Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A15291
|
The costlie vvhore A comicall historie, acted by the companie of the Revels.; Costly whore.
|
|
1633
(1633)
|
STC 25582A; ESTC S119903
|
33,173
|
63
|
THE COSTLIE WHORE A COMICALL HISTORIE Acted by the companie of the Revels LONDON Printed by Augustine Mathewes for WILLIAM SHEARES and are to be sold at his shoppe in Brittaines Burse 1633. The Actors names Duke of Saxonie Fredericke his sonne Hatto Brothers to the Duke Alrid Brothers to the Duke Montano kinsman to the Duke Euphrata daughter to the Duke Constantine a lover of Euphrata Otho a friend to Constantine Alberto two Lords Reynaldo two Lords Vandermas a Pander Valentia the Costly Whore Iulia a Gentlewoman to Euphrata Two Maides Petitioners Beggers Seruants THE COSTLY WHORE Enter Constantine and Otho Constantine HOw do'st thou like the lovely Euphrata Otho I did not marke her Const Then thou didst not marke The fairest Saxon Lady in mine eye That ever breath'd a maid Otho Your minde now knowne I le say shee is the fairest in the world Were she the foulest Con. Then thos canst dissemble Otho You know I cannot but deare Constantine I prethee tell me first what is that Ladie That wonder of her sexe cal'd Euphrata Whose daughter is she Const I cannot blame thee Otho Though thou be ignorant of her high worth Since here in Saxon we are strangers both But if thou cal'st to minde why we left Meath Reade the trice reason in that Ladies eye Daughter unto the Duke of Saxonie Shee unto whom so many worthy Lords Vail'd Bonnet when she past the Triangle Making the pavement Ivory where she trode Otho She that so lightly toucht the marble path That leadeth from the Temple to the presence Const The same Otho Why that was white before White Marble Constantine whiter by odds Then that which lovers terme the Ivory hand Nay then the Lillie whitenesse of her face Con. Come thou art a cavilling companion Because thou seest my heart is drown'd in loue Thou wilt drowne me too I say the Ladie 's faire I say I love her and in that more faire I say she loves me and in that most faire Love doth attribute in Hyperbolies Vnto his Mistris the creation of every excellence Because in her his eies do dreame of perfect excellence And here she comes Enter Euphrata Observe her gentle friend Euph. Welcome sweete Constantine Con. My Euphrata Euph. Thy Euphrata be thou my Constantine But what is he a stranger or thy friend Con. My second selfe my second Euphrata If thou beest mine salute her gentle Otho Otho An humble and a true devoted heart I tender to you in a mindes chast kisse Euph. Welcome to me since welcome to my friend Otho A beautifull an admirable Ladie I thinke 't is fatall unto every friend Never to love untill his friend first love And then his choice but sooner will I teare Out of this brest mine affection with my heart Eu. Hearing sweet Constantine thou wert so nere me I came as I were wing'd to gaze on thee Con. And would to heaven there were no barin time To hinder me from thy desired sight But thousand sutors eyes do watch my steps And harke I heare some trampling how now Iulia Enter Julia. Iuli. Madam the Lord Montano spying you To leave the presence and to enter here Hath ever since waited your comming foorth And will not be denied untill he see you Euph. Of all my sutors most importunate Con. What is he love Euph. Of very noble birth But my affection is not tyed to birth I must dispense with this kind conference For some small time untill I rid him hence Therefore within my closet hide thy selfe Your friend shall Iulia guide into the garden Where through a private doore but seldome vs'd He may at pleasure leave us and returne Deny me not I prethee Constantine Thou hast my heart and would thy birth were such I need not feare t' avouch thee for my Love Otho Madam I take my leave Exit Otho Con. Farewell deare friend Returne as soone as may be farewell Love Exit Eup. Now guide Montano hither Enter Montano Mon. Gracious Madam I have seene the noble Palsgrave The Prince of Milleine and the Palatine of the Rheine With divers other honorable sutors Mounted to ride unto their severall places Euph. Of me they tooke their farewell yesternight Mon. What meanes your grace to be so unkind to all You drive away good fortune by disdaine Euph. Why are you grieving too Mon. I am your subiect The meanest that did humbly seeke your love Yet not the meanest in affection And I am come to take my farewell too Eup. Why then farewell Mon. So short with them that love you Eup. Your journey may be great for ought I know And 't is an argument of little love To be the hinderer of a traveller Mon. My journey Madame is unto my house Scarce halfe a league hence there to pine and die Because I love such beauteous crueltie Euph. God speede you sir Mon. Nay then I will not leave you Madam 't is thought and that upon good ground You have shrin'd your affection in the heart Of some what ere he be noble or base And that 's the cause you lightlie censure all Euphr. Who thinkes it Mon. I doe Madame and your father Eu. It is upon my vowed chastitie Mon. What devill made you sweare to chastitie Or have you tane that oath onely for a terme Euphr. A terme what terme Mon. A terme