CASTAMELA

Enjoy your own prosperity, I am resolved, Never by any charge with me, to force A poverty upon ye, want of love. It's rarely cherished with the love of want. I'll not be your undoing. Fie, fie, how ill this suits. Worse and worse I vow. Romanello, know You have forgotten the nobleness of truth, And sixth on scandal now. This is uncivil. I am not Sir your charge. True good Brother, For my well doing must consist in yours. Such wild language Was wont to be a stranger to your custom; How ever, Brother, you are pleased to vent it, I hope for recreation. Pray Brother be more plain. You are merry. Here's talk in riddles. Brother, exposition? You're wondrous full of courtesy. What Lady es, Where, when, how, who? Chaste? This is pretty. All fitly welcome. I find not reason (gentle Ladies) whereon To cast this debt of mine, but my acknowledgement Shall study to pay thankfulness. Brother one word in private. Whither—but—he's my brother. As you please sir. Indeed He be excused, With your pardons, spare me For this time, grant me licence to look on. Command your pleasures, Lady,—every one hand Your Partner—nay, Spadone, must make one. These merriments are free. Brother. What means this huddle Of flying several ways thus? who ha frighted they? They live not at devotion here, or pension! Pray quit me of distrust. Would, him? whom? What him? Guard me, A powerful Genius! feel— A rape upon my ears. Found woman, In thy grave sinful, Lordship! (Stead me my modest anger) it's belike then Religious matron) some great men prison, Where Virgins honours suffer Martyrdom. And you are their tormentor; let's lay down Our ruined names to the insulters mercy! Let's sport and smile on scandal (rare calamity, What hast thou toiled me in?) you named his Lordship, Some gallant youth and fiery? Cannot, prithee, Be plainer: I begin to Like thee strangely. What cannot? My stars I thank ye, for being ignorant, Of what this old in mischief can intend. And so we might be merry, bravely merry. Why prithee take it. And laugh if needs were. Do not, but his Lordship, What may his Lordship be? We'll meet him With a full flame of welcome, i'st the Marquess? No worse? Fancies? How mean ye that. Chaste too, and yet collapsed? Sure I must be a Fancy in the number. Free suspicion. My Brother's raiser? My supporter? And old man and a lover? And I my self a Fancy? The chance is thrown, I now am Fortune's minion, I will be bold and resolute. But are you always, whenyou press on Ladies Of mild and easy nature, so much satire; So tart and keen as we do taste you now? It argues a lean brain. For which I promise him A never proves choice of mine. I find them Worthily graceful Sir. Well played Brother. I am Sir in a place to be commanded, As now the present urges. For what Sir? To whom? I am not So weary of th'authority I hold Over mine own contents in sleeps and wakings; That Idem resign my liberty to any Who should control it. Of what nature? O my Lord. You are too wise in years, too full of counsel For my green inexperience. You have belike then A Patent for concealing Virgins, otherwise Make plainer your intentions. No, worse you dare not to imagine; Where such and awful Innocence, as mine is, Outfaces every wickedness, your dotage Has lul'd you in. I scent your cruel mercies, Your factresse hath been tampering for my misery; Your old temptation; your shee-Devill—bear with A language which this place, and none but this, hath Infected my tongue with. The time will come too, When he (unhappy man) whom your advancement Hath ruined by being Spannell to your Fortune's, Will curse a trained me hither— Livio, I must not call him Brother; this one act Hath rend him off the ancestry he sprung from. A courtesy? a bondage; You are a great man vicious, much more vicious, Because you hold a seeming league with charity Of pestilent nature, keeping hospitality For sensualists in your own Sepulchre, Even by your life time: yet are dead already. You chide me soberly, Then Sir I tune my voice to other Music; You are and eminent statist, be a Father To such unfriended Virgins, as your bounty Hath drawn into a scandal, you are powerful In means. A Bachelor, freed from the jealousies Of wants, convert this privacy of maintenance Into your own Court: let this (as you call it) Your Academy have a residence there; And there survey your charity your self: That when you shall bestow on worthy husbands With fitting portions, such as you know worthy; You may yield to the present age example, And to posterity a glorious