ORIANA

Faith brother I must needs go yonder. I know the Lady Honoria will be glad to see me. I, but they say one shall see fine fights at the Court. Why, and are not these fine sights? Apt? To what? I would go, if it were but only to show you, that I could be there, and be moved with none of these tricks. Farewell Brother. My Lord, I was bold to crave the help of your house against the storm. Would, would, would. I thank you good Brother: and if you doubt of of the cause of my coming, I can Satisfy you. He satisfy you brother, for I see you are jealous of me. Yes brother, and not before. I'm very well my Lord, you do mistake me, if you think I affect greater company then your self. Your Lordship may descant upon your own be haviour as please you, but I protest, so sweet and courtly it appears in my eye, that I mean not to leave you yet. A rough carriage is best in a man, I'll dine with you my Lord. I have herd of your Lordship's nothing, I'll put that to the venture. I'll keep no state my Lord, neither do I mourn, I'll dine with you. I would your Lordship did but see how well This fury does become you, it does show So near the life, as it were natural. I must not leave this fellow, I will torment him to madness, To teach his passion against kind to move, The more he hates, the more I'll seem to love. Dear Lord: you're too wild. I do confess I am to easy, too much woman, Not coy enough to take affection, Yet I can frown and nip a passion Even in the bud: I can say Men please their present heats; Then please to leave us. I can hold off, and by my Chimmick power Draw Sonnets, from the melting lovers brain. Aymees, and Elegies : yet to you my Lord My Love, my better self, I put these off, Doing that office, not befits our sex, Entreat a man to love; Are you not yet relenting, ha'ye blood and Spirit In those veins, you are no Image, though ye be as hard. As marble, sure you have no liver, if you had, IT would send a lively and desiring heat To every member; is not this miserable, A thing so truly formed, shaped out by Symmetry, Has all the organs that belong to man, And working to, yet to show all these Like dead motions moving, upon wyers, Then good my Lord, leave off what you have been, And freely be what you were first intended for: a man. Then isle hate you. Let me with your fair patience, fit beside you? I cannot think your better knowledge can use a woman so uncivilly. 'Tis but your outside that you show: I know your Never was guilty of so great a weakness, Or could the tongues of all men joined together Possess me with a thought of your dislike My weakness were above a woman's, to fallen off From my affection, for one crack of thunder, Oh wo'd you could love my Lord. I had rather sing at doors for bred, then sing to this fellow, but for hate: if this should be told in the Court, that I begin to woe Lords, what a troop of the untrust no bilitie should I have at my lodging tomorrow morning. Come sleep, and with thy sweet deceiving, Lock me in delight a while, Let some pleasing Dreams beguile All my fancies that from thence, Song. I may feel and influence, All my powers of care bereaving. Though but a shadow, but a sliding, Let me know some little Joy, We that suffer long annoy Are contented with a thought Through and idle fancy wrought Oh let my joys, have some abiding. God keep your Lordship. I'll be the Clarke and cry Amen, Your Lordship's ever assured enemy Oriana. Now my cold frosty Lord, my woman Hater, you that have sworn and everlasting hate to all our sex: by my troth good Lord, and as I am yet a maid, my thought 'twas excellent sport to hear your honour swear out and All phabet, chafe nobly Like a General, kick Like a resty jade and make ill faces: Did your good Honour think I was in love? where did I first begin to take that heat? from those two radiant eyes, that piercing sighed? o they were lovely, if the balls stood right; and there's a leg made out of a dainty staff, Where the Gods be thanked, there is calf enough. Sure we shall have store of Larks, the Skies will not hold up long, I should have looked as soon for frost in the dog days, or and other Inundation, as hoped this strange conversion above miracle: let me look upon your Lordship; is your name Gondarino, are you Millaines General, that great Bugbear bloodybones, at whose very name all women, from the Lady to the Laundress, shake Like a cold fit. Your big Nobility is very merry. The Duke doubt mine honour? a may judge It'll not be long, before isle be enlarged again. Out with it, it's not true modesty to fear to speak that thou dost think. It's no matter wench, we are warm in it; keep thou thy mind pure, and upon my word, that name will do thee no hurt: I cannot force my self yet to fear any thing; when I do get out, I'll have another encounter with my Woman Hater. Here will I fit, I may get sighed of some of my friends, it must needs be a comfort to them to see me here. Whose that? Oh! my Lord? Oh you are merry, shall I come down? Why good Arrigo? I know I must, but yet my fate calls not upon me. What have I? yet more terror to my tragedy? I am your Graces handmaid. Sir you must be content, will you fit down? nay do it willingly. Arrigo tie his arms close to the chair, I dare not trust his patience. Your Ladyships are welcome: I must desire your helps, though you are no Physicians, to do a strange cure upon this Gentleman. Ladies fallen off in couples, then with a soft still march with low demeanours, charge this Gentleman: isle be your leader. Low