to their several Offices Affectionata Then the common Servants are like the common Souldiers Lord Singularity They are so and are as apt to mutiny if they be not used with strickt discipline Thus if a Master of a Family have the right way in the management of his particular affairs he may thrive easily have plenty live peaceably be happy and carry an honourable port with an indifferent Estate when those of much greater Estates which knows not nor practices the right method or rules and governs not with strictness his servants shall grow factious mutinous and be alwaies in bruleries by which disorders his Estate shall waste invisible his servants cozen egregiously he lives in penurie his servants in riot alwaies spending yet alwaies wanting forced to borrow and yet hath so much that if it were ordered with prudence might be able to lend when by his imprudence he is troubled with stores yet vex'd with necessity Affectionata I should think that no man ought to be a Master of a Family but those that can govern orderly and peaceably Lord Singularity You say right for every Master of a Family are petty-Kings and when they have rebellions in their own small Monarchies they are apt to disturb the general Peace of the whole Kingdom or State they live in for those that cannot tell how to command their own Domesticks and prudently order their own affairs are not only uselesse to the Common-wealth but they are pernicious and dangerous as not knowing the benefit and necessity of obedience and method Exeunt Scene 29. Enter the Lady VVagtail and the Lady Amorous Lady Wagtail The Lord Singularity hath brought home the sweetest and most beautifullest young Cavalier as ever I saw Lady Amorous Faith he appears like Adonas Lady Wagtail Did you ever see Adonas Lady Amorous No but I have heard the Poets describe him Lady Wagtail Venus and Adonas are only two poetical Ideas or two Ideas in poetical brains Lady Amorous Why Ideas hath no names Lady Wagtail O yes for Poets christens their Ideas with names as orderly as Christians Fathers doth their children Lady Amorous Well I wish I were a Venus for his sake Lady Wagtail But if you were only a poetical Venus you would have little pleasure with your Adonas Lady Amorous Hay ho He is a sweet youth Lady Wagtail And you have sweet thoughts of the sweet youth Lady Amorous My thoughts are like Mirtle-groves to entertain the Idea of the Lord Singularity's Son Lady Wagtail Take heed there be not a wild-boar in your Mirtle Imagenarie Grove that may destroy your Adonas Idea Lady Amorous There is no beast there only sweet singing-birds called Nightingals Exeunt Scene 30. Enter the Lord Singularity and Affectionata AFfectionata Pray my Lord what Lady is that you make such inquiry for Lord Singularity She is a Lady I would have thee marry One that my Father did much desire I should marry although she was very young and may be now about thy years I hear her Father is dead but where the Lady is I cannot find out Affectionata Perchance she is married my Lord Lord Singularity Then we should find her out by hearing who she hath marryed Affectionata But if she be not marryed she being as old as I I am too young for her for Husbands should be older than their wives Lord Singularity But she is one that is well born well bred and very rich and though thou art young in years yet thou art an aged man in judgment prudence understanding and for wit as in thy flourishing strength Affectionata Perchance my Lord she will not like me as neither my years my person nor my birth Lord Singularity As for thy years youth is alwayes accepted by the effeminate Sex and thy person she cannot dislike for thou art very handsom and for thy birth although thou art meanly born thou hast a noble nature a sweet disposition a vertuous soul and a heroick spirit Besides I have adopted thee my Son and the King hath promised to place my Titles on thee and hath made thee Heir of my whole Estate for to maintain thee according to those Dignities Affectionata But I had rather live unmarried my Lord if you will give consent Lord Singularity But I will never consent to that and if you be dutifull to me you will marry such a one as I shall chose for you Affectionata I shall obey whatsoever you command for I have nothing but my obedience to return for all your favours Lord Singularity Well I will go and make a strickt inquiry for this Lady Lord Singularity Exit Affectionata alone Affectionata Hay ho what will this come to I would I were in my Grave for love and fear doth torture my poor life Heaven strike me dead or make me this Lords wife Exeunt Scene 31. Enter the Lady Wagtail and the Lady Amorous LAdy Amorous How shall we compass the acquaintance of the Lord Singularity's Son Lady Wagtail Faith Amorous thou lovest boys but I love men wherefore I would be acquainted with the Lord Singularity himself Beside his adopted Son was a poor Beggar-boy 't is said and I cannot love one that is basely born Lady Amorous His birth may be honourably though poor and of low and mean descent for if he was born in honest wedlock and of honest Parents his birth cannot be base Lady Wagtail O yes for those that are not born from Gentry are like course brown bread when Gentry of ancient descent are like flower often boulted to make white mancher Lady Amorous By that rule surely he came from a Noble and Ancient Race for I never saw any person more white and finely shap'd in my life than he is and if fame speaks true his actions have proved he hath a Gentlemans soul But say he were meanly born as being born from a Cottager yet he is not to be despised nor disliked nor to be lesse esteemed or beloved or to be thought the worse of for was Lucan lesse esteemed for being a Stone-Cutter or his wit lesse esteemed or was King David lesse esteemed or obeyed for being a Shepheard or the Apostles lesse esteemed or believed for being Fisher men Tent-makers or the like or the man that was chosen from the Plough to be made Emperour I say was he lesse esteemed for being a Plough-man No he was rather admired the more or was Horace esteemed or his Poems thought the worse for being Son to a freed man which had been a slave or was Homer lesse admired or thought the worse Poet for being a poor blind man and many hundred that I cannot name that hath gained fame and their memories lives with Honour and Admiration in every Age and in every Nation Kingdom Country and Family and it is more worthy and those persons ought to have more love and respect that have merit than those that have only Dignity either from favour of Princes or descended from their Ancestors for all derived Honours are poor and mean in
respect of self-creating honour and they only are to be accounted mean and base that are so in themselves but those that are born from low and humble Parents when they have merits and have done worthy actions they are placed higher in fames Court and hath more honour by fames report which sounds their praises louder than those of greater descent although of equal worth and merit and justly for it is more praise-worthy when those that were the lowest and are as it were trod into the earth or was born as the phrase is from the Dunghill should raise themselves equal to the highest who keeps but where they were placed by birth but many times they keep not their place but fall from the Dignity of their birth into the myer of baseness treachery and treason when the other rises as the Sun out of a cloud of darknesse darring forth glorious beams thorough all that Hemisphere Lady Wagtail I perceive by your discourse Lovers are the best Disputers Orators and as I have heard the best Poets But I never heard you discourse so well nor speak so honourably in all my life wherefore I am confident 't was love spake not you Exeunt ACT V. Scene 32. Enter Affectionata Nurse Fondly and Foster Trusty her Husband NUrse Fondly My child we can no longer conceal you for we are accused of murthering you and are summoned to appear before a Judge and Jury AFfectionata For Heaven sake conceal me as long as you can for if I be known I shall be utterly ruined with disgrace Nurse Fondly Whose fault was it I did advise you otherwise but you would not be ruled nor counselled by me and my Husband like an unwise man did assist your childish desires Foster Trusty Well wife setting aside your wisdom let us advise what is best to be done in this case Nurse Fondly In this case we are either to be hanged or she is to be disgraced and for my part I had rather be hanged for I am old and cannot live long Foster Trusty If you were a young wench thou mightest chance to escape hanging the Judges would have taken pity on thee but being old will condemn thee without mercy Nurse Fondly If I were not a pretty wench and the Jurie amorous men at least the Judges so I should be hanged neverthelesse Affectionata Come come Foster Father and Nurse let us go and advise Exeunt Scene 33. Enter the Lady VVagtail and a Captain LAdy Wagtail Pray tell me what manner of Country is Italy Captain In short Madam there is more Summer than Winter more Fruit than Meat and more meat than Hospitality Lady Wagtail Why Captain fruit is meat Captain I mean flesh-meat Lady Wagtail Out upon that Country that hath neither Flesh nor Hospitality But Captain what are the natures dispositions and manners of the Italians Captain In general Madam thus their natures dispositions and manners are as generally all other people of every other Nation are for the generality of every Nation are alike in natures dispositions and persons that is some are of good and some are of bad some handsom and some ill-favoured but for the most part there are more ill-favoured than handsom more soul than fair and the general manner of the whole World is to offer more than present to promise more than perform to be more faigning than real more courtly than friendly more treacherous than trusty more covetous than generous and yet more prodigal than covetous but as for the Italians they are more luxurious than gluttonous and they love pleasures more than Heaven Lady Wagtail They have reason by my troth for who can tell whether in Ioves Mansion there are so many sweet and delightfull pleasures as in this World But Captain you do not tell me what pleasure the women have in Italy Captain Those women that are married are restrain'd and barr'd from all courtly pleasure or as I may say the pleasure of Courtships but the Courtezans have liberty to please themselves and to be their own carvers Lady Wagtail And there is nothing I love so well as to carve both for my self and others Captain And there is no Nation in the World so curious and ingenuous in the art of carving as the Italians Lady Wagtail I am resolved to go into Italy if it be but to learn the art of carving but I will leave my Husband behind me for you say wives have not that free liberty of carving and if I leave my Husband I may pass for a Widow though not for a maid Captain But Madam you are past your travelling years for the best time for women to travel is about twenty Lady Wagtail By your favour Sir a woman never grows old if she can but conceal her age and say she is young Captain But she must often repeat it Lady Wagtail She must so which she may easily do talking much for women wants not words neither are we sparing of them But Captain I must intreat your company for you are acquainted with the Country and hath the experience of the humours and natures of that people and having been a Souldier and a Traveller will not be to seek in the wayes of our journey Captain I shall wait upon you Madam Lady Wagtail No Captain you shall be as Master to command and I will be your Servant to obey Captain You shall command me Madam Exeunt Scene 34. Enter Affectionata alone O! How my soul is tormented with love shame grief and fear she stops a little I am in love but am ashamed to make it known Besides I have given the World cause to censure me not only in concealing of my Sex and changing of my habit but being alwaies in the company of Men acting a masculine part upon the Worlds great Stage and to the publick view but could I live thus concealed I should be happy and free from censure But O curst fortune that pleasure takes in crossing Lovers and basic time that makes all things as restless as it self doth strive for to divulge my acts when I have no defence or honest means for to conceal them for if I do oppose I shall become a Murtherer and bear a guilty conscience to my grave which may torment my soul when as my body is turn'd to dust Stops But since there is no remedy I 'l weep my sorrows forth and with the water of my tears I 'l strive to quench the blushing heat that like quick lightening flashes in my face Enter the Lord Singularity finding Affectionata Weeping Lord Singularity My dear Affectionata What makes thee so melancholly as to be alwaies weeping Affectionata I must confess my Lord here of late my eyes have been like Egypt when it is over-flown with Nilus and all my thoughts like Crockodiles Lord Singularity What is the cause Affectionata Alas my Lord causes lyes so obscure they are seldom found Lord Singularity But the effects may give us light to judge what causes are Affectionata Effects deceives and often
Doctor help may be found in giving directions and ordering the cordial Doctor So I understand you would have my counsel what you should do and my industry to order and get a meeting between Monsieur Discretion and you and to make the match betwixt you Volante You understand me right Doctor VVell I will study the means and trye if I can procure thee a man Volante Good fortune be your guide Doctor And Monsieur Discretion your Husband Ex. Scene 41. Enter Madamosel Caprisia alone CApris. Thoughts be at rest for since my love is honest and the person I love worthy I may love honourably for he is not only learned with study experienced with time and practice but he is natures favourite she hath endued his soul with uncontrouled reason his mind with noble thoughts his heart with heroick generosity and his brain with a supream wit Besides she hath presented his judgement and understanding with such a clear Prospective-glasse of speculations and such a Multiplying-glass of conception as he seeth farther and discerns more into natures works than any man she hath made before him She slops a little time then speaks But let me consider I have us'd this worthy Gentleman uncivilly nay rudely I have dispised him wherefore he cannot love me for nature abhors neglect and if he cannot love me in honesty he ought not to marry me and if I be not his wife for certain I shall dye for love or live a most unhappy life which is far worse than death Hay ho Enter Madam la Mere her Mother Mere What Daughter sick with love Capris. O Mother love is a Tyrant which never lets the mind be at rest and the thoughts are the torments and when the mind is tormented the body is seldom in health Mere Well to ease you I will go to this Lord Generosity and pray him to give you a visit Capris. By no means Mother for I had rather dye with love than live to be despised with scorn for he will refuse your desires or if he should come it would be but to express his hate or proudly triumph on my unhappy state Madamosel Caprisia goes out Madamosel Mere alone Mere She is most desperately in love but I will endeavour to settle her mind Ex. Scene 42. Enter Doctor Freedom and Madamosel Volante DOctor Am not I a good Doctor now that hath got you a good Husband Volante Nay Doctor he is but a Suiter as yet Doctor Why do not you woe upon the Stage as the rest of your Comorades doth Volante O fye Doctor Discretion never whines our love in publick Doctor So you love to be in private Volante Why Doctor the purest love is most conceal'd it lyes in the heart and it warms it self by its own fire Doctor Take heed for if you keep it too tenderly and close it may chance to catch cold when it comes abroad Volante True love ought to keep home and not to gossip abroad Enter a Servant-maid Servant-maid Madam Monsieur Discretion is come to visit you Volante Come Doctor be a witnesse of our contract Doctor I had rather stay with your maid Volante She hath not wit to entertain you Doctor Nor none to anger me Volante Pray come away for no wise man is angry with wit Doctor I perceive if I do not go with you that you will call me fool Ex. Scene 43. Enter Monsieur Comorade and Monsieur Bon Compaignon BOn Compaignon Comorade what cause makes you so fine to day Comorade I am going to two weddings to day Bon Compaignon Faith one had been enough but how can you divide yourself betwixt two Bridals Comorade I shall not need to divide my self since the Bridals keeps together for they are marryed both in one Church and by one Priest and they feast in one house Bon Compaignon And will they lye in one bed Comorade No surely they will have two beds for fear each Bride-groom should mistake his Bride Bon Compaignon VVell I wish the Bride-grooms and their Brides joy and their Guests good chear Comorade VVill not you be one of the Guests Bon Compaignon No for a Bon Compaignon shuns Hymens Court neither will Hymen entertain him But who are the Brides and Bride-grooms Comorade Monsieur Nobilissimo and Madamosel Doltche and Monsieur Perfection and Madamosel Solid Bon Compaignon Is Monsieur Profession a Guest there Comorade No for he swears now that he hates marriage as he hates death Bon Compaignon But he loves a Mistress as he loves life Ex. Scene 44. Enter Monsieur Generosity and Madamosel Caprisia he following her GEnerosity Lady why do you shun my company in going from me praystay and give my visit a civil entertainment for though I am not worthy of your affection yet my love deserves you civility Capris. I know you are come to laugh at me which is ignobly done for heroick generous spirits doth not triumph on the weak effeminate Sex Generosity Pray believe I am a Gentleman for if I loved you not yet I would never be rude to be uncivil to you or your Sex But I love you so well as when I leave to serve you with my life may nature leave to nourish me fortune leave to favour me and Heaven leave to blesse me and then let death cast me into Hell there to be tormented Capris. I am more obliged to your generous affections than to my own merits Generosity The ill opinion of your self doth not lessen your vertues and if you think me worthy to be your Husband and will agree we will go strait to Church and be marryed Capri. I shall not refuse you Ex. FINIS PROLOGUE THE Poetress sayes that if the Play be bad She 's very sorry and could wish she had A better plot more wit and skill to make A Play that might each several humour take But she sayes if your humours are not fixt Or that they are extravagantly mixt Impossible a Play for to present With such variety and temperiment But some will think it tedious or find fault Say the Design or Language is stark naught Besides the loose unsetled brains she fears Seeth with squint eyes and hears with Asses ears But she is confident all in this round Their understandings clear and judgements sound And if her Play deserves not praise she knows They 'l neither scoff in words nor preposterous shows Without disturbance you will let it dye And in the Grave of silence let it lye Youths Glory and Deaths Banquet THE FIRST PART 1. THe Lord de L'amour 2. Sir Thomas Father Love 3. Master Comfort Sir Thomas Father Loves Friend 4. Master Charity the Lord de L'amours Friend 5. Adviser the Lord de L'amours man 6. A Iustice of Peace 1. The Queen Attention 2. The Lady Incontinent Mistriss to the Lord de L'amour 3. The Lady Mother Love wife to Sir Thomas Father Love 4. The Lady Sanparelle daughter to Sir Thomas Father and Lady Mother Love 5. The Lady Innocence the affianced Mistriss
envy and malice will bring against us but consider Sir that when the foot of fame hath trod upon the tongue of envy it will be silent Father Never fear me child if thou faintest not Sansp. I fear not my self for I have an undoubted faith that the Child of such a father can neither be a Coward nor a fool for from you I receive a value or prize although of my self I should be worth nothing and Parents and Children may speak freely their thoughts let them move which way they will for Children ought not to conceal them but if deceit must be used let it be with strangers not friends Father O Child thou hast spoke but what I thought on and the very same I wisht finding thy tongue volable thy voyce tuneable thy speech eloquent thy wit quick thy expressions easy thy conceits and conceptions new thy fancies curious and fine thy Inventions subtle thy dispositions sweet and gentle thy behaviour gracefull thy countenance modest thy person beautifull thy yeares young all this I thought to my self might raise the a Trophy when a Husband would bury the in his armes and so thou to become thy own fames Tomb Sansp. Oh! But how shall we pacify my mother who is resolved not to be quiet until I go to live at the Court as likewise to marry Father I have thought of that and you know that your mother is well bred a tender mother and a chast wife yet she is violent and is not to be altered from her opinions humours and will till time wearyes her out of them wherefore we must not oppose her but rather sooth her in her humour and for marrying we will allwayes find some fault in the man or his Estate person or breeding or his humour or his wit prudence temperance courage or conduct or the like which we may truly do without dissembling for I believe there is no man but that some exceptions may be justly found to speak against him but you and I will sit in Councel about it Ex. Scene 6. Enter the Lord de l' Amour and meets the Lady Innocence LOrd de l' Amour Well met for if accident had not befriended me you would not have been so kind as to have met me for I percieve you strived to shun me Lady Innocence The reason is I was affraid my presence would not be acceptable Lord de l' Amour You never stay to try whether it would or not but surely if your conversation be answerable to your beauty your Company cannot but be pleasing Lady Innocence I doubt I am to young to be hansome for time hath not shapt me yet into a perfect form for nature hath but laid the draught mixt the collours for time to work with which he as yet hath neither placed nor drawn them right so that beauty in me is not as yet fully finished and as my beauty so I doubt my wit is imperfect and the ignorance of youth makes a discord in discourse being not so experiencedly learned nor artificially practised as to speak harmoniously where the want makes my conversation dull with circumspection and fear which makes my wordes flow through my lips like lead heavy and slow Lord de l' Amour Thy wit sounds as thy beauty appears the one charms the eares the other attracts the eyes Lady Innocence You have been more bountifull to me in your praises than Nature in her gifts Lord de l' Amour Since I perceive you to be so pleasing we will be better acquainted Ex. Scene 7. Enter 2. or 3. Philosophers This Scene of the Phylosophers the Lord Marquess writ 1. PHilosopher Come my learned brothers are we come now to hear a girle to read lectures of naturall Philosophy to teach us Are all our studyes come to this 2. Philosopher Her doting father is to blame he should be punished for this great affront to us that 's learned men 3. Philosopher Philosophers should be men of yeares with grave and Auster lookes whose countenances should like rigid lawes affright men from vanityes with long wise beards sprinkled with gray that every hair might teach the bare young Chins for to obey And every sentence to be delivered like the Law in flames and lightning and flashes with great thunder a foolish girle to offer for to read O times O manners 1. Philosopher Beauty and favour and tender years a female which nature hath denyed hair on her Chin so smooth her brow as not to admit one Philosophycall wrinckle and she to teach a Monster t is in Nature since Nature hath denyed that sex that fortitude of brain 2. Philosopher Counsel her father that her mother may instruct her in high huswifry as milking Kyne as making Cheese Churning Butter and raising past and to preserve confectionary and to teach her the use of her needle and to get her a Husband and then to practise naturall Philosophy without a Lecture 3. Philosopher 'T is a prodigious thing a girle to read Philosophy O divine Plato how thy Soul will now be troubled Diogenes repents his Tub and Seneca will burn his bookes in anger And old Aristotle wish he had never been the master of all Schooles now to be taught and by a girle 1. Philosopher Have patience and but hear her and then we shall have matter store to speak and write against her and to pull down her fame indeed her very lecture will disgrace her more than we can write and be revenged thus by her tongue 2. Philosopher Content let us then go and hear her for our sport not being worth our anger Ex. Here ends the Lord Marquess of Newcastle ACT III Scene 8. Enter the Lady Innocence and her Maid MAid By my truth Mistriss the Lord de l' Amour is a fine person Lady Innocence The truth is that he seems as if Nature had given to time the finest and richest stuff in her Shop to make his person off and time as the Tayler hath wrought and shapt his person into the most becoming fashion but yet if his Soul be not answerable to his person he is fine no otherwayes but as a fashionable and gay sute of Cloath on a deformed body the Cloathes may be fine and hansome but the body ill favoured so the body may be hansome but the Soul a foul deformed creature Maid But a fine and hansome body may hide a deformed Soul although a fine sute of Clothes will not hide a deformed body for a deformed body will be perceived in dispight of the fine Clothes Lady Innocence So will a deformed Soul in the dispight of a hansome body for the Soul will appear in the Actions as the body in the shape being as crooked in vice as the body in Limbs Maid What is the actions of the Soul Lady Innocence The passions and will Maid But man obscures the passions and restrains the will Lady Innocence So man may obscure his body and bombast his Cloathes but it is as impossible to restrain an evil
