GIOVANNI

Pray you forbear My hand, good Signior. It's a ceremony Not endue to me. It's fit we should embrace With mutual arms. You shall overcome. But 'tis your pleasure, not my pride that grants it. Nay pray you Guardian, and good Sir, put on: How ill it shows to have that reverend head Be uncovered to a Boy? Owe me duty? I do profess, and when I'doe deny it Good fortune leave me; You have been to me A second Father, and may justly challenge (For training up my youth in Arts, and Arms) As much respect, and service, as was endue To him that gave me life. And did you know Sir Or will believe from me, how many sleeps Good Charomonte hath broken in his care To built me up a man, you must confess Chiron the Tutor to the great Achilles Compared with him, deserves not to be named. And if my gracious Uncle the great Duke Still holds me worthy his consideration, Or finds in me ought worthy to be loved, That little rivulet flowed from this spring, And so from me report him. It is the Duke! The Duke upon whose favour, all my Hope's And Fortune's do depend. Nor must I check At his commands for any private motives That do invite my stay here, though they are Almost not to be mastered. My obedience In my departing suddenly shall confirm I am his Highness creature. Yet I hope A little stay to take a solemn farewell For all those ravishing pleasures I have tasted In this my sweet retirement, from my Guardian, And his incomparable daughter, cannot meet And ill construction. I would speak to your Sir In such a phrase as might express the thanks My heart would gladly pay. But. — And if I ever reach my Hope's, believe it We will share Fortune's. There's no evasion, Lydia, To gain the least delay, though I would buy it At any rate. Greatness with private men Esteemed a blessing, is to me a curse. And we, whom for our high births, they conclude The only free men, are the only slaves: Happy the golden mean I had I been born In a poor sordid Cottage; not nursed up With expectation to command a Court: I might, Like such of your condition (Sweetest) Have took a safe and middle course, and not As I am now against my choice compelled Or to lie groveling on the earth, or raised So high upon the pinnacles of State, That I must either keep my height with danger, Or fallen with certain ruin. Oh Lidia. For had I been your equal I might have seen and liked with mine own eyes, And not as now with others; I might still, And without observation, or envy, As I have done, continued my delights With you, that are alone in my esteem The abstract of Society; we might walk In solitary Groves, or in choice Gardens; From the variety of curious flowers Contemplate nature's workmanship, and wonders. And then for change, near to the murmur of Some bubbling fountain, I might hear you sing, And from the well-tun'd accents of your tongue In my imagination conceive With what melodious harmony a Choir Of Angels sing above, their Makers praises. And then with chased discourse, as we returned, Imp feathers to the broken wings of Time, And all this I must partly from. One word more And then I come. And after this, when with Continued innocence, of love, and service, I had grown ripe for Hymenaeall joys Embracing you, but with a lawful flame I might have been your husband. I am dumb, And can make no reply. This kiss bathed in tears May learn you what I should say. Your love puts Your age to too much trouble. Your Servant And humblest Subject. All true pleasures Circle your Highness. Pray you friend Inform the Duke I am putting into act What he commanded. You continue As you were ever, the greatest Mistress of Fair entertainment. Your Excellence knows so well How to command, that I can never err When I obey you. All pleasures gracious Madame, But the happiness to converse with your sweet virtues. I had a grave Instructer, and my hours Designed to serious Studies yielded me Pleasure with profit in the knowledge of What before I was ignorant in. The Signior Carolode Charomonte being skilful To guide me through the labyrinth of wild passion, That laboured to imprison my free soul A slave to vicious Sloth. But short of his deserts. Then for the time Of recreation I was allowed (Against the form followed by jealous Parents In Italy) full liberty to partake His daughters sweet society. She's a virgin Happy in all endowments, which a Poet Could fancy in his Mistress: being her self A School of goodness, where chased Maids may learn (Without the aids of foreign Principles) By the example of her life and pureness To be as she is, excellent. I but give you A brief Epitome of her virtues, which Dilated on at large, and to their merit, Would make and ample Story. True great Princess: And now since you have pleased to grant the hearing Of my times expense in the Country, give me leave To entreat the favour, to be made acquainted What service, or what objects in the Court Have in your Excellence acceptance, proved Most gracious to you? IT was a bounty You never can repent. To divert your thoughts Though they are fixed upon a noble subject, I am a suitor to you. It is a favour For which I hope your Excellence will thank me. That you would please To take occasion to move the Duke, That you with his allowance may command This matchless virgin Lidia (of whom I cannot speak too much) to wait upon you. She's such a one, upon the forfeit of Your good opinion of me, that will not Be a blemish to your train. Command me Madame. You are gracious. You are well returned Sir. Sir, there needs not This circumstance between us. You