ABIGAIL

S r my M r S. commends her love to you in this to ken, and these words; It is a Jewel (she says) which as a favour from her she would request you to wear till your years to avell be performed: which once expired, she will has lie expect your happy return. A my credit I swear, I think it made for me: Fear no other suitors. I know, I know, and do not you fear the suitors. The Gods of the winds befriend you Sir: a con stant and a liberal lover thou art; more such God send us. A suitor I know by his riding hard, I'll not be seen. You have delivered your errand to me then: ther's no danger in a handsome young fellow: I'll show my self. Sir, I am worthily proud to be a servant of hers. Sir, it is not so hard to atcheiue, but nature may bring it about. She is no stragl r Sir. If you come in the way of a Suitor, No. I will commend this message to her: but if you aim at her body, you will be de uded: oath r Women the households of good carriage and government; upon any of which if you can cast your affection, they will perhaps be found as faithful, and not so coy. He's fast? In sooth Sir were I changed into into my Lady, a Gentleman so well endued with parts, should not be lost. God pardon her, she'l do worse, would I were worthy his least grief Mistress Marthan. Sir will you put in deeper, 'tis the sweeter. Sir I begin a frolic, dare you change Sir? It should be some such good thing Like your self then. IF he but follow me, as all my Hope's tells me he's man enough, up go S my rest, and I know I shall draw him. Not Sir if you have found it. It'll be uncivil in me to take back a favour, For tune hath so well bestowed Sir, pray wear it for me. The tenderness of his years keeps him as yet in ig norance: he's a well moulded fellow, and I wonder his blood should stir no higher; but his want of company: I must grow nearer to him. And pardon you Sir: this is somewhat rude, how came you hither? Who would this fellow speak with? Art that u sober? Thou dost not come to quarrel? Why I am one. Why am not I good enough for you Sir? How many lives hast thou, that thon talkest thus rud lie? No by my troth shall not you. This Gentleman informs you truly: Prithee be satisfied, and seek the Suburbs, Good Captain, or whatever title else, The warlike Eelcboats have bestowed upon thee, Go and resorme thy S life: prithee be sweeter, And know my Lady speaks with no such swabbers. You would be beaten out. Oh their things are out, help, help for Gods sake, Madam; Jesus they foin at one another, Madam, why who is within there? Enter Lady. I am sorry M r . Welford. How do's my Lady use you? I sh uld have been more kind Sir. Sir I shall borrow so much time without offending. 'Tis strange y Lady should be such a tyrant. I do not know how my good will, if I said love I lied not, should any way deserve this. What creature Sir? I hope I am a woman. Since you are angry sir, I am bold to tell you, that I am a woman, and a rib. Construe me that. Sweet M r . Welford. If you were a Gentleman I should know it by your gen tle conditions? are these fit words to give a gentlewoman? The blessings of a prodigal young heir be thy company ons Welforde, Marry come up my gentleman, are your gums grown so tender they cannot bite? A skittish Filly will be your fortune Welford, and fair enough for such a packsaddle. And I doubt not, (if my aim hold) to see her made to amable to your hand. A Lass poor Gentlewoman, to what a misery hath age brought thee to? to what scurvy Fortune? thou that hast been a companion for Noble men, & at the worst of those times for Gentlemen: now Like a broken Servingman, must beg for favour to those that would have crawled Like Pilgrim's to my chamber, hut for and apperition of me: you that be coming on, make much of fifteen, and so till five and twenty: use y ur time with reverence, that your profit may arise: it will not tarry with you Ec e si num: here was a face, but time that Like a sum set eats our youth, plague of his Iron teeth, and draw um for't, has been a little bolder here then welcome: and now to say the truth I am fit for no man. Old men in house, of fifty, call me Granam; and when they are drunk, e'ene then, when Joan and my Lady are all one, not one will do me reason. My little L uite hath forsaken me, his silver found of Cytterne quite abolished, his doleful hymns under my chamber window, digested into tedious learning: well fool, you leapt a Haddock when you left him: he's a clean man, & a good Ed fire, & twe ̄ ty nobles is his state de Claro, beside his pigs in posse. To this good Homilist I have been ever stub born, which God forgive me for, and mend my manners: and Love, if ever thou hadst care of forty, of such a piece of lape ground, hear my prayer, and fire his zeal so far forth that my faults, in this renewed impressi of my love, may show corrected to our gentle Reader. Enter Roger. See how neglectingly he passes by me: with what and Equipage Canonical, as though he had broke the heart of Bellarmine, or and dead some thing to the singing Brothers. 