VALLADAURA

Approve no act, though never so well becoming Partly, so well beautified, phrase aptly languaged, To the very Tone and Accent of the Time, But seems in me de am'd and rustical ; None can endure my sighed, all things I do Are construed to the worst; I walk the streets, Satute I all I meet, none resaluteth me, But look askue, and point, and laugh at me, As who should say; See Petro llaes Scorn, And that which wounds me deeper then death can, The more I strive to make me worth her love, So much the more unworthy she reputes me. They speak of me, and seal it with a smile: That I could sink, and hide me in the Centre. Of my disgrace, what a swift wing has Rumor? Have you herd that too? She has told all: I shall be Ballasted, Sung up and down by Minstrels? Gentlemen, Though my success fell short of my intent, Let it meet fair construction. They scoff me palpably: but noble friends, Such I have ever reckoned you, Let's change Discourse a while in private. What I purpose to my self, I still keep in my self, What you have found hitherto, speak, and when you Find your self pinched, then freely complain. As he deserves, no further, pray inquire him. None: yet some love I shall entreat, withal, a grace from you, I have a Mistress, unto whom I purpose A friendly visitation, to which duty, I entreat you as a witness. Noble Madam, I have brought a stranger, and and Englishman, To give you visitation. To whom, Petrocella? As to a Gentleman to me Entire, I beg from you all the best compliment, Du unto my long service. This man, do you mean? Fellow, to whom; he hath not his in Spain, Nay, I might have took a larger bound, And not have passed my limit; fellow, villain? Paint me out a worthy— Else he is such to none: This was the man I met at sea, and fought with; our Encounter Was all in smoke and fire, so hotly fought, That in that fog, we had no further light, Then what our Lint-staves gave: our Decks flowed blood, Which through the Portholes run, and died the Sea Into a deep vermilion, yet still fought. When Powder, and Bullet, And men, with all grew skant; for scarce was any Left to the present purpose, serviceable, Both bottoms ready through the violent leaks To split, and founder; we then haled, hung flags, And grew to composition. Sir, it came first from me; And this proposed, That both our ships, goods, lives, and people, might not Be in the Sea engraved, and swallowed up, Both from men tongue and thought: that such rich Prizes Might be to one Surviver; the two Captains To try it out by Combat. This nobly he accepted; Faiths new pawned, Hostages given, two worthy seconds chused; Lots cast, whose Decks should be the appointed lists; To mine it fell: He boarded me to fight, From whom I came appareled thus in wounds— Whose scars still mark me his. Short tale to make; Vanquished I was, He victor; and when all, Lading and lives were his; Nay even mine too Lay prostrate at his mercy, with a magnificence Equal to any Prince, he should at— Lady, I am glad you are so possessed of him; And do you think him such? Now'tis time To rouse him from his slumber, worthy friend How have you sped this day in my behalf? You need not speak't again. You aver no more then what my ears have witnest, In which you have used such fidelity, I needs most freely must acquit all debts Betwixt you and me, and there Ingeniously Confess my self in reradge. But If you, Would add a second to this courtesy, I should report you for the constantest friend That ever strived to exceed in gratitude. Upon your honour. That no more, I charge you by our love. Only this, For some occasions to my self best known, And which I now entreat you not inquire, But prosecute, that Priest shall marry us: For your disguise, and all things fitting too't, Leave it to my discretion to contrive, And this is all I enjoin. And bind me to you ever. She's now gone to her Chamber. Ladies and all have left her, under this cloud, Go shrow thy self. To run, and roar, and bellow. As the great beast called Bull; O the cramp, the cramp! Here, there, every where, in my Cry, my Mouth, my tongue, pull, and you love me pull. In the middle there. Show you a true Emblem of my self, I am married. Yes, to a strumpet, to a lascivious strumpet, not possi ble to draw on my wedding shoes without a h rne. And your daughter too light. As patience, not suffer me this piece Of frailty, cut out of the heart of beauty, Where I so loved, as it was doubtful whither She or my life were dearer to me; she Whom by me married, is this night Clasped with a stranger: makes her father's house The wedding chamber, and her nuptial sheets Reek to adulterate pleasure— Would, o my lost life, I could prove it false, Fates not so merciful; late up at revels; I will not say some of her sect of late Plide me with wine, to give her purpose food, But healths flew round, and with full wing, and still I was their aim: They missed their aim though; and yet but a fairer Assoon as opportunity served me: Unseen I lest they, and by a private key, Went to my Chamber, where I said, I'll dare call her' Neither my wife, nor Bride; your lustful danghter. Wearied with pleasure, she lies fast asleep, Laid in a strangers arms, sh'as stayed my speech, 'Tas dimmed mine eyes from sighed, and patience, Restrian'd my head from fury: what he is, or whence, I neither know nor question. Your pardon, I am so mildly tempered, the expense Of one cheap tear, would buy her pardon; had her fault stroke at my life; If you intend revenge, Do't in my absence. Would? False woman? I ne e was dead, But thou has killed a man, whom to have saved, Had I a thousand lives, Idem lose them all: Oh valiant Ferrers, a more Noble Gentleman Never drewaire. The wonder, And abstract of all virtues: did you but know What bold and noble Passages of honour, He for my sake, with danger hazarded, You would have thought there were more deity, Then man within him— My friend indeed: and one, That didst but know how ardently he loved Thee Tiger, thee, his c ell m dear, Thou'dst thy hand, and hate thy bloody self, For thy oh loving him. To try him further, In a church-mans habit, although he loved thee dearer then his life, At my entreat he married us. But last, And it may