with your curseyes Ladies. Sir we must court ye till we have obtained some little favour from those gracious eyes, 'tis but a kiss a piece. Let her in, for sports sake, let her in. Faith I begin to pity him, Arrigo take her off, bear her away; say her petition is granted. Unbind him Ladies, but before he go, this he shall promise; for the love I bear to our own sex, I would have them still hated by thee, and enjoin thee as a pu nishme ̄ to, never hereafter willingly to come in the presence or fight of any woman, nor never to seek wrongfully the public disgrace of any. My Lord, I showed my sex the better. You're merry my Lord. Your Lordship hath a good wit. Come my Lord, I have herd before of your Lordship's merry vain in jesting against our Sex, which I being desirous to hear, made me rather choose your Lordship's house, then any other, but I know I am well come. Believe me, this your Lordship's plainness makes me think my self more welcome, then if you had sworn by all the pretty Court oaths that are, I had been well comer then your soul to your body. Before I would not understand him, but now he speaks riddles to me indeed. Now Venus be my speed, inspire me with all the several subtle temptations, that thou hast already given, or hast in store hereafter to bestow upon our sex: grant that I may apply that Physic that is most apt to work upon him: whither he will soonest be moved with won tonnesse, singing, dancing, or being passionate, with scorn, or with sad and serious looks, cunningly mingled with sighs, with smiling, lisping, kissing the hand, and making short curtsies; or with whatsoever other nimble power, he may be caught: do thou infuse into me, and when I have him, I will sacrifice him up to thee. My Lord, I am a woman, and such a one— Why my unpatient Lord? You're yet to harsh, to dissonant. Ther's no true music in your words, my Lord. Mine own servants shall attend me. Look you be true. Hast thou provided one to bear my letter to my brother? What dost thou doubt? Sir, what may be the currant of your business, that thus you single out your time and place? Heaven, and the powers divine, guard well the innocent. What's my offence? what have these years come mitted, That may be dangerous to the Duke or State? Have I conspired by poison? have I given up My honour to some lose unsettled blood That may give Actium to my plots? Dear sir, let me not die ignorant of my faults? Who is my accuser? Arrigo, take these words, and bear them to the Duke, It is the last petition I shall ask thee: Tell him the child, this present hour brought forth To see the world, ha not a soul more pure, more white, More virgin then I have. Tell him Lord Gondarinoes Plot, I suffer for, and willingly: tell him it had been a greater honour, to have saved then killed: but I have done: strike, I am armed for heaven. Why stay you? is there any hope? Have you the power to save? You will not venture that? You dare not be so kind? If I should slight my life, I were too blame. I shall believe it, if you save my life. I dare not buy my life so. Then no; nay look not ruggedly upon me, I am made up too strong, to fear such looks. Come, do your Butchers partly: before I would win life, with the deer lose of honour, I dare find means to free my self. Villain, I will not; murderer do thy worst, thy base unnoble thoughts dare prompt thee to; I am above thee slave. No nor by— I'll guard the one, let heavens guard the tother. My Lord, I am your subject, you may command me, provided still, your thoughts be fair and good. Lord Gondarino, you have wroug'd me highly, yet since it sprung from no peculiar hate to me, but from a general dislike unto all women, you shall thus suffer for it; Arrigo, call in some Ladies to assist us: will your Grace take your State? Lord, thou hast wronged my innocence, but thy confession hath gained thee faith. What is the confession of the lie you made to the Duke, which I scarce believe yet you had impudence y nough to do? did not gain you so much faith with me, as that I was willing to be at your Lo. bestowing, till you had recovered my credit, and confessed your self a liar, as you pretended to do? I confess I began to fear you, and desired to be out of your house, but your own followers forced me hither. More tricks yet, my Lord? what house this is I know not, I only know my self, it were a great conquest if you could fasten a scandal upon me: in-faith my Lord, give me leave to write to my brother? My Lord, I am no more mine own. Can you be so uneasy, can you freeze, and Such a summer's heat so ready To dissolve, nay gentle Lord, turn not away in scorn, Nor hold me less fair then I am: look on these checks, They have yet enough of nature, true complexion, If to be read and white, a forehead High, And easy melting lip, a speaking eye, And such a tongue, whose language takes the ear Of strict religion, and men most austere: If these may hope to please, look here. O my Lord! I commend your Lordship. Nay good my Lord fit still, isle promise peace And fouled mine Arms up, let but mine eye discourse, Or let my voice set to some pleasing cord, found out The sullen strains of my neglected love. A lass, ha it been pricked at the heart, is the stomach come down, will it rail no more at women, and call they Devils, she Cats, and Gob blins. Why are you changed so? are you not well sir? I do beseech your Lordship, for the wrongs this ma ̄ hath done me, let me pronounce his punishment. Why sir? I feel my self in perfect health. And hour since