than a Phoenix and thou talk'st of them As if they were as common as Fishes And did like them increase and multiply Mel. Well your Servant Exit Melynet Val. I wonder whether the King still intends the Marriage of Calinda there are many Wagers in the town about it Alm. O! Monarchs and Subjects are two different things And a sudden rise to eminent Honour or Fortune Commonly proves like the Turks Mutes to an old Affection strangle in quite and 't is whisper'd By the most knowing that the Kings Love has at present the cold fit of an aguish distemper on it to that Lady But well are you for my company this afternoon or not For I am design'd to go home I am promis'd the sight of A fellow that will needs be thought a Lord They say he 'l make a man dy with laughing Val. Then I 'm resolv'd not to see him to day For I have a great mind to live ill to morrow And for this afternoon I 'll throw it away Amongst the Ladies Exeunt Scene 2. Enter Calinda and Ericina Eric Let not your grief take yet such full possession Of your heart till more of time gives the assurance Of what is onely now your passions fear Cal. Alas Ericina it is that uncertainty Which makes Loves greatest Hell were I but once Assur'd I should be less concern'd But whilst I doubt I nothing can resolve Reason and scorn which then would prove my cure I am now by that unhappy motive that you urge To lessen my affections forbid their use For 't is not his new acquired greatness Can keep my heart in slavery It was His Noble Mind I lov'd And that the greatest Ebb of Fortune could ne'er have given change to Indeed I did adore his virtues and made Him Soveraign of my heart despising in My thoughts for him all those that onely could Pretend advantages in Wealth which possibly They did inherit by their Fathers crimes But if I find he is turn'd Apostate To what gave being to my Passion I shall depose him here to let him see Points to her heart His Honour lost his Crowns despis'd by me Eric If the assurance of his unconstancie Will prove so much less afflicting than the fear Force your belief to that Conclusion His actions afford enough of cause Cal. Ah! Ericina thou then dost think him chang'd Eric It ill would suit the Friendship I profess Still by dissembling my thoughts to his advantage To help to shipwrack so your quiet Urging the Uncertainty of what I must confess I do no longer doubt Cal. Nor I no longer that I 'm quite undone Aside Eric And I will tell you Cal. Oh hold Ericina Keep to thy self those thoughts which if set free With furious floods of grief would deluge me Eric Can you believe your ruine I design Whose life is dearer to me far than mine No Calinda what I have done was only but to try Whether the Cure your Reason did propose Your Courage could endure the application of Cal. How could your pity let you make experiments On my Misfortune to improve your knowledg Or what of satisfaction do you find From the assurance that my tongue had boasted Without consulting of my heart the resolution Of that indifferencie and change if he Prove false my soul can never find for him You us'd to take so great an interest in My sufferings as made their weight seem less But you unkindly now do seek to multiply my griess and they already overpress my Mind Eric My love can easily forgive the highest Injuries with which you charge my innocence For I perceive the disquiet of your thoughts dethrones Your Reason But 't is hard to be Physician Where the Disease admits such alteration As makes the Remedie uncertain Enter Page Page Madam my Lord Valasco with some Ladies Are come to wait upon you Cal. Go let them know I 'll attend them How ill does Conversation suit my mind Who can in nothing now contentment find Exeunt Scene 3. Enter Almeric and Peregrine Per. This Kingdom has known strange and wonderful Changes since my absence for who wo'd e'er ha' thought Sigismond should have come to be our Soveraign Heaven having given so many just Pretenders To th' Grown before his Right could put in claim Alm. 'T is true Peregrine but Fortunes children Are always heirs to what she pleases And all his actions both in Peace and War Have still been crown'd with such success and glory As made him justly thought one of her Darling sons And though there are many whose wants in worth And height of Envy made them strive to clip His Honours wings yet I must needs confess I think he merits what he wears Per. I doubt not your Opinion but with what A kind of temper did he at first demean Himself in his new Soveraignty Alm. With such a Moderation as shew'd he thought The weighty troubles that do attend the Crown Of a well governing Prince would far exceed The pleasure of an expected Power and Greatness Per. Yet we see those cares which Crowns create Are burthens