BELLAMENTE

Lady. Nay now you trespass, and dishonour me With a suspicion that I can be so Unjust, as not to acknowledge, you have made A free, and liberal welcome—but excuse 'Tis Business that now ravish me away By this white hand, which but to kiss, would tempt me To dwell and age here, I must wait upon The Duke 'Tis now my time. You may command; I know have more charity. Oh do not so far wound your servant Madam To think my heart can allow any time For the imagination of another Woman, did all the goodness of the sex Conspire in one without you, I should love My first election, and be blessed to write All my devotion here; if by the title Of friend, you understand a man, there is But one in the whole world I dare call friend, And I am confident it would trouble me As much to find a cause that would offend him As to be guilty of the sin. If he expected me a day, the crime Were easily purged, I can presume on him Such as both the Indies Sha'not buy, from me, His love his love Clariana; But not so rich of so exact a nature All other is but drossy; He has don't often But that is not the thing for which I bosom Hippolite, I can return full weight Of blood for his, engage my self to dangers As high and horrid as he can for me, But every daring fellow in the street Can draw a sword, and will for his gay honour Which sways him more then his religion, I'th field maintain a good or impious quarrel: But he is such a one to me, the name Of friend's too narrow for him, and I want A word that carries more divinitly To express his love. And act above all friendship That yet had story, bov'e all recompense I am not capable of a cause, to quit His unexampled virtue; You will acknowledge when you hear it, and It does concern you somewhat. He dares not see thee Because I love thee, I would courted him As some would do their mistress, but to be Companion of one visit, and his love Would not permit him He loves me so well, that he dares not trust His frailty with thy sighed, whom I have so Commended, least before our marriage Some thing should share in his affection Which he hath studied to preserve entire For me, he will not trust his eyes with any Beauty I love, least they should stray with too much Licence, and by degrees corrupt his faith He knows not what may theiue upon his seness Or what temptation may rise from him. To undo us all Is't not Clariana? Thar't all sweetness But I forget my attendance on the Duke Now you allow my absence, virtuous thoughts Stream in your bosom. Let one speak the devotion of your servant That would but dares not stay, to print a thousand, Friend whither in such hast Farewell. Wild as the wind some crochet has possessed him And he is fixed to follow't he but wants A little pruning, and no Courtier Could grow up more accomplished, I could wish him And ounce or two of snow to qualify Some fury in his blood, were there no women He would be a brave man, but why do I Trouble my self, that am secure? the Duke. My Lord I Like not this I cannot but congratulate your good fortune 'Tis dark language I dare not understand you, but you may Mistake the Duke A very noble character. She's chas and v rtuous You dare trust me with your tame foul belike, for once Because there is necessity, I'll take some compassion a your Pigeons, yet you refused to see my Mistress, d'ee remember? Now for this Ladybird would Sure 'tis a dream I am wondering Is not your name Clariana? 'Tis not sure You are some other Lady without a name Whom our friend made a prisoner to his Chamber, And cause his business with the Duke detains him Sent me to kiss your hand and disengage you Yes now I look better on you, you're Claria a To whom Bellamente hath devoted all His loving honest service, she that gave me Vows in exchange of mine, if my eyes be not Unfaithful and delude me. Take it all off together, I would not done My admiration, have I not mistook My way and fallen upon some other lodging? Is this your dwelling Madam? His name, I pray you call the owner 'Tis so and I am miserable, false Clariana Oh whither is the faith of women fled! Was't not Hippolito, Whom I so often did entreat to see her My friend Hippolito, he wood not go with me To her, that were too public, he had plots And private meetings, Lady he has seen you now And knows you too, And how dee Like him Lady, does he not career handsomely In the Devils saddle? my souls upon a torture I must be mad come tell me, why do not I kill thee now, I know too much but I'll begin with him. To write upon his heart he has abused me, I Like a tame fool must extol his friendship But never for his sake will I trust man Nor woman, you have forfeited your souls There's not a grain of faith nor honesty In all your sex, you have tongues Like the Hyena And only speak us fair to ruin us You carry springs within your eyes and can Out weep the Crocodile, till our too much pity Betray us to your merciless devouring. Grow not from frail to impudent, Stay I will hear, indeed I will, say any thing But you looked for One to return, misfortune kept him from you Tell me but this, if thou hast any truth Could any woman Clariana, that Would would the world but think her virtuous Suffer her self to be'lock'd up suspiciously Within a strangers lodging, Like mine? Never, you have awaked my honour Lady I dare believe and ask thy pardon, trust me I will command my passion hereafter And if thou but consent, give proof, all jealousy Is flown away, we'll marry instantly Should he retain a thought not square of her This will correct all, he is here, no word Of discontent, put all off merrily. Lets kiss Enter Hip. We