HISTORIA

Why then, I must pray you likewise that you will not be offended, if I do not follow what I hear. Fare you well; you have had a time to love and woo, and so must we have. These old folks think their Old Age must carry it away, as if they had won as clear a Victory from us, as can be; alas! I'll give them leave to use their Dead Precepts, but if they once come to lively Exam ples, I'll undertake my Self to convince their best Experi ence. Poeta's love indeed of late is much alienated from me, but as long I love him, I'll speak in his defence; did you see how Polites did only speak and Accusation against him? and Ethicus Abuse his froward Age; and Oeconoma Chafe out her weak conjecture? and then, (when they had rather showed the Weakness of their Age; then the Strength of their Rea son,) flung away, as if their Objections could not be Answer read, because they would not Hear and Answer. I would en choir of Polites (if my Ancestors have not misinformed me in Antiquity) whither in the Time of Herodotus, and after that, of Zenophon (and since of many others) there has not been a Like conjunction to Poeta's and Historia's; and whither your chiefest Common-wealths-men, either of Former times as Plato; or of Later, as the great Solon of the Ʋ topian Come mon-wealth, have not made a Poetical invention their chie fist glory? but there is no discoursing with Age; especially, when it is poss ssed with a perverse prejudice. And I will truly acknowledge Historiam Unhappy in her love, but never Poeta, unworthy of her love. Exeunt. I Perceive yet I am not so Hastie-natur'd, but there be some as Hasty; why, I would have sworn Logicus had been a fellow of Reason and very stayed, but (Heaven defend me) I almost quake to think what a thundering he kept, when he came to my Master's House, one while he would Fight with Poeta, that he would; then he would have him in the Law, then again he would Fight with him, then again he would go to Law with him; at the last he resolves to do both, though I know not whither he will Perform either: if he go to Law; my Master (in Policy) will let his Own cause fallen, to come in as a Witness for Logicus; but in the mean time I must serve for a Messenger to Carry this Challenge from Logicus to Poeta; which I must see, that if I have occa sion to send one to Sanguis, I may know how to draw Blood of him, before we ever come into the Field; let's see. Oh Poeta, thou Poeta, base Nayle-byter, Deske-thumper, Head-scratcher: Oh Poeta, thou Poeta; the very Bottle-Ale of frothy Humour, and, the floating Cork of Spongy Vam nitie; since thou hast (though not per to, but, per alium ) by thy man Melancholico, (but woe to thy man Melan cholico! ) with most audacious and injurious indignity flown up into my face (but, o dreadful flying up in to my face!) know, if thou dost not make thy peace with me, by a reconciling submission (which you may do, and I had rather you should do, then fight. I never provoked you) I do to thy perdition (Oh speedy perdition! think upon that, and let me not fight, I do not provoke you) challenge thee Oh Poeta, thee Poeta, thy very self (mark that) to single Combat at any of these several Weapons, (for I only grant thee the choice of thy death) Battle-Axe, Single Rapier, Case of Poigniards, Case of Pistols, Bodkins, or Pins: but know that by my art before hand, I do Define thee a man of death; &, for the executing of that direful judgement, which yet thou mayest prevent (and o prevent by not provoking me to fight) I will cleave thee from the crown of thy head down to thy girdle, with the fury of a Division. Briefly if thou art not recon cil'd, I shall gore thee with the Horns of this Dilemma. If thou Come, Mine Innocence will overcome thee, if thou dost Not Come, thine Own Cowardliness: farewell till our next meeting with horror, and then eternally thy or dained Destroyer; But I will not name my self, lest the found thereof should kill thee with and astonishing fear, and so snatch thee from the terror of my prodigious fury. Well, I'll go carry Poeta this Letter of Commission for his Execution, and if he have the heart to read it through, with out fallng into half a dozen sounds, I'll say he has a good heart; but I must haste, or else I think Logicus himself will overtake me. Exit. Why, thus did Xenophon and his Love join to gether. I understand so much: but I think that rather the ex iliency of some passion, then any consistency of a settled de sire. I have indeed herd also of some of the Astronomias that have been beloved by Poets; as by Manilius, Pontanus, and some other, who have written whole Books in the praise of their beauty's; but it seems their beauty's had such small divinity in them, that they could not raise, to any height of poetic rapture, the wits of their admirers. And there was also one Lucretius, a Roman Gentleman, in former times that fell in love with Physica, she from whom Physica the mother of Astronomia derives now both her name and lineage, which Gentleman, in the passion of his love, writ books in the praise of her beauty; but what wrinkle-fac'd Verses they are, let the present age judge; and if her beauty was Like his lines, sure she was passed her Threescore, when he fell in love with her; but alas, there was never any of that family that ever came near the Historias for beauty. Why, if you mean to have me alive long, change your dislike of Poeta into love, and reform him if you will, but not hate him; admonish him, entreat him, woo him, and in a word, win him unto me; and those hymns of your praises, and relations of your glory shall be put in the mouth of posterity; that sooner shall the Commonwealth die, then your fame. Do you admire at my sadness, when you know, nay when you are the cause of it? Your continual declamations, Sir, against my most loved Poeta, a man whose praises admit no Hyperbole; no, they transcend all; and whose worth we may admire rather then express. Nay, for your State-distinctions you may reserve them to your self, you can love and hate the same man at the same time by a distinction; I do but plainly relate the truth unto you, and I think there is hardly any man could more violently have inveighed against him then your self; excepting old froward Ethicus; his age indeed must always be correcting some body. Marry, and little reason he hath, when he sees the best of my friends, your self, and Ethicus to neglect him. But otherwise I'm sure he did love me once: there have been of the Historias that have been well beloved by Poets, and those the most renowned in all ages: as by admired Homer, the greatest glory and Shame of Greece, the one for his worth, the other for his wants: then by divine Maro, that beautiful wonder of Nature; and especially by one Lucan, a worthy Gentleman of Room, beside many more; that if you would vouchsafe but to grace him, his Laurel would be the crown of your glory. Reverend Polites — have you done? you have stuck cloves enough in your Orange to make it smell. I shall the rather hear you then. It seems you keep a cleanly house; but I pray, how long have you been married? You may then indeed have forgotten love-sports by this time; well, you are not angry with me for hearing you? are you? Reverend Polites, pardon the unmannerliness of my disordered passion; love resisted grows rude and furi ous: but I will not instruct your wisdom; only remem ber my life lies in your hands.