which all the great ones of the world Do strive to carry to which when right of birth Is wanting they make usurping Power and Treasons guilt become their unresisted title And certainly what is so often purchased By th' death of Millions and the height of Crimes When lawfully acquir'd may well excuse A more than common joy exprest in such An elevated Fortune Alm. No doubt it does and 't was the general expectation and our surprize the greater finding his looks And actions shew such an unmov'd indifferencie Per. That might beget amazement for sudden satisfaction or high cares seldom or never keep within those bounds Reason or policie prescribes them But he resolv'd to shew by something far from common in Mankind Fortune was Just not blind in giving him a Sceptre But who amongst all the Court is likely to carry The name of Favorite Alm. He that possesses the greatest share is Melynet Nephew to the late Lord Euryalus that was the fair Marcelia's Father His growth in greatness was like a Mushrom so suddain which has begot much wonder in the Court Enter Lucidore Oh Lucidore Luc. Nay hold no quarreling I have been suffering Sufficiently for my breach of promise Alm. Why pr'ythee what Disaster that the knowledg may make some satisfaction For I dare swear it is some Comical accident Luc. If to lose a Mans Reason first and then all his Money be matter of Mirth it is so for that 's the true character of my condition Alm. As how Luc. Why just as I left you the other night I met with our new Favourite and straight my brain was seiz'd with a piece of policy to try if I could drink away his Understanding and keep so much of my own to play the Justice of Peace with him and sift out the Reason of his so much admir'd greatness with the King but I like other Statesmen fail'd in my
unworthily could find no other out to make an instrument to your abuse and her design but me I must be chose out that unhappy man to carry her to Court as if she thought the trouble would not be great enough unless she made your Friend to help it forward Loth. No it was not that she did believe your power there would make her more regarded that gave you the imployment Mel. Curse on the Cause if her desires from that did find success my power there made your affections ruine What fatal minute was my unhappy interest born in But I 'le revenge my self I 'le set all the Engines in the Court to work and blast her growing hopes of ever being a Queen 'T is those that puff her up to the contempt she does express of your affections Loth. Has she then boasted to you of her neglects Mel. I and gloried in her Falshood but I hope she shall be made repent from her lost expectations Loth. I must confess that would allay part of my misery to see her unsuccessful in her ambitious wishes the news of that would be acceptable when I am gone Mel. You gone whither my Lord Loth. I do intend to leave the Kingdom with all the speed I can Mel. I cannot wish it yet I must confess 't is wisely done I must approve what I would fain prevent But I believe you 'l then find most content And may be when she knows that you are gone Her pride may grow more weak her love more strong Loth. I know not that but I must beg your pardon sor I must go and take some Order about my Journey I will not now bid you my last Adieu but when we meet again I then believe that we shall part for ever Exit Lotharicus Mel. I shall be much deceiv'd else All things happen as I could wish Fortune has plotted for me She 's a good Assistant where she is a Friend Fix her but constant stars until the end Enter Du-Prette Du-Pr. My Lord the King has sent for you Mel. I 'le go to him presently but I must give thee instructions first concerning that I intrusted last night to thy fidelity Lotharicus intends to travel speedily make it thy business to know directly when he goes and follow him I 'le furnish thee with moneys this night Do it as soon as thou canst with any safety thy reward shall wait thee Be sure and speedy and make thy Master thine for ever and one more powerful then he to pay thy services Du-Pr. I want not courage Sir and for my Conscience it reaches I 'le assure you from one Pole to the other he cannot travel out of the compass of it Exeunt Scene 9. Enter Lucidore Peregrine and Valasco Per. What ail'st thou to laugh so To Lucidore Luc. To think how impatient you are to see one of the oldest Witches in the world For to deal ingenuously with you my Mistris is neither better nor worse but even so Alm. Why thou hast not brought us hither to put such a trick upon us Luc. Put her upon you As bad as she is I love her too well and have too much use for her my self to complement you so far to make you any such offer Per. We shall without any opposition in our inclinations leave