THE LADY OF PLEASVRE A COMEDIE As it vvas Acted by her Majesties Servants at the private House in Drury Lane Written by James Shirly LONDON Printed by Tho. Cotes for Andrew Crooke and William Cooke 1637 Persons of the Comedy LOrd Sir Thomas Bornewell Sir William Sentlove Mr. Alex Kickshaw Mr. Iohn Littleworth Mr. Hairecut Mr. Fredericke Steward to the Lady Aretina Steward to the Lady Celestina Secretary Servants c. Aretina Sir Thomas Bornwells Lady Celestina a young Widow Isabella Mariana Madam Decoy Scene the Strand TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE RICHARD LORD LOVELACE of Hurley My Lord I Cannot want encouragement to present a Poeme to your Lordship while you possesse so noble a breast in which so many seedes of honour to the example and glory of your Name obtain'd before your yeares a happy maturity This Comedy fortunate in the Scene and one that may challenge a place in the first forme of the Authors compositions most humbly addresseth it selfe to your honour if it meete your gracious acceptance and that you repent not to be a Patron your Lordshipps will onely crownes the imagination and for ever by this favour oblige My Lord The most humble Services of your Honourer IAMES SHIRLY The Lady of Pleasure The first Act Enter Aretina and her Steward _STew. Be patient Madam you may have your pleasure Are. T is that I came to towne for I wo'd not Endure againe the countrey conversation To be the Lady of sixe shires the men So neare the Primitive making they retaine A sence of nothing but the earth their braines And barren heads standing as much in want Of plowing as their ground to heare a fellow Make himselfe merry and his horse with whisteling Sellingers round to observe with what solemnitie They keepe their Wakes and throw for pewter Candlestickes How they become the Morris with which whose bells They ring all into Whitson Ales and sweate Through twenty Scarffes and Napkins till the Hobbyhorse Tire and the maide Marrian dissolv'd to a gelly Be kept for spoone meate Ste. These with your pardon are no Argument To make the country life appeare so hatefull At least to your particular who enjoy'd A blessing in that calme would you be pleasd To thinke so and the pleasure of a kingdome While your owne will commanded what should move Delights your husbands love and power joyned To give your life more harmony you liv'd there Secure and innocent beloved of all Praisd for your hospitality and praid for You might be envied but malice knew Not where you dwelt I wo'd not prophecy But leave to your owne apprehension What may succeede your change Are. You doe imagine No doubt you have talk'd wisely and confuted London past all defence your Master should Doe well to send you backe into the countrie With title of Supernitendent Baylie Ste. How Madam Are. Even so sir Ste. I am a Gentleman though now your servant Are. A country gentleman By your affection to converse with stable His tenants will advance you wit and plumpe it so With beefe and bag-pudding Ste. You may say your pleasure It becomes not me dispute Are. Complaine to the Lord of the soyle your master Ste. Y' are a woman of an ungovern'd passion and I pitty you Enter Sir Thomas Bornwell Bor. How how What 's the matter Ste. Nothing Sir Bor. Angry sweete heart Are. I am angry with my selfe To be so miserably restrained in things Wherein it doth concerne your love and honour To see me satisfied Bor. In what Aretina Dost thou accuse me have I not obeyd All thy desires against mine owne opinion Quitted the countrie and removed the hope Of our returne by sale of that faire Lordship We liv'd in chang'd a calme and retire life For this wild towne composd of noise and charge Are. What charge more than is necessarie For a Lady of my birth and education Bor. I am not ignorant how much Nobilitie Flowes in your bloud your kinsmen great and powerfull it 'h State but with this lose not your memory Of being my wife I shall be studious Madam to give the dignitie of your birth All the best ornaments which become my fortune But would not flatter it to ruine both And be the fable of the towne to teach Other men losse of wit by mine emploid To serve your vaste expences Are. Am I then Brought in the ballance so Sir Bo. Though you weigh Me in a partiall scale my heart is honest And must take libertie to thinke you have Obeyed no modest counsell to effect Nay study wayes of pride and costly ceremony Your change of gaudy furniture and pictures Of this Italian Master and that Dutchmans Your mighty looking-glasses like Artillery Brought whom on Engins the superfluous plate Anticke and novell vanities of tires Fourescore pound suppers for my Lord your kinsman Banquets for tother Lady aunt and cozens And perfumes that exceede all traine of servants To stifle us at home and shew abroad More motley