SEMPRONIO

Philip farewell, and welcome poverty, From sinful proud, I wax a cynic pure, Die fortune, fly deceit, flourish true repent, Sin folly breeds, a good men discontent. He that can teach thee how to choose thy goods, Join both thy hands, and blow them mightily. Do what I bid thee man. But now the heat is laid. Such is the gold, and so it does abide, A breath of pleasure wavering but a space, Maintained by mighty care, but quickly lost. Now Fortunio let us see what beauty is, Seest thou not this sprig, is't not fresh and green, Now look again, a little violence makes it deformed: Why such is beauty sir, a bait wherewith the world Does angle arts, entangle towardness, Enforceth reason, traverseth advice: I pray thee let me serve thee Fortunio. Because I hate thy course, and will instruct thee, If thou be wise to mark, and prove, and know and ho nest man. I first was born to be gentle, Nature enforced the seed of good and bade in me, Till death threatened to whip me for my sins, Mercy stepped in, Repent shed tears and kissed me, Devotion healed me, and new christened me, In my own blood that dropped from this wound, And called me Penitent experience. Etam serva vostra fettisima seruidore siniore. Look not Fortunio, eyes are arrows keen, That wounds all unawares, and are not seen. Why weeps this tender maid, why grieves the mother 'Tis I should weep, and I will weep for both, Fie on Sempronio that was so unkind. I beat Sempronio for abusing thee, Thou lose unbridled man, the cause of harms, Pardon Annetta, pardon Lucida. Do so as thou hast said, Thou shalt be crowned with honour, courteous maid. I, here's a knack to know and arrant knave, Virtue near taught thee that. She sets a bit upon her bridled lust, She hath a water of a holy zeal, To drown the shame of vain affection in. What do these flatterers where free men walk? Hark my Fortunio, I will tell a tale, And ox in Memphes with his poring tongue, Licking in doctious weeds did so foretell His following death: a wretch Like to my self, Beating Marchettos cloak, does prophesy His following shame, unless he mend his life. Why gentle sir, is young Sempronio dead? And what hast thou lost or got by his death? Why thou art blind and canst not see. Yes, but thou art and arrant covetous knave, for all mine uncle. Exit Servio. Why here's a knack to know and honest man, Keep him in Venice my Fortunio, When he is gone few such will stay behind, For here our wonted faith is turned to fraud, Our perjuries are counted policies, Our oaths are gates to catch the simple sort, Our courtesy is but nodding of the head, Discovering the cap, or bending of the knee, Swearing I love your honour good my Lord: The best dissembler hath the bravest wit, Come let me love thee for thy Lelios sake, And when I meet him next I'll tell him more. Ex. Sem. Fortunio my master mad in love, Must have this Lucida, or he will die, And I supposed to be a worldly man, Must be a mean, and stale to win his love: But whereas penitent experience pleads for lewd lust, The lecher never thrives, But here bring I the sacred chest of gold, Gifts, which if proverbs lie not, will tempt the Gods: Yonder sits chastity at beauty's feet, Madames, God speed your works, & speed your Friends And speed your foes, but speed your virtues more. soft, first prove mine honesty, And hear my message ere you praise me much, And this is it, A lewd and lusty Lord, Trained up in idleness, hath late beheld fair Lucida, And longs to lie with her, And hoping by rewards to win her love, He sends this casconet clogged with gold and pearl, First to Annetta to make her a baud, Next to fair Lucida to make her a whore, But if Annetta be as chased and wise, As when she counterchecked Sempronio, If Lelios virtue live in Lucida, Return me back with strokes and railing words, Scratch out my eyes for bringing lewd attempts, But if you mean to try a trick of youth, And vain necessity kills honesty, Here take this gold, but herewithal receive A thousand curses from Sempronios ghost, This halter to dispatch thee, least thy gilded, Should breed more dishonour in thy father's ears. Fortunio Lucida, a mighty man, But if true virtue govern thy affects, Make thou a marble rock of this white breast, Against the sea of every loved assault. Why Annetta, I have dealt in honesty, I have discoursed my Master's mind at large, And therein showed the duty that I owe: Next like a councillor and friend beside, I give thee this advice, and therein let thee know, How much I honour noble Lelio. Ah but when I think upon Sempronio. How imperiously he sought to win thy love. Oh no, not I, for I am penitent Experience, Madames, I know gold cannot conquer you, Fair Lucida does scorn Fortunios lust, And for that virtue which I see in both, Receive the gifts I will bestow on you: To thee chased madame, Lelios best beloved, I give this scalp, and pray thee every day, Beholding it, to think upon thy end: Which sighed will so restrain all worldly lust, As thou shalt die to sin, and live to God. To thee fair Lucida I do present This book, whereon is written, Thy father's pedigree and famous line, Each morning when the golden Sun appears, And glides the mountain tops, peruse it well, There reading mark but honour of thy raze, Take heed least lewdness do thy fame deface, Reply not, get you in, the Crocodile is