VALENTINE

Yes, but before, For I am privy unto all's intentions, He means to see and court his mistress. No, 'tis Grace, daughter to Alderman Covet. Only by report, Which speaks her most accomplished. How's her feature? You give her a brave Character; is't possible To have a sighed of her? You are merry sir. Defend me From thy last curse; fear not my valour. Save you gentlemen. Ladies wee'r come to see you, fame does give You the attribute of fair and witty. That tartness Becomes you prettily, and might serve to fright Young linendrapers or some millaner That does with gloves and bracelets stolen from's Master court you, a haberdasher would have shaked His blockhead (as if he had been trying a Dutch Felt out) and with a shrug departed, but we are Gentlemen Ladies, and no city foremen That never dare be venturous on a beauty, Unless when wenches take them up at plays To entice them at the next licentious Tavern To spend a supper on them, we are creatures Deserve you at your best a worser noblest valve, And so expect you'll use us. They've Magic in their tongues They have so daunted me, I think I shall Turn fool and get me them without reply. And you That are the precious paragons of the City, Who scorn these harmless sports: can have your meetings At Islington, and Green Goose fair, and si A zealous glass of Wine till the parched floor Be moistened with your virgin Due, then prattle How that you dream last night that John the Mercer, Or Tom the Drapers man at London-stone Was in your bed, and what sweet work he made there. When you're married (For that you will be, or else run away With Costermongers, Mountebanks, or Tailors) Your husbands are more subject to you then Their bondmen are, whom by profuse expense You break beyond redemption from the Indies the Straights, or Barbary, see them lodged in Ludgate, And then turn pricking semsters, till that trade Failing, you take your selves (as to the last refuge) To the old occupation; till the Marshal Carry you to Bridewell, of which you're free, Even by your father's charters that have been Sometime the Master's of it, there I'll leave you, So farewell wildcats. You'd best try The acuteness of their intellects. How's that, my imp of understanding? Thou art and ass, A very coxcomb, there are girls ith' City Able to oredoe at their own game a hundred Such feeble fellows as thy self, but Thorowgood, Leaving this infidel to his misbelief, Are you resolved that I shall undertake The new design we plotted? And for the other, By many a shroud cast of her eye upon me, I do suspect for all her quaint dissembling, She's taken with my good parts. Enter Maudline. That's I, thats I. Weel be as private as thou wilt, my girl, Your patience gentlewoman. Tell them I'll advice ont. Yes, es, never doubt my haste, say I me their servant. Dost not thou know it, Even by instinct? Thou art a fool then, Does not the harmony of my good parts Speak me the conqueror of all beauty's Thorowgood. The wenches are on fire for me. From both, from both, now Wertenberg for the statute, That Bigamy my tender conscience Would not much be oppressed to have two wives, But one of them thy Pinnace, thou shalt man her: But J delay too long, I must go meet them; I long to be a kissing, pray heaven their breath Smell not of Marmalade, it'll turn my stomach. Methodically: farewell boys. Ex. Val. You see I me come Upon your summons. Here's a Letter Speaks other language, you might cloth your discourse In the same phrase, or I shall laugh your folly Into a milder temper, and then leave you. No, you're too coy, I me now ith' humour to be tempted to Love any of you: take me while the fit Is on me, for ime sure 'twill not endure Longer than does a wealthy widows grief For a loa Head husband. Speak, would you a mind to me? Speak quickly, or for ever more hereafter Be sure to hold your peace, and that's a task Far worse then death to any of your sex. Thus far into my arms girl, that's the place Thou oughtest to rest in: you expect I warrant That I should court you now, and with and army Of oaths, stuffed with as many sinical falsehoods, Protest I love you: by this light I know not, 'Tis folly to dissemble, whither or no I can affect thee; yet thou seemest to wear That pretty harmless innocence in thy looks, It wins my credulous thoughts to believe Thou mayest be virtuous. Never fear to: That freeness more engages my just faith To embrace thy affection. I have seen some Ladies, Coy as a Voteresse below their suitors, Yet with a tough-backed groom, have known them sin With most libidinous appetite in private; But J'me as fearless girl, that ought amiss Can stain thy soul, as thou Wertenberg confident In settling thy most constant choice upon A stranger; yet I must desire the reason Why you did love me: for my own good parts, Certain they're not so attractive as to conquer A beauty at first sighed Hang thy father In's own gold chain: but such another word, And never hope to have me; dost thou think I'll be beholding to and eight ith' hundred, To such and empty cask as is thy father, (Who soon did get his wealth by the old proverb Of fools have fortune) for a wife; but that I have some mercy in me to believe Thou mayest be virtuous; I would not match With any of my squeamish Ants of London, For all the wealth ith' Chamber. Father again, farewell, my ears do blister At the harsh found: would thou hadst been a Bastard, So thou hadst no title to his blood: Another father, Like a whirlwind, blows me Hence from thy sighed for ever. She loves me by this light, this is no trick. Now to my Thorowgoods project: th'art a good wench, A harmless wench, and I believe a found one, And I will have thee; give me thy hand: yet stay, Ere I do cast my self away upon thee, You here shall promise Mistress, to become A most obedient wife, and not according To the ancient trick inherent to the City, Rail till you be my Master. Nor shall you, when you're at my house ith' Country Be niggardly, or spoil a dinner for Want of the tother ounce of Sugar, nor Repine to see me merry with my friends, Or curse my brother's, when they so journe with me Nor starve my servants when I am from home. I must be dr k sometime oo, then you must not Whine and cry out, were I maid again, Idem never marry any that does take This wicked Herb Tobacco. Those injunctions, And some few hundreds more of the same nature, Sealed and delivered to me by your promise, I may be won to wed thee, nay to bed thee, And get a raze of such Heroic children, As shall entice posterity to conceive Some good came from Cheapside. Your lip shall seal this. 'Tis my good girl: Thy father, armed with the trained bans o'th City, Shall never pull thee from me to confirm thee How much I love, isle disclose a plot I had to gain thy affection. You see my youth and feature will admit A woman's Character; if I were clothed But in the habit, should I not appear A bouncing Marry Ambr I have prepared me A handsome female-shape, my man without Has them under his ; and I persuaded Sir Timothy, in hope that would court thee I his behalf, to have presented me Here for his Niece; you mark me. By no means; It must be pu in Actium; come go in, And help to dress me: Sir Timothy expects To meet me in that shape here: and beside In that disguise, secure I can at any time Steal out with you, and marry you. Come let's in then. I most fortunate To be esteemed your creature. Has my Landlady Provided me a cullis, life my back Does needs a swathband. For your hair let's see Your eyebrows badge: o 'tis not your own; Be modest and confess it: 'tis a Peruke, I saw it at the Frenchman's in the Strand, The other day: and though you hold your head up, It is supposed it grows too near your shoulders, And you wear iron bodies, to keep down And rectify the crooked paths that are In this same hill your body. Your name is Busy? How may we deserve this kindness from you? Fear not thy father's frowns: sweet Grace I have And Alderman's heir a joyncture. Noble Thorowgood, Did I not own you by the name of friend, Already these endearments would engage me to beg that title. We have made our selves fine fools, a pox upon them: I knew their tears could not be serious: They only fell from their left eye, as wealthy Young widows weep for their old husbands, Freewit They're lost, passed all recovery.