'Tis scorn, I know it, and dese we it. M r . Rogor. Then gentle Roger. Why M r . Reger will you set your wit to a weak woman's. I do confess my weakness sweet Sir Roger. Well, well, hard hearted man; dilate upon the weak infirmities of w men: these are fit texts: but ce there was a time, would I had never seen those eyes, those eyes, those orient eyes. Saving your reverence Sir, so they are still. Oh will you kill me? You were wont to bear a Christian fear about you: For your own Worships sake. Oh be as then you were. Oh take it so, and then I am for thee. Oh Curate cure me: I will love thee better, dearer, lon her, I will do anything, betray the secrets of the main house hold to thy reformation. My Lady shall look lovely on thy learning; and when true time shall point thee for a Parson, I will ennuert thy eggs to penny custards, and thy tithe goose shall graze and multiply. Oh sir you have pierced me thorough. Here I vow a recan tation to those malicious faults I ever did against you. Never more will I despise your learning never more pin cards and cunny tails upon your Cassock, never again reproach your reverend night cap, and call it by the mangy name of murrin, never your reverend person more, and say, you look Like one of Baals Priests a han ging; never again, when you say grace, laugh at you, no put you out at prayers: never cramp you more with the great Book of Martyrs; nor when you ride, get soap and thistles for you. No my Roger, these faults shall be corrected and amended, as by the tenor of my tears appears. Oh my Lady, help, help. Step to her sir, see how she changes colour. He heat a trencher for him. I'll see him hanged first, 'is a beastly fellow, to lose a woman of my breeding thus; I marry is a: would I were a man, Idem make him eat his knaves words. Sirrah, look too't against the quarter Sessions, if there be good behaviour in the world, I'll have thee bound to it. Hang him Padocke. I had rather knit again then see that rascal, but I must do it. Never he swears while he can hear men say ther's any woman living: he swore he wood would me first. Pray leave these frumps Sir, and receive this letter. It's from my Lady Sir: alas good soul, she cri S and takes on: I am no beast Sir: would you knew it: Nothing not I: Unless yowl hear me with more moderation; I c speak wise enough: It seems so by her letter, and her lamentations: but you are such another man: For you she will be, it's a shame you should use a poor gentlewoman so untowardly: she loves the ground you tread on: and you (hard heart) because she jested with you, mean to kill her: it's a fine conquest as they say: I'll not endure this Ribaldry: Farewell ith' Devils name: if my Lady die, isle be sworn before a Jury, thou art the cause oh it: Th'art a vile man; God bless my issue from thee. Faith Madam none worth hearing. No truly. Neither. I pray God you have not undone your self: Faith he talks strangely: First at your Letter he laughed extremely: He laughed monstrous loud, as he would die, and when you wrote it, I think you were in no such merry mood, to pro voke him that way: and having done he cried ala for her, and violently laughed again. yes till I was angry: Many uncertain things: he aid though you had mocked him, because you were a woman, he could wish to do you so much sauout as to see you: yet he said, he knew you rash, and was loath to offend you with the sighed of one, whom now he was bound not to leave. I know not, but truly I do fear there is a making up there: for I herd the servants, as I passed by some, whisper such a thing: and as I came back through the hall, there were two or three Clerks writing great conveyances in hast, which they said were for their Mistress jointure. At last he said, it should go hard but he would see you for your satisfaction. As well as I could Madam. But this is still your way, to love being absent, and when he's with you, laugh at him and abuse him. There is another way if you could hit on't.