LEVIDULCIA

Oh! here's your daughter under her servants lips. A lusty blood! Now by the lip of Love Were I to choose, your joining one for me. My Daughter's gone. Come Son. Mistress Cata plasma, come; we'll up into her chamber. I'de feign see how she entertains the expectation of her husbands bedfellowship. Restrain your liberty. See you not Snuff? No. The credit of his company defends my being abroad from the eye of Suspicion. Monsieur Snuff, I shall request your patience. My stay will not be long. Sebastian if you love me, save my honour. Oh God! my Husband! my Sebastian! Husband! Neither can spoke; yet both report my shame. Is this the saving of my Honour? when their blood runs out in rivers; and my lust the fountain whence it flows? Dear Husband let not thy departed spirit be displeased; if with adult rate lips I kiss thy cheek. Here I behold the hatefulness of lust; which brings me kneeling to embrace him dead; whose body living I did loathe to touch. Now I can weep. But what can tears do good; when I weep only water, they weep blood? But could I make and Ocean with my tears; that on the oud this broken vessel of my body, laden heavy with light lust might suffer shipwreck, and so drown my shame: then we ping were to purpose; but alas! The Sea wants water enough to wash away the oulenesse of my name. Oh in their wounds; I feel my honour wounded to the death. Shall I outlive my Honour? Must my life be made the world's example? Since it must; then thus in detestation of my deed; to make th'eexam ple move more forceably to virtue; thus, I feal it with a death as full of horror as my life of sin. Mistress Cataplasma! I expected you and hour since. Tush, you mistake the way into a woman, The passage lies not through her reason, but her blood. Nay, stay! How wouldst thou call the child, That being raised with cost and tenderness, To full hability of body and means; Denies relief unto the parents, who Bestowed that bringing up? Then Castabella is unnatural. Nature the loving mother of us all, Brought forth a woman for her own relief; By generation to revive her age. Which now thou hast hability and means Presented; most unkindly dost deny. Preferrest the affection of and absent Love, Before the sweet possession of a man; The barren mind before the fruitful body; Where our creation has no reference To man; but in his body: being made Only for generation; which (unless Our children can be got by conceit) Must from the body come. If Reason were Our counselor, we would neglect the work Of generation, for the prodigal Expense it draws us too of that which is The wealth of life. Wise Nature (therefore) hath Reserved for and inducement to our sense, Our greatest pleasure in that greatest work. Which being offered thee; thy ignorance Refuses, for imaginary joy Of and unsatisfied affection, to And absent man. Whose blood once spent i'th'warre; Then he'll come home, sick, lame and impotent; And wed thee to a torment; Like the pain Of Tantalus, continuing thy desire, With fruitless presentation of the thing It loves; still moved, and still unsatisfied. I'm but her mother i'law; Yet if she were my very flesh and blood, I could advise no better for good. We are beholding to you for you company. My Lord; I pray you bid these Gentlewomen welcome: th'are my invited friends. Frisco! by my Lord D'amville's leave I prith go into the Buttery. Thou shalt find some o'my men there; if they bid thee not welcome, they are very Loggerheads. Mistress Cataplasma, good night. I pray when your Man has brought you home, let him return and light me to my house. Good Mistress Cataplasma; for my servants are all drunk; I cannot be beholding to'em for their attendance. Exeunt Cataplasma, Soquette, and Fresco. Oh here's your Bride. How can she choose? your sickness will Distaste th'expected sweetness o'the night. That makes her heavy. Look you to that. Sh'ad rather you would wake, and make her groan. Pleasure be your bedfellow. Why sure their Generation was asleep, When she begotten those Dormice; that she made Them up so weakly and imperfectly. One wants desire; the tother hability. When my affection even with their cold bloods (As snow rubbed through and active hand, does make The flesh to burn) by agitation is Inflamed. I could unbrace, and entertain The air to cool it. Can you so, sir? now I beshrew your ear. Why bold Sebastian, how dare you approach So near the presence of your displeased Father. Belike you knew he was abroad then. Is that the way? I understand you not. But for your reconcilement, meet m'at home; I'll satisfy your suit Or within this whole hour. When you will.— A lusty blood! has both the presence and the spirit of a man. I Like the freedom of his behaviour.—Ho— Sebastian! Gone?