Madamoiselle Esperance Have I not reason Tell-truth No truly for a Man may do such light actions or speak merrily or solidly without an evill design only to pass a way idle time Madamoiselle Esperance Lord how idly you speak Cousin as to think men might idly pass away their time when Nature allows life no idle time for all things are growing or decaying feeding life or getting food for to nourish life or bearing or breeding for increase and man which only by his shape exceeds all other Creatures in Reason Knowledge and Understanding and will you have him cast away these supreme gifts of Nature with idle time would you have men follow the Sense only like a Beast and not to be guided by reason to some noble study or profitable action would you have them yield to their surfeting Appetites and not indeavour to temper them is Sickness less painfull than Health is Disorder to be prefer'd before Method or Inconveniency before Conveniency Warrs before Peace Famine before Plenty Vice before Virtue all which would be if idle time wery allow'd for Idleness never found out Arts nor Sciences or rules of Government nor the ease of Temperance nor the profit of Prudence nor the commands of Fortitude nor the peace of Justice which Industry produceth but Idleness brings Confusion Exeunt Scene 10. Enter Monsieur Heroick with his Sword bloody and meets his friend Monsieur Amy. AMy. What hast thou been doing that thy sword is bloody Heroick Fighting Amy. With whom Heroick I know not Amy. For what did you fight Heroick For nothing or at least as bad as nothing for that I never saw nor heard of nor knew where to find Amy. This is a strange quarrel that you neither know the man nor the cause it was a mad quarrel Heroick You say right for as for my part I had little reason to fight I know not what my opposite had but prithy friend go help him for he lyes yonder and I doubt he is deadly wounded the whilst I will seek a Chirurgion to send to him Amy. You had need seek one for your self for you bleed I see by your shirt Heroick Yes so I will but it shall be the Lady that was cause of the wounds and I will try if her Beauty can heal them Exeunt Scene 11. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo and Madamoiselle Amor NObilissimo My sweet Mistriss what is the cause you look so pale and Melancholy Amor I hear you have forsaken me and making love to another which I no sooner heard but shook with fear like to a tender Plant blown by a Northern wind wherewith my blood congeal'd with cold my thoughts grew sad and gathered like black Clouds which makes my head hang down my face all wither'd pale and dry but did I love as many do for Person not for Mind your Inconstancy would be a less Crime but were your Body as curious made as Natures skill could form you and not a Soul answerable I might Admire you but not Love you with adoration as I do Nobilissimo Fear not for as thy Tongue unlocks my Ears so it locks up my Heart from all thy Sex but thee and as a Cabinet doth keep thy Picture there Amor Heaven grant my Tongue may never rust but move with words as smoothed with Oyl turned by the strength of Wit easy and free Nobilissimo Dear Mistriss banish this Jealousy it may in time corrupt pure love and be you confident of my Affection as of your own Virtue Amor Your kind words I will take for a sufficient Seal and never doubt the Bond that Love hath made Exeunt Scene 12. Enter Monsieur Phantasie wounded being lead between Madamoiselle Bon and Monsieur Amy he seems to be so faint as not to pass any further but is forced to ly down Madamoiselle sits by him AMy. I will go fetch more help and Chirurgions Monsieur Amy goes out Madamoiselle Bon stayes and holds her Arm under his head Phantasie I am wounded more with thoughts of Sorrow than with my opposites Sword and wish that Death would strike me in thy Arms that I might breath my last there offer up my Soul upon the Altar of thy Breast and yield my life a Sacrifice unto thy Constancy Madamoiselle Bon. May Death exchange and take my life that is useless to the World and spare yours for noble actions to build a fame thereon Phantasie Speak not so Madamoiselle Bon. If my words offend you my tongue for ever shall be Dumb Phantasie No it is your Wish offends and not your Words for they are Musick to my Ears or like to drops of Balsom powr'd therein to heal my wounded Soul Madamoiselle Bon. If that my words could cure your wounds that bleed rather than want I le speak till all my breath were spent no life to form words with She weeps Phantasie Why do you weep Madamoiselle Bon. To see you bleed but if you bleed to Death I will weep to Death and as life issues through your Wounds so shall life issue through my Eyes and drown it self in floods of tears Phantasie Forbear let not the Earth drink up those tears those precious tears the Gods thirst after Enter Men and take him up and lay him forth Exeunt Scene 13. Enter Madamoiselle Grand Esprit and her Audience GRand Esprit Venus thou Goddess fair for thy Sons sake Cupid the God of Love O let me make A Banquet of sweet Wit to entertain This Noble Company and feast each brain And let each several Ear feed with delight Not be disturb'd with foul malicious spight Noble and Right Honourable I shall take my discourse at this time out of Beauty the ground of which discourse is Eyes Eyes are the Beauty of Beauty for if the Eyes be not good the face though ne'r so fair or otherwise well featur'd cannot be pleasing the truth is Eyes are the most Curious Ingenious Delightfull and Profitable work in Nature Curious in the Aspect and Splendor Ingenious in the form and fashion Delightfull in the Society and Profitable in their Commerce Trade and Traffick that they have with all the rest of Natures works for had not Nature made Eyes all her works had been lost as being buryed in everlasting darkness for it is not only Light that shews her works but Eyes that see her works wherefore if Nature had not made Eyes she had lost the glory of Admiration and Adoration which all her Animal Creatures give her begot raised or proceeding from what they see besides not only Light the presenter of objects would have been lost but Life would have been but only a dull Melancholy Motion for want of sight and for want of sight life would have wanted knowledge and so would have been ignorant both of its self and Nature but now life takes delight by the fight through the Eyes and is inamor'd with the Beauties it views and the Eyes do not only delight themselves and life with what they receive but
with what they send forth for Eyes are not only passages to let Light Coulours Forms and Figures in but to let Passions Affections Opinions out besides the Eyes are not only as Navigable Seas for the Animal Spirits to Traffick on and Ports to Anchor in but they are the Gardens of the Soul wherein the Soul sits and refreshes it self and Love the Sun of the Soul sends forth more glorious Rayes than that Sun in the Sky and on those objects they do shine they both comfort and give a nourishing delight but yet when the light of love doth reflect the heat doth increase by double lines and quickness of motion which causes many times a Distemper of the Thoughts which turns to a Feavor in the Mind but to conclude most Noble and Right Honourable Eyes are the Starrs which appear only in the Animal Globe to direct the life in its Voyage not only to places that life knows but to new discoveryes and these Animal Starrs do not only guide the Animal life but have an influence and various effects on the Soul and are not only to view the Beauties of all the other works of Nature but are the chiefest Beauties themselves and if that Reason that is the Educator of the Life and chief Ruler and Commander of the Soul did not cross and hinder the influence of these Animal Starrs they would prove very fatal to many a one Wherefore Right Honourable my Application is that you obey Reason and pray unto it as to a Deity that it may divert the Malignant influences and cause them to point to a Happy Effect For which my good wishes shall attend you That the Gods of these Starrs may defend you Exeunt ACT IV. Scene 14. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo and Monsieur Heroick NObilissimo Brother I may bid you welcome home for I have not seen you these two years methinks between Brothers as you and I are should never be absence Heroick No faith Brother for we never have good fortune when we are asunder for since I patted I hear you are to be Marryed and I must tell you I am like to be Hanged Nobilissimo Heaven forbid you should be hanged Heroick And do not you make the same Prayer against your Marriage Nobilissimo No for that prayer would prove a Curse if Heaven should grant it but I hope Brother you speak of this but merrily and not as a truth to believed that you are like to be hanged Heroick Yes faith I met with a man that was resolv'd to fight with the next he met I think for he forced a quarrel and we fought and I fear I have killed him Nobilissimo What was the cause of the quarrel Heroick Why about a Beauty that none must admire but himself and yet they must maintain she is the absolutest Beauty of her Sex and such a Beauty I hear of every where but I cannot see her any where Nobilissimo Let me tell you Brother she is worth the seeing Heroick And is she worth the blood and life that is lost and spilt for her Nobilissimo Yes if it had been to maintain her Beauty against rude Despisers or her Virtue against base Detractors or her Honour against wicked Violators for her Soul hath as many beautifull graces and Virtues and her mind as many noble qualities as her body hath beautifull Parts Lineaments gracefull Motions pleasing Countenances lovely Behaviour and courteous Demeanors Heroick Certainly Brother you are very well acquainted with her that you know her so well as to speak so confident of her Nobilissimo Yes Brother I do know her very well for she is Sister to my Mistriss Heroick So I thought she had some relation to you that you spake so much in her praise this Self-love bribes all our Tongues but Brother you have so fired my Spirits as I am almost as mad as the Gentleman I fought with before I see her meerly with the report and since I must lose my Wits with the rest of Mankind for I find all are mad that come within the list of her Name pray let me part with my Wits on Honourable terms as at the view of her Beauty Nobilissimo I shall make it a request to her that you may see her and she being a person who is very obliging I make no question but she will receive your civil and humble respects Exeunt Scene 15. Enter Monsieur Esperance and his Wife Madamoiselle Esperance MAdamoiselle Esperance Husband do you love me Monsieur Esperance Yes Madamoiselle Esperance Better than any other Woman Monsieur Esperance I can make no comparison Madamoiselle Esperance Why do you then neglect me so much as to take no notice whether I be fine and brave or ragged or patcht or ilfavoured or handsom and yet you take notice of every other woman from the stranger abroad to the Kitchin-Maid at home Monsieur Esperance By my troth Wife I do so just as I would do of a Tree or a Bush or a Stone or a Brake or a Fox or an Ass and no otherwise Madamoiselle Esperance Yet it is a sign you have them in your mind and I had rather be hated than forgotten wherefore pray let me be sometimes in your thoughts although as a Bryar and not to be flung out Root and Branch Monsieur Esperance Heaven forbid Wife you should become a Thorn in my Mind but thou art there as my Soul nor do I love you at a common rate for were thy person more deformed than ever Nature made either by Sickness or Casualty I still should love thee for thy Virtuous Soul and though your person is very handsom yet I consider not your Beauty but your Health so you be well I care not how you look for my love is at that height as it is beyond the body grown for should I only love you for your Beauty when that is decayed my love must of necessity dy if Beauty were the life Madamoiselle Esperance So then I am only your spiritual love and you will chuse a temporal one elsewhere Monsieur Esperance Prethee be not Jealous of me because I am become assured of your Chastity for know I could sooner hate my self than love or amorously affect any other woman but thy self and when I prove false to you may Iupiter cast me to Plutoes Court there to be tormented Eternally Madamoiselle Esperance Well pardon this fit of Jealousy for I shall never question your affection more nor doubt your Constancy Exeunt Scene 16. Enter Madamoiselle La Belle and her Sister Madamoiselle Amor MAdamoiselle La Belle To quarrel and fight for me is strange for as for the one I never saw and the other I have no acquaintance with but had I favoured the one or affronted the other or had favoured them both it might have raised a dispute from a dispute to a quarrel from a quarrel to a duell but many times men make a seeming love the occasion to shew their courage to get
declared she will never marry Malicious That is all one for men will persue their desires and live of Hopes so long as there is any left Spightfull Well the worst come to the worst we shall only live old Maids Tell-truth But not old Virgins Exeunt Scene 20. Enter Madamoiselle Grand Esprit her two Sisters Madamoiselle Amor and Madamoiselle La Belle as Brides and Monsieur Nobilissimo and Monsieur Heroick his Brother as Bridegrooms and a Company of Bridal guests all as her Audience GRand Esprit Great Hymen I do now petition thee To bless my Sisters not to favour me Unless I were thy subject to obey But I am Diana's and to her do pray But give me leave for to decide the cause And for to speak the truth of marriage laws Or else through ignorance each man and wife May rebels prove by Matrimonial strife Noble and Right Honourable From the root of Self-love grows many several Branches as Divine Love Moral Love Natural and Sympathetical Love Neighbourly and Matrimonial Love Divine Love is the Love to the Gods Moral Love is the Love to Virtue Natural Love is the Love to Parents and Children Sympathetical Love is of Lovers or Friendships Neighbourly Love is the Love of Acquaintance and true Matrimonial Love is the Love of United Souls and Bodyes but I shall only insist or discourse at this time for my Sisters sakes of Matrimonial Love this Matrimonial Love is the first imbodyed Love that Nature created for as for Divine Love and Moral Love they are as incorporeal as the Soul and Sympathetical and Matrimonial Love which I will joyn as Soul and Body were before Natural or Neighbourly Love for Marriage beget Acquaintance and none lives so neer nor converses so much as man and wife and there was a Sympathy and Conjunction of each Sex before there were Children and there could be no Parents before there were Children thus Matrimonial Love was the first substantial Love and being the Original and producing Love ought to be honoured and preferr'd as the most perfect and greatest Love in Nature but mistake me not Noble and Right Honourable when I say the greatest Love in Nature I mean not the Supernatural Love as Divine Love as to the Gods but this Matrimonial Love I say is to be the most respected as the Original Love like as Nature is to be honoured and preferred before the Creatures she makes so Matrimonial Love ought to be respected first as being the cause of Friendly Sociable Neighbourly and Fatherly Love wherefore man and wife ought to forsake all the world in respect of each other and to prefer no other delight before each others good or content for the Love of Parents and Children or any other Love proceeding from Nature ought to be waved when as they come in Competition with the Love man and wife for though Matrimonial Love is not such a Divine Love as from man to the Gods yet it is as the Love of Soul and Body also it is as a Divine Society as being a Union but Right Honourable to tell you my opinion is that I belive very few are truly married for it is not altogether the Ceremony of the Church nor State that makes a true marriage but a Union and indissoluble Conjunction of Souls and Bodyes of each Sex wherefore all those that are allowed of as man and wife by the Church State and Laws yet they are but Adulterers unless their Souls Bodyes and Affections are united as one for it s not the joyning of hands speaking such words by Authentical persons nor making of vows and having Witnesses thereof that makes a true marriage no more than an Absolution without a Contrition makes a holy man wherefore dear Sisters and you two Heroick Worthies marry as you ought to do or else live single lives otherwise your Children will be of a Bastard kind and your associating but as Beasts which are worse than Birds for they orderly chuse their Mates and lovingly fly and live together and equally labour to build their nest to feed their young and Sympathetically live and love each other which order and love few married persons observe nor practice but after all this even those marriages that are the perfectest purest lovingest and most equallest and Sympathetically joyned yet at the best marriage is but the womb of trouble which cannot be avoided also marriage is the grave or tomb of Wit for which I am resolved for my part to live a single life associating my self with my own Thoughts marrying my self to my own Contemplations which I hope to conceive and bring forth a Child of Fame that may live to posterity and to keep a-live my Memory not that I condemn those that marry for I do worship married persons as accounting them Saints as being Martyrs for the good cause of the Common-wealth Sacrificing their own Happiness and Tranquillity for the weal publick for there is none that marries that doth not increase their Cares and Pains but marriage Unites into Familyes Familyes into Villages Villages into Cities Cities into Corporations Corporations into Common-wealths this increase keeps up the race of Mankind and causes Commerce Trade and Traffick all which associates men into an Agreement and by an Agreement men are bound to Laws by Laws they are bound to Punishments by Punishments to Magistrates and by Magistrates and Punishments to Obedience by Obedience to Peace and Defence in which Center of Peace my dear Sisters I wish you may live and be guarded with the Circumference of Defence that nothing may disturb or indanger you or yours and that you may live in true marriage and increase with united love blest with Virtuous Children and inrich'd with prudent Care and Industry also I wish and pray that Jealousy may be banished from your Thoughts Pains and Sickness from your Bodyes Poverty from your Familyes evill Servants from your Imployments Disobedience from your Children And that Death may not rob you of your breed But after your life your Children may succeed FINIS An Epilogue spoken by the Lady True-Love O How my heart doth ake when think I do How I a modest Maid a man did woo To be so confident to woo him here Upon the publick Stage to every Ear Men sure will censure me for mad if not To be in some unlucky Planet got Or else will tax me of dishonesty As seeming like a bold immodesty Well I have woo'd yet am I not despis'd But am by Virtuous honour highly priz'd Because my Love was spotless pure and Chast And on a noble worthy man was plac'd Then why should I blush weep or yet repent Or shun the wooing part to represent But rather joy and glory in my choice If you approve my Act pray giv 't a voice THE ACTORS NAMES The Arch-Prince The Lord Dorato The Lord Melancholy the Lord Doratoes Son Sir Thomas Gravity the Lord Doratoes Brother The Lady Gravity Sir Thomas's Wife The Lady Perfection the Lady Gravities
plead without speech let me beg your favour to accept of me for your servant and what I want in Language my industrious observance and diligent service shall supply I am a Gentleman my breeding hath been according to my birth and my Estate is sufficient to maintain me according to both As for your Estate I consider it not for were you so poor of fortunes goods as you had nothing to maintain you but what your merit might challenge out of every purse yet if you were mine I should esteem you richer than the whole World and I should love you as Saints love Heaven and adore you equal to a Dietie for I saw so much sweetness of nature nobleness of soul purity of thoughts and innocency of life thorough your Bashfull countenance as my soul is wedded thereunto and my mind so restless therefore that unless I may have hopes to injoy you for my Wife I shall dye Your distracted Servant SERIOUS DUMB Lady Bashfull Now Reformer what say you to this Letter Reformer I say it is a good honest hearty affectionate Letter and upon my life it is the Gentleman I commended so he that looked so seriously on you and your Ladyship may remember I said he viewed you as if he would have looked you thorough and you made answer that you wished he could that he might see you were not so simple as your behaviour made you appear and now your wish is absolved Lady Bashfull VVhat counsel will you give me in this cause Reformer VVhy write him a civil answer Lady Bashfull VVhy should I hold corespondence with any man either by Letter or any other way since I do not intend to marry Reformer Not marry Lady Bashfull No not marry Reformer VVhy so Lady Bashfull Because I am now Mistriss of my self and fortunes and have a free liberty and who that is free if they be wise will make themselves slaves subjecting themselves to anothers humour unless they were fools or mad and knew not how to chose the best and happiest life Reformer You will change this opinion and marry I dare swear Lady Bashfull Indeed I will not swear but I think I shall not for I love an easie peaceable and solitary life which none injoys but single persons for in marriage the life is disturbed with noise and company troublesome imployments vex'd with crosses and restless with cares Besides I could not indure to have Parteners to share of him whom my affections had set a price upon or my merit or beauty or wealth or vertue had bought Reformer So I perceive you would be jealouse if you were married Lady Bashfull Perchance I might have reason but to prevent all inconveniences and discontents I will live a single life Reformer Do what likes you best for I dare not perswade you any way for fear my advice should not prove to the best Exeunt Scene 18. Enter Affectionata and Foster Trusty FOster Trusty Now you are placed according to your desire what wil you command me to do Affectionata Dear Foster Father although I am loth to part from you yet by reason I shall suffer in my estate I must intreat you to return home for my Nurse your wife hath not skill to manage that fortune my Father left me for she knows not how to let Leases to set Lands to receive Rents to repair Ruines to disburst Charges and to order those affairs as they should be ordered which your knowledge industry and wisdom will dispose and order for my advantage Foster Trusty But how if you be discovered Affectionata Why if I should as I hope I shall not yet the Lord Singularity is so noble a person as he will neither use me uncivily not cruelly Foster Trusty All that I fear is if you should be discovered he should use you too civilly Affectionata That were to use me rudely which I am confident he will not do and I am confident that you do believe I will receive no more civillity if you call it so than what honour will allow and approve of Foster Trusty But jealousie will creep into the most confident breasts sometimes yet I dare trust you though I fear him Affectionata I hope there is no cause to fear him or doubt me wherefore dear Father let us go and settle our affairs here that you may return home to order those there Scene 19. Enter Sir Peaceable Studious and the Lady Ignorance his Wife She being undrest her mantle about her as being not well SIr P. Studious In truth wife it is a great misfortune you should be sick this Term-time when the Society is so much increast as it is become a little Common-wealth Lady Ignorance If there be so many they may the better spare me Sir P. Studious 'T is true they can spare your company but how can you want their companies Lady Ignorance You shall be my Intelligencer of their pastimes Sir P. Studious That I will wife but it will be but a dull recreation only to hear a bare relation Lady Ignorance As long as you partake of their present pleasures and pleasant actions what need you take care for me Sir P. Studious Yes but I must in Justice for since you have cured me of a studious Lethargie I ought to do my indeavour to divert your melancholly and there is no such remedy as the Society wherefore dear wife fling off this melancholly sickness or sick melancholly and go amongst them for surely your sickness is in your mind not in your body She cries Sir P. Studious What do you cry Wife who hath angered you Lady Ignorance Why you Sir P. Studious Who I anger'd you I why I would not anger a woman no not my Wife for the whole World If I could possible avoid it which I fear cannot be avoided for if I should please out of your Sex I should be sure to displease another But that is my comfort it is not my fault but dear Wife how have I offended you Lady Ignorance Why did you kiss my maid before my face Sir P. Studious Why did you perswade me Lady Ignorance Did I perswade you to kiss my maid Sir P. Studious No but you did perswade me to be one of the Society and there is kissing and I thought it was as well to kiss your maid before your face as a sociable Lady before your face Lady Ignorance And why do you make love to the Ladies since I suffer none to make love to me Sir P. Studious No for if you did I would fling you to death to be imbraced in his cold arms Besides those actions that are allowable and seemly as manly in men are condemned in women as immodest and unbecoming and dishonourable but talking to you I shall miss of the pleasant sports and therefore if you will go come the Coach is ready Lady Ignorance No I will not go with you Sir P. Studious Then I will go without you Lady Ignorance No pray Husband go no more thither Sir P.