than the French or the Venetian About your Coach whose rude Postillion Must pester every narrow lane till passengers And tradsmen curse your choaking up their stalls And common cries pursue your Ladiship For hindring o' their market Are. Have you done sir Bor. I could accuse the gayetie of your wardrobe And prodigall embroderies under which Rich Sattens Plushes cloath of Silver dare Not shew their owne complexions your jewells Able to burne out the Spectators eyes And shew like Bonefires on you by the tapers Something might here be spar'd which safely of Your birth and honour since the truest wealth Shines from the soule and drawes up just admirers I could urge something more Are. Pray doe I like Your homilie of thrifte Bo. I could wish Madam You would not game so much Are. A gamster too Bor. But are not come to that repentance yet Should teach you skill enough to raise your profit You looke not through the subtiltie of Cards And mysteries of Dice nor can you save Charge with the boxe buy petticotes and purles And keepe your familie by the precious income Nor doe I wish you should my poorest servant Shall not upbraid my tables nor his hire Purchasd beneath my honour you make play Not a Pastime but a tyrannie and vexe Your selfe and my estate by 't Are. Good proceed Bor. Another game you have which consumes more Your fame than purse your revells in the night Your meetings cal'd the Ball to which appeare As to the Court of Pleasure all your gallants And Ladies thither bound by a Subpena Of Venus and small Cupids high displeasure T is but the family of love translated Into more costly sinne there was a play on 't And had the Poet not beene brib'd to a modest Expression of your Anticke gambolls in 't Some darkes had beene discovered and the deeds too In time he may repent and make some blush To see the second part danc'd on the Stage My thoughts acquit you for dishonouring me By any foule act but
well as faire thou wert a brave one Cel. I hope your Lordship meanes not this for earnest Be pleasd to grace a banquet Lo. Pardon Madam Will Sentlove follow I must laugh at you Cel. My Lord I must beseech you stay for honour For her whose memory you love best Lo. Your pleasure Cel. And by that vertue you have now profest I charge you to beleeve me too I can Now glory that you have beene worth my triall Which I beseech you pardon had not you So valiantly recoverd in this conflict You had beene my triumph without hope of more Than my just scorne upon your wanton flame Nor will I thinke these noble thoughts grew first From melancholy for some femall losse As the phantasticke world beleeves but from Truth and your love of Innocence which shine So bright in the two royall luminaries At Court you cannot lose your way to chastitie Proceede and speake of me as honour guides you Exit Lord I am almost tir'd come Ladies wee le beguile Dull time and take the aire annother while Exeunt The fifth Act Enter Aretina and Servant Are. But hath Sir Thomas lost five hundred pounds Already Ser. And five hundred more he borrow'd The Dice are notable devourers Madam They make no more of peeces than of pebbles But thrust their heapes together to engender Two hundred more the Caster cries this gentleman I am w' ee I ha that to nothing sir the Caster Agen t is covered and the table too With summes that frighed me here one speakes out And with a Martyrs patience smiles upon His moneyes Executioner the Dice Commands a pipe of good Tobacco and I' th smoke on 't vanishes another makes The bones vault ore his head sweares that ill throwing Has put his shoulder out of joynt calls for A bone setter that lookes to 'th boxe to bid His master send him some more hundred pounds Which lost he takes tobacco and is quiet Here a strong arme throwes in and in with which He brusheth all the table payes the Rookes That went their smelts a peece upon his hand Yet sweares he has not drawne a stake this seven yeare But I was bid make haste my master may Lose this five hundred pound ere I come thither Exit Are. If we both waste so fast we shall soone finde Our state is not immortall some thing in His other wayes appeare not well already Enter sir Thomas Bor. Yee Tortoises why make you no more haste Go pay to 'th master of the house that money And tell the noble gamsters I have another Superfluous thousand pound at night I le visit em d ee heare Ser. Yes and please you Bor Doo 't ye drudges Ta ra ra Aretina Ar. You have a pleasant humor sir Bor. What should a gentleman be sad Ar. You have lost Bor. A transitory summe as good that way As another Are. Doe you not vexe within for 't Bor. I had rather lose a thousand more than one Sad thought come neere my heart for t vexe for trash Although it goe from other men like drops Of their life bloud we lose with the alacrity Wee drinke a cup of sacke or