—Has set my blood o'boyling i'my veins And now (Like water poured upon the ground, that mixes it self with every moisture it meets) I could clasp with any man. Enter Fresco with a Lant orne. Oh Fresco! Art thou come? If tother fail, then thou art enter taind. Lust is a Spirit, which whosoever does raise; The next man that encounters boldly, lays. Th'art welcome into my chamber; Fresco. Prithee shut the door.—Nay thou mistakest me. Come in and shut it. No matter. I have somewhat to say to thee. What? is not thy mistress towards a husband yet? They will not come on lustily, thou wouldst say. But I ( Fresco ) they are not bold enough. Thy Mi stress is of a lively attractive blood Fr sco. And in troth she's o'my mind for that. A poor spirit is poorer then a poor purse. Give me a fellow that brings not only temptation with him, but has the activity of wit, and audacity of spirit to apply every word and gesture of a woman's speech and behaviour to his own desire; and make her believe she's the suitor her self. Never give back till he has made her yield to 'it. Thou art deceived, Fresco. Ladies are as cou teous as Yeomen's wive , and me thinks they should be more gentle. Hight diet and soft ease makes em (Like wax always kept warm) more easy to take impression.—Prithee untie my shoe. —What? art thou shamefaced too? Go roundly to work man. My leg is not gouty: will endure the feeling I warrant thee Come hither Fresco; thine ear.—S'daintie; I miss took the place. I missed thine ear and hit thy lip. That shows th'art full o'lustie blood and thou know est not how to use it. Let me see thy hand. Thou shouldst not be shamefaced by thy hand, Fresco. Here's a brawny flesh and a hairy skin: both signs of and able body. I do not Like these phlegmatic, smooth-skinned, soft-fleshed fellows. They are Like candied Suckets, when they begin to perish; which I would always empty my Closet off, and giue'em my chambermaid. —I have some skill in Palmistry: by this line that stands di rectly against me; thou shouldst be near a good fortune. Fresco, if thou hadst the grace to entertain it. No less then the love of a fair Lady, if thou dost not loose her with faintheartedness. No? Why? I am a Lady, Am I so great I cannot be come passed? Clasp my wast and try. Uds body; my Husband! Fainthearted fool! I think thou Wertenberg begotten between the North-pole, and the con geal'd passage. Now Like and ambitious Coward that betrays himself with fearful delay: you must suffer for the treason you never committed. Go hide thy self behind yound'arras, instantly. Fresco hides himself Enter Sebastian. Sebastian! What do you here so late? You're very bold. You come to ha'me move your father's reconciliation. I'll write a word or two i'your behalf. What to do? Why not after the French or Italian? Are you so active to dance? You're well made for't. I think I am accursed. Sebastian! There's one at the door has beaten opportunity away from us. In brief, I love thee. And it shall not be long before I give thee a testimony of it. To save thee now from suspicion; do no more but draw thy Rapier; chase thy self; and when he comes in, rush by with out taking notice of him. Only seem to be angry, and let me alone for the rest. Ooh, Ooh, Husband! Oh feel my pulse. It beats I warrant you. Be patient a little sweet Husband; tarry but till my breath come to me a gain, and I'll satisfy you. The poor Gentleman's almost out on's wits I think. You remember the displeasure his Father took against him about the liberty of speech he used even now when your daugh ter went to be married. Has crazed him sure: he met a poor man i'the street even now. Vpou what quarrel I know not: but he pursued him so violently, that if my house had not been his rescue; he had surely ki worser him. Nay husband, he grew so in rage when he saw the man was conveyed from him, that he was ready even to have drawn his naked weapon upon me. And had not your knock king at the door prevented him; surely he'd done something to me. Alas here. I warrant you the poor fearful soul is scarce come to himself again yet.—If the fool have any wit he will apprehend me.—Do you hear sir You may be bold to come forth; the Fury that haunted you is gone. Of mere distraction. Good night honest Fresco. This falls out handsomely. But yet the matter does not well succeed; Till I have brought it to the very deed. Nay, please her hardly and you please her best. If he brings word my Husband is i'bed; I will advent ture one nights liberty to lie abroad.—My strange affe ction to this Man!—T'is Like that natural sympathy which even among the senseless creatures of the earth, commands a mutual inclination and consent: For though it seems to be the free effect of mine own voluntary love; yet I can neither restrain it, nor give reason for't. But now t'is done; and in your power it lies to save my honour; or dishonour me. So it seems to me.—Why how now Sebastian? making love to that Gentlewoman? How many Mistress's have you ' aith?