are ever My noble friend. Pray you believe Sir What you deliver to me, shall be locked up In a strong Cabinet; of which you your self Shall keep the key. For here I pawn my Honour (Which is the best security I can give yet) It shall not be discovered. No I assure you, And it had been a rudeness to inquire Of that I was not called to. Me my Lord? You much amaze me. Pray you resolve this riddle. It hath pleased his Highness Oft to profess so much. I must bear it With patience, and in me it is a duty That I was born with: and 'twere much unfit For the receiver of a benefit To offer for his own ends, to prescribe Laws to the givers pleasure. I allow these As flourishes of Fortune, with which Princes Are often soothed, but never yet esteemed they For real blessings. I confess, command Is not to be contemned, and if my Fate Appoint me to it, as I may I'll bear it With willing shoulders. But my Lord as yet You have told me of a danger coming towards me, But have not named it. Married, Sir? With whom, and on what terms, pray you instruct me? Lidia? Pardon me Though I appear incredulons, for on My knowledge he never saw her. And what's your censure? She's very fair. Her limbs are neatly formed. A delicate hand too. And there I leave you, For I presumed no further. I would you could A noble way. I will use My best endeyour Sir. I thank you, Nor will I fail. Two of them are in my judgement The best I ever backed. I mean the roan Sir, And the brown bay: but for the Chestnut coloured, Though he be full of mettle, hight, and fiery, He treads weak in his pasterns. I am Sir A novice in my judgement of a Lady, But such as it is, your Grace shall hear it freely. I would not speak in of her, and am sorry If I keep my self a friend to truth, I cannot Report her as I would, so much I owe Her reverend Father. But I'll give you Sir As near as I can her character in little. She's of a goodly stature, and her limbs Not disproportioned; for her face it is Far from deformity, yet they flatter her That style it excellent: her manners are Simple and innocent: but her discourse And wit deserve my pity, more then praise. At her best my Lord, she is a handsome picture, And that said, all is spoken. Nor ever shall Sir. Forgive me matchless Lidia I too much love And jealous fear to loose thee, do bompell me Against my will, my reason, and my knowledge To be a poor ditracter of that beauty, Which fluent Ovid, if he lived again, Would want words to express. Could I find now The Princess Fiorinda, and persuade her To be silent in the suit, that I moved to her All were secure. By my life She's with the Duke. And I much more then fear Her forwardness to prefer my suit, hath ruined What with such care we built up. They are complete Sir. No gracious Madame, I am your servant for't. I know not. And it's a punishment justly salne upon me For leaving truth, a constant Mistress, that Ever protects her servants, to become A slave to lies, and falsehood. What excuse Can we make to the Duke? what mercy hope for, Our packing being laid open? And to divert him Impossible. And which way to go on with safety not To be imagined. It's no time now Our dangers being equal, to conceal A thought from you. I presume so. If in the undertaking it, she stray not From what becomes her innocence, and to that It's far from me to press her, I my self Will rather suffer. Calandrino. Do not you know me? She's very simple. I would not speak her Sir Worse then she was. Oh Lidia, Of Maids the honour, and your sexes glory. It is not fear to die, but to lose you That brings this Fever on me. I will now Discover to you, that which till this minute I durst not trust the air with. Ere you knew What power the magic of your beauty had, I was enchanted by it, liked, and loved it, My fondness still increasing with my years: And flattered by false Hope's, I did attend Some blessed opportunity to move The Duke with his consent to make you mine. But now, such is my starre-cross'd destiny, When he beholds you as you are, he cannot Deny himself the happiness to enjoy you. And I as well in reason may entreat him To give away his Crown, as to partly from A jewel of more valve, such you are: Yet howsoever, when you are his Duchess, And I am turned into forgotten dust, Pray you love my memory. I should say more But I am eve off. It's most true Sir. Why thou shalt to Court with me. May this never set, But shine upon you ever. Madam, that without warrant I presume To trench upon your Privacies, may argue Rudeness of manners. But the free access Your Princely courtesy vouchsafes to all That come to pay their services, gives me hope To find a gracious pardon. Umph. I'll embrace fair Princea The soonest opportunity. The Duke! I never told a lie yet, and I hold it In some degree blasphemous to dispraise What's worthy admiration. Yet for once I will dispraise a little, and not vary From your relation. But you have your sense of feeling. As they shall, For instantly you must thither. You must ride post with Letters This night to Lidia. Follow for your instructions Sirrah. What's the reason? Leave fooling, and attend us. See Sir, my good Tutor Sheds tears for joy. Oh my Lord, How grossly have we overshot our selves! In forgetting to acquaint My Guardian with our purpose; all that Lidia Can do, avails us nothing; if the Duke Find out the truth from him. She comes Sir of her self To present her service to you. All will out. And since in justice we are lost, we fly Unto your saving mercy. This is gross. Nor can the imposture But be discovered.