of some seven yeeres Or peradventure halfe the number more Euphr. For terme of life Mon. You have sworne to be forsworne He was no well disposed friend of yours That gave you consaile to forsweare such beautie Why t is as if some traveiler had found A mine of gold and made no vse of it For terme of life why then die presently So shall your debt to nature be farre lesse Your tyranny over mans yeelding heart Be lesse condemned oh you were made for man And living without man to murder men If any creature be so fortunate That lives in grace of your all gracious selfe Though I am well perswaded 't is not I I vow by all the rites of vertuous love Be he ignoble of the basest sort To please you Madame I le renounce my suite And be a speciall meane unto your father To grant your hearts affection though I die Euph. Now Lord Montano you come neere my heart And were I sure that you would keepe your word As I am sure you love me by your deedes I might perchance deliver you my thoughts Mon. By heaven and by your beauteous selfe I will Euph. Then Constantine come forth behold thy friend Enter Constantine Con. Madame what meane you to reveale our love Mon. This is a very stubborne Gentleman A Gentleman a pesant Saxonie affords not one more base Con. He does me wrong that termes me meaner then a gentleman Mon. I tearme thee so Euph. Why how now Lord Montano you do forget your oath Mont. And you your selfe Your Princely father and the Dukedomes honour To chaine your liking to a groome so base Con. He lies that calles me
a Goddesse That I should fetch their flying soules from heaven And breath them once more in their clay cold bodies Duke Thou art a witch a damn'd forceresse No goddesse but the goddesse of blacke hell And all those devils thy followers What makes thou on the earth to murder men Will not my sonnes and daughters timelesse liues Taken away in prime of their fresh youth Serue to suffice thee Valen. O you are mad my Lord Duke How can I choose And such a foule Erynnis gase on me Such furious legions circle mee about And my slaine Sonne and Daughters fire brands Lying so neere me to torment my soule Extremitie of all extremities Take pitty on the wandring sense of mine Or it will breake the prison of my soule And like to wild fire fly about the world Till they haue no abioing in the world I faint I dye my sorrowes are so great Oh mortalitie renounce thy seate He fals down Valen. The Duke I feare is slaine with extreame griefe I that had power to kill him will assay hence forth My utmost industry to saue his life Looke up my Lord 't is not Valentias voice That Courtezan that hath betray'd thy honour Murder'd thy children and almost slaine thee I am thy sonne I am Prince Fredericke If thou hast any liking of that name Looke on my face I come to comfort thee Duke The name of Fredericke is like Hermes wande Able to charme and uncharme sorrowfull men Who nam'd Fredericke Valen. I pronounc't his name That haue the power to giue thee thy lost Sonne Had I like vertue to restore the other Behold my Lord behold thy headlesse Sonne Blest with a head the late deceased living As yet not fully waken'd from the sleepe My drowfie potion kindled in his braine But much about this houre the power should cease And see he wakes Duke O happinesse 't is hee Valen. Imbrace him then but ne're more imbrace me Fred. Where am I in what dungeon where 's my graue Was I not dead or dreamt I I was dead This am I sure that I was prisoned Duke Thou art deceiv'd my Sonne but this deceit Is worth commendations thanke my Dutchesse Her discretion reedified thy life But she hath pron'd her selfe a gracious wife Fred. She tempt me to lust wait in my grave Valen 'T was but to try thy faith unto thy father Let it suffice his hand was at thy death But t was my mercie that proclaim'd thy breath Fred. To heaven and you I render worthy thankes Duke O liv'd my Euphrata and Constantine How gladly would I all my griefe resigne Albert. On that condition and with this besides That you are pleas'd to pardon us and them We doe referre our persons to your mercie Duke My daughter my deare sonne in law Vertuous Alberto then my friend My ioyes are at the highest make this plaine How these sav'd drownd as Fredericke has bin slaine Albert. Presuming on the example of these friends And know we are all actors in this plot Boldly presented your presence with this minde If pardoning them your grace would pardon us If otherwise this was the ioy of either That death 's lesse painefull when friends die together Duke We doe receive you all into our fauour And my faire Dutchesse my unkind divorce Shall be confounded with a second marriage I here receive thee once more as my wife Val. You have your children I have paid that debt You have divore'd me therefore I am free And henceforth I will be at libertie Duke There 's no divorce can part thee from thy Lord. Valen. Like to unkindnesse ther is no divorce I will no more be won unto your bed But take some course to lament my life mislead Duk. Canst thou live better then in sacred wedlock Valen. Wedlocke to me is unpleasing since my Lord Hath broke the band of marriage with unkindnesse Duke Intreate her children Fredericke Euphrata Let me not loose the essence of my soule Fred. Divine Valentia mirrour of thy sexe The pride of true reclaim'd incontinence Honour of the dishonoring yeeld I pray And be mercifull pitty my fathers smart Since thy last thraldome hath neare cleft his heart Eup. 