IMPERIA

F e, fie, fie, fie, by the light oath of my Fan, the uvea there is exceeding tedious and faint: Trivia, Simperina, stir, stir, stir, one of you open the Casements, tother take a ventoy and gently cool my face: fie, I would such and exceeding hie colour, I so sweat; Simperina, dost hear? prithee be more compendious: why Simperina! Press down my ruff before; away, fie, how thou blowest upon me, that breath (gods me) thy breath, fie, fie, fie, fie, it takes off all the painting and colour from my cheek: In good faith I care not if I go and be sick presently; heigh ho, my head so akes with carrying this Bodkin: in troth I'll try if I can be sick. In good troth if I be not sick I must be melancholy then: this same gown never comes on but I am so melancholy, & so hart-burnt: 'tis a strange garment, I warrant Simperina the foolish Taylor that made it, was troubled with the stitch, when he composed it. No, no no, no by Saint Mark the waste is not long en ough, (for I love a long & tedious waste, beside, I have a most ungodly middle in it; and fie, fie, fie, fie, it makes me bend i'th back: o let me have some Music. Fa la la fa la la, indeed the bending of the back is the fault of the body la, la, la, la; fa la la, fa la la, la la lah. No, no, no no, no: 'tis slight and common all that I do, prithee Simperina do not Ingleme; do not flatter me Trivia, I would never a cast gown till the next week, fa la la, la la la, fa la la, fa la la &c. This stirring too and from has done me much good; a song I prithee, I love these French more uings; o they are so clean if you tread them true, you shall hit them to a hair; sing, sing, sing some odd and fantastical thing, for I cannot abide these dull and lumpish tunes, the Musician stands longer a prick king them then I would do to hear them: no, no no giuemee your light ones that go nimbly and quick, and are full of chan ges and carry sweet division; ho prithee sing, stay, stay, stay, here's Hipolitoes Sonnet, first read it and then sing it. In a fair woman what thing is best? I think acurrall lip. No no you jest, She has a better thing. Then 'tis a pretty eye. Yet 'tis a better thing, Which more delight does bring. Then 'tis a cherry cheek. No, no, you l you. Were neither lip, nor cheeks currall, nor cherry eyes, Were not her swelling breast stuck with strawberries, Nor had smooth hand, soft skin, white neck, pure eye, Yet she at this alone your love can tie. It is, Oh 'tis the only joy to men, The only praise to women; what is't then? This it is, Oh this it is, and in a woman's middle it is placed, In a most beauteous body, a heart most chaste: This is the Jewel Kings may buy, If women fell this Jewel, women buy. Fie, fie, fie, fie, fie who makes that yawling at door? Trivia, strip that villain; Simperina pinch him, slit his wide nose; fie, fie, fie, I'll have you gelded for this lustiness. Hang me. Hypolitoes boy come to hang me? Keep the door. Let them enter, fie, fie, fie, fie, fie, his great tongue does so run through my little ears; 'tis more harsh then a younger bothers courting of a Gentlewoman, when he has no crowns, Boy? My service? alas alas, thou canst do me small service, did thy Master send this painted Iyntle man to me? Well, I will hang his picture up by the walls, till I see his face, and when I see his face, I'll take his picture down: hold it Trivia. Hang him up Simperina. And does the Mask hold? let me see it again. Flaxen hair, & short too, o that's the French Cum! but fie, fie, fie, this Flaxen haired men are such pu-lers, and such pidlers, and such Chicken-hearts (and yet great quarrellers) that when they Court a Lady, they are for the better partly bound to the peace: no, no, no, no, your black haired man (so he be fair) is your only sweet man, & in any service, the most active: a banquet Trivia; quick, quick, quick. A little face, but a lovely face; fie, fie, fie, no matter what face he make, so the other parts be Legitimate, and go upright: stir, stir Simperina, be doing, be