are acquainted and now you have seen My Mistress, I shall hope, we may enjoy Your company hereafter, mine. Clariana Come sh'as told me all I'll take her word nothing has passed offensive, Salute her now as mine, the character I gave her, and thy resolution Not to see her, engaged her to this travel Weel not partly. Now till the Priest hath made all perfect Hymen light up thy Torches, woods of Pine Should be cut up to make thy altars shine. Exeunt. Where's your Lady? Who's with her? Hippolito? I wonot have so base a thought—Ilt to e'm, Yet, you may go and say I am returned and wish her presence. Would? there is something busy with my brain Exit. Sir. And in the shape of jealousy presents A thousand fears, they have been very loving Since we were married; thou souls corrupter Who sent thee to me? to distract my peace, Be gone, be gone, and scatter thy foul seeds Upon a ground that will be fruitful to thee. The innocence I carry in my breast Arms me against the thoughts of others treason, My friend, my wife? the very names are sacred And Like the heads of Saints, and holy Martyrs Invested with such glorious beams they strike Conspiracy blind, how now, whats in thy face? Enter Servant. Whats the matter? How does thy Lady Would why dost pause vilaine? answer me Would? stay there, Shall I trust thee now fury? but speak, and Be not tedious, what is my Lady doing upon thy life? Speak or never speak again, I am prepared Are they both dead? How long hast thou been a Raven? Do I live still? Th'art most uncharitable, if thou hadst loved Thy master thou wouldst wish him happiness Which all life denies, is my composition So hard, a sorrow great and high Like this Cannot dissolve it? wonot my heart break With this? then melt it some celestial fire, In pity of my sufferings some cloud Of rain, since my own eyes refuse to drown me, Fallen and orewhelme this miserable Island Can this be possible? be sure they are Devils Or I shall find such a new hell for thee— Some merciful whirlwind snatch this burden up And carry it into some wilderness: Leave not If it were possible the mention Of what I was behind, the wolves are honester Then mankind is to man, I prithee kill me I kneel to be destroyed, it is thy duty; When thou shalt tell the world my wretched story And what soul killing and devouring griefs Thy good hand rid me of, it shall acquit thee And call thy murder charity Oh whither shall I run to find a friend Will do the gentle office to dispatch me Without my own hand? Good man. My better Angel how had I forgotten My self? Coward to think of dying yet. Who would put confidence in heaven hereafter. If it should suffer me depart the world Without revenge, and that my own upon em. Come draw, take my sword, I will be double armed I charge thee by duty, or thy life If that be more, stay you at bottom of The stairs, while I ascend their sinful chamber And if my Pistol miss his treacherous heart He has no way to pass but on thy sword, The place gives such advantage that with Safety thou mayest command his life. Kill him with lose compunction then a witch Fleas a dead Infant for his skin to perfect A hellish incantation, thou wilt do't? Wife, friend, You hang Like ulcers on me, I am bound To cut you from my heart to cure my wound. Of death. Are you untwind? You did not look for me—your sword is of no use, dee see Pity your own damnations; and obey me, get into that closet no considering, it must be done: so you are fast, now Lady Lechery dress you the bed a little, and lay the pillows handsomely bestir you No petitioning, you can sing, quickly or—so so, you sirrah at the bottom of the stairs, come up. Be wise and do not kneel nor whimper. Enter Servant. Now sirrah speak and tell me truly Or isle search every corner of thy soul Why didst thou play the vilaine, thus to mock me With expectation to find my wife Playing the adulteress with Hippolito? Tell me? If these be eyes, is that your proof, lay such A cause upon the strength of a weak sense That is a thousand ways deceived, your eyes! Oh Clariana, this impudent slave With such a cunning face, told me thou Wertenberg Nought, locked in the lustful arms of base Hippolito, my friend, my honest friend. One that commands not his own life so much As I, that wo'd not for a Monarchy Do me the least disgrace, hast found him vilaine? And I believed him too, and had I found But the least point of such a sin, within Thy Chamber, furies should appear more tame then Bellamente, hell should not have malice. Enough to add to my revenge, but pardon. My easy credulous nature, I confess A fault, for had I loved thee nobly as Became our holy vows, our vows Clariana To which we called the Angels, I should never Have entertained one thought against thy chastity But this slave shall repent it. Thought? is that excuse None but her honour, and my friends to poison? Had this report not first arrived at me How had we all been shamed—dost thou kneel too Nay then I must forgive him, rise my honest My dearest Clariana —but I shall hear You will be prating of it, if one sillable Come to my ear let fallen by thee, that touches But thy suspicion, I'll would thy tongue And heart. Be gone and thank her goodness thou dost live But do not dare to be so desperate To come within my eye reach till I call thee So so Now sir you may come forth again Nor do you my most excellent whore, think There is no storm to follow—keep your distance You have had a feast, a merry one, the shot Is now to be discharged, what do you expect? Treacherous serpent Pardon with what conscience canst thou ask it? How forgive Would you found it