stand, writ in the Roll of time, A daring challenge to all Ages. Every way; the World Has lost a sewell, not to be regained By lose of twenty World's. My purpose was, having once passed that trial, To have made you man and wife. She was never mine, the marriage was not lawful, Done by a Layman; But men fate, it's thrown Above his reach, our Hope's are not our own. Dost laugh at sorrow? Ferrers! my friend alive? Hast failed thy promise, and abused my trust? To quittance with him thus, I give him thy hand. Come Ferrers, now all Trials are confirmed In this Embrace. Whose coming? You speak Riddles to me. I am mine own Nuntius and my Errand's love. Which I am come in person to deliver To this rare beauty. Are all my Hope's repaid with scorn? Have I laid out more breath In sacrificing vows, and fruitless Sonnets Unto that be autious shrine, than ere man did? As many as man can, I writ my self (And truly) lover ere I could write man, Passing my service as a star, where she The blessed Idea ofthy glorious feature, Drawn by the curious working of my thoughts, Gave me the better, I put out to Sea, And there— As much as any man— Somewhat I did: but what, let these deep wounds Undressed and unbound up deliver. As noble Hector did by his, but by And enemy far more valiant than his. At Sea I met with a bold man of war, And somewhat more, and Englishman: O had Your eye (but fate denied that blessedness) Witnest our bearing, and how far the thought Of you and your rare beauty carried me Above my strength. Nothing? to enter, and hold single combat With such a daring opposite, nothing, to take These dangerous wounds, and bring em home undressed? A man whose noble valour I must speak. In love and honour I shall ever serve him. It's not my fate but mine own imperfection, That makes the act in it self good and laudable, Ill and distasteful, were my services Done by some other, they must needs become And grace the owner, were my words deliv'rd From any tongue but mine, they could not choose But win attention: Had my love been bred In any breast but mine, it could not thus Be scorned and baffled. I of all the world Am most infortunate, neither act, word, or love Can please your audience, or compassion move. Y'ave given both me and my fears satisfaction, I shall report you noble, and esteem my credit Much richer than I did: As I said, my opposer Had man enough in him, and indeed more Then I have known in many. Manly proportions? Would! Mont. Ferrers? You do not know me? It's surely he, yet if it be, mischance Has made him much unlike himself, when he And I vied valour on the purple deck, He wot a look more manly; I'll try further. Were you never Captain of a Ship at Sea? Of England? your name Ferr S? You shall know me too, ere we partly. Unto some cost you shall, trust tot. You know me now? I live, To do the Like by thee— A strong resolve, But I shall quickly weaken, sunder them, With hin there—quick, that Paper will point out Diet and lodging for him. Right spanish Pride. You'll find a change. And so shall mine be: what the art of man Knows of tormentings, mine shall inflict, and can. This parting of you is the least and first, Of infinite to come. It's neglect, A palpable neglect, she loves me not: It shall be so, I will be borish and sullen. My Mistress, Whom if thou wilt court for me, And win unto my wishes. Yes, by the love thou owest me; do you pause? If ever I deserved the name of friend, Or hopest hereafter I may merit off thee, Make it thy sole endeavours You sent for me. Possible, vexation should take new shapes to haunt me, you love me, come, this jest might pass upon one of Cupid's sa shions, but I being a found Sophister in the art, am too familiar with our fallacies, to credit them or you. Has don't to purpose, I know not how to take you Lady. Then I presume you're earnest, S r I must call you father. With your consent. Yes sweet, and now my resolutions wings File with some Feathers: thou the man must join us? To shake thine Honour, which begins faint already, We are, set on, let musickespeake aloud, At such chased Unions Jove himself is proud. Friend Ferrers— Will not this Marble weep? Nor shed a tear yet? Not? he quite outdares me, In nob e courtesies, all my attempts Like curses shall against the wind fly back In mi e own face and soil it. Nob e Ferrers Thy manly undertakings half persuade me That art more than man. And with that I'll claim thee King of thy self and thy affections. And thusit is, for reasons yet concealed And strangely working in my mutinous thoughts, I would, and yet 'tis a request nor fitting Me to enjoin, nor thee to practice. I am ashamed to own it, 'Tis so uncomely and beyond the strength Of man to act: yet in a word, this night Thou shalt (denie't not) under my name and habit, Sleep in my marriage sleets and with my wife. Yes, all That I allow, if after I shall prove, , so much as in a kiss, All thy passed worth I blemished, never demand The reason on't, that's buried. Much, and far more then ever was in man, But passing many unmatched cum tesies, In honours duel, when I all hope had lost, Ever to win the— I pray Sir, What is this matchless beauty unto you, Being already in your self engaged To this fair Creature, that this Strangers case Should any way be yours. Flesh and blood? Father and mother? You are not honest, And now no more my friend: I do begin To doubt you, nay most heinously suspect you, I scarce can think you a true moral man, Much less Religious: Ferrers before these, This Royal bench, either confess thee mad, Des erate, and quite given over to calumny Or in behalf of this ( I know not who) I challenge thee the combat. Come, no such thing. Either pronounce this Lady innocent, Or I denounce thee miscreant. Because she is thy Sister; and so well I love thy merit that no new impression Can sink in me, that any of thy Line, Can ever stand polluted: I have found thee In all thy deeds so noble— Or why to me, to be so deer a friend As to become my second, since your face. I never saw till now. How grew that acquaintance, 'twas without my knowledge? I des to none, only, but silence, you have vouehsasfd me a happiness, beyond merit or expectation. O, Noble Englishman, Thou now appearest a mirror.