you her possession Were she blind lame deaf or dumb or any thing else but Old 't were tollerable But Old do you say Luc. I as the Creation almost Per. Why certainly thou art turn'd Projector and think'st to go to heaven with a new invention by the mortified way of sinning you had e'en as good take the old Road for the Devil will way-lay you in the journey and where he sends a Post-boy for a Guide the Passengers commonly lodge at his Inns. Val. What is she Old does he say O most abominable insupportable intollerable Old Why art thou so mad in all things else and so tame in the choice of thy Mistris Old Oh Time what would women give they had you by the ears to pull you back again Per. We may let that string alone for there are some of our Sex would be bribing as deep as any of them for that benefit for many reasons First because they would have the World a little like Heaven by times going backward and forward and by that means prevented of coming to an end Secondly from a just belief that Ladies dout not of that in us which we so much despise in them they care not to marry Methusalem no more then we do the Witch of Endor Luc. And yet before any of your brains are worthy of the place of Privy-Councel Old Age must have lent you some of his Experiments as well as Nature Wit Alm. Then thou took'st thy Mistris to fit thee for a Polititian Luc. If she live so long with me till I come to be made use of in that kind I shall owe much to her power I dare swear Val. Prethee for laughter-sake let us see this Wonder-worker Luc. Well keep your distance and you shall Alm. Thou hast given us caution enough in her Character of Antiquity for that Per. I 'le be hang'd if she be either Old or Ugly she might be her own Guardian then he need not keep her under Lock and Key The Scene opens and there lies heaps of money up and down and there stands five persons about the Table with bags in their hands dress'd in Antick habit as others at the door They come out and dance and keep time with their Bags and Pockets Luc. What think you Gentlemen of her There she is and her Attendants Her servants shall give you a Dance They all laugh The Dance ended You see this is the Mistris of my heart and pleasure I purchase her by the sale of my Lands Per. And yet I 'le be hang'd if she does not run away from thee Luc. Well I am of thy mind for that But do you not all love her Confess confess Per. The truth of it is we should all lye horribly if we did deny that we all adore her and are her most humble and faithful servants for without her there is no satisfaction in this World Luc. No nor hardly a place in the other World in Hell or Heaven but what she helps to purchase You may send your Venture by her to which you please Val That 's true Lucidore but I believe thou only keep'st a Correspondence in the Lower Region Luc. I do so It was always my Fortune to keep company with such as you are all Merchants of that place I do not think yet amongst us all we have interest enough to make one Bill of Exchange so good as to pass there Per. There 's not one of a thousand that goes about to try till fifty or threescore nor so much as think of it the Seas are very rough thither and troublesome Luc. I hang 't and one shall be sure to be pleasure-sick all the way and must be still taking of bitter
office in business of that kind for there is nothing speaks a Gallant now so ill-bred as Marrying and Loving both in a place But prethee let 's make towards him for I long to be censuring your Servant Perhaps I may find more Merit in him then report speaks for that seldome knows any meanin disparagement or praise Laughs Per. If your curiosity be so great you shall go by your self for I 'm resolv'd he shall not see me Arc. If his company be so troublesome the most certain way to be-rid of it is to marry him and at the present put on your Mask and that will secure you for I must go that way and meet him Laughs extremely Per. Prethee what 's the matter you laugh so exceedingly Arc. I am conceited you us'd your Servant very roughly when he waited on you last Confess did not you make your servants beat him Per. Why should you think so prethee Arc. By the trimming of his Suit with that deep Blew and Black upon my Conscience it is an Embleme of some favours of yours in that kind for he looks like one that would be cudgell'd put off his hat and give thanks Per. Nay for that matter I dare swear for him he would as submissively as any man take a beating if any one would bestow the pains to give it him Arc. Well I am most strangely taken with the Mounsieur as I live I 'd give a hundred Pistols he were in love with me My Doctor tells me I am going into a Consumption but I dare swear his company but one two moneths would cure me O most incomparable