kisse a Mistris No money is considerable with a gamster They have soules more spacious than Kings did two Gamsters divide the Empire of the world They l make one throw for 't all and he that lost Be no more melancholy then to have plai'd for A morning draught vexe a rich soule for dirt The quiet of whose every thought is worth A Province Are. But when Dice have consumd all Your patience will not pawne for as much more Bor. Hang pawning sell outright and the feares over Are. Say you so I 'le have another coach to morrow If there be rich above ground Bor. I forgot To bid the fellow aske my Jeweller Whether the chaine of Diamonds be made up I will present it to my Lady Bellamour Faire Celestina Are. This gowne J have worne Sixe dayes already it lookes dull I le give it My waiting woman and have one of cloth of gold enbrodered shooes and pantables Will show well of the same Bor. I have invited A covey of Ladies and as many gentlemen To morrow to the Italian Ordinary I shall have rarities and regalli as To pay for Madam musicke wanton songs And tunes of silken petticotes to dance to Are. And to morrow have I invited halfe the Court To dine here what misfortune t is your company And ours should be devided after dinner J entertaine e'm with a play Bor. By that time Your play inclines to the Epilogue shall we quit our Italian host and whirle in coaches To the Douch Magazine of sawce the Stillyard Where deale and backragge and what strange wine else They dare but give a name too in the reckoning Shall flow into our roome and drowne Westphalias Tongues and Anchoavis like some little towne Endangered by a sluce through whose fierce ebbe We wade and wash our selves into a boate And bid our Coachmen drive their leather tenements By land while we saile home with a fresh tide To some new randevous Are. If you have not Pointed the place pray bring your Ladies hither J meane to have a Ball to morrow night And a rich banquet for e'm where we 'le dance Till morning rise and blush to interrupt us Bor. Have you no Ladies i' th next roome to advance A present mirth What a dull house you governe Farewell a wife 's no company Aretina J 've summ'd up my estate and find we may have A month good yet Are. What meane you Bo. And J do rather Be Lord one moneth of pleasures to the height And rapture of our senses than be yeares Consuming what we have in foolish temperance Live in the darke and no fame waite upon us I will live so posterity shall stand At gaze when I am mentioned Are. A mon'th good And what shall be done then Bor. I le over Sea And traile a pike with watching marching lying In trenches with enduring cold and hunger And taking here and there a musketshot I can earne every weeke foure shillings Madam And if the bullets favour me to snatch Any superfluous limbe when I returne With good friends I despaire not to be entold Poore Knight of Windsore for your course Madam No doubt you may doe well your friends are great Or if your poverty and their pride cannot Agree you neede not trouble much invention To find a trade to live by there are customers Farewell be frolicke Madam if I live I will feast all my senses and not fall Lesse than a Phaeton from my throne of Pleasure Though my estate flame like the world about me Are. T is very pretty Enter Decoy Madam Decoy De. What melancholy Exit After so sweet a nights worke Have not I Shew'd my selfe Mistris of my art Are. A Lady De. That title makes the credit of the act A story higher y 'ave not seene him yet I wonder what hee 'le say Are. He 's here
kin to Spirits The truth is nay if you looke pale already I ha done Are. Sir I beseech you Ale If you have But courage then to know the truth I le tell you In one word my chiefe friend is the devill Are. What devill How I tremble Ale Have a heart T was a shee divell too a most insatiate Abominable devill with a taile Thus long Are. Goodnesse defend me did you see her Al. No t was i' th darke but she appeard first to me I' th likenesse of a Bedlam and was brought I know not how nor whither by two Goblins More hooded than a Hawke Are. But would you venter Vpon a devill Al. I for meanes Are. How blacke An impudence is this But are you sure It was the devill you enjoy'd Al. Say nothing I did the best to please her but as sure As you live t was a Helcat Are. De' e not quake Al. I found my selfe the very same in i' th morning Where two of her familiars had left me Enter Servant Ser. My Lord is come to visite you Al. No words As you respect my safety I ha told tales Out of the devills schoole if it be knowne I lose a friend t is now about the time I promis'd her to meete agen at my Returne I le tell you wonders not a word Exit Are. T is a false glasse sure I am more deform'd What have I done my soule is miserable Enter Lord Lor. I sent you a letter Madam Are. You exprest