sit down or to bid him leave her company and surely they must needs be both very weary of walking but sure he will leave her when it is time to go to bed Reformer It is to be hoped he will Enter the Lady Bashfull and Sir Serious Dumb following her Reformer Madam you will tire your self and the Gentleman with walking about your house wherefore pray sit down Lady Bashfull What! To have him gaze upon my face Reformer Why your face is a handsome face and the owner of it is honest wherefore you need not be ashamed but pray rest your self Lady Bashfull Pray perswade him to leave me and then I will Reformer Sir my Lady intreats you to leave her to her self Sir Serious Dumb writes then and gives Reformer his Table-book to read Reformer He writes he cannot leave you for if his body should depart his soul will remain still with you Lady Bashfull That will not put me out of countenance because I shall not be sensible of its presence wherefore I am content he should leave his soul so that he will take his body away He writes and gives Reformer the Book Reformer reads He writes that if you will give him leave once a day to see you that he will depart and that he will not disturb your thoughts he will only wait upon your person for the time he lives he cannot keep himself long from you Lady Bashfull But I would be alone Reformer But if he will follow you you must indure that with patience you cannot avoid Sir Serious Dumb goeth to the Lady Bashfull and kisseth her hand and Ex. Reformer You see he is so civil as he is unwilling to displease you Lady Bashfull Rather than I will be troubled thus I will go to some other parts of the World Reformer In my conscience Madam he will follow you wheresoever you go Lady Bashfull But I will have him shut out of my house Reformer Then he will lye at your gates and so all the Town will take notice of it Lady Bashfull Why so they will howsoever by his often visits Reformer But not so publick Exeunt Scene 31. Enter the General and Affectionata Lord Singularity Affectionata Thou must carry a Letter from me to my Mistriss Affectionata You will not marry her you say Lord Singul. No Affectionata Then pardon me my Lord for though I would assist your honest love by any service I can do yet I shall never be so base an Instrument as to produce a crime Lord Singul. Come come thou shalt carry it and I will give thee 500. pounds for thy service Affectionata Excuse me my Lord Lord Singularity I will give thee a thousand pounds Affectionata I shall not take it my Lord Lord Singul. I will give thee five thousand nay ten thousand pounds Affectionata I am not covetous my Lord Lord Singularity I will make thee Master of my whole Estate for without the assistance I cannot injoy my Mistriss by reason she will trust none with our Loves but thee Affectionata Could you make me Master of the whole World it could not tempt me to do an action base for though I am poor I am honest and so honest as I cannot be corrupted or bribed there-from Lord Singularity You said you loved me Affectionata Heaven knows I do above my life and would do you any service that honour did allow of Lord Singularity You are more scrupulous than wise Affectionata There is an old saying my Lord that to be wise is to be honest Exeunt Scene 32. Enter Sir Peaceable Studious and meets his Ladies maid Sir P. Studious Where is your Lady Maid In her Chamber Sir Sir P. Studious Pray her to come to me Maid Yes Sir Sir P. Studious Exit Enter another Maid to the first 1. Maid Lord Lord What a creature my Master is become since he fell into his musing again he looks like a melancholy Ghost that walks in the shades of Moon-shine or if there be no Ghost such as we fancie just such a one seems her when a week since he was as fine a Gentleman as one should see amongst a thousand 2. Maid That was because he kiss'd you Nan 1. Maid Faith it was but a dull clownish part to meet a Maid that is not ill-favoured and not make much of her who perchance have watch'd to meet him for which he might have clap'd her on the cheek or have chuck'd her under the chin or have kiss'd her but to do or say nothing but bid me call my Lady was such a churlish part Besides it seemed neither manly gallantly nor civilly 2. Maid But it shewed him temperate and wise not minding such frivilous and troublesome creatures as women are 1. Maid Prithy it shews him to be a miserable proud dull fool 2. Maid Peace some body will hear you and then you will be turn'd away 1. Maid I care not for it they will not turn me away I will turn my self away and seek another service for I hate to live in the house with a Stoick Scene 33. Enter the General and Affectionata AFfectionata By your face Sir there seems a trouble in your mind and I am restless until I know your griefs Lord Singularity It is a secret I dare not trust the aire with Affectionata I shall be more secret than the aire for the aire is apt to divulge by retorting Echoes back but I shall be as silent as the Grave Lord Singul. But you may be tortured to confess the truth Affectionata But I will not confess the truth if the confession may any wayes hurt or disadvantage you for though I will not belye truth by speaking falsely yet I will conceal a truth rather than betray a friend Especially my Lord and Master But howsoever since your trouble is of such concern I shall not with to know it for though I dare trust my self yet perchance you dare not trust me but if my honest fidelity can serve you any wayes you may imploy it and if it be to keep a secret all the torment that nature hath made or art invented shall never draw it from me Lord Singul. Then let me tell thee that to conceal it would damn thy soul Affectionata Heaven bless me But sure my Lord you cannot be guilty of such sins that those that doth but barely hear or know them shall be damned Lord Singul, But to conceal them is to be an Actor Affectionata For Heaven sake then keep them close from me if either they be base or wicked for though love prompt me to inquire hoping to give you ease in bearing part of the burthen yet Heaven knows I thought my love so honourable placed on such a worthy person and guiltless soul as I might love and serve without a scandal or a deadly sin Lord Singularity Come you shall know it Affectionata I 'l rather stop my ears with death Lord Singul. Go thou art a false boy Affectionata How false a boy howsoever you think me I have an
said Ex. Scene 14. Enter Madamosel Mere and her Daughter Madamosel Caprisia MERE Daughter you have a sufficiency of wit and beauty to get many Lovers to chose a Husband if you had but patience to entertain and prudence to keep them But your being crosse will lose your Lovers as soon as your beauty hath taken them Capris. It is no prize for a woman to have such Lovers that hath amorous natures for it is their nature that drives them to her and not the womans beauty or wit that draws them to her and there is less force required to drive than to draw but the truth is that most men hath such threed-bare souls as if the nap of their understanding were worn of or indeed their souls seems as if there were never any woven thereon as that nature hath made all their souls thin and course or as if time had Moath-eaten them which makes me although not to hate you yet to despise that Sex for men that should imitate the Gods yet are they worse than Beasts which makes me shun their beastly company Mere Daughter you speak and judge passionately and passion can never reason well for how is it possible for reason to exercise its function when passion opposes and is too strong for it Capris. Truth may be delivered in passion but not corrupted with passion for truth is truth howsoever it be divulged or else it is no truth but falsehood Ex. Scene 14. Enter Monsieur Perfection and Madamosel Solid drest very fine PErfection You are wondrous fine to day Madam Solid If I seem fine to day I am obliged more to my fancie than my wealth for this finerie Perfection The truth is you are so adjousted so curiously accoutred as I perceive judgement and wit were joyned associates in your dressing Solid I had rather be commended or applauded for judgement and wit than for wealth and beauty for I had rather have my soul commended than my person or fortunes Perfection Certainly I believe you have a more rational soul than any other of your Sex have Solid Alas My soul is but a young soul a meer Novice soul it wants growth or my soul is like a house which time the architectour hath newly begun to build and the senses which are the Labourers wants information and experience which are the materiall for the rational soul to be built on or with but such materials as hath been brought in I strive and endeavour to make the best and most convenient use for a happy life Perfection How say you the best use for a good Wife Solid No that little reason I have tells me to be a Wife is to be unhappy for content seldom in marriage dwells disturbance keeps possession Perfection If you disprayse marriage you will destroy my hopes and frustrate my honest design Solid VVhy what is your design Perfection To be a Suiter to you Solid And what is your hopes Perfection To be your Husband Solid If I thought marriage were necessary although unhappy yet there would be required more wit and judgement in chosing a Husband than in dressing my self wherefore it were requisite that some of more wit and judgement than my self should chose for me otherwise I may be betray'd by flattery outward garb insinuations or false-hood and through an unexperienced innocency I may take words and shews for worth and merit which I pray the Gods I may not do for to marry an unworthy man were to me to be at the height of affliction and marriage being unhappy in it self needs no addition to make it worse Perfection Madam Discretion forbids me to commend my self although I am a Lover For had I merits worthy great praises it were unfit I should mention them but there is not any man or woman that is or can be exactly known either by themselves or others for nature is obscure she never divulges herself neither to any creature nor by or through any creature for the hides herself under infinite varieties changes and chances She disguises herself with antick Vizards she appears sometimes old sometimes young sometimes vaded and withered sometimes green and flourishing sometimes feeble and weak sometimes strong and lusty sometimes deformed and sometimes beautifull sometimes she appears with horrour sometimes with delight sometimes she appears in glimsing lights of knowledge then clouds herself with ignorance But Madam since we are as ignorant of our souls as of our fortunes and as ignorant of our lives as of our deaths we cannot make any choice upon certainties but upon uncertainties and if we be good whilst we live our deaths will be our witnesse to prove it in the mean time let our promises stand bound for us which is the best ingagement we can give although it may sail and let our marriage be as the Bond of agreement although we may forfeit the same yet let us make it as sure as we can Solid I will consider it and then I will answer your request Perfection That is to yield Solid It is like enough Ex. Scene 16. Enter Madamosel Caprisia and Monsieur Importunate IMportunate My fair Shrew are you walking alone Caprisia My thoughts are my best Companions Importunate Pray let a thought of me be one of the company Capris. When you enter into my mind you do appear so mean as my nobler thoughts scorns that thought that bears your figure Importunate Thoughts are as notes and the tongue is the Fiddle that makes the musick but your words as the cords are out of tune Capris. You say so by reason they are not set to your humour to sound your prayse Importunate I say you are very handsome nature hath given you a surpassing beauty but pride and self-conceit hath cast such a shadow as it hath darkened it as vaporous clowds doth the bright Sun Capris. Your opinions are clowdy and your tongue like thunder strikes my ears with rude uncivil words Ex. He alone Importunate I perceive humility dwels not with beauty nor with but is as great a stranger as with Riches and Titles Ex. Scene 17. Enter Madamosel Volante and Monsieur Discretion DIscretion Madam the fame of your wit drew me hither Volante I am sorry my wit hath a greater fame than my worth that my vain words should spread further than my vertuous actions for noble fame is built on worthy deeds Discretion But it were pity you should bury your wit in silence Besides your discourse may profit the hearers either with delight or instructions Volante O no for discourses pleases according to the humour or understanding of the hearers Besides it is the nature of mankind to think each other fools and none but themselves wise Then why should I wast my life to no purpose knowing times motion swift Discretion You do not wast your life through your words if your words gets you a fame and esteem of the VVorld Volante VVhat shall I be the better in having the VVorlds esteem nay it is likely that prayses whilst I live
but that malicious breath soon vanishes and leaves no stain behind it so I hope your jealousie will do the like it will vanish and leave no doubt behind it Perfection I hope you are not angry with me for telling you or for being my self troubled at what was reported Solid No for innocency is never concern'd it always lives in peace and quiet having a satisfaction in it self wherefore reports only siezes on the guilty arresting them with an angry turbulency Perfection But perchance you may be angry for my jealousie Solid No for jealousie expresses love as being affraid to lose what it desires to keep Perfection Then I hope you do not repent the love you have placed on me Solid Heaven may sooner repent of doing good than I repent my love and choyce Perfection Dear Mistress my mind is so full of joy since it is clear'd of suspition and assured of your love as my thoughts doth fly about my brain like birds in Sun-shine weather Ex. Scene 24. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo and Madamosel Doltche NObilissimo Sweet Lady will you give me leave to be your Servant Doltche I wish I were a Mistress worthy of your service Nobiliss. There is no man shall admire more your beauty and wit nor be more diligent to your youth nor shall honour your merits and love your vertue more than I Doltche Indeed I had rather be honoured for my merit than for my birth for my breeding than for my wealth and I had rather be beloved for my vertue than admired for my beauty and I had rather be commended for my silence than for my wit Nobilissimo It were pity you should bury your great wit in silence Doltche My wit is according to my years tender and young Nobilissimo Your wit Lady may entertain the silver haired Sages Doltche No surely for neither my years nor my wit are arrived to that degree as to make a good companion having had neither the experience of time nor practice of speech for I have been almost a mute hitherto and a stranger to the VVorld Nobilissimo The VVorld is wide and to travel in it is both dangerous and difficult wherefore you being young should take a guide to protect and direct you and there is no Guide nor Protector so honourable and safe as a Husband what think you of marriage Doltche Marriage and my thoughts live at that distance as they seldom meet Nobilissimo VVhy I hope you have not made a vow to live a single life Doltche No for the Laws of Morality and Divinity are chains which doth sufficiently restrain mankind and tyes him into a narrow compasse and though I will not break those chaining Laws to get lose and so become lawless yet I will not tye nature harder with vain opinions and unnecessary vows than she is tyed already Nobilissimo You shall need no Tutour for you cannot only instruct your self but teach others Doltche Alas my brain is like unplanted ground and my words like wild fruits or like unprofitable grain that yields no nourishing food to the understanding Wherefore if I should offer to speak my speech must be to ask questions not to give instructions Nobilissimo Certainly Lady nature did study the architectour of your form and drew from herself the purest extractions for your mind and your soul the essence or spirits of those extractions or rather you appear to me a miracle something above nature to be so young and beautifull and yet so vertuous witty and wise grac'd with such civil behaviour for many a grave beard would have wagg'd with talking lesse sense with more words Doltche Youth and age is subject to errors one for want of time to get experience the other through long time wherein they lose their memory Nobilissimo Pray let me get your affections and then I shall not lose my hopes of a vertuous Lady to my wife Ex. Scene 25. Enter Madamosel Caprisia and Monsieur Generosity GEnerosity Lady are you walking studiously alone may I not be thought rude if I should ask what your studies are Capris. I am studying how some studies for pain some pleasure some dangers some quarrels some to be wicked some to be learned some to be ignorant some to be foolish some to be famous but few to be wise Generosity Who studies to be wicked Capris. Thieves Murtherers Adulterers Lyers and Extortioners Generosity Who studies to be learned Capris. Linguists Generosity Who studies to be ignorant Capris. Divines Generosity Who studies quarrels Capris. Lawyers Generosity Who studies dangers Capris. Souldiers Generosity VVho studies to be fools Capris. Buffoones Generosity VVho studies fame Capris. Poets Generosity VVho studies pleasure Capris. Epicures Generosity VVho studies pain Capris. Epicures Generosity Do Epicures study both for pain and pleasure Capris. Yes for they that surfeit with pleasure must endure pain and Epicures studies the height of pleasure which no sooner injoyed but pain follows Generosity VVho studies to be wise Capris. They that study Temperance Prudence Fortitude and Justice Generosity And what study you Capris. I study how I may avoid the company of mankind also to be quit of your Lordships presence He alone She goeth out Generosity She is so handsome no humour can ill become her Ex. Scene 26. Enter Monsieur Profession and Monsieur Comorade Comorade Thom. Give me leave to rejoyce with thee for the resurrection of thy heart that was kill'd with thy Mistresses cruelty and buried in her constancy Profession VVell well make your self merry Comorade But prethee in what plight is thy heart I doubt it is lean weak and pale and in a puling condition lying in the Grave of thy Mistresses inconstancy Profession Faith I cannot tell the good Angel that brought into life can give a better account of it than I can Comorade VVhere shall I seek this good Angel amongst the effeminate or masculine Sex For I suppose it is an Angel that is of one Sex although I have heard Angels are of neither Sex but prethee of which shall I inquire Profession Of the divine Sex and the divinest of her Sex Comorade You may as well bid me inquire of that which is not to be found for every particular man that is a Servant to any particular of these angelical creatures will prefer his own Mistress to be the divinest and so the most absolutest Profession All men that sees my Mistresse and doth not adore her as the only She is damned in ignorance and condemned to perpetual blindnesse Comorade Say you so then I will not see her for fear I should be one of the damned and therefore I will give over that design as the search of her and go to a Tavern and drink the good health of thy heart and leave the inquiry after it and if you will go with me so Profession I cannot without the breach of gratitude deny thy kindnesse wherefore I will bear thee company Ex. Scene 27. Enter Doctor Freedom and Madamosel Doltche Madamosel Solid Madamosel Volante
Solid O you are welcome Doctor Freedom Doctor If I be not welcome now I shall never be welcome Volante Why Doctor what Present have you brought us that can make you so acceptable is it perpetual youth or undeniable beauty or everlasting life But prethee Doctor what is it that will make thee so welcome Doctor Why my self here being so many young Ladies together and not a man amongst them Volante Thy self Doctor why thou art not worth the dregs of an Urinal of a sick water if it were not for our charity and generosity more than thy merit ability or service you would have but a cold entertainment and a rule welcome Doctor Well my young wity saterycal Patient you will take a surfeit of fruit milk puddings pyes or sweet-meats one of these dayes and then you will flatter me Volante You say right Doctor but now I speak truth and is not that better than to flatter or dissemble For there is none but sick and deprav'd souls that will deliver Truth with a quarter half or three quartred face like Merchants or mechanick that would sell off their ill commodities with a broken light but a noble and healthfull soul shews the full face of Truth in a clear light wherefore the sick and base will flatter but the noble and free will speak truth Doctor VVell I am sure you think better of me in your thoughts than your words expresses Volante Let me tell you my words and thoughts are so well acquainted as they never dissemble and there is such a friendship betwixt them as they never move several wayes but runs even together But let me tell thee Doctor I have such a spleen to thy Sex as I desire to kill them at least to wound them with spitefull words and I wish I had beauty enough for to damn them causing them to be perjured by forsaking other women they were bound by sacred vows and holy bonds Enter Monsieur Discretion Discretion It is well Master Doctor that you can be priviledg'd amongst the young Ladyes at all times when such as I that have not your Profession are oftentimes shut and lockt out Doctor Faith if you have no better entertainment than I have had since I came it were better you were from them than with them for their tongues are as sharp as needles Volante 'T is a sign we want work when we are forc'd to stitch our wit upon you Discretion How dare you anger the Doctor when your life lyes upon his skill Volante O! His skill lyes upon chance and it is a chance whether he kills or cures is it not Doctor Doctor No for I can kill my Patients when I will although not cure them when I will Volante VVell then Doctor when I would dye I will send for you but not when I would live Discretion Your Servant Ladies Monsieur Discretion goeth out Doctor Good Lady Wit follow Monsieur Discretion he will make you a wise Lady and make your wit discreet as it should be Volante O Doctor how you mistake for wit cannot be made it is a Creator and not a Creature for wit was the first Master or Mistress of Arts the first Husband-man Granger Gardiner Carver Painter Graver Caster and Moulder Mason Joyner Smith Brasier Glazier the first Chandler Vintener Brewer Baker Cook Confectioner the first Spinster VVeaver Knitter Tayler Shoo-maker and millions the like also wit was the first Navigator Architector Mathematician Logitian Geometrician Cosmografir Astronomer Astrologer Philosopher Poet Historian and Hearold also wit made the first Common-wealth invented Laws for Peace Arms for VVars Ceremonies for State and Religion also musick dancing dressing masking playing for delight and pleasure wit divides time imployes time prevents time and provides for time it makes Heavens and Hells Gods and Divels Doctor VVell go thy wayes for though thou hast a heavenly mind and an angelical beauty yet thou hast a devilish wit Volante It shall be sure to torment thee Doctor but do you hear Doctor pray present my service to Monsieur Discretion and tell him it was a signe he lik'd not our company he made so short a stay Doctor He perceived by your usage of me that if he stayd you would beat him out of your company with your two edged tongues but I will tell him what a Rallery you are Volante I hope you will give me a good report for I have fully charged you Doctor You have over-charged me and therefore it is likely I shall break into exclamations Ex. ACT IV. Scene 28. Enter Monsieur Importunate and Madamosel Caprisia IMportunate Lady if I may not be your Husband pray let there be a friendship between us Capris. What kind of friendship would you make for there are so many and of such different natures as I know not which you would be as some friendship is made by beauty some by flattery some by luxurie some by factions others by knavery and all for interest Importunate None for love Capris. No but some are made by lust but they last not long Importunate And is there no friendship made by vertue Capris. O no for vertue may walk all the World over and meet never a friend which is the cause she lives alone for all the World thinks her too rigid for Society which makes mankind adhere to her enemie vice Importunate Doth not marriage make a friendship Capris. Very seldom for marriage is like a Common-wealth which is a contract of bodyes or rather a contract of interest not a friendship betwixt souls and there is as much Faction and oftener civil Wars in marriage than in publick Common-wealths Importunate I desire our friendship may be Platonick Capris. That is too dangerous for it oftimes proves a Traytor to Chastity Ex. Scene 29. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo Madamosel Doltche and her Nurse NUrse Sir you must give me leave to chide you for staying so long with my Nurse-child as you keep her from her dinner either go away or stay and dine with her Nobilissimo Good Nurse be patient for though I am engaged to dine with other company yet her discourse is such charming musick as I have not power to go from her as yet Doltche If my discourse sounds musical 't is only when you are by but when you are absent the strings of my voice or speech is as if they were broken for then my tongue is out of Tune and my wit is out of humour Nobilissimo My dearest and sweetest Mistress may your merits be rewarded by Fame your vertue by Heaven your life by Nature and all your earthly desires by Fortune Doltche And my love by the return of yours Nobilissimo When I forsake you may Hell take my soul and Divels torment it for ingratitude and perjury Ex. Scene 30. Enter Madamosel Volante and a Grave Matron MAtron Madamosel Doltche seems to be a very fine sweet Lady well-behav'd sober modest discreet and of a gentle nature Volante Most commonly every one seems best at the first sight
expresse himself in such high poetical Raptures for his discourse is plain and ordinary Nobilissimo Nay sometimes his discourse is extraordinary as when he hath Wars but Nurse thou art old and the fire of love if ever thou hadst any is put out by old Father Times extinguisher Doltche True love never dyes nor can time put it out Nobilissimo 'T is true but Nurse seems by her speech as if she had never known true love for true love as it alwaies burns clear so it alwaies flames high far infinite is the fewel that feeds it Nurse Well well young Lovers be not so confident but let me advise you to ballance reason on both sides with hopes and doubts and then the judgement will be steady Nobilissimo But in the scales of love Nurse nothing must be but confidence Nurse Yes there must be temperance or love will surfeit and dye with excess Doltche Love cannot surfeit no more than souls with grace or Saints of Heaven Ex. Scene 37. Enter Madamosel Caprisia alone CApris. My smiles shall be as Baits my eyes as Angels where every look shall be a hook to catch a heart I 'l teach my tongue such art to plant words on each heart as they shall take deep root from whence pure love shall spring my lips shall be as flowery banks whereon sweet Rhethorick grows and cipherous fancy blows from which banks love shall wish to gather Posies of kisses where every single kisse shall differ as Roses Pinks Violets Primroses and Daffidillies and the breath therefrom shall be as fragant as the touch soft thereon and as the Sun doth heat the Earth so shall my imbraces heat my Lovers thoughts with self-conceit which were before like water frozen with a dejected and despairing cold Hay ho Ex. ACT V. Scene 38. Enter Monsieur Profession and Madamosel Solid PRofession Dear Mistress you are the only She that is fit to be crown'd the sole Empresse of the World Solid Let me tell you Sir I had rather be a single Shepheardesse than the sole Empress of the World for I would not be a Mistress of so much power to be as a Servant to so much trouble Profession But put the case Alexander were alive and would crown you Empress of the World you would not refuse that honour but accept of it for the sake of renown Solid Yes I should refuse it for if I could not get renown by my own merits I should wish to dye in Oblivion for I care not Nay I despise such honours and renowns as comes by derivations as being deriv'd from another and not inherent in my self and it is a poor and mean renown that is gain'd or got only by receiving a gift from a fellow-creature who gives out of passion appetite partiality vain-glory or fear and not for merit or worthsake wherefore no gifts but those that comes from the Gods or Nature are to be esteem'd or received with thanks but were to be refused had man the power to chose or to deny Profession Sweet Mistress nature hath crown'd you with beauty and wit and the Gods hath given you a noble soul Solid I wish they had for the Gods gifts are not like to mans and natures crown is beyond the golden crown of Art which are greater glories than Power Wealth Title or Birth or all the outward honours gain'd on Earth but I desire the Gods may crown my soul with reason and understanding Heaven crown my mind with Temperance and Fortitude Nature crown my body with Health and Strength time crown my life with comely and discreet age Death crown my separation with peace and rest and Fame crown my memory with an everlasting renown thus may my creation be to a happy end Profession Gods Fortune and Fates hath joyned to make me happy in your love and that which will make me absolutely happy is that I shall marry you and imbrace you as my wife Solid The absolute happiness is when the Gods imbraces man with mercy and kisses him with love Ex. Scene 39. Enter Madamosel Caprisia CApris. Hay ho who can love and be wise but why do I say so For reason loves wisely 't is only the mistaken senses that loves foolishly indeed the sense doth not love but fondly and foolishly affects for it 't is an humoursome and inconstant appetite that proceeds from the body and not that noble passion of true love which proceeds from the soul But O! what a ridiculous humour am I fallen into from a cholerick humour into an amorous humour Oh! I could tear my soul from my body for having such whining thoughts and such a mean submissive croaching feigning flattering humour and idle mind a cholerick humour is noble to this for it is commanding and seems of an heroick spirit but to be amorous is base beastly and of an inconstant nature Oh! How apt is busie life to go amisse What foolish humours in mans mind there is But O! The soul is far beyond the mind As much as man is from the beastly kind Ex. Scene 40. Enter Madamosel Volante and Doctor Freedom DOctor Are you weary of your life that you send me for you said you would not send for me untill you had a desire to dye Volante True Doctor and if you cannot cure me kill me Doctor In my conscience you have sent for me to play the wanton Volante Why Doctor If I do not infringe the rules and laws of modesty or civility I cannot commit wanton faults Doctor Yes faith your tongue may play the wanton Volante Indeed Doctor I had rather tell a wanton truth than a modest lye Doctor Well what is your disease Volante Nay that you must guesse I can only tell my pains Doctor Where is your pain Volante In my heart and head Doctor Those be dangerous parts but after what manner are your pains Volante On my heart there lyes a weight as heavy as the World on Atlas shoulders and from my melancholly mind arises such damps of doubts as almost quenches out the fire of life did not some hope though weak which blows with fainting breath keep it alive or rather puffs than blows which intermitting motions makes my pulse unequal and my bloud to ebbe and flow as from my heart unto my face and from my face unto my heart again as for my head it feels drousie and my spirits are dull my thoughts uneasily doth run crossing and striving to throw each other down this causes broken sleeps and frightfull dreams and when I awake at every noyse I start with fears my limbs doth shake Doctor VVhy this disease is love wherefore I cannot cure you for love no more than wit can neither be temper'd nor yet be rul'd for love and wit keeps neither moderate bounds nor spares diet but dyes most commonly of a surfeit Volante O yes discretion can cure both Doctor Then send for Monsieur Discretion and hear what he sayes to you for your disease is past my skil Volante By your industry