'T was for his children that his spleene did rise Anger a torture haunting the most wise Valen. O no I am a murderesse an Erinnis A fury sent from Limbo to affright Legions of people with my horrid sight Hat What doe you meane be won by their intreaties Alfred 'T is madnesse in you to be thus perverse Val Who ever speaks base wretches be you dumb You are the catter pillers of the state By your bad dealings he is unfortunate Thou honourable true beloved Lord Hearken to me and by thy antient love I charge thee banish these realme-sucking slaues That build their pallace upon poore mens graves O those are they that have wrong'd both you and me Made this blest land a land of miserie And since by too much loving your grace hath falne Into a generall hatred of your subiects Redeeme your lost estate with better dayes So shall you merit never dying praise So shall you gaine lives quietnesse on earth And after death a new celestiall birth Duke Vnto thy wisedome I referre their doomes My selfe my Dukedome and my crowne Oh were there any thing of higher rate That unto hee I 'de wholly consecrate Val. This kind surrender shewes you are a Prince Worthy to be an Angell in the world Of immortalitie Which these cursed creatures never can attaine But that this world may know how much I hate This cruell base oppression of the poore First I enioyne you for the wrongs you haue done Make restitution and because your goods Are not sufficient so to satisfie I doe condemne your bodies to the Mynes Where liue like golden drudges all your liues In digging of the mettall you best loue Death is your due but for your noble race This gentle sentence I impose on you The Duke succeeding shall behold it done Duke Who 's that my loue Valen. Kind Freaericke your sonne The interest that your grace hath given to me I freely doe impart Duke We doe agree to what my Dutchesse please Valen. The state is thine Thy Vncles sentence Fredericke shall be mine Fred. Beare them away what you haue said shall stand Whilst I haue interest in this new given land Hat We doe receiue our iudgements with a curse Valen Learne to pray better or it shall be worse Lords see these wormes of kingdomes be destroyed And now to giue a period to my speech I doe intreate your grace if that your loue Be not growne cold but that your heart desires The true societie of a chaste wife Be pleas'd to undergoe a further doome Wee haue liv'd too lightly we haue spent our dayes Which should be dedicated to our God In soule destroying pleasure and our sloth Hath drawne upon the Realme a world of playes Therefore hereafter let us liue together In some removed cell or hermitage Vnto the which poore travellers mislead May haue direction and reliefe of wants Duke A hermetary life is better then a kingdome So my Valentia beare me company Valen. If my dread Lord will for my sake endure So strickt a calling my bewitching haires Shall be made napkins to dry up the teares That true repentance wringeth from our hearts Our sinnes we 'l number with a thousand sighes Fasting shall be the Steward of our Feast Continuall prayer in stead of costly cates And the Remainder of our life a schoole To learne new lessons for the land of heaven The will where power is wanting is good payment Grace doth reiect no thoughr tho' nere so small So it be good our God is kind to all Come my deare Lord this is a course more kind No life like us that haue a heavenly mind Mon. O let me be a servant in that life Valen. With all my heart a Partner let him be There 's small ambition in humility Duke Fredericke farewell deare Euphrata adue Remember us in prayer as we will you Exeunt D. D. Fred. A happy change would all that step awry Would take like course in seeking pietie Otho Two humble suites I craue of my best friend First pardon for my rashnesse in your loue Next this most loyall Virgin for my wife Con. With all my heart if Iulia be pleas'd Iulia. I haue no power to disobey your grant Con. Then she is yours Fred. Alberto The offices belonging to our Vncles We doe deriue to you for your good service In our late warres and in our sisters loue And now set forwards Lords let us be gone To solemnize two mariages in one The Epilogue ENcouragement unto the valiant Is like a golden spurre upon the heele Of a young Knight like to a wreath of Bay To a good Poet like a sparkeling Crowne Vnto a Kings Son Honour and renowne Is the efficient and persevering cause Of every well deserved action Take away some recorde encouragement And the World 's like a Chaos all delight Buried unborne in everlasting night Even so it fares with us and with the rest Of the same facultie all meerely nothing Without your favour every labour dyes Saue such whose second springs comes from your eyes Extend your beames of loue to us at full As the Sunne does unto the Easterne clime And England may bring forth like India As costly spice as orientall Iems The earth 's all one the heare refines the moulde And favour makes the poorest ground yielde gold FINIS