doing, quickly; move, move, move. Heigh ho, as I live I must love thee, and suck kisses from thy lips; alack that women should fallen thus deeply in love, with dumbethings, that have no feeling? but they are women's crosses, and the only way to take them is to take them patiently; heigh ho! set Music Frisco. Say he scorn to marry me, yet he shall stand me in some steed, by being my Ganymede: if he be the most decayed Gallant in all Venice, I will my self undo my self, and my whole state to set him up again: though speaking truth would save my life, I will lie to do him pleasure: yet to tell lies may hurt the soul: fie no no, no, souls are things to be trodden un der our feet, when we dance after loves Pipe; therefore here hang this counterfeit at my beds feet. By the moist hand of love I swear, I will be his Lot rye, and he shall never draw, but it shall be a prize. Do we care how he lies? Fie, fie, fie, I wonder what this Gurnets head makes here: yet bring him in, he will serve for picking meat; let Mu sick play, for I will feyne my self to be a sleep. Heigh ho; who's that? Signior Curuetto? by my virginity— Fie, fie, fie, and you meet me thus at half weapon, one must down. Some body shall pay for't. Do not therefore come over me so with cross blows, no, no, no, I shall be sick, if my speech be stopped: by my Virgi nitie I swear: and why may not I swear by that I have not, as well as poor musty Soldiers do by their honour: Brides, at four & twenty: would, would, would, by their Maidenheads: Citizens, by their faith, and Brokers as they hope to be saved: by my Virginity I swear, I dreamed that one brought me a goodly Codshead, and in one of the eyes, there stuck (me thought) the greatest precious stone, the most sparkling Diamond: o fie, fie, fie, fie, fie, that Diamonds should make women such fools. No, no, no, if you shrink from me I will not love you: stay. Fie, fie, fie, by the neat tongue of eloquence, this measure is out of measure, 'tis too hight, too hight, gallants be not ashamed to show your own faces: Ladies unapparel your deer beau ties: So, so, so, so, here is a banquet; fit, fit, fit Signior Curuetto, thrust in among them, soft Music there, do, do, do. Fie, fie, fie, fie, fie, though I hate his company, I wood not have my house to abuse his countenance: no, no, no, be not so Contagious, I will send him hence with a flay in's ear. Signior Lazarillo: I'll send these hence; fie, fie, fie, I am so choked still with this man of Gingerbread, and yet I can never be rid of him, but hark Hipolito. No no, no, they are half men and half women. That were excellent, I'll have them all here at your pleasure. Is his old rotten Aquavitae bottle stoptvp? is he gone? fie, fie, fie, fie, he so smells of Ale and Onions, and Rosa-so lis, fie; bolt the door, stop the keyhole least his breath peep in, burn some Perfume: I do not love to handle these dried stock-fishes that ask so much tawing, fie, fie, fie. No, no no no, stools and cushions, low stools, low stools, fit, fit, fit, round Ladies round; So, so, so, so let, oursweet beauty's be spread to the full and most moving advantage, for we are fallen into his hands, who they say, has and A B C, for the sticking in of the least white pin in any partly of the body. Nay, nay, nay, 'tis Greek to me, 'tis Greek to me, I never had remnant of his Spanish leather learning: here he comes, your ears may now fit themselves out of the whole piece. How shall we know Signior, when we have them all or not? Music there to close our Stomachs: how do you Like him Madonna? No, no, no, deer features, hold their noses to the grind stone and they're gone; thanks worthy Signior: fie, fie, fie, you stand bore too long: come bright Mirrors, will you withdraw into a gallery, and taste a slight banquet? No, no, no, fie, fie, fie, Signior Lazarillo, either be you our Foreman, or else put in these Ladies (at your discreation) unto the Gallery and cut of this striving. So, so, so, I do remember; here is a key, that is your Chamber; lights Simperina: about twelve a clock you shall take my beauty prisoner; fie, fie, fie, how I blush? at 12. a clock. So, so, so, lights for his chamber: is the Trap-door So, so, so, I will be rid of this broilde read Sprat that stinks so in my stomach, fih; I hate him worse, than to have a Tailor come a wooing to me: Gods me, the sweet Ladies, the banquet, I forget: fie, fie, fie, follow deer Signior. The trap door Simperina. Is he down Frisco? Fie, fie, fie, let him lie, and get all to bed. Ah you little effeminate sweet Cheueleere, why dost thou not get a lose Periwig of hair on thy chin, to set thy French face off, by the panting pulse of Venus: thou art well come a thousand degrees beyond the reach of Arithmaticke: Good, good, good, your lip is moist & moving; it hath the truest French close, even Like Mapew; la, la, la &c. So, so, so do, do, do, come, come, come; will you con demne the mute rushes to be pressed to death by your sweet bo die? down, down, down, here, here, here; lean your head upon the lap of my gown; good, good good: Oh Saint Mark! Here is a love-mark ableto wear more Ladies eyes for Jew else then—o! lie still, lie still, I will levill a true Venetian kiss over your right shoulder. No, no, no, I'll beat this Cherrytree thus, & thus, and thus; and you name wound. Do, do, do, and if you make any more such lips, when I beat you, by my Virginity you shall buss this rod: Music: I pray thee be not a puritaine. Sister to the rest of the Sciences, I knew the time when thou couldst abide handling. O, fie, fie, fie, forbear, thou art Like a puny-barber (new come to the trade) thou pickest our ears too deep: So, so, so, will my sweet prisoner entertain a poor Italian Song? I care not if I persuade my bade voice to wrestle with this Music and catcha strain; so, so, so, keep time, keep time, keep time. Love for such a cherry lip, Would be glad to pawn his arrows: Venus here to take a Sip, Would fell her Doves and teem of Sparrow. But they shall not so, Heigh nony nony no: None but I this lip must owe, Heigh nony nony no. No, no, no. Heigh nony nony no: Did Jove see this wanton eye, Ganymede must wait no longer: Phoebe here one night did lie, Would change her face and look much younger. But they shall not so, Heigh nony nony no: None but I this lip must owe, Heigh nony nony no. No, no, no, lock the doors fast, Trivia, Simperina, stir. Fie, fie, fie, I will not have thy white body— Oh hark! not hurt for the Rialta; go, go, go, put up: by my Virginity you shall put up. So, so, so, let them enter; Trivia, Simperina, smooth my gown, tread down the rushes, let them enter; do, do, do, no words pretty darling: la, la, la, heigh nony nony no. How now? what motion's this? Hah; your husband here? Gall? your husband? would, would, would; by my ventoy (yellow Lady) you take your mark improper, no, no, no, my Suger-can die Mistress) your good man is not here I assure you; here? would hah. So, so, so. Good troth (pretty wedlock) thou makest my little eyes smart, with washing themselves in brine; I keep your Cock from his own roost? and mar such a sweet face? and wipe off that dainty read? and make Cupid tole the bell for your lovesick heart no, no, no, if he were Jove's own Ingle (Ganymede) fie, fie, fie, I'll none; your Chamber-fellow is within, thou shalt enjoy my bed, and thine own pleasure this night: Simperina conduct in this Lady; Frisco silence, would, would, would; I am sorry to see a woman so tame a fool; come, come, come. Fie, Fie, Fie. No, no, no; fie, fie, fie, I should be choaktvp if your pipe should kiss my underlip. No, no, no, put up, put up your joys till anon, I will come by my virginity; but I must tell you one thing, that all my cham bers are many nights haunted; with what sprites none can see: but sometime we hear Birds singing; sometime Music playing; sometime voices laughing, but stir not you, nor be frighted at any thing. Into that little room, you are there as safe as in France, or the Low Countries. I, Fie fie, fie, I will be burned to ashes first.