Terrestriall globes which globes are as Man and Wife the Coelestiall as the Husband the Terrestriall as the Wife which breeds and bears what the Coelestiall begets For the Coelestiall and the Terrestriall globes are Natures working houses where Animals Vegetables and Minerals are wrought into several figures shapt and formed into divers fashions like as Smiths makes diverse fashioned things out of mettals so Nature is as the Smith the Earth as the mettal the Sun as the fire the Sea as the quenching water the aire as the Bellows youth is the Furnace time is the Forge and motion is the Hammer both to shape and break assunder but for fear I should break your patience I shall desist from speaking any more at this time After a modest and humble respective bow to the assembly She goeth out The whilst the Audience holds up their hands in admiration 1. Philosopher Now you have heard her what do you say 2. Philosopher I say let us go home and make a funerall pile of our bookes that are Philosophy burn them to Ashes that none may file as Phenix like out of that dust 3. Philosopher No throw them at those foolish men that walk in black who would be thought learned by the outside although they are unlettered 4. Philosopher Take heed of that for so they may have hopes of a resurrection and so rise again in ragged covers and tattered torn sheets in old Duck-lane and quack their to be bought 1. Philosopher No no we will all now send for Barbers and in our great Philosophies despair shave of our reverend beards as excrements which once did make us all esteemed as wife and stuff boyes foot-balls with them 2. Philosopher Nature thou dost us wrong and art too prodigall to the effeminate Sex but I forgive thee for thou art a she dame Nature thou art but never shewed thy malice untill now what shall we do 3. Philosopher Faith all turn gallants spend our time in vanity and sin get Hawks and Hounds and running Horses study the Card and Dye Rich Cloathes and Feathers wast our time away with what this man said or what that man answered backbite and raile at all those that are absent and then renownce it with new Oathes Alamode 4. Philosopher No no honour this Virgin whose wit is supreme whose judgment is Serene as is the Sky whose life is a Law unto her selfe and us virtue her handmaid and her words so sweet like to harmonious musick in the Aire that charms our Senses and delights the Soul and turns all passions in our hearts to love teaches the aged and instructs the youth no Sophister but Mistriss still of truth Ex. Here ends my Lord Marquisses Scene 10. Enter the Lord de l'Amour and the Lady Innocence LOrd de l'Amour I begin to be so fond of your Company as I cannot be long absent therefrom Lady Innocence 'T is your favours to me which favours are above my merits indeed I have no merits but what your favour creates Lord de l'Amour You seem so virtuous and sweetly dispositioned and are so beautifull and witty as I cannot but admire and love you Lady Innocence I dare not be so rude not yet so ungratefull to speak against my selfe now you have praised me for your words are like to Kings which makes all currant coyn they set their stamp on although the substance should be mean and of no value Lord de l'Amour Thy words are Musicall Lady Innocence I wish I could speak as eloquently upon every subject as several birds sings sweety in several Tunes to please you Lord de l'Amour Do you love me so well as to wish it onely for my sake Lady Innocence Yes and how should I do otherwise for my affections to you was ingrafted into the root of my infancy by my Fathers instructions and perswasions which hath grown up with my Age The Lady Incontinent peeps in and sees them together speaks to her selfe in the mean time they seem to whisper Lady Incontinent Are you both so serious in discourse I will break your friendship or I will fall to the grave of death in the attempt Lady Incontinent goes out Lord de l'Amour Heaven make you as virtuous as loving and I shall be happy in a Wife Lord de l'Amour goes out Lady Innocence alone Lady Innocence Heaven make him as constant as I virtuous and I shall be sure of a gallant man to my Husband Ex. ACT IV. Scene 11. Enter the Lady Sanspareille and takes her place her Father and her Audience about her being all Morall Philosophers When she had done her respects speaks SAnsp. By my fathers relation to me I understand that all this worthy Assembly are students in morality wherefore I shall treat this time of passions wherein I make no question being all sage that you have not only learnt to distinguish them but have practiced how to temper and govern them but perchance you will say to your selves what need she speak of that which have been so often treated of only to make repetitions of former Authors but you all know without my telling you that new applications may be made on often preached Texts and new arguments may be drawn from old principles and new experiences may be learnt from former follies but howsoever my discourse shall not be very long least tedious impertinencies should make it unpleasant to your eares cause too great a loss of time to your better imployments but my discourse is as I said on the passions which I will first divide as the Ancient Philosophers into two love and hate First I will treat of pure love which is self-love for love to all other things is but the effects thereof And is derived therefrom self-love is the sole passion of the Soul it is a passion pure in it self being unmixt although all other passions do attend it this passion called self-love is the legitimated Child of Nature being bred in infinite and born in eternity yet this passion of self-love being the Mother of all other love is oftentimes mistaken for a fond or a facile disposition bred from a weak constitution of the body or a strong or rather exstravagant appetite of the Senses or from a gross constitution or evill habit or custome of life or an ill example of breeding but these Childish humours facile and easy dispositions foolish and earnest desires gross and greedy appetites Inconstant and evill Natures these are not pure love as the effects of self-love for it doth it self hurt but they are the effects of the body and nor of the Soul for some of them proceeds from a gross strength of body hot and active spirits others from a tenderness and weakness of body and faint spirits but the true passions of love which is self-love but mistake me not for when I say self-love 〈…〉 as is appertaining thereto as love of honour love of virtue humane love naturall love pious love Sympatheticall love which are the
true begotten Children of self-love This love hath no other object but perfection it hath an absolute command over life it conquers death and triumphs over torments but every soul hath not this pure love for there is a seeming self-love and a reall self-love but as I said every soul hath it not for it is with souls and the passions therein as with bodyes and the sensuall life some are more healthfull and strong others infirm and weak some are fair and well favoured others foul and ill favoured some are straight well shapt others crooked and deformed some high some low some are of long life others of short life some lifes have more actions than others some more sensitive relishes than others some good Natures some bad and all of that sort of Animals we call mankind and as the body and sensitive Spirits so for the Soul and rationall Spirits for some hath as I may say more Soul than others as some hath larger Souls than others some purer than others as being more Serene some hath more ingenuity and understanding than others So passions although one and the same sorts of passions yet in some Souls they are more Serene and elevated than others but many times the pure passions of the Soul is so allyed with the gross humours of the body as they become base and of no good use but in the passion of pure love for the most part dwels naturally Melancholly I mean not that dry cold sharp humour bred in the body which makes it Insipid inclosing the Soul as it were within Walls of stone which causeth a dull heavy and stupid disposition as it oppresseth and lyes like a heavy burthen on the Soul hindering the active effects thereof but this naturall Melancholly dwells not in every Soul but onely in the noblest for it is the noblest effect of the noblest passion in the noblest Soul As for the passion of hate it is not that lothing or aversion which is caused by a full or sick Stomack or surfetted Senses or glutted Appetites or cross humours or an Antipathy of dispositions or evill fortunes or the like but the true passion of hate is in the Soul not bred in the body yet hate is a bastard passion of self-love begot by opposition bred from corruption and born with disturbance this hate as it is derived from the bowels and loynes of self-love so it pursues self-loves enemyes which is suspect falshood and neglect With this passion of hate anger is a great Companion these two passions being seldome assunder but anger is oftentimes mistaken as all the rest of the passions are but this passion of anger is one of the uselest passions of the Soul and is so far from assisting fortitude as many think it doth as it is an opposite enemy to it for it cannot suffer patiently and oftimes knows not what it Acts or on what it Acts or when it Acts this passion is one of the furyes of the Soul which oftimes deposes reason but a Chollerick disposition is sooner to be pardoned and less to be feard being bred in the body and as the humour ebbes and flowes this disposition is less or more But to return to the two Principle passions which is love and hate I will at this time similize them to two several Kingdoms or Regions love being the largest for it reaches to the shades of death and strongest for it can indure and hold out the assaults of any torment being intrenched with fidelity fortified with constancy imbatled with courage victualled with patience and armed or manned with resolution and were it not for the many labyrinths of feats running in and out with continuall doubts wherein the content of the mind is oftentimes lost otherwayes it would be as pleasant a Kingdome as it is a strong one having large prospects of honour and Land-Skips of perfection green Meddows of hopes wherein grows sweet Primroses of Joy and clear springs of desires runs in swift streams of industry by the banks of difficulty besides this Kingdome is allwayes serene for the Sun of Fervency of allwayes shines there In this large Kingdome of love reigns naturall Melancolly who is the Heroick Royallest soberest and wisest Prince born in the mind he directs his Actions with prudence defends his Kindome with courage indures misfortunes with patience moderates his desires with temperance guides his Senses with judgment orders his Speech with Sence and governs his thoughts with reason he is the commander of the Appetites living in the Court of imaginations in the City of silences in the Kingdome of love in the little world called Man and the greatest favorite to this Prince is wit and the Muses are his Mistrisses to whom he applies his Courtship recreating himself in their delightful Company entertaining himself with Balls Maskes Pastorills Comedyes Tragedyes and the like presenting them in the Bowers of fancy built in the Gardens of Oratory wherein growes flowers of Rhetorick but the greatest enemies to this Prince is unseasonable mirth which oftimes disturbes his peace by bringing in an Army of empty words sounding their loud Trumpets of laughter shooting of bald jests beating the drums of idleness with the sticks of ridiculous Actions But hate although it be a Kingdome that is very strong by reason it hath high mountainous designes hard Rocks of cruelties deep pits of obscurity many Quagmires of subtilty by which advantages this Kingdome is inpregnable yet the Kingdome of its self is barren and Insipid bearing nothing but thorny Bushes of mischief and moss of ill Nature no noble thoughts or worthy Actions the climate is various for the Aire of the mind is gross having thick mists of envy which causeth several sicknesses of discontent other whiles it is very cold and sharp with spight other times it is sulphury hot with malice which flashes lightning of revenge which in a thundery fury breaks out In this Kingdome of hate reigns anger who is a Tyrant and strikes at every smale offence and many times on Innocence and so unjust as he seldome takes witnesses pride and jealousy are his favourites which governs all with scorn and executes with fury he imposes taxes of slander and gathers levies of detraction exception is his secretary to note both wordes and Actions he accuseth the Senses with mistakes and beheads the Appetites on the Scaffolds of dislike he strangles truth with the Cords of Erronious opinions and tortures the thoughts one Wheels of foul suspition whipping imagination with disgrace he confounds the Speech with disordered hast that neither Sence nor wordes can take their right places but anger dyes as most Tyrants doth being kild by repentance and is buryed in salt teares betwixt these two Kingdoms of love and hate runs a salt Sea of sorrow which sometimes breaks into the Kingdome of love and sometimes into the Kingdome of hate from this Sea arises thick vapours of grief which gathers into dark Clouds of sadness which Clouds dissolves into showring
none Company but Cowards and Fools and slothful conscientious Persons neither is she usefull but for indifferent imployments for what is of extraordinary worth Patience doth but disgrace it not set it forth for that which is transcendent and Supreme Patience cannot reach Wherefore give me Fury for what it cannot raise to Heaven it throwes it straight to Hell were you never there Friend No nor I hope shall never come there Father Love Why Sir I was there all the last Night and there I was tortured for chiding my Daughter two or three times whilst she lived once because she went in the Sun without her Mask another time because her Gloves were in her Pocket when they should have been on her Hands and another time because she slep'd when she should have studied and then I remember she wept O! O! those pretious tears Devil that I was to grieve her sweet Nature harmless Thoughts and Innocent Soul O how I hate my self for being so unnaturally kind O kill me and rid be of my painful life Friend He is much distracted Heaven cure him Exeunt Scene 18. Enter two Gentlemen 1. Gentleman The Miracle is deceas'd the Lady Sanspareile I hear is dead 2. Gent. Yes and it 's reported her Statue shall be set up in every College and in the most publick places in the City at the publick charge and the Queen will build a Sumptuous and Glorious Tomb on her sleeping Ashes 1. Gent. She deserves more than can be given her 2. Gent. I hear her death hath made her Father mad 1. Gent. Though her death hath not made every one mad like her Father yet it hath made every one melancholy for I never saw so general a sadness in my life 2. Gent. There is nothing moves the mind to sadnesse more than when Death devours Youth Beauty Wit and Virtue all at once Ex. Scene 19. There is a Hearse placed upon the Stage covered with black a Garland of Ciprus at the head of the Herse and a Garland of Mirtle at one side and a Basket of Flowers on the other Enter the Lady Innocence alone drest in White and her hair hound up in several coloured Ribbons when she first comes in speaks thus LAdy Innocence O Nature thou hast created bodies and minds subject to pains torments yet thou hast made death to release them for though Death hath power over Life yet Life can command Death when it will for Death dares not stay when Life would passe away Death is the Ferry-man and Life the waftage She kneels down and prayeth But here great Nature I do pray to thee Though I call Death let him not cruel be Great Jove I pray when in cold earth I lye Let it be known how innocent I die Then she rises and directs her self to her Herse Here in the midst my sadder Hearse I see Covered with black though my chief Mourners be Yet I am white as innocent as day As pure as spotlesse Lillies born in May My loose and flowing hair with Ribbons ty'd To make Death Amorous of me now his Bride Watchet for truth hair-colour for despair And white as innocent as purest Ayre Scarlet for cruelty to stop my breath Darkning of Nature black a type of death Then she takes up the Basket of Flowers and as she strews them speaks Roses and Lillies 'bout my Coffin strew Primroses Pinks Violets fresh and new And though in deaths cold arms anon I lye weeps I 'le weep a showr of tears these may not dye A Ciprus Garland here is for my head To crown me Queen of Innocence when dead A Mirtle Garland on the left side plac't To shew I was a Lover pure chast Now all my saddest Rites being thus about me And I have not one wish that is without me She placeth her self on her Herse with a Dagger or pointed knife in her hand Here on this Herse I mount the Throne of death Peace crown my soul my body rest on earth Yet before I dye Like to a Swan I will sing my Elegie She sings as she is sitting on the Herse thus Life is a trouble at the best And in it we can find no rest Ioyes still with sorrows they are Crown'd No quietnesse till in the ground Man vexes man still we do find He is the torture of his kind False man I scorn thee in my grave Death come I call thee as my slave Here ends my Lords Writing And just then stabs her self In the mean time the Lord de l'Amour comes and peeps through the Curtain or Hanging and speaks as to himself whilst she is a dying Lord de l'Amour I will observe how she passes away her time when she is alone Lady Innocence Great Iove grant that the light of Truth may not be put out with the extinguisher of Malice Lord de l'Amour How she feeds her melancholy He enters and goeth to her What are you acting a melancholy Play by your self alone Lady Innocence My part is almost done Lord de l'Amour By Heaven she hath stabb'd her self Calls Help Help Lady Innocence Call not for help life is gone so farr t is past recovery wherefore stay and hear my last words I die as judging it unworthy to out-live my honest Name and honourable Reputation As for my accusers I can easily forgive them because they are below my Hate or Anger neither are worthy my revenge But you for whom I had not only a devout but an Idolatrous Affection which offered with a zealous Piety and pure Flame the sincerity of my heart But you instead of rewarding my Love was cruel to my life and Honour for which my soul did mourn under a Veil of sadnesse and my thoughts covered with discontent sate weeping by But those mourning Thoughts I have cast off cloathing my self with Deaths pale Garments As for my pure Reputation and white Simplicity that is spotted with black Infamy by Hellish slander I have laid them at Heavens Gates just Gods to scoure them clean that all the World may know how innocent I have been But Oh! farewel my fleeting Spirits pure Angels bear away Lord de l'Amour O speak at the last Are you guilty or not Lady Innocence I am no more guilty of those crimes laid to my charge than Heaven is of sin O Gods receive me Oh! Oh! Dies Lord de l'Amour Great Patience assist me Heart hold life in Till I can find who is guilty of this sinn Ex. The Herse drawn off the Stage Scene 20. Enter Sir Thomas Father Love brought in a Chair as sick his Friend by him Mr. Comfort Friend How are you now Father Love O Friend I shall now be well Heaven hath pitty on me and will release me soon and if my Daughter be not buryed I would have her kept as long out of the Grave as she can be kept that I might bear her company Friend She cannot be kept longer because she was not unbowelled Father Love Who speaks her
desire to be your Shepheard and you my fair Shepheardess attending loving thoughts that feed on kisses sweet folded in amorous arms Poor Virtue My mind never harbors wanton thoughts nor sends immodest glances forth nor will infold unlawful love for chastity sticks as fast unto my Soul as light unto the Sun or heat unto the fire or motion unto life or absence unto death or time unto eternity and I glory more in being chast than Hellen of her beauty or Athens of their learning and eloquence or the Lacedemonions of their Lawes or the Persians of their Riches or Greece of their Fables or the Romans of their Conquests and Chastity is more delightfull to my mind than Fancy is to Poets or Musick to the Ears or Beauty to the Eyes and I am as constant to Chastity as truth to Unity and Death to life for I am as free and pure from all unchastity as Angels are of sin Poor Virtue goes out Lord Title alone Lord Title I wonder not so much at Fortunes gifts as Natures curiosities not so much at Riches Tittle and power as Beauty VVit and Virtue joyn'd in one besides she doth amaze me by expressing so much learning as if she had been taught in some famous Schools and had read many histories and yet a Cottager and a young Cottager t is strange Ex. Scene 15. Enter the Lord Courtship and Mr. Adviser ADviser My Lord doth my Counsel take good effect Lord Courtship Yes faith for she seems to take it very patiently or elce she is so dull a Creature as she is not sensible of any injury that 's done her Adviser How doth she look when you adress and salute your Mistriss Lord Courtship She seems to regard us not but is as if she were in a deep contemplation of another world Adviser I think she is one of the fewest words for I never heard her speak Lord Courtship Faith so few as I am in good hope she is tongue-tyed or will grow dumb Adviser That would be such a happiness as all married men would envy you for Lord Courtship They will have cause for there is nothing so tedious as talking women they speak so constraintly and utter their Nonsence with such formality and ask impertinent questions so gravely or else their discourse is snip snap or so loud and shrill as deafs a mans ears so as a man would never keep them Company if it were not for other reasons Adviser Your Lordship speaks as if you were a woman-hater Lord Courtship O Pardon me for there is no man loves the Sex better than I yet I had rather discourse with their beauty than their wits besides I only speak of generalities not particularities Ex. Scene 16. Enter the Lady Contemplation and Sir Humphrey Interruption INterruption Lady pray make me partaker of some of your conceptions Contempl. My conceptions are like the tongue of an extemporary Oratour that after he hath spoke if he were to speak upon the same subject he could hardly do it if it were not impossible just to speak as he did as to express the same subjects in the same expressions and way of his natural Rhetorick for the sense may be the same but the expressions way of Rhetorick wil hardly be the same but 't is likely will be very different and so differing as not to be like the same but the same premeditated Rhetorick will many times serve to many several designs or preaching pleading or speaking the Theam or cause being altered This is the difference betwixt extemporary Oratory and premeditated Oratory the one may be spoke as many times as an Orator will and make the same Oratory serve to many several Subjects the other being not fixt but voluntary vanishes out of the remembrance the same many times do my conceptions Interrup. But I hope all are not vanished some remain wherefore pray expresse or present any one of your conceptions after what manner of way you please Contempl. Why then I will tell you I had a conception of a Monster as a Creature that had a rational soul yet was a Fool It had had a beautiful and perfect shape yet was deformed and ill-favoured It had clear distinguishing senses and yet was sencelesse It was produced from the Gods but had the nature of a Devil It had an eternal life yet dyed as a Beast It had a body and no body Interrup. What Monster call you this Contempl. I call him Man Interrup. This is a Man of your own conception Contemp. A man of Natures creating is as monstrous for though man hath a rational soul yet most men are fools making no use of their reason and though Man hath a beautiful and perfect shape yet for the most part they make themselves deformed and ill-favoured with antick postures violent passions or brutish vices and man hath clear distinguishing Senses yet in his sleep or with fumes or drink he is sencelesse Man was produced immediately from the Gods yet man being wicked and prone to evil hath by evil wickednesse the nature of a Devil Man 't is said shall live for ever as having an eternal life yet betwixt this life and the other he dyes like a Beast and turns to dust as other Creatures do but the only difference between the man Nature creates and the man my Conceptions create is that Natures man hath a real substance as a real body whereas my conceptive man is only an Idea which is an incorporal man so as the body of my concepted man is as the soul of Natures created man an incorporality Ex. Scene 17. Enter the Lord Title and Mall Mean-bred LOrd Title Well I have lost my first Course in Love and now like an angry bloody Gray-hound I will down with the first I meet were she as innocent as a Dove or as wise as a Serpent down she goes Enter Mall Mean-bred But soft here 's Loves game and I le flye at her Fair One for so you are Mall Mean-bred Truly Sir I am but a Blouse Lord Title Think better of your self and believe me Mall Mean My Father hath told me I must not believe a Gentleman in such matters Lord Title Why sweetest I am a Lord Mall Mean A Lord Lord blesse your Worship then but my Father gave me warning of a Lord he said they might nay say and swear too and do any thing for they were Peers of the Realm there was no medling with them he said without a Rebellion blesse me from a Lord for it is a naughty thing as they say I know not Lo. Title Do you value me so little when I can make you an Apocryphal Lady Mall Mean The Apocrypha forsooth is out of my Book I have been bred purer than to meddle with the Apocrypha the Gods blesse us from it and from all such ill things Lo. Title Well in short will you love me Mall Mean I am so ashamed to love a Lord forsooth that I know not how to behave my self Lo. Title
I will teach you Mall Mean If your Honour will take the pains to teach a poor ignorant Country Maid I will do the best I can to learn forsooth but will it not be too much pains for your Honour do you think Lo. Title No no it will be both for my Honour and my pleasure and for the pleasure of my Honour Mall Mean-bred Blesse us how the Lords doe It backward and forward at their pleasure the finest that ever was but what would your Honour have of me Lo. Title By this kiss I le tell you He goes to kiss her she seems nice and coy Mall Mean O fie fie good your Honour do not scandalize your lips to kisse mine and make me so proud as never to kisse our Shepherd again He offers Mall Mean No fie Lo. Title I will and must kisse you He strives Mall Mean-bred Nay good your Honour good your Honour He kisses her What are you the better now But I see there is no denying a Lord forsooth it is not civil and they are so peremptory too the Gods blesse them and make them their Servants Lo. Title This kisse hath so inflamed me therefore for Loves sake meet me in the Evening in the Broom close here Mall Mean I know the Close forsooth I have been there before now Lo. Title Well and when we meet I will discover more than yet I have done Mall Mean So you had need forsooth for nothing is discovered yet either on your side or mine but I will keep my promise Lo. Title There spoke my better Angel so adiew Mall Mean An Angel I will not break my word for two angels and I hope there will be no dew neither God shield you forsooth Ex. Here ends my Lord Marquesse Scene 18. Enter Sir Effeminate Lovely following Poor Virtue Sir Effeminate Lovely Fair Maid stay and look upon my person Poor Virtue Why so I do Effem. Love And how do you like it Poor Vir. As I like a curious built house wherein lives a vain and self-conceited owner Effem. Love And are not you in love with it Poor Vir. No truly no more than with a pencilled Picture Effem. Love Why I am not painted Poor Vir. You are by Nature though not by Art Effem. Love And do you despise the best and curiousest Works of Nature Poor Vir. No I admire them Effem. Love If you admire them you will admire me and if you admire me you will yield to my desires Poor Vir. There may be admiration without love but to yield to your desires were to abuse Natures VVorks Effem. Love No It were to enjoy them Poor Vir. Nature hath made Reason in man as well as Sence and we ought not to abuse the one to please the other otherwise man would be like Beasts following their sensualities which Nature never made man to be for she created Virtues in the Soul to govern the Senses and Appetites of the Body as Prudence Justice Temperance and Conscience Effem. Love Conscience VVhat is that natural fear Poor Vir. No it is the tenderest part of the Soul bathed in a holy dew from whence repentant tears do flow Effem. Love I find no such tender Constitution nor moist Complexion in my Soul Poor Vir. That is by reason the Fire of unlawful Love hath drunk all up seared the Conscience dry Effem. Love You may call it what Fire you will but I am certain it is your Beauty that kindles it and your Wit that makes it flame burning with hot desires Poor Vir. Pray Heaven my Virtue may quench it out again Poor Virtue goes out Lovely alone Effem. Love I am sure Nature requires a self-satisfaction as well as a self-preservation and cannot nor will not be quiet without it esteeming it beyond life Ex. Scene 19. Enter the Lady Ward and Nurse Careful Lady Ward I wonder my Lord Courtship he being counted a wise man should make me his Baud if he intends to make me his Wife and by my troth Nurse I am too young for that grave Office Nurse Careful How ignorantly you speak Child it is a sign you have been bred obscurely and know little of the world or rather it proves your Mother dyed before you could speak or go otherwise you would be better experienced in these businesses Lady Ward My Mother Nurse Heaven rest her soul she would never have made me a Baud Nurse Careful No why then she would not do as most Mothers do now a dayes for in this age Mothers bring up their daughters to carry Letters and to receive messages or at lest to watch at the door left their Fathers should come unawares and when they come to make some excuse and then the Mother laughs and sayes her daughter is a notable witty Girle La. Ward What for telling a lye Nurse Careful Yes when it is told so as to appeare like a truth Lady Ward But it is a double fault as to deceive the Father and be a Baud to the Mother Nurse Careful Why the Mother will execute the same Office for the daughter when she is marryed and her self grown into years for from the age of seven or eight years old to the time they are maryed the Daughter is a Baud to the Mother and from the time of their marriage to the time of their Mothers death the Mother is a Baud to the Daughter but if the Mother be indifferently young and hath a young tooth in her head as the old saying is they Baud for each other Lady Ward But why doth not the Mother Baud for her Daughter before she is marryed Nurse Care O there is reason for that for that may spoil her fortune by hindering her marriage for marriage is a Veile to cover the wanton face of adultery the like Veil is Baud-mothers and Baud-daughters for who would suspect any lewdnesse when the Mother and the Daughter is together La. Ward And are not Sons Pimps for their Fathers as Daughters are for their Mothers Nurse Careful No saith Boys have facility or ingenuity as Girles have besides they are kept most commonly so strictly to their Bookes when Girles have nothing else to do but when they have cast away their Books and come to be marryed men then they may chance to Pimp for their Wives Lady Ward O fie Nurse surely a man will never play the Pimp to Cuckold himself Nurse Care O yes if they be poor or covetous or ambitious and then if they have a handsome woman to their wife they will set her as a bait to catch their designs in the trap of Adultery or patient quiet simple fearful men will if they have a Spritely wise they will play the Pimp either for fear or quiet for such men to such wives will do any thing to please them although it be to Cuckold themselves La. Ward But surely Nurse no Gentleman will do so Nurse Gare. I know not who you call Gentleman but those that bear up high and look big and vant loud and walk
