrs. Wagtayle S. Abram Melancholy W.P. walk gravely afore all softly on Scudmore stands before and a Boy singes to the tun'd Musicke The Song THey that for Worldly wealth do wed That buy and sell the Marriage bed That come not warm'd with the true fire Resolu'd to keepe this Vow entire To soone finde discontent To soone shall they repent But Hymen these are no such Louers Which thy burning Torch discouers Though they liue then many a yeare Let each day as new appeare As this first and delights Make of all Bridall Nights Io Hymen giue Consent Blessed are the Marriages that nere repent Count How now who 's this Pen. Young Scudmore Om. T is young