Don Quixot what faces and postures he has Per. Prethee let us go thou hast laugh'd enough and if thou hold'st thy humor any longer thou wilt put me into the same vein and that will make me be look'd on as a mad Widdow Arc. The more mad the more fashionable as long as thou art sure thy Husband is safe enough for ever coming back again to use thee worse by taking of it ill thou need'st not care Per. What would I give now that my Year of Mourning were as much worn out as my Melancholly Mor. Have I not seen you before Ladies Comes to them Arc. That Question you must answer your self examine your memory and give account to your knowledg But if you have seen me before and have forgot me I shall take it inconceiveably ill that you should have turn'd me out of your head as long as the room was empty Mor. What fine expressions these Ladies have for any thing they speak of Graculus Aside to his man Grac. O yes my Lord they are so us'd to good Language they can call you a Fool in a Complement and you shall be never the wiser for it Mor. Not the wiser for it sayest thou Grac. No not one jot I'faith Arc. Do you remember as yet Mor. No upon my Honor I can't call to mind neither your face nor hers in the Mask Arc. Then your Lordship knows a face no better in a Vizard then out of it Are you not acquainted with out names neither Mor. No I swear upon the Title of a Lord But pray Ladies do me that high favour to tell me what I may call you Arc. Why we will give you leave to be our God-father call us what you please but we dare not trust you with our Names you are so great a Gallant Shall we Perilla Mor. What is she my dearly beloved Mistris Perilla Arc. I thought as much no sooner know her name but taking away her reputation You are gotten into the perfect Road of the Town I see Per. I am Perilla since I am discover'd but not your Mistris Mor. By my Honor I 'le swear before all the Judges in the Kingdome you are and shall be Per. What whether I will or no Pray how many Mistrises more has your deserving Lordship Per. Not in possession but in report for a right Gallant never keeps account in that kind upon truth but as his humor serves him for boasting and his memory to repeat over a good long Catalogue of Ladies names Arc. Be sure to reckon my Lord that none of the rest of the Modes of the Town may give in a larger Bill of Ladies favors for if you do you are lost if you think of Marriage with her for she has sworn whosoever she makes her Husband shall have bin as much if not more the Favorite of her Sex then any Mor. Why I can be as much as the best then in their esteem Arc. Can be that 's not enough there 's no glory to be had in that by talking upon supposition You must say you have bin Per. Well you will not confess then how many Mistrisses you have had my Lord Mor. If you examine me upon Oath I must for my Conscience is very tender Per. Upon Oath you may be confident I do Mor. Why then truly I must needs say I have had all the Ladies almost in the Suburbs and City from the Bib to the Furr'd Gown lay aside all thoughts of their Honor and Virtue for my sake Per. Well your Lordship has gained much upon my affection by this acknowledgment of the general favor you have had amongst us I 'le have your Mistrisses poll'd and if no young Blade bring me a larger Bill of Fare out of the Country 't is ten to one but you shall know my mind in a week or two Enter Peregrine and Lucidore Per. That 's the Widdow I told thee of Moriphanus is her Servant Luc. He shall be hang'd before he shall have her I could almost love her enough to Marry her my self Per. Nay she 's very rich too Luc. Double temptations I am resolv'd I 'le get acquainted with her and if she and I can agree 't is odds but I shall have a sting at Matrimony before I die Per. Well Arcasia let us leave the Garden now the Air is sharp and if I stay longer I am afraid my Love will catch cold Arc. What when the Fire 's by Mor. It cannot indeed Madam if you mean me I 'le stay as long as you please Per. I wont venture it longer I find it not well already Exeunt omnes praeter Lucid. and Peregrine Luc. Come Peregrine let us follow that day-star Exeunt Scene changes to Marseills Scene 4. Enter Du-Prette and 3 Villains Du-Pr. I am mad that Philampras is not to be found 1 Vill. Why you know it was not to be done till to morrow Du-Pr. That 's true but the wind may serve before that time and then he 's gone Now we may be sure of him he must come this way from the place he sups Be sure that you dispatch him 2 Vill. Fear not we 'll make him safe enough for ever rising in judgment against you in this world what e're he does in the next Enter Lotharicus and two lighting him with Torches Du-Pr. Here he comes The Villains assault him and the men with Torches run