Chronicle: There were a work of piety: the other is A scorn upon your Tombstone; where the Reader Will but expound, that when you lived you pandered Your own purse and your same. I am too bold Sir, Some anger and some pity hath directed A wandering trouble. I'll countenance the hazard of suspicion. And be your guest a while. Indeed Sir I cannot partly we'e yet. It may be so. Prithee interupt not The Paradise of my becharming thoughts, Which mount my knowledge to the sphere I move in, Above this useless tattle. To the Gentleman Of my Lords Horse, new stepped into the Office: It's a good place Sir, if you can be thankful. Demean your carriage in it, so that negligence Or pride of your preferment oversway not The grace you hold in his esteem. Such Fortune's Drop not down every day; observe the favour That raised you to this fortune. Strange and idle. Love deer Maid Is but desire of beauty, and it's proper For beauty to desire to be beloved. Thou shalt not wish for any full addition, Which may adorn thy rarities to boast em: That bounty can withhold—I know I shall not. We shall flourish. Feed high henceforth, man, and no more be streightend Within the limits of and empty patience: Nor tire our feeble eyes with gazing only On greatness, which enjoys the swinge of pleasures. But be our selves the object of their envy, To whom a service would have seemed ambition. It was thy cunning Livio, I applaud it, Fear nothing; I'll be thrifty in thy projects: Want misery? may all such want as think on't; Our footing shall stand firm. Indeed not so Sir, You are beside the point, most gentle Signior, I'll be no more your ward, no longer chambered, Nor mewed up to the lure of your Devotion: Trust me, I must not, will not, dare not; surely I cannot for my promise passed; and sufferance Of former trials hath too strongly armed me: You may take this for answer. Romanello. So Sir, and in good time. Learn good manners: I take it you are saucy. Phew, you rave now: But if you have not perished all your reason, Know I will use my freedom; you (forsooth) For change of fresh apparel, and the pocketing Of some well looking Ducats, were contented, Passingly pleased, yes marry were you (mark it) To expose me to the danger now you rail at. Brought me, nay forced me hither, without question Of what might follow, here you find the issue: And I distrust not but it was the appointment Of some succeeding fate that more concerned me Then widowed virginity. By my Hope's, I never placed affection on that Gentleman, Though a deserved well; I have told him often My resolution. No surely, Such treaty may break off. You cannot Livio. You have been Counsellor To a strange Dialogue. Be noble, I am credulous, my language Hath prejudiced my heart; I and my Brother Near parted at such distance; yet I glory In the fair raze he runs: but fear the violence Of his disorder. Fie Secco fie. The man ha dreamed himself into a lunacy. You have discoursed to me a lovely story, My heart does dance toth' music; 'twere a sin Should I in any tittle stand distrustful Where such a people such as you are, innocent Even by the Patent of your years and language, Inform a truth; Oh talk it over again; You are you say three daughters of one mother, That Mother only Sister to the Marquess, Whose charge hath since her death (being left a widow) Here in this place preferred your education: Is't so? Deceit must want a shelter Under a roof, that's covering to souls So white as breathes beneath it, such as these are; My happiness shares largely in this blessing, And I must thank direction of the providence Which led me hither. The Guardianess (Dear Creatures) now and then, it seems Makes bold to talk. I must not court you Sir. Like vow I, for my partly. O excuse Our secrecy, I have been— You importune Too strict a resolution, as a gentleman Of commendable parts, and fair deserts, In every sweet condition that becomes A hopeful expectation, I do honour Example of your youth, but Sir our Fortune's Concluded on both sides in narrow bans, Move you to construe gently my forbearance, In argument of fit consideration. So is my chief opinion of your worthiness, When such distractions tempt ye, you would prove A cruel Lord, who dare, being yet a servant, As you profess, to bait my best respects Of duty to your welfare, it's madness I have not oft observed, possess your freedom. You have no right in me, let this suffice: I wish your joys much comfort. Distrust is base, presumption urges wrongs; But noble thoughts must prompt as noble tongues.