SPINELLA

What friend have I left in your absence? Admit Sir, The patent of your life should be called in, How am I left then to account with griefs; Mor slaved to pity then a broken heart? Auria ! soul of my comforts, I let fallen No eye on breach of fortu , I contemn No entertainment to divided Hope's; I urge no pressures by the scorn of change; And yet my Auria, when I but conceive How easy 'tis (without impossibility) Never to see thee more, forgive me then, If I conclude I may be miserable, Most miserable. I grant it truth, yet Auria I am a woman; And therefore apt to fear, to show my duty And not take heart from you, I'll walk from ye, At your command, and not as much as trouble Your thought with one poor looking back. Speak (good) speak Dear heaven I go sister, go. Do not study (My Lord) to apparel folly in the steed Of costly colours, henceforth cast off far Far from your noblest nature, the contempt Of goodness, and be gentler to your fame, By purchase of a life to grace your story. Auria, Auria, Fight not for name abroad, but come my husband, Fight for thy wife at home. How poorly some, tame to their wild desires, Fawn on abuse of virtue, pray my Lord, Make not your house my prison. While you belike, Are furnis worser with some news for entertainment Which must become your friendship to be knit More fast betwixt your souls, by my removal, Both from his heart and memory. What rests behind for me, out with it. But my husbands honours, By how much more in him they sparkle clearly by so much more they tempt belief to credit The wrack and ruin of my injured name. In excess Of entertainment, else not. What that meaht, I never understood, I have at once Set bars between my best of earthly joys, And best of men, so excellent a man As lives without comparison, his love To me was matchless. Fortune's minions Are flattered, not the miserable. It wonderful, And understanding dulled by th'infelicitie Of constant sorrow, is not apprehensive In pregnant novelty, my ears receive The words you utter, cousin, but my thoughts Are fastened on another subject. Dear cousin, as you're a gentleman, No I dare not hear it. Lives Auria safe? O prithee do not hear me call him husband, before thou canst resolve what kind of wife His fury terms the run away, speak quickly, Yet do not stay Castanna, I am lost, His friend hath set before him a bade woman, And he, good man, believes it. Hold, my heart trembles, I perceive thy tongue Is great with ills and hastes to be delivered, I should not use Castanna so, first tell me, Shortly and truly tell me how he does. For that my thanks to heaven. Even what she pleases: go on Castanna. Indeed. Does of. I am unworthy Go cousin, come Castanna. Gentle sir, Enter Auria, and Aurelio. Contine your passion, my attendance only Commends a duty. Now for heavens sake sister— Of comes, your husband comes, take comfort sister Those words raise A lively soul in her, who almost yielded To faintness and stupidity, I thank ye, Though prove what judge you will, till I can purge Objections which require belief and conscience, I have no kindred sister, husband, friend, Or pity for my plea. Nor name, With this addition, I disclaim all benefit Of mercy from a charitable thought, If one or all the subtleties of malice, If any enginiere of faithless discord, If supposition for pretence in folly, Can point out, without injury to goodness, A likelihood of gilded in my behaviour, Which may declare neglect in every duty, Required fit, or exacted. I can proceed, that tongue, Whose venom by traducing spotless honour, Hath spread, infection is not more mine enemy, Then theirs, or his weak and besotted brains are, On whom the poison of its cankered falsehood Hath wrought for credit to so foul a mischief. Speak sir, the churlish voice of this combustion, Aurelio speak, nor (gentle sir) forbear Ought what you know, but roundly use your eloquence Against a mean defendant. Woeful satis faction for a divorce of hearts. My thoughts in that respect are as resolute as yours, The same, yet herein evidence of frailty Deserved not more a separation, Then does charge of disloyalty objected Without or ground or witness, woman's faults Subject to punishments, and men's applauded, Prescribe no laws in force. And I, my Lord, my Lord, What stir and coil is here? you can suspect, So reconciliation then is needless, Conclude the difference by revenge, or partly, And never more see one another: sister, Lend me thine arm, I have assumed a courage Above my force, and can hold out no longer, Auria unkind, unkind. The courtship's somewhat quick, The match it seems agreed on, do not sister Reject the use of fate. My ever honoured Lord. It was too blame, but the success remits it. This Gentlewoman Reformed must in my thoughts live fair and worthy, Indeed you shall. How unmanly His anger threatens mischief! Mercy heaven! Champion for me, and Auria living? Auria? He lives, and for my guard my innocence As free as are my husbands clearest thoughts, Shall keep off vain constructions, I must beg Your charities; sweet sister, yours to leave me, I needs no fellows now: let me appear, Or mine own lawyer, or in open court (Like some forsaken client) in my suit Be cast for want of honest plea—o misery.