continued ̄ ming forth That weeping will devour you. This is the festival of holy Mark, Yond come the pompious show. Vanitas vanitatum, & omniam vanitas, Vain ceremonies, customs of the world, This day our Lords of Venice wonted be, To sacrifice in triumph to the sea, And march in pomp unto the Arcedan, For this great state built in a starry nook, And angle of the Andrie arctike sea, For happiness and long continuance, More blessed than Room it self, Vain customs does observe, But yond come my master and Marchetto forth, Now you that long to see the guise of sin, How one makes two, and two increases four, And sin in gathering head grows infinite, Let him behold examples in these loves. Go cast thee headlong from a mounttaine top, Or in the deepest seas go drown thy self, Go live thou wretch among the barbarous beasts, Where Italy may never hear thy name. For virtue vows to laugh in looking on, To see you perish in your peevishness, she spies thy poyssoned message in thy face, She scorns thy gifts, and vows to hate thee ever, To thee lewd lossell fair Annetta sends, A troop of curses chained with bitter sighs, Come Lords lets lighten us of heavy things, There lies my cloak & cap, now throw your Swords aside, And let us three like fleeting vnycornes, Run blushing through the streets in to the wood, There let Fortunio cut Marchettos throat, That counseled him to ravish chastytie, There penitent experience with his bat, Shall beat Fortunios tender wanton sides, That sought to spoil holy virginity, Lastly my self will fit and tear my hair, And weep until I choke my self with wet, To see nobilytie so much disguised. here is perfect villainy sprung from thy lips. What gentlemen and begeres, fie for shame, Thou talkest of matters forty years ago, The world thats now differs from that was then, Men are more near and dearer to themselves But if you want a cup of drink or so, Stand at my door my man shall bring it you. Would would would, a worldling right, the poets song Was well applied in this, For Like the ants they eat the gain of men's wealth, But fly them like the fiends when they are fallen, These Cicero and Aristotle termed a troop of servile Base dishonest men, Stay here, here comes more, stand by awhile. We shall behold the world anatomized, The Florentiens of late have fought a field, Wherein Lord Lelio hath deserved well, For why, his country scorns to succour him, Lord Brishio tendeth on the Milan camp, And hath achieved many a worthy deed. I joy to hear of Brishios good success, Your merchandise are sold, and we have sent Bills of Exchange to receive the money, A merrier heart hath Treuerey for that. How now you sausy youths, stand back I say, What make you lingering here about my doors? How now young gallants, what distempers you? But grieve not thus at worldly chances, If sin were dead virtue were never seen. Are you the sons of Brishio gentle friends? And these rank churls whom erst your father tide, By many great deserts unto his house, Have left you thus in your extremities. Give me your hands you relics of renown: Now have I God and Empire to my mind, A vent for my religious charity, Hold take these jewels, buy you what you want, But heedfully beware of gourmandise, Led you a sober decent comely life, Remember truly the effects of things, Before you shall affect and make your choice. Hear in a word, who made the planets seven, First sent down love and charity from heaven, But avarice was christened in hell, Speak holy men, have I not counseled well? Even he that thanks my God, That sends me ought whereby to succour you, And call me Penitent experience, Who gives thee thanks for what thy father did, Who gives thee thanks for what thy brother did. And charge you both, as you are noble born, To let me see your weapons presently. Here are the blades well polished fair and bright. Were it not pity Sirs that these swords Should rust within their sheathes of bliss? While some Venetian lecher and his mate, Should ravish thy sister and deflower thy niece. Let virtue live, let villainy be slain, let Lelio live, for virtue lives in him, Oh pity thy camp is pitched here, But grief and sorrow that remains here, But faith and honesty that remains here, Come Charity and lend to me a tonge, Else Penitent Experience is quite undone. I have no tongue because I cannot show, Nor tell to thee the secrets of my thoughts, I have no speech but such as help me not, But such as sings thy virtue, thy deserts, Thy bounty, thy true heart, thy honesty, Oh were there one could find Sempronio out, How might we make a famous comedy. Let Fortune spite, or hate do what she can, Here is a knack to know and honest man, Not age, not life, not sons, not wealth, nor friend, Can draw thee from affecting thy deer friend, Oh let me make the third, if Lelio die, High thee kind charity, lend me a tongue. Stay & suffer Penitent Experience enjoy one boon Then give me this keen sword Since none but Experience Hath power to cut off virtues noble head, Thou shalt not die. Nor do you condemn a guiltless man. Oh Charity is come, I see him now. Ah deer Lelio. Sempronio lives, and Lelio now must live, Grieved for my breach of faith, grieved for my crime, Here are the tokens of my fatal wounds, Which when I eyed Annetta, I have wept, To think upon my lose unbridled love. Let us not joy in