that you are in love with why to cure your disease I will deform it or do you think I have wit to cure that Imagination I will put my tongue to silence I am sure it cannot be my Vertue that inflames you to an intemperance for Vertue is an Antidote against it But had you all the beauty in Nature squeez'd into your form and all the wit in Nature prest into your brain and all the prosperities of good fortune at your command and all the power of Fate and Destiny at your disposal you could not perswade me to yield to your unlawful desires for know I am honest without self-ends my virtue like to Time still running forward my chastity fix'd as Eternity without circumferent lines besides it is built on the foundation of Morality and roof'd and ciel'd with the faith of Religion and the materials thereof are Honour which no subtil Arguments can shake the one nor no false Doctrine can corrupt or rot the other neither is the building subject to the fire of unlawful love nor the tempestuous storms of torments nor the deluge of poverty nor the earthquakes of fear nor the ruines of death for so long as my Soul hath a being my Chastity will live But were you as poor as I even to move pity or so lowly and meanly born at might bring contempt and scorn from the proud yet if your mind and soul were endued with noble qualities and heroical vertues I should sooner embrace your love than to be Mistris of the whole World for my affection to merit hath been ingrafted into the root of my Infancy which hath grown up with my yeares so that the longer I live the more it increases Lord Title You cannot think I would marry you although I would lie with you Poor Virtue I cannot but think it more possible that you should marry me than I to be dishonest Lord Title Thou art a mean poor wench and I nobly descended Poor Virtue What though I am poor yet I am honest and poverty is no crime nor have my Ancestors left marks of infamy to shame me to the world Lord Title Thy Ancestors what were they but poor peasants wherefore thou wilt dignifie thy Race by yielding to my love Poor Virtue Heaven keep them from that dignity that must be gained by my dishonesty no my chastity shall raise a Monumental Tomb over their cold dead ashes Poor Virtue goes out Lord Title alone Lord Title What pity it is Nature should put so noble a soul into a meanborn body Exit Scene 4. Enter the Lord Courtship and the Lady VVard LOrd Courts Pray go visit the Lady Amorous and if her husband be absent deliver her this letter Lady Ward Excuse me my Lord Lord Courts Wherefore Lady Ward I am no Carrier of Love-letters Lord Courts But you shall carry this Lady Ward But I will not Lord Courts Will you not Lady Ward No I will rather endure all the torments that can be invented Lord Courts And you shall for I will torture you if you do not for I will have you drawn up high by the two thumbs which is a pain will force you to submit The Lady Ward falls into a passion Lady Ward Do so if you will nay scrue me up into the middle-Region there will I take a Thunderbolt and strike you dead and with such strength I 'll fling it on you as it shall press your soul down to the everlasting shades of death Lord Courts Sure you will be more merciful Lady Ward No more than Devils are to sinful souls there will I be your Bawd to procure you variety of torments for I had rather be one in Pluto's black Court caused by my own revenge than to be a Bawd on earth which is a humane Devil Lord Courts You are mad Lady Ward Might every word I speak prove like a mad dogs bite not only to transform your shape and turn your speech to barks and howlings but that your soul may be no other than the souls of beasts are Lord Courts You are transformed from a silent young Maid to a raging Fury Lady Ward May all the Furies that Hell inhabites and those that live on earth torment your minde as racks do torture bodies and may the venom of all malice spleen and spight be squeez'd into your soul and poyson all content your thoughts flame like burning oyl and never quench but be eternally a fiery Animal and may the fire feed onely on your self and as it burns your torments may increase The Lady Ward goes out Lord Courtship alone Lord Courts She is mad very mad and I have only been the cause Exit Scene 5. Enter the Lord Title and Poor Virtue LOrd Title Fairest will not you speak Poor Virtue My words have betrayed my heart as discovering the secrets therein wherefore I will banish them and shut the doors of my lips against them Lord Title What for saying you love me Sweet why do you weep Poor Virtue weeps Poor Virtue Tears are the best Cordials for a heart opprest with grief Lord Title I should hate my self if I could think I were the cause But pray forbear to weep Poor Virtue Pray give my grief a liberty my tears are no disturbance they showre down without a ratling noise and silent fall without a murmuring voice but you disturb me Wherefore for pity-sake leave me and I will pray you may enjoy as much prosperity as good fortune can present you with and as much health as Nature can give you and as much tranquillity as Heaven can infuse into a mortal creature Lord Title Neither Fortune Nature nor Heaven can please me or make me happy in this world without you Poor Virtue O you torment me Exit the Lord follows her Scene 6. Enter Sir Humphry Interruption to the Lady Contemplation SIr Humphry Inter. Surely Lady Contemplation your thoughts must needs be very excellent that they take no delight but with themselves Lady Contempl. My thoughts although they are not material as being profitable yet they are innocent as being harmless Sir Humphry Inter. Yet your thoughts do the world an injury in burying your words in the grave of silence Lady Contempl. Let me inform you that sometimes they creep out of their graves as Ghosts do and as Ghosts walk in solitary places so I speak to my solitary self which words offend no ears because I speak to no ears but my own and as they have no flatterers to applaud them so they have no censurers to condemn them Sir Humphrey Inter. But you bury your life whilst you live retir'd from company Lady Contempl. O no for otherwise my life would be buried in company for my life never enjoys it self but when it is alone and for the most part all publick societies are like a discord in Musick every one playing several contrary parts in their actions speaking in several contrary notes striking on several contrary subjects which makes a confusion and a confused noise is
give away what they have Portrait Talk not of womens souls for men say we have no souls only beautiful bodies Bon' Esprit But beautiful bodies are a degree of souls and in my Conscience please men better than our souls could do Superbe If anything prove we have no souls it is in letting men make such fools of us Matron Come come Ladies by Womens Actions they prove to have more or at least better souls than Men have for the best parts of the Soul are Love and Generosity and Women have more of either than Men have Grave Temperance The truth is that although Reason and Understanding are the largest parts of the Soul yet Love and Generosity are the delicatest parts of the Soul Enter Monsieur Heroick Heroick Goodmorrow young Ladies you appear this morning like sweet-smelling flowers some as Roses others as Lillies others as Violets Pinks and Primroses and your associating in a company together is like as a Posie which Love hath bound up into one Bucket which is a fit Present for the Gods Bon' Esprit If you would have us presented to the Gods we must die for we are never preferred to them but by Death wherefore we must be given to Death before the Gods can have us they may hear us whilest we live and we may hear of them but partake of neither until we die Heroick O that were pity Ladies for there is nothing more sad in Nature than when Death parts a witty Soul from a young beautiful Body before the one hath built Monuments of Memory and the other gained Trophies of Lovers And as for the Gods you will be as acceptable to them when you are old as when you are young Ambition As nothing could make me so sad as untimely death of Youth Wit and Beauty so there is nothing could anger me more as for Fortune to frown upon Merit or not to advance it according to its worth or to bury it in Oblivion hindring the passage into Fames Palace Temperance For my part I believe Death will neither call nor come for you before his natural time if you do not send Surfet and Excess to call him to take you away Pleasure Indeed Mankind seem as if they were Deaths Factors for they do strive to ingross and destroy all other creatures or at least as many as they can and not only other creatures but their own kinde as in Wars and not only their own kinde but themselves in idle and unprofitable Adventures and gluttonous Excess thus as I said they are Deaths Factors buying sickness with health hoping to gain pleasure and to make delight their profit but they are cozen'd for they only get Diseases Pains and Aches Matron Pray Ladies mark how far you are gone from the Text of your discourse as from sweet-smelling flowers to stinking carrion which are dead carkasses from a lively good-morrow to a dead farewel from mirth to sadness Portrait You say right Mother Matron wherefore pray leave off this discourse for I hate to hear off death for the thoughts of death affright me so as I can take no pleasure of life when he is in my mind Heroick Why Ladies the thought of death is more than death himself for thoughts are sensible or imaginable things but Death himself is neither sensible nor imaginable Portrait Therefore I would not think of him and when I am dead I am past thinking Superbe Let us discourse of something that is more pleasing than Death Heroick Then by my consent Ladies your discourse shall be of Venus and Cupid which are Themes more delightful to your Sex and most contrary to death for Love is hot and Death is cold Love illuminates life and Death quenches life out Bon Esprit Let me tell you Sir Love is as apt to burn life out as Death is to quench it out and I had rather die with cold than be burnt with heat for cold kills with a dead numness when heat kills with a raging madnesse Pleasure But Lovers are tormented with fears and doubts which cause cold sweats fainting of spirits trembling of limbs it breaks the sweet repose of sleep disturbs the quiet peace of the mind vades the colours of beauty nips or blasts the blossome of youth making Lovers look withered before Time hath made them old Heroick It is a signe Lady you have been in love you give so right a Character of a Lover Pleasure No there requires not a self-experience to find out a Lovers trouble for the outward Actions will declare their inward grief and passion Superbe Certainly she is in love but conceals it she keeps it as a Secret Pleasure Love cannot be secret the passion divulges it self Portrait Confess Are you not in love Faction Nay she will never confess a Secret unless you tell her one for those that tell no secrets shall hear none Portrait O yes for a Secret is like a child in the womb for though it be concealed for a time it will come out at last only some comes out easier than others and some before their time Ambition Nay whensoever a secret comes out it 's untimely Faction Secrets are like Coy Ducks when one is flown out it draws out others and returns with many Pleasure Then like a Coy Duck I will try if I can draw all you after me Exit Pleasure Bon' Esprit She shall see she is like a Duck which is like a Goose and we like her for we will follow her Exeunt Scene 8. Enter Monsiuer Tranquillities Peace and his Man TRanquill Peace Have you been at Monsieur Busie's house to tell him I desire to speak with him Servant Yes I have been at his house Tranquill. Peace And will he come Servant Faith Sir the house is too unwieldy to stir and Monsieur Busie is too Active to stay at home but the truth is I went at four a clock this morning because I would be sure to find him and his servants and their Master was flown out of his nest an hour before Then I told his servants I would come about dinner-time and they laugh'd and ask'd me what time was that I said I supposed at the usual time about Noon or an hour before or after but they said their Master never kept any certain time of eating being full of business Then I asked them what time that would be when he would come home to bed They answered that his time of Resting was as uncertain as his time of Eating Then I pray'd them to tell me at what time they thought I might find him at home They said it was impossible for them to guess for that their Master did move from place to place as swift as thoughts move in the Mind Then I pray'd them that they would tell him when he came home that you would desire to speak with him They told me they would but they did verily believe he would forget to come to you by reason his head was so full of busie thoughts or thoughts of
not set a fouler mark than thy self upon me therefore come not near me Matron Worse and worse worse and worse O that I were so young and fair as my Beauty might get me a Champion to revenge my quarrel But I will go back to the Ladies they are fair and young enough as being in the Spring of Beauty although I am in my Autumnal years Satyrical Thou art in the midst of the Winter of thine Age and the Snow of Time is fallen on thy head and lies upon thy hair Matron They that will not live untill they are old the Proverb sayes They must be hang'd when they are young and I hope it is your Destiny Exeunt Scene 24. Enter Liberty and Wanton and Surfet LIberty I am come to tell you Wanton and Surfet that my Lady is gone to receive the Visit of Monsieur Tranquillities Peace who is come to see her and old Matron Temperance is gone to wait upon her wherefore you may go for there is none left with the five Senses but Excess They run out then enters the Five Senses in Antick Dresses to distinguish them but they behave themselves as mad-merry dancing about in Couples as Hearing with Wantonness Idle with Scent and Excess with Sigh and Surfet with Taste and Touch dances alone by her self and when they have danced they go out Exeunt Scene 25. Enter Bon' Esprit Superbe Faction Portrait Ambition FAction I wonder Mother Matron should stay so long Portrait I cannot guess at the reason Bon' Esprit She might have deliver'd her Message twice in this time Enter Mother Matron All the Ladies speak at once Ladies Mother Matron Welcome welcome welcome What Newes what Newes Faction What says Monsieur Satyrical Bon' Esprit Will he come Portrait Or will he not come pray speak Superbe Are you dumb Mother Matron Matron Pray Ladies give me some time to temper my passion for if a house be set on fire there is required sometime to quench it Ambition But some fires cannot be quenched Matron Indeed my fire of Anger is something of the nature of the unquenchable fire of Hell which indeavours to afflict the Soul as well as to torment the Body Superbe Iove bless us Mother Matron Are you inflamed with Hell-fire Matron How should I be otherwise when I have been tormented with a Devil Ambition Jupiter keep us What have you done and with whom have you been Matron Marry I have been with a cloven-tongu'd Satyr who is worse far worse than a cloven-footed Devil Bon' Esprit Is all this rage against Monsieur Satyrical Matron Yes marry is it and all too little by reason it cannot hurt him Faction How hath he offended you Matron As he hath offended you all railed against you most horribly railed against you He says you are all mad and hath condemned your Poems to the fire and your imployment to the making of bone-lace Bon' Esprit Why these sayings of his do not offend me Ambition Nor me Portrait Nor me Superbe Nor me Matron But if he had said you had been old and ill-favour'd carrion for Crows dust and ashes for the grave as he said to me then you would have been as angry as I Bon' Esprit No truly I should have only laughed at it Faction By your favour I should have been as angry as Mother Matron if I had been as old as she so I should have been concerned in the behalf of my Age Matron Marry come up are you turned Lady Satyrical to upbraid me with my Age Is this my reward for my jaunting and trotting up and down with your idle Message to more idle persons men that are meer Jackstraws flouting companions railing detractors such as are good for nothing but to put people together by the cars Faction By the Effects it proves so for you and I are very neer falling out But I thought you would have given me thanks for what I said as taking your part and not inveterates your spleen Matron Can you expect I should give you thanks for calling me old Can the report of Age be acceptable to the Effeminate Sex But Lady let me tell you if you live you will be as old as I and yet desire to be thought young For although you were threescore yet you would be very angry nay in a furious rage and take those to be your mortal Enemies that should reckon you to be above one and twenty for you will think your self as beautiful as one of fifteen Faction I do not think so although I believe our Sex have good opinions of themselves even to the last gasp yet not so partial as to imagine themselves as one of fifteen at threescore Matron It is proved by all Experience that all Mankind is self-conceited especially the Effeminate Sex and self-conceit doth cast a fair shadow on a foul face and fills up the wrinkles of Time with the paint of Imagination Portrait But the Eyes must be blind with Age or else they would see the wrinkles Time hath made in the despight of the paint of Imagination Superbe By your favour Self-conceit doth cause the Eyes of Sense to be like false glasses that cast a youthful gloss and a fair light on a wither'd skin For though the deep lines in the face cannot be smoothed yet the lines or species in or of the sight may be drawn by self-conceit so small as not to be perceived And were it not for the Eyes of Self-conceit and the Paint of Imagination as Mother Matron says which preserves a good Opinion of our selves even to the time of our Death wherein all remembrance is buried we should grow mad as we grow old for the losse of our Youth and Beauty Matron I by my faith you would grow mad did not Conceit keep you in your right wits Faction The truth is our Sex grow melancholy when our Beauty decayes Portrait I grow melancholy at the talking of it Ambition Let us speak of some other subject that is more pleasing than Age Ruine and Death Bon' Esprit Let us talk of Monsieur Satyrical again Matron He is a worse subject to talk of than Death Bon' Esprit As bad as he is you shall carry another Message to him Matron I will sooner carry a Message to Pluto for in my Conscience he will use me more civilly and will send you a more respectful Answer than Monsieur Satyrical Bon' Esprit Indeed I have heard that the Devil would flatter but I never heard that a Satyrical Poet would flatter Matron But a Satyrical Poet will lye and so will the Devil and therefore talk no more of them but leave them together Exeunt Scene 26. Enter Temperance and Madamoiselle Pleasure PLeasure O Temperance I am discredited for ever the Ladies the Senses are all sick What shall I do Temperance You must send for some Doctors Pleasure What Doctors shall I send for Temperance Why Old Father Time he hath practiced long and hath great Experience then there is Rest and
Covetousness Pleasure No Wanton it is your glancing Eyes simpering Countenance and toyish Tricks Wanton Truly Madam Idle and I are fitter to make Wenches than Bawds 't is your Ladyship that is the Lady of Pleasure which perswades more to Adultery than we poor harmless creatures Pleasure Go get you out of my house for I will not keep such bold rude Wenches as you are Temperance Pray Madam pardon them for this time Exeunt Scene 37. Enter Madamoiselle Ambition Superbe Faction Pleasure Portrait Monsieur Heroick Monsieur Tranquillities Peace Monsieur Frisk Monsieur Censure Monsieur Inquisitive PLeasure How shall we pass our time to day Tranquill. Peace For us men we cannot pass our time better or more pleasanter than in the company of fair young Ladies Ambition To avoid tedious Complements and Discourses to particular cars or the confusion of many Tongues speaking at once let us sit and discourse in Dialogues Heroick Agreed but shall we discourse in Rhime or in Prose Superbe In rhymes by any means for rhymes many times hide and obscure that Nonsence that would be discover'd in Prose Vain-glor. Then it seems Rhime is a Veil to cover the face of Nonsense Superbe They are so for one can never discover an ill Poem until the rhymes be dissolved into Prose which shews whether there be Sense Reason Wit or Fancy in them Ambition But to be turned into Prose the Poems will lose the Elegance of the Style and the Eloquence of the Language Faction Why if a man should lose his Hat and Feather and be stript of a fine and gay Suit of Cloaths he would neither have the less brain nor blood nor soul nor body beauty nor shape and though gay and glorious Apparel may allure the Eyes of a young Lady or a Novice Gentleman or may draw the ignorant vulgar to Admiration and so to an Esteem and Respect yet those that have clear Understandings solid Judgments quick Wits and knowing Wisedoms will be so far from admiring the man for the sake of his gay Cloaths or esteeming him for his glorious Attire as they will be apt to condemn him as a vain man Inquisitive Then you reject the cloathing of Poems in fine Language Faction No but I despise those Poems that have nothing but Language and rhymes Frisk Then it is a folly to write in Verse if Rhymes be not accounted of Pleasure Verse is to be accounted of for the sake of Numbers which is harmonious yet neither Harmonious Numbers nor Chyming Rhymes nor Gay Rhetorick is Reason Wit nor Fancy which is the Ground Body or Soul of a good Poem Censure Yet no Poem is esteem'd but condemn'd that is not in gay and new-fashion'd cloathing Ambition Then Chaucers Poems which are in plain and old-fashion'd garments which is Language is to be despised and his Wit condemned but certainly Chaucers Witty Poems and Lively Descriptions in despight of their Old Language as they have lasted in great Esteem and Admiration these three hundred years so they may do Eternally amongst the Wise in every Age Heroick Gentlemen leave off your Disputes for the Ladies will be too hard for us for they are always Conquerors in peace and war both in the Schools and in the Fields in the City and in the Court Portrait Pray leave off this particular Dispute and let us discourse in general Tranquill. Peace Agreed Superbe Begin Inquisitive Who shall begin Faction I will begin for a womans Tongue hath priviledge and preheminency in the first place The Dialogue-Discourses Faction Old brains are like to barren ground Censure Or like a wilderness forlorn Portrait Or like crack'd bells that have no sound Tranquill. Peace Or like a child Abortive born Ambition For Time the fire of Wit puts out Heroick And fills the brain with vapour cold Superbe And quenches Fancy without doubt Vain-glor. For Wit is feeble when 't is old Portrait Wit neither fails weakens decays nor dies Inquisitive Though bred and born as other creatures are Faction Only the Brain the Womb wherein it lies Censure But when 't is born Fame nurses it with care Frisk And to Eternity doth it prefer Pleasure Wit makes the brain sick when it breeding is Tranquill. And painful throws before and at its birth Ambition But when 't is born if good a Comfort 't is Heroick The Parent Poetry creates with mirth Superbe He joys to see his Issue fairly spring Vain-glor. And hopes with time in numbers may increase Portrait And being multiply'd may honours bring Frisk As a posterity that never cease Faction Wit the Issue and Off-spring of the Soul Censure From which the Nature sublimely is Divine Pleasure Dimensions hath and parts yet in the whole Tranquill. United is of breaches there 's no sign Ambition Wit like the Soul is which no body hath Heroick No latitude yet hath a perfect form Superbe Yet flies all sev'ral ways yet keeps a path Vain-glor. A path of Sense which never turns therefrom Portrait But wondrous strange and monstrous is Wit Inquisitive That all contrarieties in it do dwell Faction For it all Shapes Imployments Humours fit Censure Like Beasts Men Gods or terrible Devils in Hell Temperance O fie O fie this discourse is like dancing the Hay or dancing a Scotch Gig which will put you out of breath strait Faction You would have us discourse in the measure of a Spanish Pavin Temperance No but the measure of a French Galliard would do very well Censure For my part Lady I like Gigs best and therefore if you please begin another Gig. Faction The Spring is drest in buds and blossoms sweet Censure The Summer laughs until her Cheeks look red Pleasure The plenteous Autumn warm under our feet Tranquill. Peace The Winter shaking cold is almost dead All speak Go on with the twelve Moneths Ambition Fierce furious March comes in with bended brows Heroick Commanding storms and tempests to arise Superbe Beating the trees and clouds as if it meant Vain-glory. To make them subject to his tyrannies Portrait Then follows April weeping for her buds Frisk For fear rude March had all her young destroy'd Faction But when she thought her tears might rise to floods Censure With Sun-beams dry'd her Eyes his heat her joy'd Pleasure Then wanton May came full of Amorous Sports Tranquill. Peace Decking her self with gawdy Colours gay Ambition And entertaining Lovers of all sorts Heroick In pleasure she doth pass her time a way Superbe Then enters Iune with fair and full fat face Vain-glor. Her Eyes are bright and clear as the Noon-Sun Portrait And in her carriage hath a Majestick grace Inquisitive In Equinoctial pace she walks not run Faction But Iuly 's sultry hot Ambitious proud Censure And in a fiery Chariot she doth ride Pleasure When angry is she thundring speaks aloud Tranquill. Peace Shoots Lightning through the clouds on every side Enter Monsieur Sensuality and breaks off their Dialogue-Discourse Sensuality Iove bless us what Designs have you Ladies and Gentlemen that you sit
from the bower of bliss into the grave of life the habitation of death from a young Beauty to an old doting Woman Oh I will tear this letter that hath deceived me but stay I will keep this letter to make sport amongst the young Ladies which sport may perchance insinuate me into some favour with the young Ladies for as idle and ridiculous pastime or means as this is hath got many times good success amongst Ladies wherefore I will for their sport-sake jestingly Court Mother Matron and in the mean time of the Progress write her a letter Exit ACT III Scene 11. Enter Madamoiselle Ambition and Monsieur Inquisitive INquisitive I hear Madamoiselle Ambition you are to marry Monsieur Vain-glorious Ambition No for I am too honest to marry one man and love admire and esteem another man beyond him but when I marry I will marry such a one as I prize honour love and admire above all other men or else I will never marry Inquisitive What man could you esteeem honour and love most Ambition He that I thought had the noblest Soul and had done the most worthyest Actions Inquisitive But put the case that man that were as you would have him were so ingag'd as you could not enjoy him in lawful mariage Ambition I could lawfully enjoy him although I could not lawfully marry him Inquisitive As how Ambition As in Contemplation for I could enjoy his Soul no otherwise if I were maried to him for if I were maried I could but contemplate of his Merits please my self with the thoughts of his Virtues honour his generous Nature and praise his Heroick Actions And these I can do as much although I should live at distance from him nor never be his Wife for the mariage of Bodies is no enjoyment of Souls Inquisitive This would only be an opinion of delight but no true enjoyment of pleasure for though an Opinion may affright the Soul yet the Opinion cannot pleasure the Body But say an Opinion could delight the Soul without the Senses yet the pleasures of the Senses are to be preferred before the delight of the Soul for the truth is that the spirits of life take more delight in sensual pleasures than in the Souls imagination for life lives in the Senses not in the Soul for were there no Senses there would be no Life Ambition By your favour there is life in the Soul when Death hath extinguish'd the Senses Inquisitive That 's more than you know you believe it only upon report but who hath had the trial or experience of the truth of it So that the report is upon an unknown ground and your belief is built upon an unsure Foundation Ambition What belief is for my advantage I will strive and indeavour to strengthen it on what foundation soever it 's built upon Exeunt Scene 12. Enter Monsieur Frisk and Mother Matrons Maid FRisk You will pardon me pretty Maid for causing you to stay so long for an Answer of your Mistris's Letter Maid There requires no pardon Sir for I have been very well entertain'd by your man I thank him Frisk I perceive my man hath had better fortune than his Master for he hath had youth to entertain but I hope if you receive the mans entertainment so thankfully you will not refuse the Masters Maid My Mistris would be jealous of your Worship if you should entertain me Frisk Why doth your Mistris love me so much Maid So much as she cannot sleep quietly for dreaming of you nor lets me sleep for she wakes me every night to tell me her dreams Frisk What dreams she Maid One dream was she dream'd that she was Diana and you Acteon Frisk What to set horns on my head Maid No my Mistris said that she in her dream did more as a Godess ought to have done than Diana did for she was generous in her dream and not cruel for instead of horning you she invited you into her Bath Frisk I hope you were one of her Nymphs Maid Another time she dream'd you were Mercury and she Herce and another that she was Venus and you Adonis but the last night she awaked out of a fearful dream Frisk What dream was that Maid She dream'd that she was Queen Dido and you the Prince AEneas and when you were ship'd and gone away she stab'd her self Frisk If she were Dido I should prove AEneas Maid On my Conscience she fetch'd as many sighs when she awak'd and made as many pitious complaints and lamentations as if her dream had been true and she really bad been Queen Dido insomuch as I was afraid that she would have killed he self indeed and was running forth the Chamber to call in company to hinder her but that she commanded me to stay saying that it was but the passion of her dream for she hoped that you would prove a more constant and faithful Lover than to leave her to despair Frisk The next time she is in the same passion tell her I will be like AEneas meet her in Hell In the mean time carry her this Letter Maid Lord Lord she will be a joy'd woman to receive a letter from you and I shall be a welcome Messenger unto her and the letter will be worth a new gown to me Frisk I wish it may be a gown of price to thee Exeunt Scene 13. Enter Monsieur Satyrical and Madamoiselle Bon' Esprit BOn Esprit How shall I pacifie my companions or qualifie their spleens who will be in a furious rage when they perceive and know my real love to you for they made me as their hook to the line of their Angle and hope to catch you like a Gudgion Satyrical All that Angle do not catch yet you have drawn me forth of the salt Satyrical Sea Bon' Esprit But their desire is that you should lie gasping on the shore of Love Satyrical Would they be so cruel as not to throw me into a fresh River Bon' Esprit No for they joy in the thought of your torments and their general prayers are to Cupid imploring him to wound you with a golden-headed Arrow and she you love with an Arrow headed with lead As for their particular prayers they are after this manner One prays you may sigh your self into Air and the Air so infectious as it may plague all the Satyrical of your Sex Another prayeth you may weep tears of Vitriol and that the sharpness of those tears may corrode your soul Another prays that your passion of love may be so hot as it may torment you as Hell-fire doth the damned but Mother Matron besides saying Amen to all their prayers makes her prayers thus That she for whose sake you must endure all these torments may be the oldest and most ill-favour'd deform'd woman that ever Nature Accident and Time made Satyrical She would have me in Love with her self it seems by her prayer Bon' Esprit If she did hear you she would die for want of Revenge