now. Miserable woman. Tell me Clariana Still I shall hit upon thy name, how couldst thou Use me so cruelly? did I want youth And spring about me were my embraces cold Frost in my blood? or in thy bed was I Conveyed a snowball, rolled up the children Do to play with winter, did I not affect thee Beyond all the comfort of the world? And thou whom best of all mankind I loved Whose friendship took up my whole heart till she Came in a wife, yet then thou hadst a seat One small degree below her, when this shall be The talk of Ferrara who shall trust his friend For thy sake, or at the mention of thy name For swear ever to marry To kill you both Shall I be won with foolish pity? Your fears thus vanish, I delight not in The bloody sacrify, live both. He wa's here very lately, too late And did not I answer you? Cry you mercy Signior, indeed he is not here She's well What said ye? O I thank you, pray stay, and tell me how I look. They will persuade me within I am not well I must confess there is some cause of melancholy Within me. And yet does not concern me in a higher nature then My friend, a scurvy chance late hapn'ed to him One that he loved most dearly, you will scarce Believe, made him a Cuckold That all. Dee understand what I have said? Go home and pray, you're in a desperate state This is enough to weigh thee down to hell But hark you sir, how ere you talkeou cannot in your judgement think so, are you married? I'll tell you then, what a wife is, or should be What? No, hear me. A wife is men best piece, who till he marries Wants making up, she is the shrine to which Nature does send us forth on Pilgrimage, She was a syens taken from that tree Into which if she have no second grafting The world can have no fruit, she is men Arithemeticke which teaches him to number And multiply himself in his own children, She is the good men Paradise, and the bads First step to heaven, a treasure which who wants Cannot be trusted to posterity Nor pay his own debts, she is a golden sentence Writ by our maker, which the Angels may Discourse of, only men know how to use And none but devils violate Now tell me Signior what punishment That man deserves, that should deface or steal This wealth away. But is there no respect of friendship to be observed? Would you not chide your son that should abuse his Dear friends wife or Mistress? Away thou wot infect my dwelling else, To what a monster, is man grown Cynic I'll hold thy Lanthorn now, and go with thee Through Athens and the world to find one man That's honest. Enter Page. To me? Idem rather thank him to forget it Why does he trouble me with letters? yet I'll read em. Would? to be married to morrow—This is and honest Sentence, my heart bleeds still for wronging you. Clariana 'Tis no secret Give me the paper Why does thy master boy, send me this letter? He will marry now and live honest, heaven give him joy. But its not so fair to disturb my brain That is not fully settled with his triumphs, What is't to me? He cannot satisfy. My jniurie if he should court his wife And prevail with her To embrace me too. The Duke he writes, will honour his solemnity His conscience dares not suffer him to invite Me as his guest, why then must I be troubled Cannot he laugh and h m and kiss his bride But he must send me word, whose soul he has Put miserably out of tune. Enter Clariana. Sirrah you shall return, and say I will die shortly. That is a kind of prayer, who bade thee thee sayo? Then if I must live, I'll find out a Hermit That dwells within the earth or hollow tree. A great way hence there I shall be secure And learn to pray for I want charity—be gone boy Fare you well too, I'll come again to morrow, or I know Not when, I have much business abroad Yes, No I shall be best alone, you know your chamber Theres none so bold to rob me of my grief Yet he thats sad as I; bears his own thief. Are you so nimble? would. Nay then, I'll make sure work Exit. What are you humbled? must not serve your turn. As soon persuade It is not day Is the wickedness all thine? Now thou hast met a justice in thy blood For thy first sin, but I will have a Surgeon Make hast: Oh woman thou didst weep once, when thy tears Wone my forgiveness, where are all the drops, The penitent showers, in which thy stained soul Should both it self, this minute launching forth To thy eternity. She's gone to a long silence, place her body There and then gently raise Hippolito To the other chair I'll do my best to tell you Here's all thats left of them whom how I loved, Heaven and my poor heart knows, I did not kill em sir, they were too willing To leave the world together, but their wrongs All all the payment for my honest love awaked me to revenge, and had they been The very strings that tie my life together It should would fallen to pieces, but their hands Prevented mine. The cause my Lord—'tis grown since it came hither Pray give me leave, because you shanot suffer Ith expectation, you shall have it all Together, this Hippolito and that Clariana Hark there 'tis. Enter Milena. What Devil did instruct thee to disquiet My heart, secure and confident of their honours As conscious of my own, no head but mine To bruise with jealousy, where is he? show me Or take into thy bosom what my vows Had fixed for him and her How sir I commend. Your noble soul, but be advised how you Express your trouble, grief while it is dumb Does fret within, but when we give our thoughts Articulate found we must distinguish hearers, Princes are dangerous and carry death Upon their tongue, I wish you well and speak My friendly counsel—alas poor gentleman! Your grace is pleasant