Your noble care of me my Lord Enter Bornwell Celestina Bor. Your Lordship Does me an honour Lor. Madam I am glad To see you here I meant to have kist your hand Ere my returne to Court Cel. Sir Thomas has Prevaild to bring me to his trouble hither Lor. You doe him grace Bor. Why what 's the matter Madam Your eyes are tuning Lachrimae Are. As you Doe hope for heaven withdraw and give me but The patience of ten minutes Born Wonderfull I wonot heare you above that proportion Shee talkes of heaven come where must we to counsell Ar. You shall conclude me when you please Bo. I follow Lor. What alteration is this I that so late Stood the temptation of her eye and voyce Boasted a heart 'bove all licentious flame At second veiw turne renegade and thinke I was too superstitious and full Of phlegme not to reward her amorous Courtship With manly freedome Cel. I obey you sir Bor. I le waite upon your Lordship presently Lor. She could not want a cunning to seeme honest When I neglected her I am resolv'd You still looke pleasant Madam Cel. I have cause My Lord the rather for your presence which Hath power to charme all trouble in my thoughts Lor. I must translate that complement and owe All that is cheerefull in my selfe to these All quickning smiles and rather than such bright Eyes should repent their influence upon me I would release the aspects and quit the bountie Of all the other starres Did you not thinke me A strange and melancholy gentleman To use you so unkindly Cel. Me my Lord Lor. I hope you made no loude complaint I wod not Be tride by a Jury of Ladies Cel. For what my Lord Lor. I did not meete that noble entertainment You were late pleasd to shew me Cel. I observd No such defect in your Lorship but a brave And noble fortitude Lor. A noble folly I bring repentance for t I know you have Madam a gentle faith and wonot ruine What you have built to honour you Cel. What 's that Lor. If you can love I le tell your Ladiship Cel. I have a stubborne soule else Lor. You are all Composd of harmony Cel. What love de' e meane Lor. That which doth perfect both Madam you have heard I can be constant and if you consent To grace it so there is a spacious dwelling Prepar'd within my heart for such a Mistrisse Cel. Your Mistris my good Lord Lor. Why my good Lady Your sexe doth hold it no dishonour To become Mistris to a noble servant In the now court Platonicke way consider Who t is that pleades to you my birth and present Value can be no staine to your embrace But these are shadowes when my love appeares Which shall in his first miracle returne Me in my bloome of youth and thee a Virgin When I within some new Elisium Of purpose made and meant for us shall be In every thing Adonis but in his Contempt of love and court thee from a Daphne Hid in the cold rinde of a bashfull tree With such warme language and delight till thou Leape from that bayes into the queene of love And pay my conquest with composing garlands Of thy owne mirtle for me Cel. What 's all this Lor. Consent to be my Mistris Celestina And we will have it Spring-time all the yeare Vpon whose invitations when we walke The windes shall play soft descant to our feete And breathe rich odors to repure the aire Greene bowers on every side shall tempt our stay And Violets stoope to have us treade upon em The red rose shall grow pale being neere thy cheeke And the white blush orecome with such a forehead Here laid and measuring with our selves some banke A thousand birds shall from the woods repaire And place themselves so cunningly behinde The leaves of every tree that while they pay As tribute of their songs thou shat imagine The very trees beare musicke and sweet voyces Doe grow in every arbour here can we Embrace and kisse tell tales and kisse agen And none but heaven our rivall Cel. When we are Weary of these what if we shift our Paradise And through a grove of tall and even pine Descend into a Vally that shall shame All the delights of Tempe upon whose Greene plush the graces shall be cald to dance To please us and maintaine their Fairy revells To the harmonious murmurs of a streame That gently falls upon a rocke of pearle Here doth the Nimph forsaken Eccho dwell To whom we 'le tell the story of our love Till at our surfet and her want of joy We breake her heart with envy not farre off A grove shall call us to a wanton river To see a dying Swan give up the ghost The fishes shooting up their teares in bubbles That they must lose the Genius of their waves And such love linsey woolsey to no purpose Lor. You chide me hansomely pray tell me how You like this language Cel. Good my Lord forbeare Lor. You neede not flie out of this circle Madam These widowes so are full of circumstance I le undertake in this time I ha courted Your Ladiship for the toy to ha broken ten Nay twenty colts Virgins I meane and taught em The amble or what pace I most affected Cel. Y' are not my Lord agen the Lord I thought you And I must tell you now you doe forget Your selfe and me Lor. You 'le not be angry Madam Cel Nor rude though gay men