and wise Governors force pens although pens cannot force swords 2 Virgin By your favour but pens and prints force swords sometimes nay for the most part for do not books of Controversies or ingraving or printed Laws make Enemies and such Enemies as to pursue with fire and sword to death 3 Virgin Well for my part I do not believe it was the glory of Victory and conquering the most part of the World which made Alexander and Caesar to be so much reverenc'd admir'd and renown'd by those following Ages but that their Heroick Actions were seconded with their generous deeds distributing their good fortune to the most deserving and meritorious persons in their Parties 1 Virgin You say true and as there have been none so Heroical since their deaths so there have been none so Generous Matron Ladies by your leave you are unlearned otherwise you would find that there have been Princes since their times as Heroical and Generous as they were 2 Virgin No no there have been none that had so noble souls as they had for Princes since their days have been rul'd check'd and aw'd by their petty Favourites witness many of the Roman Emperors and others when they rul'd and check'd all the World 4 Virg. Indeed Princes are not so severe nor do they carry that State and Majesty as those in former times for they neglect that Ceremony now adays which Ceremony creates Majesty and gives them a Divine Splendor for the truth is Ceremony makes them as Gods when the want thereof makes them appear as ordinary men 1 Virgin It must needs for when Princes throw off Ceremony they throw off Royalty for Ceremony makes a King like a God 2 Virgin Then if I were a King or had a Royal Power I would create such Ceremonies as I would be Deify'd and so worship'd ador'd and pray'd to whilst I live 1 Virgin So would I rather than to be Sainted or pray'd to when I were dead 4 Virgin Why Ceremony will make you as a God both alive and dead when without Ceremony you will not be so much as Sainted 1 Virgin I had as lieve be a Saint as a God for I shall have as many prayers offer'd to me as if I were made a God Matron Come come Ladies you talk like young Ladies you know not what Exeunt Scene 14. Enter Madam Bonit and her Maid Joan. Joan. Lord Madam I wonder at your patience that you can let Nan not only be in the house and let my Master lie with her for she is more in my Masters chamber than in yours but to let her triumph and domineer to command all as chief Mistris not only the servants but your self as you are come to be at her allowance Bonit How should I help it Ioan. Why if it were to me I would ring my Husband such a peal as I would make him weary of his wench or his life Bonit Yes so I may disquiet my self but not mend my Husband for men that love variety are not to be alter'd neither with compliance or crosness Ioan. 'T is true if he would or did love variety but he onely loves Nan a Wench which hath neither the Wit Beauty nor good Nature of your Ladyship Bonit I thank you Ioan for your commendations Ioan. But many times a good-natur'd Wife will make an ill-natur'd Husband Bonit That 's when men are fools and want the wit and judgment to value worth and merit or not to understand it Ioan. Why then my Master is one but why will you be so good as to spoil your Husband for in my conscience if you were worse he would be better Bonit The reason is that Self-love hath the first place and therefore I will not dishonour my self to mend or reform my Husband for every one is only to give account to Heaven and to the World of their own actions and not of any others actions unless it be for a witness Ioan. Then I perceive you will not turn away this Wench Bonit It is not in my power Ioan. Try whether it be or not Bonit No I will not venture at it lest I and my Maid should be the publick discourse of the Town Ioan. Why if she should have the better yet the Town will pity you and condemn my Master and that will be some comfort Bonit No truly for I had rather be bury'd in silent misery and to be forgotten of mankind than to live to be pity'd Ioan. Then I would if I were you make him a scorn to all the World by cuckolding him Bonit Heaven forbid that I should stain that which gave me a Repution my Birth and Family or defame my self or trouble my conscience by turning a whore for revenge Ioan. Well if you saw that which I did see you would hate him so as you would study a revenge Bonit What was that Ioan. Why when you came into my Masters Chamber to see him when he was sick of the French Pox I think you chanced to taste of his broth that stood upon his Table and when you were gone he commanded Nan to fling that broth out which you had tasted and to put in fresh into the porringer to drink Bonit That 's nothing for many cannot endure to have their pottage blown upon Ioan. It was not so with him for he before he drank the fresh broth Nan blew it and blew it and tasted it again and again to try the heat and another time to try if it were salt enough and he seem'd to like it the better besides he was never quiet whilst you were in the Chamber until you went out he snap'd you up at every word and if you did but touch any thing that was in the Chamber he bid you let it alone and at last he bid you go to your own Chamber and seem'd well pleas'd when you were gone Bonit Alas those that are sick are always froward and peevish but prethee Ioan have more Charity to judge for the best and have less passion for me Exeunt ACT III Scene 15. Enter the Sociable Virgins and Matron MAtron Come Ladies what will you discourse of too day 1 Virgin Of Nature Matron No that is too vast a Subject to be discours'd of for the Theme being infinite your discourse will have no end 2 Virgin You are mistaken for Nature lives in a quiet Mind feeds in a generous Heart dresses in a Poetical Head and sleeps in a dull Understanding 3 Virgin Natures Flowers are Poets Fancies and Natures Gardens are Poetical Heads Matron Pray leave her in her Garden and talk of something else 4 Virgin Then let us talk of Thoughts for thoughts are the children of the Mind begot betwixt the Soul and Senses 1 Virgin And Thoughts are several Companions and like Courtly Servitors do lead and usher the Mind into several places 2 Virgin Pray stay the Discourse of Thoughts for it 's a dull Discourse 4 Virgin Then let us talk of Reason 3 Virgin Why should we talk of
marry than Batchelors and Widows than maids 1 Matron Stay Lady you must first get the good will of your Parents 1 Virgin All parents good will concerning Mariage is got before hand without speaking if the Suter be rich and if he prove a good Husband then Parents brag to their acquaintance saying How well they have match'd their Child making their acquaintance believe it was their prudence and industry that made the match when the young couple were agreed before their parents ever knew or guess'd at such a match but if they prove unhappy then they complain to their acquaintance and shake their heads crying it was their own doings saying their children were wilfull and would not be rul'd although they forc'd them to marry by threatnings and cursings O the unjust partiality of self-love even in parents which will not allow right to their own own branches But I forget my self Farewell farewell All Virgins Bid us to your Wedding bid us to your Wedding Exeunt ACT IV. Scene 24. Enter Madam Soeur and Monsieur Frere follows her Soeur Why do you follow me with sighs fetch'd deep and groans that seem to rend your heart in two Frere Be not offended Sisters should not be so unnatural as to be weary of a Brothers company or angry at their grief but rather strive to ease the sorrow of their hearts than load on more with their unkindness Soeur Heaven knows Brother that if my life could ease your grief I willingly would yield it up to death Frere O Gods O Gods you cruel Gods commanding Nature to give us Appetites then starve us with your Laws decree our ruine and our fall create us only to be tormented Exit Monsieur Frere Madam Soeur alone Soeur I dare not ask his griefs or search his heart for fear that I should find that which I would not know Exit Scene 25. Enter Monsieur Malateste's Steward and Servants STeward My Master and our new Lady are comming home wherefore you must get the House very clean and fine You Wardropian you must lay the best Carpets on the Table and set out the best Chairs Stools and in the Chamber wherein my Master and Lady must lie you must set up the Cross-stitch bed and hang up the new suit of Hangings wherein is the story of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar her Maid And you Pantlor must have a care that the glasses be well wash'd and that the Basin and Yewer Voider and Plates be bright scowr'd as also the silver Cistern and the silver Flagons standing therein and to have a care that the Table-cloaths be smooth and the Napkins finely knip'd and perfum'd and that the Limons Orenges Bread Salt Forks Knives and Glasses be set and placed after the newest Mode Enter Nan Steward O Mistris Nan you have prevented me for I was going to seek you out to let you know my Master and our new Lady will be here before night wherefore you must see that the Linnen be fine and the Sheets be well dry'd and warm'd and that there be in my Ladies Chamber all things necessary Nan Let her comand one of her own maids for I am none of her servant Steward Why whose servant are you Nan My Masters who hir'd me and pays me my wages I never saw her nor she me Steward But all my Masters servants are my Ladies for Man and Wife divide not their servants as to say those are mine these are yours Nan Why I 'm sure in my other Ladies time all the servants were my Masters and none my Ladies for she had not power to take or turn away any one Steward The more was the pity for she was both virtuous and wise Besides beautiful and well-bred rich and honourably born and of a sweet disposition But 't is said this Lady hath such a spirit as she will share in the Rule and Government Nan Yes yes for a little time as long as Honey-moneth lasts I dare warrant you she shall reign nor rule no longer Exit Nan Steward Come my friends and fellow-servants let 's every one about our several Affairs Exeunt Scene 25. Enter Madamoiselle Soeur as sitting in her Chamber Enters Monsieur Frere and comes to her and kneeling down weeps Soeur Dear Brother why do you kneel and weep to me Frere My tears like as distress'd Petitioners fall to the ground and at your feet crave mercy it is not life they ask but love that they would have Soeur Why so you have for I do vow to Heaven I love you better than ambitious men love power or those that are vain-glorious love a Fame better than the body loves health or the life loves peace Frere Yet still you love me not as I would have you love Soeur Why how would you have me love Frere As Husbands love their Wives or Wives their Husbands Soeur Why so I do Frere And will you lie with me Soeur How would you have me commit Incest Frere Sister follow not those foolish binding Laws which frozen men have made but follow Natures Laws whose Freedome gives a Liberty to all Soeur Heaven bless your soul for sure you are possest with some strange wicked spirit that uses not to wander amongst men Frere Sister be not deceiv'd with empty words and vainer tales made only at the first to keep the ignorant vulgar sort in awe whose Faith like to their greedy Appetites take whatsoever is offer'd be it nere so bad or ill to their stomacks they never consider but think all good they can get down so whatsoever they hear they think 't is true although they have no reason or possibility for it Soeur But learned and knowing men wise and judicious men holy and good men know this you ask is wicked Frere They do not know it but they believe as they are taught for what is taught men in their Childhood grows strong in their Manhood and as they grow in years so grow they up in Superstition Thus wise men are deceiv'd and cozen'd by length of time taking an old forgotten deed to be a true seal'd bond wherefore dear Sister your Principles are false and therefore your Doctrine cannot be true Soeur Heaven hath taught that Doctrine wherefore we cannot erre Frere Heaven considers us no more than beasts that freely live together Soeur O that I should live to know my only Brother turn from man to beast She goes out Monsieur Frere alone Frere I am glad the Ice is broke and that her fury rages not like fire Exit Scene 26. Enter Monsieur Sensible and Madamoiselle Amor MOnsieur Sensible Daughter I do perceive that Monsieur Frere doth neglect you besides he is a wilde debauch'd young man and no ways likely to make a good Husband wherefore I charge you on my blessing and the duty you owe me to draw off those affections you have placed upon him Amor Good Sir do not impose that on my duty which I cannot obey for I can sooner draw the
Lovewel But as Allay makes gold work better for use so Temperance makes Love Happy for life Hypocon. Well Husband I will strive to love with Discretion Lovewel Pray do and goe abroad to divert your melancholy and eat as others do that may have good meat and drink and not live by the Air as you do Hypocon. I shall obey you Exeunt Scene 12. Enter the Lady Inconstant alone LAdy Inconstant O Cupid thou art a cruel Tyrant making more wounds than remedies And I am wounded so as I am sick with Love and cannot live unless I am belov'd again To make my Passions know is all my care Lest he should love me not is all my fear Exeunt Scene 13. Enter the Lady Procurer and Sir Thomas Cuckold LAdy Procurer Sir Thomas Cuckold Monsieur Amorous desires very much to make friendship with you for he is so taken with your Civilities and your courteous Demeanors when he was to visit you that he swears you are one of the finest Gentlemen in the Kingdome He says you are so gravely wise so hospitably kind and so generously free as he honours you and loves you with his soul Cuckold I am his very humble Servant and shall be glad nay proud of such a worthy Friend as Monsieur Amorous Procurer Have you returned his Visit Cuckold No but I 'll go wait upon him immediatly Exeunt Scene 14. Enter Nan the Lady Jealousies Maid going through the room crying and the Fool following her singing FOol Childrens eyes are always flowing Womens tongues are always going And mens brains are always musing And mans natures all abusing And mans life is always running And mans death is always comming Enter Mistris Single Single VVhose death is comming Fool. Yours for any thing I know wherefore take heed for let me tell you Death is a rough fellow for he pulls the soul out of the body as a Barber-Chirurgeon doth a tooth sometimes with less pain sometimes with more but many times Death is forc'd to tear the body as a Tooth-drawer tears the jaw-bone before he can get it out Single VVhat Instruments doth Death draw out the Soul with Fool. Sickness VVounds Passions Accidents and the like Single But how came Death and you so well acquainted Fool. VVe are near a Kin for Death and Ignorance are Cousin-Germans Single 'Faith thou art rather a Knave than a Fool and a Knave is nearer a-kin to Life than Death Exeunt Scene 15. Enter the Lady Disagree and her Chaplin Master Perswader DIsagree VVell I am resolv'd to be Divorced from my Husband for I cannot endure his tyranny any longer for he will let me have my will in nothing crosses and contradicts me in every thing Perswader Madam we are taught to obey and humble our selves to our Superiours and the Husband is the Master of his Family the Governour of his Estate and Ruler and Disposer of his Children the Guide and Protector of his VVife Disagree Yes he protects me well indeed when he breaks my head Perswader May be your Ladyship doth provoke him with some unkind words Disagree VVhat unkind words were they I only said that Goos-quils made the best pens to write with and he said no that Crows-quils were better for that purpose 't is true at last I returned as bad words as he flung at me Perswader Truly Madam it is a great grief to your friends and servants to see yoo live so disquietous together besides you torment your selves with your own anger Disagree That 's the reason I would part for I will never be a slave to his humour I will rather chuse to die first Exeunt Scene 16. Enter Sir Humphrey Disagree and Master Makepeace his Friend SIr Hum. Disagree It were better we were parted than to live in a perpetual war together Makepeace But Sir is it not possible to temper your Passion Disagree No truly for her words are so sharp and pierce so deep that they make me as furious as a wilde Boar that is hurt with a Javelin And since she cannot temper her Tongue nor I temper my Passion it will be best for us to live asunder for absence is the best and most certain remedy I can think of Scene 17. Enter two Serving-men of Sir VVilliam Lovewels 1 SErvant Have not you heard that my Master hath had a Quarrel and is wounded 2 Servant Yes and 't is said he fought so valiantly as he beat half a dozen lusty men and followed them so close as they were forc'd to take shelter and I have also heard that one of them he beat swears to be revenged 1 Servant But if my Lady hears of it she will run mad or die 2 Servant O no my Lady Ioan says hath left those follies and is become discreet 1 Servant Discreet what is that to be ill-natur'd as not to care if her Husband or Friends be kill'd 2 Servant O yes so much to care as to pity them and be sorry nay sad if they should be kill'd but not passionately to drown themselves in tears or to let their grief feed on their life and die Exeunt Scene 18. Enter Monsieur Amorous and Sir Thomas Cuckold They meet each other and imbrace as two dear Friends CUckold O my sweet Amorous Amorous O my dear Cuckold the delight of my Life Cuckold 'Faith Amorous I have been to seek you all the Town over and my Lady Procurer met me and sent me to the other end of the City telling me you were at the Horn-Tavern Amorous Why do you not know her humour she will serve you twenty such tricks for she is the veriest Wag in all the Town although she is in years Cuckold Well if I be not even with her as very a Wag as she is let me be condemn'd for a fool Exeunt ACT III Scene 19. Enter a Maid as to her Lady the Lady Hypocondria MAid O Madam my Master is comming home being wounded in a Duel The Lady swouns Maid Help help my Lady my Lady Enter Joan her Maid Ioan. What 's the matter Maid My Lady is kill'd with the report of my Masters being hurt Ioan. It were fit you should be punish'd for telling her of it They raise the Lady and bow her forward She revives but with a groan Lady groans Oh oh Ioan. Take life again for my Master is not so much hurt as to be in danger of Death Hypocon. Do you speak this as a known truth or for to recover me Ioan. As a truth upon my Conscience Madam Hypocon. Then I charge you do not discover my Passion Ioan. We shall not Exeunt Scene 20. Enter Sir VVilliam Lovewell and two of his men and his Man Roger Trusty LOvewell Go and give charge to my Footmen that none of them run home to tell my Wife of my hurt for fear of frighting her for if she hears I am hurt before she sees me she will apprehend me worse than I am and that may kill her Servant Sir she hath heard of it already
Lovewel Rogue that he was that he was that told her who was it Roger Trusty It was I Sir when I went to fetch your Leaguer-cloak to keep you warm Lovewel Villain I 'll run you through Trusty What you please Sir but my Lady takes it very patiently for when she heard of it she was playing on the Lute and did not leave playing at the report Lovewel I am glad she is so discreet Trusty Truly Sir I think my Lady is now one of the wisest and discreetest Ladies in the Town Lovewel What for playing on the Lute Trusty No Sir but for being so patient and temperate as all wise persons are who bear afflictions with that Moral Philosophical Carelesness and as they call it passive Courage composing their Faces into a Grave surly Countenance fashioning their Behaviour with Formality walking with a slow and stately Pace speaking nothing but Wise Sentences and Learned Morals Lovewel You are a moral Ass and although my wounds are but small yet I grow faint with standing to hear a fool talk Exeunt Scene 21. Enter the Lady Inconstant and Monsieur Disguise LAdy Inconst. Sir I believe you may wonder and think it strange that a woman can love a stranger so soon and so much Disguise I doe not think it strange in Nature but I think it strange you should affect me a person which is no way worthy of your Favour and your Love unless you like a Deity humbly descend to mortals accepting of their Adorations and Offerings And as a mortal to a Deity I offer up my Heart on the Altar of your Obligations Inconstant Here I do vow to Venus not only to offer you my person and all delights that it can yield but I offer you my Honour my Fathers Honour my Husbands Honour nay their lives if you require it Disguise I must confess your Husbands life is dangerous for we cannot well enjoy our loves with safety if that your Husband lives Inconstant Name but the way unto his Death and I will execute it Disguise I cannot for you must do it as you find Fortune gives you opportunity Inconstant Farewel and believe I shall let no opportunity slip that might bring my designs to pass The Lady Inconstant goes out Monsieur Disguise alone Disguise My revenge is too big for words all actions to little for his punishment wherefore you furies I invoke you to assist me and if Hell gives me not help Heaven or Death give me ease Exit Scene 22. Enter the Lady Procurer and Monsieur Amorous LAdy Procurer Now Monsieur Amorous you and the Lady Wanton shall not need to make so many excuses to meet for your going into the Country with Sir Thomas Cuckold you will be always in the House with his Lady Amorous Faith I have a great deal of business in the City which may suffer if I should go out of the Town Procurer Out upon you make excuses already Amorous I do not make excuses I only tell you the truth of my affairs Procurer Can you have any affairs greater or of more concernment than waiting on a Mistriss and such a Mistriss as you were a dying for to enjoy but a little time since well go thy ways Monsieur Amorous for thou art like a woman that hath fits of the Mother often swouning and sick but never dyes in any of them Amorous The Lady Chastity would be like a draught of cold water to bring me to life again Procurer Let me tell thee as those fits will never kill thee so all the Chastity in the Town can never cure thee Exeunt Scene 23. Enter the Lady Hypocondria and Joan her Maid LAdy Hypocondria Pray Iuno my Husband doth not perceive I have cry'd Ioan. You need not fear it for the hot Cloath you laid to your eyes hath sok'd out the redness and abated the swelling thereof but I doubt you will cry when you see him Hypocondria I hope I shall be wiser than to cry for I would not have my Husband think me a Fool or troublesome for the world Ioan. But surely Madam you must needs torment your Soul to strive so much against nature Hypocondria Love had rather torment it self then torment what it loves Ioan. Your Ladyship will make the old Proverb good which sayes love overcomes all things and surely it overcomes all when it overcomes nature it self Exeunt Scene 24. Enter the Lady Jealousy and the Fool LAdy Iealousy Prethy Fool watch thy Master and my Maid Nan and when they are together give notice and I will give thee a new Coat Fool. I shall stand Sentinel and give the watch-word The Lady Jealousy goes out The Fool alone Fool. Most Creatures their tails lyes in their heads or their heads lyes in their Neighbours tayles nose to breech for they are always thinking thereof which makes their thoughts as sluts and slovens their brains like to a heapt-up Dunghil but I must watch my Master and his Maid to catch Exeunt Scene 25. Enter Master Makepeace and Master Perswader friend and Chaplain to Sir Humphrey Disagree MAster Makepeace 'T is strange that Sir Humphrey Disagree and his Lady cannot agree yet they are both of good natures and generous Souls keep a noble House and are bountifull to their Servants kind and courteous to their Friends and he a very understanding Gentleman and a learned Scholar and an honest Man Perswader And she is a very Chast Lady a good Huswife and very orderly in her House as concerning what she is to take care of or to direct and is very pious and devout and yet both to be so indiscreet as to fall out about light toys and frivolous matters Makepeace 'T is strange and truly great pitty wherefore we ought to do our indeavour to try if we can make them friends Perswader Surely that might be easily done for they are as apt and as soon friends when their anger 's over as they are apt to fall out when they are friends and I make no doubt to make them friends but the business is to keep them friends and the question is whether it were not better they should be parted friends than present enemies Makepeace Yet we have discharged our parts if we make or do our indeavour to make them friends Perswader Well Sir perswade the Husband and I will try to perswade the Wife Exeunt Scene 26. Enter Monsieur Disguise and Sir Francis Inconstant SIr Francis Inconstant Sir you do amaze me for I have not been so long married as to give her time for Incontinency nor have I been so ill a Husband as yet as to create or beget her hate towards me Disguise Sir if I do not prove it I shall be content to suffer the heaviest punishment you can inflict upon me and because your belief is wavering I will place you where you shall hear her declare her intentions as towards your Death Inconstant I long to prove the Truth Exeunt Scene 27. Enter the Lady Wanton and the Lady