words, but joy in hearts, And let our arms our tongues discourse embrace, Where our three lives are herd of again, Call them three knacks to find out honest men. See here the picture of true avarice, Where men prefer their goods before their friends, How fare you uncle? I uncle, the same, and grieve not to yield your kins man his right. Nay stay my Lord, before this comic end, Let, measure knacks to find out honest men, For all these listening ears would find them out. Who list to know a perfect honest man, Shall see his purse still open to the poor, His tongue detesting lewd detractions, He scorns to grieve the needful heart with grief, But lives as born to every men relief: A knave will gain by all unlawful means, But good men still their goods by virtue gleans. A knave makes shift his thrift, forswears and lies, And honest man on love and faith relies: A knave makes lust his love, respects no friend, And honest man for friendship life will spend. O how I should tire both tonge, thought, and pen, To scan out knaves from perfect honest men: Point where I list, if so my finger light On honesty, I swear I point aright. This is Annetta, that Lucida, thou Fortunio, But I am not Sempronio, but penitent experience Here's first a knack to know and honest Lady. Soft gentle friend, a word or two with you, From whence proceed these troubles that arise? Where was he buried? Tush they avail thee not, for thou art blind in deed, Look in thy heart and find and honest thought, Then will I say thy eyes are perfect clear, Look in thy conscience, find it not corrupt, Then thou shalt see without thy spectacles. This night Annetta, and fair Lucida, If gods and Friends forsake them in their wants: By lawless ravishers will be surprised: I mean to succour them, if you refuse Give me my Jewels, for I will succour none That leaves their sisters in extremity. The gain is yours, the glory must be Gods, Who made you to defend the innocenets. Exit omnis. Lean on my shoulder and let us go. No marry must you not you foolish girl. Good Lord how apt the world is now adais, To find invention to destroy a man: When as the greatest arts of our age, Can never make or hardly mend a man. Great Corridino, let me council thee, If thou wilt punish damned and wretched men: Put me these grey beards quickly from their seats, And rack them soundly, and they will confess, How they prefer their gold before their God, Their lands and honours, before their honesty, Or if thou wilt conceive the truth of things, See here the man, who drawn by lawless lust: Did seek sinisterly in time of night, In company of that lewd lecher there, To ravish Lucida Lord Lelios daughter, And force the mother, in whose joust defence, Orphinio and Zepherius drew their swords. Then were these young men Iustifiers of right: And this lewd man, was he deserved death. Look on this prisoners face, you know him well, The world esteems him next a kin to you. Would would, midst all these melancolly griefs. And with resolved mind to end his days. I cry in all men's ears with egar words, That many seek their danger by despair, That many die for murders yet undone, I speak to thee, alas that men were wise, To know their good, as their infirmity. Fly Lelio, fly, thy jealous fury robs thee of a friend, I pay thee with my blood for lewd desire, Go High thee hence, prevent pursuit, My Misery's are done, when I am dead, Thy Misery's are too near. I speak these few words more, fly Lelio fly, Amongst friends it is too much for one to die. Here leave me father, walk no further forth, Leave me supposed dead, revived by thee, Hide thou my name, and cover from the world, My Fortune's and my birth, and all misdeeds, Here is that Venice that beheld me found, Here is that Venice that shall behold me wise, Look how thy science hath disguised these looks, So hath thy council reconcilde my heart, I hate all worldly pomp, I scorn lewd lust, This tongue from tempting in dishonest love Shall labour to relieve the innocent, Farewell, thou knowest my vow, Which I have sworn to keep irrevocable, Never to disclose my name, Until such time as thou releasest me. The more corrupter men that use it so. What profit hast thou by that breath of wind? Then not for love thou bearest Sempronio, But for a colour of thy honest mind, Thou dost pursue Lord Lelio in this sort. Here is a place convenient Lelio, Yonder's a plain whereon our steeds may graze, Here is a grove backed with cressend hills, But save these trees none else behold our fight. If words amongst faithful friends may not be born, Believe me Lelio thou deservest the horn, Come sir, for kindness I will let you blood, And seek to cool your fire of jealousy. Even he that scorns the world, & spurns at fates, He that thinks wealth a burden to the soul, And he too found that fondly uses it, He that thinks beauty but a frail delight, The nurse of idleness, a bait for fools, Unmeet for Princes, who should only think, To beautify their souls, Not to infect their hearts with outward shows. Then take more Jewels, heir tall men: And underneath this wall, watch all this night: If any man shall attempt to break your sisters door, Be stout, assail him, kill him, for his cause is bade. The Prince is hurt, Zepheronus and Orphinio fly a pace. Wipe out that water from thy eyes my friend. I cannot choose but weep amain.