have a priviledge It shall appeare there is a man my Lord Within my acquaintance rich in worldly fortunes But cannot boast any descent of bloud Would buy a coate of armes Lor. He may and legges booted and spurr'd to ride into the countrey Cel. But these will want antiquitie my Lord The seale of honour what 's a coate cut out But yesterday to make a man a gentleman Your family as old as the first vertue That merited an Escucheon doth owe A glorious coat of armes if you will sell now All that your name doth challenge in that ensigne I le helpe you to a chapman that shall pay And powre downe wealth enough for t Lor. Sell my armes I cannot Madam Cel. Give but your consent You know not how the state may be enclind To dispensation we may prevaile Vpon the Heralds office afterward Lor. I le sooner give these armess to 'th hangmans axe My head my heart to twenty executions Than sell one atome from my name Cel. Change that And answer him would buy my honour from me Honour that is not worne upon a flagge Or pennon that without the owners dangers An enemy may ravish and beare from me But that which growes and withers with my soule Beside the bodies staine think thinke my Lord To what you would unworthily betray me If you would not for price of gold or pleasure If that be more your idoll lose the glory And painted honour of your house I ha done Lor. Enough to rectifie a Satires bloud Obscure my blushes here Enter Sentlove and Hairecut Ha. Or this or sight with me It shall be no exception that I waite Vpon my Lord I am a gentleman You may be lesse and bea Knight the office I doe my Lord is honest sir how many Such you have beene guilty of heaven knowes Sent. T is no feare of your sword but that I wod not Breake the good lawes established against duells Ha. Oft with your periwig and stand bare Lor. From this Minute I le be a servant to thy goodnesse A Mistris in the wanton sence is common I le honor you with chaste thoughts and call you so Cel I le study to be worth your faire opinion Lor. Sent love your head was usd to a covering Beside a hat when went the haire away Sent. I laid a wager my Lord with Hairecut Who thinkes I shall catch cold that I le stand bare This halfe houre Ha. Pardon my ambition Madam I told you truth I am a gentleman And cannot feare that name is drown'd in my Relation to my Lord Cel. I dare not thinke so Ha. From henceforth call my service duty Madam That Pigges head that betraid me to your mirth Is doing penance for 't Sent. Why may not I My Lord begin a fashion of no haire Cel. Doe you sweat sir william Sent. Not with store of nightcaps Enter Aretina Bornwell Are. Heaven has dissolv'd the clouds that hung upon My eyes and if you can with mercy meet A penitent I throw my owne will off And now in all things obey yours my nephew Send backe agen to 'th colledge and my selfe To what place you 'le confine me Bor. Dearer now Than ever to my bosome thou shat please Me best to live at thy owne choice I did But fright thee with a noise of my expences The summes are safe and we have wealth enough If yet we use it nobly My Lord Madam Pray honour to night Are. I begge your presence And pardon Bor. I know not how my Aretina May be disposd to morrow for the country Cel You must not goe before you both have done Me honour to accept an entertainment Where I have power on those termes I 'me your guest Bor. You grace us Madam Are. Already I feele a cure upon my soule and promise My after life to vertue pardon heaven My shame yet hid from the worlds eye De. Sweet Madam Enter decoy Ar. Not for the world be seene here we are lost I le visite you at home but not to practise What she expects my counsell may recover her Enter Alexander Al. Where 's Madam pray lend me a little money My spirit has deceiv'd me Proserpine Has broke her word Are. Doe you expect to find The devill true to you Al. Not too loud Are. I le voyce it Louder to all the world your horrid sinne Vnlesse you promise me religiously To purge your foule bloud by repentance sir Al. Then I 'me undone Are. Not while I have power To encourage you to vertue I le endeavour To find you out some nobler way at Court To thrive in Al. Doo 't and I le forsake the devill And bring my flesh to obedience you shall steere me My Lord your servant Lor. You are brave agen Al. Madam your pardon Bor. Your offence requires Humility Al. Low as my heart Sir Thomas I le sup with you a part of satisfaction Bor. Our pleasures coole musicke and when our Ladies Are tired with active motion to give Them rest in some new rapture to advance Full mirth our soules shall leape into a dance Exeunt FINIS