DEMENETA

What exercises? Come, thou shalt not leave me. No, but a student in a better art; hast thou ever read Ovid de art amandi, or Ovid's amorous Epistles? Oh, I would have thee study that book above all other, there are very good rules, and worth the observation truly, if thou errest in any thing therein written, I will be thy Mistress to instruct thee, follow my rudiments good son. That is but a fantasy, a mere untruth; it was made by the Poet for youthful recreation and pastime, none but Stoical old men will invey against them, who envy that in others which they cannot enjoy in themselves. Would thou didst, and Wertenberg well entered in my book and science; but where is thy father and my husband Ari stippus? Oh, my deer husband, where have you lingered so long; you are too blame indeed to leave me so solitary, I must chide you for it, truly, had you tarried never so little longer, I should have died for sorrow. True, true, my love, your words are oracles, Were I now as I seem, how should I wrong Youth, beauty, nature, and rebel against them — aside. You shall not go, come, come, you do not love me, Else could you not be so unkind my deer, To kill your loving wife with your departure. I doubt I shall not live till your return. On that assurance I do dismiss you, but if you exceed The time, you're Like to find me turned a coarse; stick to your promise. Where go you Cnemon? See that you do, And you shall not repent it, Exit Cnemon. I must gain him Unto my will by fair and gentle means, By promises and gifts, by sweet allurements And strong enticing words, by pleasing him With what he likes best, this will take his youth (I make no doubt) and bring me to his bed. I burn for love of him and must be quenched, Old Aristippus I have fooled and made Believe I love him, but it is not so. I have brought him to my own lure so that He stoops unto my beauty; now if I Can but enjoy my Cnemon, I am then Mistress of my design, and a chief Artist In this sweet trade; let fools burn in their fire Of modest love, i'll on to my desire. Exit. Is this the day? by Jove I knew it not, Else had I been spectator of the sighed, Chiefly to see my Cnemon in his office, Could I be angry with him, I should chide him For not acquainting me. Are all the rites and ceremonies done? I feign would see yet the conclusion. My young Hippolitus, and my deer Theseus, Welcome, Oh welcome to me. Burden thee With blisses too I can, my pretty boy, If thou wilt love thy mother. As Ʋ enus with Anchises sported once In Ida grove, so let me sport with thee; Dost understand me now? Nay, prithee do not frown, This night I must enjoy thee, and thou me, Thy father's absence does invite us to it; I will maintain thee Like a Princes son, Glittering in gold, and our sweet furtive sports Keep from the sun and knowledge of the gods, No one shall know it. What raging fires still burn me? how I am Divided in my self tween love and hate, two mighty passion combatting together? Love would prevail, if reason might be judge, But love is too unreasonably harsh: Hate therefore execute thy proper function, Inflame my breast with rage and high disdain Against this brat that gave me the repulse, Inspire my study in his Tragedy. Dear husband, very sick and in ill case. Nothing Sir, I know no cause at all. Since you are so Importunate to know it, understand The goodly young man, son unto us both (To you by nature, but to me by love) Whom I (the gods know) held as deer unto me As you, when he perceived by certain tokens I was with child by you (which thing I kept Hid from your knowledge till I knew my self The certainty) and waiting for your absence, When I in wonted manner counseled him To leave his whores, and to avoid his cups (Which things I knew he loved, but would not tell you, Lest I should run into the ill suspicion Of stepmother) whilst I in gentle manner Told him these things, I will not speak the worst, Nor in what sort he did revile us both, But last of all, he spurned me on the belly, Which hath procured this my disease and pain. I'm in bade plighted, So that I do not only fear the life Of that I go with, but mine own, beside, These accidents are dangerous to women; Yet, Sir, it grieved me that you took so sharp A punishment of Cnemon, for all this I cannot choose but love him. You do mistake my pulse, whose veins do swell With rage and fury, and shall live in pain, Until I be revenged. Thisbe my wench, thou must be secret unto all my commands. I am confident of thee; thou knowest how I loved that proud boy Cnemon, what proffers I made him, what fa vours I bestowed upon him, and all to win him to my imbra ces, yet how scornfully and scurvily he refused me, with what disdain he left me; I am now resolved no longer to solicit my love but to execute my revenge; I have devised a dainty plot against him, which will take according as I would wish, follow thou my directions. Then thus I school thee, make a show that thou lovest Cnemon