Disagree No pray Husband let them alone a little while longer Humphrey Disagree If you keep them out untill our Stomacks be full we shall be so dull and heavy with the vapour of the meat as it will not be in the power of Musick to move our minds to mirth or so drunk with VVine as the Musick will make us mad Lady Disagree I hope you will not be mad before you are drunk Humphrey Disagree No VVife I will be merry before I am drunk wherefore Servants call them in She speaks as to the Servants Lady Disagree Let them alone Humphrey Disagree I say they shall come and play and therefore call them in Lady Disagree I say they shall not come in nor play therefore forbid them Humphrey Disagree Surely I will be Master and therefore they shall play Lady Disagree Surely I will be Mistriss of this Feast and therefore they shall not play Humphrey Disagree Call them Lady Disagree Let them alone The Servants the while sometimes run as to the door and then as from it not knowing whether they should obey Sir Humphrey rises as to call them himself She rises also Humphrey Disagree They shall come and play He offers to go She puls him back Lady Disagree They shall not play He shoves her from him she takes her Napkin and rouls it flings it at him he flings another at her she takes a Plate and throws at him he Curses and she Scolds their Friends strive to part them and in the strife and bussle down goeth all the Pots and Dishes and so they go fighting and striving off the Stage The Servants take away all the meat and things and after all was gone Enter two Maid-Servants 1 Maid Lord there is such doings within as it is wonderfull my Master swears my Lady cries and rails and rails and cries 2 Maid in truth it is a sad Feast and I was joyed to think how merry we should all be 1 Maid And I pleased my self to think what good cheer we should have and what dainties we should eat 2 Maid Why so you may still 1 Maid No Faith in this Hurlyburby every one catcht who catch could that all is vanish'd and purloyn'd away in this disorder 2 Maid Come let us go and see whether they can agree or not 1 Maid That they can never do so long as the sound of their tongues is within the distance of their Ears besides nature hath not matcht their dispositions or humours 2 Maid You say right intruth their Souls are mismatcht and therefore it is impossible they should ever agree Exeunt Scene 46. Enter Sir Francis Inconstant and Monsieur Disguise SIr Francis Inconstant Sir my VVife your Mistriss is Dead Monsieur Disguise No Sir my Mistriss and your VVhore is Dead Inconstant You are a Villain to corrupt her Disguise You are a Villain to marry her Inconstant Draw for either or both of us Villains shall dy Disguise I fear not Death nor you They both draw their Swords Disguise Justice defend the wrong'd and take my part They fight and give each other deadly wounds Sir Francis Inconstant falls and as he lay on the ground speaks Inconstant Heaven is just to punish perjury with violent Death O my Conscience how it stings me at my Death with the remembrance of the wrongs I did my first love Monsieur Disguise sinks close by Sir Francis and then discovers her self Mistriss Forsaken Do you know this Face or have my sorrows disfigur'd it so much as you cannot call it to remembrance Sir Francis Starts Inconstant You powers above affright not my fleeting Soul with visions but let it gently pass and leave my body to the silent grave He directs his Speech to her Inconstant You Spirit divine take not revenge for I am truly sorry for the wrongs I did thee in thy life Mistriss Forsaken I forgive you and know I am no Spirit and though I cannot say I live because I am dying yet I am not dead and that Letter I brought you was to disguise me the more by a false report but I have acted the design of my Travel which was to end my life with yours for since I could not enjoy you in life I desir'd to imbrace you by Death and so I shall She flings her arms over him and dyes Inconstant O my Soul make haste and follow hers He kisses her and on her lips dyes FINIS THE ACTORS NAMES Monsieur Nobilissimo Monsieur Esperance Monsieur Phantasie Monsieur Poverty Monsieur Adviser and several other Gentlemen Admiration Madamoiselle La Belles Wooers Vainglory Madamoiselle La Belles Wooers Pride Madamoiselle La Belles Wooers Ambition Madamoiselle La Belles Wooers Madamoiselle Esperance Wife to Monsieur Esperance Madamoiselle La Belle Madamoiselle Amour Madamoiselle Grand Esprit Madamoiselle Bon Madamoiselle Tell-truth Madamoiselle Spightfull Madamoiselle Detractor Madamoiselle Malicious THE FIRST PART OF NATURES three DAUGHTERS Beauty Love and Wit ACT I. Scene 1. Enter Madamoiselle Detractor Madamoiselle Spightfull Madamoiselle Malicious and Madamoiselle Tell-truth TEll-truth The Lady Natures Daughters are the only Ladies that are admired praised adored worshiped and sued to all other women are despised Spightfull We may go into a Nunnery for we shall never get Servants nor Husbands as long as they live Tell-truth Why there are but three of them and three women cannot serve and content all the men in the VVorld Detractor No but they may discontent all the men so much as to make them all to be Male-contented Lovers who will reject all because they cannot have what they desire Malicious Let us make a Faction against them Spightfull Alas what Faction against them can hurt and destroy Love Wit and Beauty Detractor Jealousy will weaken Love Dispraise will disgrace Wit and Beauty Time will soon bring that to decay Tell-truth But Jealousy cannot weaken true and virtuous Love nor Dispraise cannot disgrace pure Wit nor Time cannot decay the Beauty of the mind wherefore all the faction you can make against them will do them no hurt besides you will be condemned by all the Masculine Sex if not punished with infamy for your treachery and since you cannot do them harm your best way will be to imitate them for your own good Spightfull So we shall be laughed at and stared on as Monkies and scorned forasmuch as we offer at that which is beyond our abilities and whatsoever is forced and constrained appeareth ridiculous Malicious Come let us leave speaking of them and thinking of them if we can Exeunt Scene 2. Enter Monsieur Esperance and his Wife Madamoiselle Esperance MOnsieur Esperance Surely Wife you do not love me you are not any way kind to me Madamoiselle Esperance True Love Husband is not so fond as serviceable Monsieur Esperance But true Love will express it self sometimes for if you did truly Love me you would hang about my Neck as if you meant to dwell there Madamoiselle Esperance If I thought my kindness might not
this discourse is that since Self-love is the Fountain of and in Nature from whence issue out several Springs to every several Creature wherein Mankind being her chiefest and Supreme work is filled with the fullest Springs from that Fountain which is the cause that Mankind is more industrious cruel and unsatiable to and for his self ends than any other Creature he spares nothing that he hath power to destroy if he fears any hurt or hopes for any gain or finds any pleasure or can make any sport or to imploy his idle time he melts metalls distills and dissolves plants dissects animals substracts and extracts Elements he digs up the bowels of the Earth cuts through the Ocean of the Sea gathers the winds into Sails fresh waters into Mills and imprisons the thinner Ayre he Hunts he Fowls he Fishes for sport with Gunns Nets and Hooks he cruelly causeth one Creature to destroy another the whilst he looks on with delight he kills not only for to live but lives for to kill and takes pleasure in torturing the life of other Creatures in prolonging their pains and lengthning their Deaths and when Man makes friendship of Love it is for his own sake either in humouring his passion or feeding his humour or to strengthen his party or for Trust or Counsel or Company or the like causes if he dies for his friend it is either for fame or that he cannot live himself happy without his friend his passion and grief making him restless if Man loves his Children Wife or Parents t is for his own sake he loves his Parents for the honour he receives by them or for the life he received of them if he loves his Wife or the Wife the Husband it is for their own sakes as their own pleasure as either for their Beauties Wits Humours or other Graces or for their Company or Friendships or because they think they love them if they love their Children it is for their own sakes as to keep alive their memory and to have their duty and obedience to bow and do homage to them If Masters love their Servants it is for their own sakes because they are trusty faithfull and industrious in their affairs imployments or for their own profit or ease and if Servants love their Masters it is for their own sakes as either for their power to protect them or for the regard they have to them or for the gain they get from them or for their lives that are nourished and maintained by them if Amorous Lovers love it is for their own sakes as to please the Appetite and to satisfy their desires if Subjects love their Soveraigns it is for their own sakes as that they may have Law and Justice Peace and Unity If Sovereigns love their Subjects it is for their own sakes because they bear up his Throne with their Wealth and Industry and fight to maintain or get him power My Application most Noble and Right Honourable is that since we do all and in every act for our own sakes we should indeavour and study for that which is best for our selves and the ground of our indeavour is to learn and know our selves every particular person must learn and know himself not by comparative as observing others for every man is not alike but by self study reading our own Natures and Dispositions marking our own Passions mours and Appetites with the Pen of Thought and Ink of Examination and let the Truth be the Tutor to instruct you in the School of Reason in which you may Commence Master of Art and go out Doctor of Judgment to practise Temperance for Temperance keeps in its full strength prolongs Beauty quickens Wit ripens Youth refreshes Age restores Decayes keeps Health maintains Life and hinders Times ruines but Temperance is not only a Doctor of Physick a Physician to the Body but a Doctor of Divinity a Divine for the Soul It preaches and teaches good Life it instructs with the Doctrine of Tranquillity and guides to the Heaven of Happiness also Temperance is the Doctor of Musick it tunes the Senses composes the Thoughts it notes the Passions it measures the Appetites and playes a Harmonious Mind Thus Most Noble and Right Honourable I have proved that Self-love is the Fountain of Nature and the Original Springs of her Creatures and that Temperance is the strongest Foundation of Self-love although few build thereupon but upon Intemperance which is a huge Bulk of Excess the substance of Riot worm eaten with Surfers rotten with Pain and sinks down to death with Sickness and Grief not being able to bear and uphold Life wherefore build your Lives upon Temperance which is a strong and sure Foundation which will never fail but will uphold your Lives as long as Time and Nature permits them and your Souls will dwell peaceably and happily therein Exeunt ACT V. Scene 14. Enter Madamoiselle Amor alone as musing to her self alone then speaks MAdamoiselle Amor I will confess to him my Love since my designs are Noble but O for a woman to woo a man is against Nature and seems too bold nay impudent only by a contrary custome but why should not a woman confess she loves before she is wooed when after a seeming coyness gives consent as being won more by a Treaty than by Love when her obscure thoughts know well her heart was his at first bound as his prisoner and only counterfeits a freedome besides it were unjust although an antient custome if dissembling should be preferred before a Modern Truth for length of Time and often practices makes not Falshood Truth nor Wrong Right nor Evill Good then I will break down Customs Walls and honest Truth shall lead me on Love plead my Sute and if I be deny'd My heart will break and Death my Face will hide Exit Scene 15. Enter Monsieur Esperance and his Wife Madamoiselle Esperance MOnsieur Esperance Wife whither do you go when I come near you you always turn to go from me Madamoiselle Esperance I saw you not for I had rather be fixt as a Statue than move to your dislike Monsieur Esperance Why do you blush surely you are guilty of some crime Madamoiselle Esperance 'T is said blushing comes unsent for and departs without leave and that it oftner visits Innocency than guilt Madamoiselle Esperance weeps Monsieur Esperance What do you weep Madamoiselle Esperance How can I otherwise choose when my Innocent Life and True Love is suspected and all my pure affections are cast away like dross and the best of all my actions condemn'd as Traytors and my unspotted Chastity blemish'd with soul Jealousy and defamed with slandering words Monsieur Esperance Prethy Wife do not weep for every tear wounds me to Death and know it is my extreme Love which creates my fears but you might have had a Husband with more faults Madamoiselle Esperance 'T is true but not so many noble qualities as you have which makes
Wickedness are soon catcht and like the Plague they infect all they come near and Vanity Vice and Wickedness is soon learn'd when Virtue Goodness and Piety are hard Lessons for though Divines and natural Philosophers Preaches and so teaches them yet they are seldom understood for if they were the benefit would be known and men would pious and virtuous be for profits sake for Common-wealths that are composed and governed by Virtue Religion and good Life they are so strongly united by honest love as they become inpregnable against Forein Foes or home factions or temptations so live in peace and plenty which breeds both pleasure and delight for life doth never truly injoy it self but in rest ease and peace but to conclude most Noble and Right Honourable the Soul Sense and Education should be plain with Truth smooth with Virtue and bright with Piety or Zeal that the Body may live Easily the life Peaceably and that the Soul may be blessed with Everlasting Glory Exit Scene 2. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo and three or four Gentlemen 1 GEntleman The Ladies of this Age are as inconstant as a fevourish pulse and their affections have more fainting sits than those are troubled with Epilepses 2 Gentleman Faith they will hang about ones neck one hour and spit in his Face the next 3 Gentleman That is because they would have variety for they respect Strangers more than friends for they will entertain Strangers with the civillest Behaviours fairest Faces and costliest Garments they have and make them welcome with their best Cheer when as their best Friends lovingest Servants and oldest Acquaintance they will neglect despise scorn command and rail against and quarrel with Nobilissimo O Gentlemen brave Cavaliers as you all are you must never complain discommend not condemn the Actions of the Effeminate Sex for that we are apt to call their Cruelty is their Justice our Sex meriting not their favours and whensoever we receive the least favours from that Sex we ought to give thanks as proceeding from a compassionate Goodness gentle Nature sweet Dispositions and generous Souls and not as a due or a debt for our service for we are bound by Nature not only to be their Servants but their Slaves to be lasht with their frowns if we be not diligent to their commands present at their calls industrious in their service and our neglects ought to be severely punished for we wear our lives only for their sakes as to defend their Honours to protect their Persons to obey their Commands and to please and delight their humours also the Estates we manage is theirs not ours we are but their Stuards to Husband and increase thier Stores to receive their Revenues and lay out their Expences for we have nothing we call our own since we our selves are theirs wherefore it is enough for us to admire their Beautyes to applaud their Wit to worship their Virtues and give thanks for their Favours Exeunt Scene 3. Enter Monsieur Esperance and his Wife Madamoiselle Esperance MOnsieur Esperance Wife why art thou all undrest to day Madamoiselle Esperance The truth is I am become negligent in dressing since you only esteem my Virtue not my Habit Monsieur Esperance I would have you change into as many several dresses as Protheus shapes for it is not the dress can make me Jealous now for I am confident no Vanity can corrupt thy Virtue but that thy Virtue can convert Vanity to a pious use or end Madamoiselle Well Husband I shall study to form my self and fashion my dress both to your fancy and desire Monsieur Esperance Do so Wife Monsieur Esperance goes out Madamoiselle Esperance alone Madamoiselle Esperance Ha is my Husband so confident of me it is an ill sign from extreme Jealousy to an extreme Confidence the next will be a Carelessness and then a Neglect and there is nothing my Nature doth more abhor than neglect for Jealousy proceeds from Love but Neglect proceeds from a despising if not a hating besides he desires variety of dresses which shows my Beauty is vaded or he is weary in viewing of one object often but I find his humour is wandring and seeks for change if he should prove false O how unhappy should I be for I am naturally honest also my birth and education hath been honest besides my affections are so fixt as not to be removed thus I am tyed and cannot take liberty which other women do for no divert the sorrows of my heart or to revenge my wrongs but I shall mourn and weep my self to Water and sigh my self to Ayre Exit ACT II. Scene 4. Enter Monsieur Nobilissimo and Madamoiselle Amor and Madamoiselle La Belle comes and peeps through the Hangings and sees them NObilissimo The bond of our Love is written in large profession but not sealed with the contracting kiss yet Monsieur Nobilissimo salutes his Mistriss Madamoiselle Amor her Sister Madamoiselle La Belle comes forth from behind the Hangings Madamoiselle La Belle So Sister are not you asham'd Madamoiselle Amor No truly for my love is so honest and the subject of my love so worthy as I am so far from being ashamed to own it as I glory in my affection Madamoiselle La Belle I only wonder that with so small acquaintaince such a familiar friendship should be made Madamoiselle Amor You have no cause to wonder for Innocency is easily known t is craft and subtilty that is obscure and treacherous falshood with leering Eyes doth at a distance stand when honestly and truth straight joyns in friendships bonds Nobilissimo My Sweet Innocent Virtuous Wise Mistriss Kisseth her hand Exeunt Scene 5. Enter Madamoiselle Detractor Madamoiselle Spightfull Madamoiselle Malicious and Madamoiselle Tell-truth TEll-truth I pitty poor Madamoiselle Bon Spightfull Why so Tell-truth Because she is forsaken Spightfull I cannot pitty a Fool Tell-truth Why she is no Fool Spightfull Yes Faith but she is to be constant to an unconstant man Malicious The truth is I think that woman wisest that forsakes before she is forsaken Tell-truth But how and if she meets with a constant man Detractor That she cannot do for there is no man constant for they are all false and more changing than women are Malicious If any should prove unconstant to me I would Pistoll him Tell-truth Yes with the Gunpowder breath the Bullets of words and the Fire of anger which will do them no hurt Spightfull The best revenge I know against an Inconstant Man is to despise him Tell-truth He will not care for your despisements but Patience Patience is the best remedy for then a woman will be content although she hath not her desires Malicious Can any Creature be content without the fruition of desire Tell-truth Those that cannot must be unhappy all their Life Detractor Then all Mankind is unhappy for I dare I swear there is not any that can be content without the fruition of desire for desire is
to be a Souldier 2 Gent. Yes and he may chance to get a glorious Fame 1 Gent. But particular Fames are like particular Creatures some dye and decay sooner than others but few live to old Nestors years and some lye Bedrid and a great Company are decrepid and lame others are croked and deformed from their Birth and some by evill Fortune and many are Orphans and aboundance Bastards and Changlings and though War makes the lowdest noise in Fames Palace yet Wit for the most part lives the longest therein for Wit is such a delightfull Company and such pleasant pastime as old Father Time takes great care to preserve it lapping Wit warm in the Memory and feeding it often with Rehersals Exeunt Scene 15. Enter the Lady Examination and the Lady Solitary EXamination Come Come you will never get you a real Lover if you delight so much in Solitaries Solitary I desire none for real Lovers do oftentimes prove unconstant whereas feigned lovers are as constant as the Contemplator would have them and as many as they would have besides a crowd or multitude of thoughts may rise up in the brain and be as Spectators of one single thought which if the Contemplator pleases may be a Lover and the rest of the Spectators thoughts may censure of that single thought as of his good parts or bad his virtues or vices some may praise others dispraise and the like thus a Contemplator can never want Lovers Admirers Censurers nor any other Company since the Mind can present them with what thoughts they desire not only the thoughts of Men Women and Children but of any other Creatures that Nature hath made for why should not our Spirits or Soul delight and content us without the real possession of outward Good as well as the Spirits or Soul doth torment us with a real Evill for why may not Opinion or Fancy as well and as much delight us as Opinion and Fancy affright us as they often do Examination But an over-studious Mind doth waste the Body for the Thoughts feeds as much upon the Body as the Body upon the meat we eat and the Body nourishes the Thoughts as much as meat nourishes the Body and for the most part as the Body is effected so is the Mind for a distempered Body makes a distempered Mind as a Luxurious Body makes an Amorous Mind and a Feavour in the Body makes the mind frantick for the heat of a Feavour is like Strong-water it makes the Spirits drunk the Thoughts dizie and the Mind sick Solitary Indeed the Body and the Mind do most commonly agree as in Monarchy the King and the Subjects do the Subjects obeying the King and the King commanding the Subjects yet sometimes the Subjects compel the King and sometimes the King forces the Subjects so sometimes the Appetite compels the Reason at other times the Reason forces the Appetite to a Moderation and sometimes the Humours of the Body which are like the senceless Commonalty and the Passions of the Soul which are as the Nobles oftentimes fall out where sometimes the Humours of the Body usurp with an uprore the Passions of the Soul and sometimes the Passions overcome the Humours by a wise policy but when as the Kingdome of Man is in Peace the Imaginations in the head send down thoughts as metal into the heart wherein they are melted and minted into current Coin each thought as each peece having a several stamp some is stamped with Hate some Spight others Malice some with Jealousy some Hope some with Fear some Pitty some Love but that of Love is of the highest vallew but these Coins serve for Commerce and Traffick in the Body from the Authority of the Mind or Soul whose stamp or Image each piece bears Exeunt Scene 16. Enter Sir William Admirer and the Lady Peaceable ADmirer Dear Mistriss how I love you Peaceable I wish I had Merits worthy your Affections Admirer You are all a man can wish in women kind for you are young fair virtuous witty and wise Peaceable Alas all youth hath more follies than years whereas those that are old have or ought to have more years than follies Admirer You might be thought old by your speech and actions by reason you speak so experienced and act with such prudence and discretion wherefore I should judge you were instructed by those that are old and knew much Peaceable Indeed my Educators were Aged and my Tutors like as Painters drew with the Pencil of the Tongue and the Colours of Sense and the white of Truth on the Platform of my Brain many figurate discourses for the Understanding to view but my Understanding hath weak Eyes Admirer Your Understanding neither wants sight nor light but the Lady Faction wants both or else she had not been so uncivil to you as she was when I was with you last were not you very Cholerick with her Peaceable I am of too Melancholy a Nature to be very Cholerick Admirer Why are those that are Melancholy never Cholerick Peaceable I cannot say never but yet very seldome by reason they want that heat which makes Choler for though the Spirits of Melancholy persons may be as quick as those that are Cholerick yet they are not so fiery for there is as much difference betwixt Melancholy and Choler as freesing and burning the one contracts into a sad silence the other expulses in blows and many extravagant actions and angry words but those persons which are seldome angry as all Melancholy persons are who are of a patient peaceable Nature yet when they are angry are very angry to those persons that are naturally Melancholy that are seldome seen to be merry or to laugh yet when they are merry their mirth is ridiculous and they will laugh extremely as at nothing or at any thing so those that are naturally Contemplative when they do speak they speak beyond all sense and reason their speech flows like as a Torrent rough and forceable thus we may perceive that extremes one way run into extremes another way Admirer I can truly witness that you are not apt to be angry or at least not to appear angry for I did wonder at your humble behaviour civil answers patient demeanors towards the Lady Faction Peaceable I may suffer an injury patiently when I cannot avoid it but I will never injure my self in doing such actions or speaking such words as are unbefitting unworthy and base Exeunt ACT V. Scene 17. Enter the Lady Solitary her Governess a Grave Matron and a Gentleman as coming a Iourney MAtron Pray Charge thank this Gentleman for his gifts and favours to me Solitary Governess let me tell you that they do themselves a courtesy or favour that do a courtesy or favour to another and therefore there needs no thanks Gentleman But Lady you ought to thank me for coming out of my way so far as I have done to see you Solitary No truly for if you came out of your way to see me
love Solitariness and there will be too much Company Censurer There may be a great resort but their Conversation is by single Couples Examination You are a wag Lady Censurer Exeunt Scene 22. Enter four Gentlemen 1 GEnt. If I were to chuse a Wife I would chuse the Lady Solitary 2 Gent. Why 1 Gent. Because those that are Solitary love not much Company and being alone love not much noise and loving no noise love silence and loving silence love not to talk so as in having of her I shall have a Solitary Peaceable Quiet Silent Wife 3 Gent. And if I were to chuse I would chuse the Lady Censurer for she would let nothing pass her judgment for she will give her opinion of all things persons and actions so in having her to my Wife I should have a general Intelligencer or at least her opinion of all things 2 Gent. But if her Judgment were not good her opinion would be erroneous 3 Gent. I care not it would serve to pass an idle time with 4 Gent. And if I might chuse I would chuse the Lady Examination for a Wife 2 Gent. Why 4 Gent. Because she knows most humours and passages of every body and their affairs so by her I should be entertained with news from all places as of all actions done opinions held words spoke or thoughts thought 2 Gent. I would I could have my wish as easily as you might have your choice 1 Gent. What would you wish 2 Gent. I would wish to be unmarried for if I were I would never be troubled with a Wife again but let me advise you for I love to have married Companions that you three should go a woing to those three Ladyes they cannot nor will not deny your Sute being all three of you rich young and handsome All three We will take your Counsel Exeunt FINIS THE ACTORS NAMES The Lord General Seigneur Valeroso Monsieur la Hardy Monsieur Compagnion Monsieur Comerade Monsieur la Gravity Captain Ruffell Captain Whiffell and several other Gentlemen Doctor Educature Doctor Comfort Stewards Messengers and Servants Lady Victoria Madam Jantil Madam Passionate Madam Ruffell Madam Whiffell Doll Pacify Madam Passionates Maid Nell Careless Madam Jantils Maid other Servants and Heroickesses THE FIRST PART OF BELL IN CAMPO ACT I. Scene 1. Enter two Gentlemen 1 GEnt. You hear how this Kingdome of Reformation is prepaparing for War against the Kingdome of Faction 2 Gent. Yea for I hear the Kingdome of Faction resolves to War with this Kingdome of Reformation 1 Gent. 'T is true for there are great preparations of either side men are raised of all sorts and ages fit to bear Arms and of all degrees to command and obey and there is one of the gallantest and noblest persons in this Kingdome which is made General to command in chief for he is a man that is both valiant and well experienced in Wars temperate and just in Peace wise and politick in publick affairs carefull and prudent in his own Family and a most generous person 2 Gent. Indeed I have heard that he is a most excellent Souldier 1 Gent. He is so for he is not one that sets forth to the Wars with great resolutions and hopes and returns with maskerd fears and despairs neither is he like those that take more care and are more industrious to get gay Clothes and fine Feathers to flant in the Field and vapour in their march than to get usefull and necessary provision but before he will march he will have all things ready and proper for use as to fit himself with well-tempered Arms which are light to be worn yet musket proof for he means not to run away nor to yield his life upon easy terms unto his Enemy for he desires to Conquer and not vain-gloriously to shew his courage by a careless neglect or a vain carelessness also he chooses such Horses as are usefull in War such as have been made subject to the hand and heel that have been taught to Trot on the Hanches to change to Gallop to stop and such Horses as have spirit and strength yet quiet and sober Natures he regards more the goodness of the Horses than the Colours or marks and more the fitness of his Saddles than the Imbrodery also he takes more care that his Waggons should be easy to follow and light in their carriage than to have them painted and gilded and he takes greater care that his Tents should be made so as to be suddenly put up and as quickly pull'd down than for the setting and Imbrodering his Arms thereupon also he take more care to have usefull Servants than numerous Servants and as he is industrious and carefull for his particular affairs so he is for the general affairs 2 Gent. A good Souldier makes good preparations and a good General doth both for himself and Army and as the General hath showed himself a good Souldier by the preparations he had made to march so he hath showen himself a wise man by the settlement he hath made in what he hath to leave behind him for I hear he hath setled and ordered his House and Family 1 Gent. He hath so and he hath a fair young and virtuous Lady that he must leave behind him which cannot choose but trouble him 2 Gent. The wisest man that is cannot order or have all things to his own contentment Exeunt Scene 2. Enter the Lord General and the Lady Victoria his Wife GEneral My dear heart you know I am commanded to the Wars and had I not such Wife as you are I should have thought Fortune had done me a favour to imploy my life in Heroical Actions for the service of my Country or to give me a honourable Death but to leave you is such a Cross as my Nature sinks under but wheresoever you are there will be my life I shall only carry a Body which may sight but my Soul and all the powers thereof will remain with thee Lady Victoria Husband I shall take this expression of love but for feigning words if you leave me for 't is against Nature to part with that we love best unless it be for the beloveds preservation which cannot be mine for my life lives in yours and the comfort of that life in your Company Lord General I know you love me so well as you had rather part with my life than I should part from my honour Lady Victoria 'T is true my love perswades me so to do knowing fame is a double life as infamy is a double death nay I should perswade you to those actions were they never so dangerous were you unwilling thereunto or could they create a world of honour fully inhabited with praises but I would not willingly part with your life for an imaginary or supposed honour which dyes in the womb before it is Born thus I love you the best preferring the best of what is yours but I am but in the second place in your affections for you