exceedingly, entice him to thee with becks and amo rous glances, he'll soon be caught with these baits, especially having heretofore long nibbled upon thy beauty; frequent his bed often, be not ashamed, it shall be for thy great advancement, and whereas thou art now a bondmaid, thou shalt be made free forever. When thou hast done this which I command thee, I will instruct thee farther. Did I not tell you this before, sweet heart, To look unto this princoks pride and hate Who would no doubt, if time had served his turn, Attempt some mischief to destroy us both. MY pretty boy, how dost thou? where hast thou been so long absent from my embraces; come hither, let me solace my self a little with thee, let me kiss thee my sweet heart, my heir, my own life. How prettily he speaks, I cannot choose but kiss thee for it. I love him I must confess, as well as if he were mine own son, or better. Cnemon, fit on my lap pretty boy. I will have it so; the very picture of his father. There is not a prettier or wittier boy in Athens, but it's no wonder, that old men beget always the finest chil dren, it's most commonly seen. How could I not Sir; your wisdom, staidness and understanding were such motives to my affection, as I would not change my old man for the youthfull'st cavalere of all Greece ; I hope for all your age, to have a hopeful offspring from you, such another as Cnemon, you can do it faith, old Aristippus. Thanks sweet husband, let me hang upon your neck, pretty gravity, how well it becomes him, who could choose but love such a man entirely; pox upon smooth faces, and young lusty gallants, there's more trouble with them a bed, when a gentlewoman would sleep and take her rest; they are all ways disturbing of her, when by a man of some years and ex perience we may lie as quiet as we will; would all women were of my opinion, we should cut the combes then of these lusty gamesters. When sawest thou Cnemon, Thisbe? Am I despised thus, and my hight love Requited with disdain, as cold as ice, By such a youngling? he shall know the difference Between a woman's favours and her frowns, And curse too late his foolish modesty: Go Thisbe to the Castle, tell my husband I am not well, entreat him to come to me With all the speed he can. It's late 'ith night, sweet husband, let's to bed, I cannot have too much of your embraces, The envious day will interrupt our sport, Me thinks we married were but yesterday. You wrong your self, you are a lusty man, For were you old the dull effects of age Would then appear, but I have had experience Of your performance, Cnemon, I believe, Your son is not so active in his trade. Cnemon, i'm sorry for thee pretty boy, In and ill hour Wertenberg thou brought to the world; Unhappy creature. O my Cnemon, My pretty boy, more deer then my own life, How I lament thy chance and my mishap. Peace fool, my grief is more then can be cured By any words of comfort, no man knows What a sharp corrosive it was to my heart, More fervent is my love now he is absent. How ready thou art Thisbe to do mischief, Thou art the fire brand that hast kindled this Combustion in my heart, thou hast not been A help unto me, but a hindrance In the fruition of my love, by thee And by thy means I h we lost my only joy, And yet for all this thou dost still incense me To run on in this way; most wicked wretch. What remedy Can possibly be found, since he that can Ease me, and none but he, is separated At such a distance from me? and beside Unhoped for lenity of those which gave Sentence against him hath destroyed my Hope's. I would he had suffered death, for then in me H worser quenched been the flames of burning love. Hope that is passed removes grief from the heart, And when despair possesses troubled minds They in ermit all sorrow building on Impossibility of their enjoying; But as it is methinks I see and hear Cnemon complaining of my cruelty, And how by unjust guiles I did ensnare him; Sometime me thinks he comes to me as if I should enjoy him, othertimes I bend My course to him where ere he lives remote; These things inflame me, these things make me mad, But Oh you gods, I have as I deserve; Why did I not with good will seek to win him Rather then by deceit and craft compel him? Why did I not most humbly sue unto him Rather then wrong him Like and enemy? It may be at the first he did deny me For maiden modesty, and fear to foul His father's sheets, but had I persevered Unto the end, he might have been allured To condescend by fair means to my will; But Oh my Thisbe tell me, tell me quickly What remedy is that thou wouldst devise For me and sayest is easy? Oh happy wench, Happy Arsinoe is thy destiny, Though banishment or death with such a partner; But what do these things ought advantage me? I approve, And praise thy rare invention dearest Thisbe ; Fail not to put this plot in execution, And I shall well reward thee. 'Tis granted; if thy wit can work my pleasure, How I shall love my Thisbe beyond measure! Exeunt.