is my Secretary Secretary Here Madam Madam Iantil. Read the Will I caus'd you to write down The Will read I Jantil the Widow of Seigneur Valeroso do here make a free gift of all these following Item All my Husbands Horses and Saddels and whatsoever belongs to those Horses with all his Arms Pikes Guns Drums Trumpets Colours Waggons Coaches Tents and all he had belonging to the War to be distributed amongst his Officers of War according to each degree I freely give Item All his Library of Books I give to that College he was a Pupill in when he was at the University Item To all his Servants I give the sum of their yearly wages to be yearly paid them during their lives Item I give two hundred pounds a year pension to his Chaplin Doctor Educature during his life Item I give a hundred pound a year pension to his Steward during his life Item I give fifty pound a year pension to his Secretary during his life Item I give a hundred pound per annum for the use and repair of this Tomb of my dead Husbands Item I give a thousand pounds a year to maintain ten religious persons to live in this place or House by this Tomb Item I give three thousand pounds to enlarge the House and three thousand pounds more to build a Chapell by my Husbands Tomb Item Two hundred pounds a year I give for the use and repair of the House and Chapell Item I give my Maid Nell Careless a thousand pound to live a single life Item I give the rest of my Estate which was left me by my Husband Seigneur Valeroso to the next of his name These following Speeches and Songs of hers my Lord the Marquess of Newcastle writ Iantil. So 't is well O Death hath shakt me kindly by the hand To bid me welcome to the silent grave 'T is dead and nuns sweet Death how thou doest court me O let me clap thy fallen Cheeks with joy And kiss the Emblem of what once was lips Thy hollow Eyes I am in love withall And thy ball'd head beyond youths best curl'd hair Prethee imbrace me in thy colder Arms And hug me there to sit me for thy Mansion Then bid our Neighbour worms to feast with us Thus to rejoyce upon my holy day But thou art slow I prethee hasten Death And linger not my hopes thus with thy stay 'T is not thy fault thou sayest but fearfull nature That hinders thus Deaths progress in his way Oh foolish nature thinks thou canst withstand Deaths Conquering and inevitable hand Let me have Musick for divertisement This is my Mask Deaths Ball my Soul to dance Out of her frail and fleshly prison here Oh could I now dissolve and melt I long To free my Soul in Slumbers with a Song In soft and quiet sleep here as I ly Steal gently out O Soul and let me dy Lies as a sleep SONG O You Gods pure Angels send her Here about her to attend her Let them wait and here condoul Till receive her spotless Soul So Serene it is and fair It will sweeten all the Air You this holy wonder hears With the Musick of the spheres Her Souls journey in a trice You 'l bring safe to Paradice And rejoice the Saints that say She makes Heavens Holy-day The Song ended she opens her Eyes then speaks Death hath not finish'd yet his work h 'is slow But he is sure for he will do 't at last Turn me to my dear Lord that I may breath My last words unto him my dear Our marriage join'd our flesh and bone Contracted by those holy words made one But by our Loves we join'd each others heart And vow'd that death should never us depart Now death doth marry us since now we must Ashes to ashes be mingling our dust And our joy'd Souls in Heaven married then When our frail bodyes rise wee 'l wed again And now I am joy'd to lie by thy lov'd side My Soul with thy Soul shall in Heaven reside For that is all my In this last word she dies which when her Servants saw they cryed out she is dead she is dead Here ends my Lord Marquesses writing Doctor Educature sayes thus Doctor Educature She is dead she is dead the body hence convey And to our Mistriss our last rights wee 'l pay So they laid her by her Husband upon the Tomb and drawing off the Tomb goe out Exeunt ACT V. Scene 20. Enter Citizens Wives and their Apprentices 1 CItizens Wife Where shall we stand to see this triumphing 2 Citizens Wife I think Neighbour this is the best place 3 Citizens Wife We shall be mightily crouded there 2 Citizens Wife For my part I will stand here and my Apprentice Nathaniel shall stand by me and keep off the croud from crouding me Nathaniel Truly Mistriss that is more than I am able to do 3 Citizens Wife Well Neighbour if you be resolved to stand here we will keep you Company Timothy stand by me Timothy If you stand here Mistriss the Squibs will run under your Clothes 3 Citizens Wife No matter Timothy let them run where they will They take their stand 1 Citizens Wife I hope Neighbour none will stand before us for I would not but see this Lady Victoria for any thing for they say she hath brought Articles for all women to have as many Husbands as they will and all Trades-mens Wives shall have as many Apprentices as they will 2 Citizens Wife The Gods bless her for it Enter a Croud of people She is coming she is coming Officers come Stand up close make way Enter many Prisoners which march by two and two then enter many that carry the Conquered spoils then enters the Lady Victoria in a gilt Chariot drawn with eight white Horses four on a breast the Horses covered with Cloth of gold and great plumes of feathers on their heads The Lady Victoria was adorned after this manner she had a Coat on all imbrodered with silver and gold which Coat reach'd no further than the Calfs of her leggs and on her leggs and feet she had Buskins and Sandals imbroidered suitable to her Coat on her head she had a Wreath or Garland of Lawrel and her hair curl'd and loosely flowing in her hand a Crystall Bolt headed with gold at each end and after the Chariot marched all her Female Officers with Lawrel Branches in their hands and after them the inferiour she Souldiers then going through the Stage as through the City and so entring again where on the midst of the Stage as if it were the midst of the City the Magistrates meet her so her Chariot makes a stand and one as the Recorder speaks a Speech to her VIctorious Lady you have brought Peace Safety and Conquest to this Kingdome by your prudent conduct and valiant actions which never any of your Sex in this Kingdome did before you Wherefore our Gracious King is pleased to give you that which was never granted nor
discourse as by things and motions beasts may have for ought we can know to the contrary The last is by Figures or Letters Prints Hieroglyphicks and painted Stories or ingraven in Metal or cut or carved in Stone or molded or formed in Earth as clay or the like in this kind of discourse the Pencil hath sometimes out-done the Pen as the Painter hath out-done the Historian and Poet This discoursing by Signs or Figures are discourses to the eye and not to the ear There is also another kind or sort of discoursing which is hardly learn'd as yet because newly invented or at lest to what I have heard which is by Notes and several Strains in Musick I only mention it because I never heard it but once and then I did not understand it but yet it was by a skilfull and ingenious Musician which discoursed a story of his Travels in his playing on a Musical Instrument namely the Harpsical But certainly to my understanding or reason it did seem a much easier way of discoursing than discoursing by actions or posture But to end my discourse of Discoursing which discoursing may be by several waies several actions and postures by several creatures and in several Languages but reasoning is the Souls Language words the Language of the Senses action the Lifes Language Writing Printing Painting Carving and Molding are Arts several Languages but Musick is the Language of the Gods Exeunt Scene 17. Enter two Gentlemen 1. Gent. HOw do you like the Ladies discourse 2. Gent. As I like discourse 1. Gent. How is that 2. Gent. Why I had rather hear a number of words than speak a number of words 1. Gent. Then thou art not of the nature of Mankind for there is no man that had not rather speak than hear 2. Gent. No it is a sign I am not of the nature of Woman-kind that will hear nothing but will speak all indeed for the most part they stop their Ears with their Tongues at lest with the sound of their Voices Exeunt Scene 18. Enter a company of Gentlemen The Speaker takes the Chair Gentleman Speaker IT were too tedious to recite the several humours of the female Sex their scornfull Pride their obstinate Retirednesse their reserved Coynesse their facil Inconstancy by which they become the most useless and most unprofitable Creatures that nature hath made but when they are joined to men they are the most usefull and most profitable Creatures nature hath made wherefore all those women that have common reason or sense of shame will never retire themselves from the company of men for what women that have any consideration of Honour Truth or touch of Goodness will be the worst of all Creatures when they may be the best but the truth of it is women are spoyled by the over-fond dotage of men for being flattered they become so self-conceited as they think they were only made for the Gods and not for men and being Mistrisses of mens affections they usurp their Masculine Power and Authority and instead of being dutifull humble and obedient to men as they ought to be they are Tyrannical Tyrannizers Exeunt Scene 19. Enter two Gentlemen 1. Gent. THe young Gallants methinks begin to be whetted with Anger 2. Gent. They have reason when the women have such dull blunt Appetites Exeunt Scene 20. Enter the Ladies of the Academy The Lady Speaker takes the Chair Matron LAdies let the Theam of your discourse be at this time of Friendship Lady Speaker This Theam may more easily be discoursed of than Friendship made by reason it is very difficult to make a right Friendship for hard it is to match men in agreeable Humours Appetites Passions Capacities Conversations Customs Actions Natures and Dispositions all which must be to make a true and lasting Friendship otherwise two Friends will be like two Horses that draw contrary waies whereas Souls Bodies Education and Lives must equally agree in Friendship for a worthy honest man cannot be a friend to a base and unworthy man by reason Friendship is both an offensive and defensive League between two Souls and Bodies and no actions either of the Souls or Bodies or any outward thing or fortune belonging thereunto are to be denyed wherefore Knaves with Knaves and unworthy Persons with unworthy Persons may make a Friendship Honest men with Honest men and worthy Persons with worthy Persons may do the like but an Honest man with a Knave or a worthy Person with a base man or an Honourable Person with a mean Fellow a noble Soul with a base Nature a Coward with a Valiant man can make no true Friendship For put the case in such friendships my Friend should desire me to do a base Action for his sake I must either break Friendship or do unworthily but as all worthy Persons make Truth their Godesse which they seek and worship Honour the Saint which they pray too Vertue the Lady which they serve so Honesty is the only Friend they trust and rely on and all the VVorld is obliged to Honesty for upright and just dealing Exeunt ACT IV. Scene 21. Enter two Gentlemen 1 GEnt. Methinks the womens Lectural discourse is better than the mens for in my opinion the mens discourses are simple childish and foolish in comparison of the womens 2 Gent. Why the subject of the discourse is of women which are simple foolish and childish 1 Gent. There is no sign of their simplicity or folly in their discourse or Speeches I know not what may be in their Actions 2 Gent. Now you come to the point for the weaknesse of women lyes in their Actions not in their VVords for they have sharp Wits and blunt Judgements Exeunt Scene 22. Enter the Ladies and Grave Matroness The Lady Speaker takes the Chair MAtronesse Lady let the Theam of your discourse to day be of a Theatre Lady Speaker A Theatre is a publick place for publick Actions Orations Disputations Presentations whereunto is a publick resort but there are only two Theatres which are the chief and the most frequented the one is of War the other of Peace the Theatre of Warr is the Field and the Battels they sight are the Plays they Act and the Souldiers are the Tragedians and the Theatre of Peace is the stage and the Plays there Acted are the Humours Manners Dispositions Natures Customes of men thereon described and acted whereby the Theatres are as Schools to teach Youth good Principles and instruct them in the Nature and Customes of the World and Mankind and learn men to know themselves better than by any other way of instruction and upon these Theatres they may learn what is noble and good what base and wicked what is ridiculous and misbecoming what gracefull and best becoming what to avoid and what to imitate the Genius that belongs to the Theatre of Warr is Valour and the Genius that belongs to the Theatre of Peace is Wit the designer of the rough Plays of Warr is a General
neither mention the men nor their Discoursings or Arguments or Academy as if there were no such men Exeunt Scene 24. Enter the Ladies and their Matrons The Lady Speaker takes the Chair Matron LAdy let the Theam of your discourse be at this time of Vanity Vice and Wickedness Lady Speaker There is a difference betwixt Vanity Vice and Wickednesse Wickednesse is in the will Vice in the desires and Vanity in the actions Will proceeds from the Soul Vice from the Appetites and Action from Custom or Practice the Soul is produced from the Gods the Appetites created by Nature and Custom is derived from Time As for Desires we may desire and not will and we may will and not act and we may act and neither will nor desire and we may desire will and act all at once and to some particulars we may neither desire will nor act but the Will makes Vice Wickednesse and Vanity Vice the willing of good proceeds from the Gods the willing of evil proceeds from the Devils so that Sin is to will evil in despight of good and Piety is to will good in despight of evil as neither the perswasions nor temptations of the one or the other shall draw our wills for sin or wickednesse is neither in the Knowledg nor Appetites for if our Great Grandmother Eve had not wilfully eat of that which was strictly forbidden her she had not sinned for if that she had only heard of the effects of that Fruit or had desired it yet had not wilfully eaten thereof she had never damned her Posterity Thus to will against the Gods command is Wickednesse but there is no such thing as Wickedness in Nature but as I said Wickednesse proceeds from the Soul Vice from the Appetites and Vanity from the Actions as for Wickedness it is like a dead Palsie it hath no sense or feeling of the Grace or Goodness of the Gods and Vice is like an unwholsome Meat cut out by the Appetites for the Appetites are like knives whereas some are blunt others are sharp and as it were too much edged but they are either blunt of sharp according as Nature whets them but if they be very sharp as to be keen they wound the body and make the life bleed As for Vanity it is as the froath of life it is light and swims a-top which bubbles out into extravagant and uprofitable actions false opinions and idle and impossible Imaginations But as I said it is not the knowledg of Vanity Vice and Wickednesse that makes a creature guilty thereof but the Will and wilfull Practice thereof for Wickedness Vice and Vanity must be known as much as Piety Virtue and Discretion otherwise men may run into evil through ignorance wherefore it is as great a shame to Education not to be instructed in the bad as it is a glory to be instructed in the good but the Question will be whether Knowledg can be without a partaking thereof I Answer not a perfect Knowledg but a suppositive Kowledg for there are many things which cannot be perfectly known but suppositively known so we must only know VVickedness Vice and Vanity as we do know the Gods and Devils which is by a lively Faith so as we must be instructed in all that is Pious Virtuous and Judicious as we are instructed of the Power and Goodnesse of the Gods and we must be instructed in all that is Wicked Vicious and Idle as we are of the Evil and Power of the Devils Now I must inform you that there are three sorts of Knowledge as a knowledge of Possession a knowledge of Action and a knowledge of Declaration the knowledge of Action lies in the Appetites the knowledge of Declaration lies in the Senses the knowledge of Possession in the VVill Action and Declarations As for example we may hear and see Drunkenesse Adultery Murther Theft and the like and have no appetite to the same Actions also we may have an appetite to the same Actions yet not a will to act the same but if we have a desire and will act the same we have and are possess'd with the most perfect Knowledge thereof but this last Knowledge is utterly unlawfull in things that are evil but not in things that are good But to conclude we must be instructed by a Narrative way and by the intelligence of our ears and eyes in that which is evil as well and as plainly as in things that are good not to be ignorant in any thing that can be declared unto us not staying untill we be Old but to be thus instructed whilst we are young for many that are young Novices commit many evils through ignorance not being instructed and informed plainly and clearly but darkly and obscurely caused by their foolish cautionary formal Tutors or Educators who hold that erronious opinion that Youth ought not to know such or such Things or Acts which if they had known evil might have been prevented and not left untill their evil be known by Practice so that more evil is rather known by Practice than Declaration or instruction of Information but if our Senses are a guide to our Reason and our Reason a guide to our Understanding and that the Reason and Understanding governs our Appetites then t is probable our Sense Reason and Understanding may govern our VVill Exeunt ACT V. Scene 25. Enter the Academical Gentlemen 1. Gent. THis is not to be suffered for if we should let these Ladies rest in peace and quiet in their inclosed Habitation we shall have none but Old Women for all those young Ladies that are not in the Academy talk of nothing but of going into a Female Academy 2 Gent. You say true insomuch as it begins to be a Mode and a Fashion for all the Youngest Fairest Richest and Noblest Ladies to inclose themselves into an Academy 3. Gent. Nay we must seek some way and devise some means to unroost them 4. Gent. There is nothing can do it but noise for they take such pleasure in the exercise of their Tongues that unless we can put them to silence there is no hopes to get them out 1. Gent. Trumpets I doubt will not be loud enough 6. Gent. Let us try All the Gentlemen Content Content c. Exeunt Scene 26. Enter the Ladies and the Grave Matrons The Lady Speaker takes the Chair Matron LAdy let the Theam of your discourse be at this time of Boldness and Bashfulnesse Lady Speaker There are three sorts of Boldness or Confidence the one proceeds from Custom or Practice as it may be observed by Preachers Pleaders and Players that can present themselves speak and act freely in a publick Assembly The second sort of Boldnesse or Confidence proceeds from Ignorance not foreseeing what errors or follies may be committed or chance to fall out or what is fittest to be done or said like as poor mean Countrey people who have neither Birth nor Breeding have so much Confidence as they can more confidently present
themselves or presence to those of Noble Birth and Breeding and can more freely and boldly talk to any Person or Persons of what Quality or Dignity soever than those Noble Persons can talk to them The third and last sort of Confidence or Boldnesse proceeds from an extraordinary Opinionatedness or self-conceitednesse for those that think or believe themselves to be above others in VVit Person Parts or Power although they have neither will be most haughtily and proudly confident scorning and undervaluing all others as inferiour Thus bold Confidence or confident Boldnesse is produced from Practice Ignorance and Pride Also there are three sorts of Bashfulnesse The one proceeds from too great an Apprehension The other from a poetical Fiction The third from an aspiring Ambition First from too groat an Apprehension as some are afraid that their Observers or Friends should make an evil Construction of their good Intentions Others will be Bashfull and out of Countenance upon a poetical Fiction as imagining of some impossible or at least some improbable accident which may fall out to their disgrace The third and last is through an aspiring Ambition desiring to out-act all others in Excellencies and fearing to fail therein is apt to be out of Countenance as if they had received a foyl thus we may perceive that the Stream of good Nature the peircing Beams of Wit and the Throne of Noble Ambition is the true cause of bashfulness I mean not shamefastness but sweet bashfulnesse but although bashfulnesse is a sweet tender noble and peircing Effect of and from the Soul yet bashfulnesse is apt to unstring the Nerves to weaken the Sinews to dull the Senses to quench the Spirits to blunt the eyes or points of Wit and to obstruct the Speech insomuch as to cause the words to run stumblingly out of the mouth or to suffer none to passe forth but a little Anger in the Mind will take off the extreme bashfulnesse of the Behaviour although much Anger doth obstruct the Senses Spirits and Speech as much as extreme Bashfulnesse doth for extreme anger and extreme bashfulnesse have often one and the same Effects to outward Appearance Exeunt Scene 27. Enter two Gentlemen 1 GEnt. The Gentlemen will turn Trumpeters for a Regiment of Gentlemen have bought every one of them a Trumpet to sound a March to the Academy of Ladies 1 Gent. Faith if the Ladies would answer their Trumpets with blowing of Horns they would serve them but as they ought to be served 1 Gentleman Women will sooner make Hornes than blow Horns Exeunt Scene 28. Enter the Lady and their Matroness The Lady Speaker takes the Chair MAtron Lady let the Theam of your discourse at this time be of Virtuous Courtships and wooing Suters Lady Speaker Some Poetical and Romantical Writers make valiant gallant Heroicks wooe poorly sneakingly and pedlingly Matron Lady let me interrupt you would you have gallant Heroicks in their Courtships to Fair young Ladies as Commanding as in the Field or as Furious as in a Battel Lady Speaker No I would have them wooe with a Confident Behaviour a Noble Demeanor a Generous Civility and not to be amazed or to tremble for fear to weep for pitty to kneel for mercy to sigh and be dejected with a Mistresses frown for though sorrow sighs tears and Humility become all Heroick Spirits very well and expresse a Noble and Generous Soul yet not in such a cause for tears become all Heroick Spirits for the Death or Torments of Friends or for the sufferances of Innocents or Virtue yet not if only themselves were tormented or to dye or for any misfortune that could come upon our own Persons or estates or for any obstructions to their own pleasures or delights but it becomes all Heroick Spirits to tremble for fear of their Honour or losse of their Fame and expresses a generous Soul to grieve and to mourn in a general Calamity and to humble themselves to the Gods for those in distresse and to implore and kneel to them for mercy both for themselves and others as for to divert the wrath of the Gods but not to weep sigh tremble kneel pray for their Effeminate pleasures delights or Societies nor to grieve or sorrow for the losse of the same Also some VVriters when they are to describe a Bashfull and Modest Lady such as are Nobly and Honourably bred describe them as if they were simply shame-faced which description makes such appear as if they came meerly from the Milk-boul and had been bred only with silly Huswives and that their practice was to pick VVorms from Roots of Flowers and their pastimes to carry and fling crumbs of Bread to Birds or little Chickens that were hatched by their Hens their Mothers gave them or to gather a lapfull of sweet Flowers to Distill a little sweet VVater to dip their Hankerchiefs in or to wash their Faces in a little Rose-water and indeed this harmlesse and innocent Breeding may be Modest and Bashfull or rather shame-faced for want of other Conversation which Custome and Company will soon cast off or wear out and then print Boldnesse on their brow but true modest Souls which have for the most part Bashfull Countenances proceede from a deep Apprehension a clear Understanding an ingenuous VVit a thinking Brain a pure Mind a refined Spirit a Noble Education and not from an ignorant obscure Breeding for it is not Ignorance that makes Modesty but Knowledge nor is it Guiltinesse that makes Bashfulnesse but fear of those that are guilty but as I said many VVriters that would make a description of Modest and Bashfull women mistake and expresse a shame-faced Ignorance and obscure Breeding and instead of expressing a young Lady to be innocent of Faults they expresse her to be one that is ignorant of Knowledge so as when they would describe a Modest Bashfull Innocent Virgin they mistake and describe a simple ignorant shame fac'd Maid that either wants Breeding or Capacity Matron But Lady let me ask you one question would you have a young Virgin as confident and knowing as a Married wife Lady Speaker Yes although not in their Behaviour or Condition of life but in her Virtue and Constancy for a chast Married wife is as Modest and Bashfull as a Virgin though not so simple ignorant and shame-faced as a plain bred Maid but as I said VVriters should describe the wooing of gallant Heroicks or Great and Noble Persons to woo with a Generous Confidence or Manly Garb a Civil Demeanor a Rational Discourse to an honest Design and to a Virtuous end and not with a whining Voice in pittifull words and fawning Language and if it be only for a Mistriss as for a Courtezan Bribes are the best Advocates or to imploy others to treat with them and not to be the Pimp although for themselves Also VVriters should when they describe Noble Virgins to receive Noble Addresses of Love and to receive those Noble Addresses or Courtships with an attentive Modesty
is for the most part obtains it Thus men become slaves to the distaff for quietness sake otherwise there is such quarrels and brawleries that his house and home that should be his Couch of Ease his Bed of Rest his peaceable Haven or haven of Peace is for the most part his couch of thorns his bed of cares his hell of torments or tormenting hell and his whole Family are like a tempestuous Sea where Passions hurl into Factions and rise in waves of discontent But when men have an absolute power over their wives they force them into quiet obedience and where men have many Wives Concubines and Slaves the women are humbled into a submission each woman striving which should be most serviceable and who can get most love and favour and as for Bastards they are as much the Fathers children as those that are got in Wedlock Censure But it is likely that Concubines and slaves will be false and father their children on those that never begot them Sensuality Why so may Wives and 't is most probable they do so but as other Nations do allow many Wives Concubines and slaves so they give men power and rule to govern and restrain them and the men are so wise in other Nations as they suffer no other men but themselves to come neer them hardly to look at the outside of their Seraglio's as that part of the house they are lodged in Censure Thou hast spoke so well and hast made so learned a Speech for many Wives Concubines and slaves as I am converted and will if thou wilt travel into such Kingdomes as allow such numbers and varieties that I may be naturalliz'd to their liberties Exeunt Scene 6. Enter Monsieur Satyrical and Monsieur Inquisitive INquisitive What is the reason Monsieur Satyrical you do not marry Satyrical The reason Monsieur Inquisitive is that I cannot find a wife fit for me Inquisitive Why there are women of all Ages Births Humours Statures Shapes Complexions Features Behaviours and Wits But what think you of marrying the Lady Nobilissimo Satyrical She is a Lady that out-reaches my Ambition Inquisitive What think you of the Lady Bellissimo Satyrical She is a Lady for Admiration and not for use Inquisitive What think you of marrying the Lady Piety Satyrical She is a Lady to be pray'd unto as a Saint not to be imbraced as wife Inquisitive What think you of the Lady Modesty Satyrical She is a Lady that will not only quench amorous love but the free matrimonial love Inquisitive What do you think of the Lady Sage Satyrical She is a Lady to rule as a Husband and not to be ruled as a Wife Inquisitive What think you of the Lady Politick Satyrical She is a Lady fitter for Counsel than for Mariage Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Ceremony Satyrical She is a Lady fitter for a Princely Throne than the Mariage-bed Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Poetical Satyrical She is a Lady fitter for Contemplation than Fruition Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Humility Satyrical She is a Lady sooner won than enjoy'd Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Sprightly Satyrical She is a Lady that will disquiet my rest being fitter for dancing than sleeping Inquisitive What say to the Lady Prodigal Satyrical She is a Lady I might feast with but could not thrive with Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Vanity Satyrical She is a Lady too various and extravagant for my humour Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Victoria Satyrical She is a Lady I had rather hear of than be inslaved by Inquisitive VVhat say you to the Lady Innocent Youth Satyrical She is a Lady that may please with imbracing but not with conversing she is fitter for love than for company for Cupid than for Pallas for sport than for counsel Inquisitive VVhat say you to the Lady Wanton Satyrical She is fitter for an hour than for an Age Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Poverty Satyrical She is fitter for my Charity than my Family Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Ill-favoured Satyrical She is a Lady fitter for a Nunnery than a Nursery for Beads than for Children Inquisitive What say you to the Lady Weakly Satyrical She is fitter for Death than for Life for Heaven than the World Inquisitive By your Answers I perceive you will not Marry Satyrical Have I not reason when I can finde such Answers from the Sex Inquisitive But the Gods have commanded Mariage Satyrical But Saints doe choose a single life and in case of Mariage I will sooner follow the Example of the Saints than the commands of the Gods Exeunt Scene 7. Enter Madamoiselle Ambition Superbe Bon' Esprit Pleasure Portrait Faction Grave Temperance and Mother Matron GRave Temperance Ladies what think you of good Husbands Portrait I think well of good Husbands Bon' Esprit But it is a question whether good Husbands will think well of us Faction I think good Husbands may be in our thoughts but not actually in the World Ambition I am of your opinion they may be mention'd in our words but not found in our lives Pleasure Faith we may hear of good husbands and read of good wives but they are but Romances Portrait You say right for we may as soon finde an Heroick Lover and see all his impossible Actions out of a Romance Book as a good Husbands but as for Wives I will not declare my Opinion Bon' Esprit Nor I but were there such men that would make good husbands it were as difficult to get them as for a Romantick Lover to get his Mistris out of an Inchanted Castle Pleasure For my part I had rather die a Maid than take the pains to get a good Husband Superbe I wonder our Sex should desire to Marry for when we are unmaried we are sued and sought to and not only Mistris of our selves but our Suters But when we are maried we are so far from being Mistrisses as we become slaves Pleasure The truth is there is no Act shews us or rather proves us to be so much fools as we are as in marrying for what greater folly can there be than to put our selves to that condition which will force us to sue to power when before that voluntary slavery we were in a condition to use power and make men sue to us Ambition We must confess when we well consider it is very strange since every Creature naturally desires and strives for preheminency as to be superiour and not inferiour for all Creatures indeavour to command and are unwilling to obey for it is not only Man but even the Beasts of the Field the Birds of the Air and the Fishes in the Sea and not only Beasts Birds and Fish but the Elements those creatures inhabite in strive for superiority only Women who seem to have the meanest souls of all the Creatures Nature hath made for women are so far from indeavouring to get power as they voluntarily