LYCUS

It's miraculous that you tell me Sir: he come to woo our Lady Mistress for his wife? Faith Sir, Penelope could not bar her gates against her woers, but she will still be Mistress of her self. It is as you know, a certain Itch in female blood, they love to be sued to: but sheele Harken to no Suitors. A Spartan Lord, dating himself our great Viceroys Kinsman, and two or three other of his Country Lords, as spots in his train. He comes armed with his Altitudes letters in grace of his person, with promise to make her a Du chess if she embrace the match. This is no mean attra ction to her high thoughts; but yet she disdains him. Nay, I hold no comparison betwixt your brother & him. And the Venerean disease, to which they say, he has been long wedded, shall I hope first rot him, ere she en dure the savour of his Sulphurous breath. Well, her Ladi ship is at hand; you're best take you to your stand. Have you met with your capricious brother? And has he yet resolved you of that point you brake with me about? That were a strange Physic for a jealous patient; to cure his thirst with a draught of poison. Faith Sir, dis charge your thoughts an't; think 'twas but a Buzz devised by him to set your brains a work, and divert your eye from his disgrace. The world hath written your wife in highest lines of honoured Fame: her virtues so admired in this I'll, as the report thereof sounds in foreign ears; and stran gers oft arriving here, (as some rare sighed) desire to view her presence, thereby to compare the Picture with the ori ginall. Nor think he can turn so far rebel to his blood Or to the Truth it self to misconceive Her spotless love and loyalty; perhaps Oft having herd you hold her faith so sacred As you being dead, no man might stir a spark Of virtuous love, in way of second bonds; As if you at your death should carry with you Both branch and root of all affection. T'may be, in that point he's and Infidel, And thinks your confidence may overween. Nor I: if ever any made it good. I am resolved of all, sheele prove no changeling. Retired into her Orchard. It's with the sighed of her Spartan wooer. But how soever 'tis with her, you have practised strangely upon your Brother. You had almost lifted his wit off the hinges. That spark jealousy falling into his dry melancholy brains, had well near set the whole house on fire. Yes, but with a medicine ten parts more dangerous then the sickness: how know you strange his dotage ever was on his wife; taking special glory to have her love and loyalty to him so renowned abroad. To whom she often times hath vowed constancy after life, till her own death had brought forsooth, her widow-troth to bed. This he joyed in strangely, and was therein of infallible belief, till your surmise began to shake it; which hath loosed it so, as now there's nought can settle it, but a trial, which he's resolved upon. He is resolved to follow your advise, to die, and make trial of her stableness, and you must lend your hand to it. To forge a rumour of his death, to uphold it by cir cumstance, maintain a public face of mourning, and all things appertaining. Nay, I think he has not licked his Whelp into full shape yet, but you shall shortly hear ant. Forthwith: there's nothing stays him, but some odd business of import, which he must wind up; least perhaps his absence by occasion of his intended trial be prolonged above his aims. Yes, and talks of you again in the fairest manner, listens after your speed. Which he thinks to be a flight beyond your wing. Somewhat can I say too, since your messengers de parture, her Ladyship hath been something altered, more pensive then before, and took occasion to question of you, what your addictions were? of what taste your humour was? of what cut you wore your wit, and all this in a kind of disdainful scorn. And my means. Exeunt. WOuld any heart of Adamant, for satisfa ction of and ungrounded humour, rack a poor Ladies innocence as you intend to do. It was a strange curiosity in that Emperor, that ripped his Mother's womb to see the place he lay in. In so short time. And yet there have been such women. Well Sir. All those things leave to me. I Hope Sir by this time. The edge of your confidence is well taken off; would you not be content to withdraw your wager? Why Sir, can you think such a passion dissembled? At Dipolis Sir, some twenty miles hence. I sir, by all means; skulks unknown under the name of a strange Knight. Well Sir, but for this jealous humour that hants him. Perform it, call you it? you may jest; men hunt Hares to death for their sports, but the poor beasts die in earnest: you wager of her passion for your pleasure, but she takes little pleasure in those earnest passion. I never saw such and ecstasy of sorrow, since I knew the name of sorrow. Her hands flew up to her head Like Furies, hid all her beauty's in her disheveled hair, & wept as she would turn fountain. I would you and her husband had been behind the Arras but to have herd her. I assure you Sir, I was so transported with the spectacle, that in despite of my discretion, I was forced to turn woman, and bear a partly with her. Humanity broke lose from my heart, and streamed through mine eyes. Not without preparation Sir; no more then my speech, it a plain acting of and interlude to me, to pro nounce the partly. Phœbus addressed his chariot towards the West To change his wearied Coursers, and so forth. Lysander and my self beguiled the way With interchanged discourse, but our chief Theme, Was of your dearest self, his honoured wife; Your love, your virtue; wondrous constancy. When suddenly appeared as far as sighed A troop of horse, armed as we might discern, With Javelin, Spears, and such accoutrements. He doubted nought (As Innocence ever Is free from doubting ill.) My mind misgave me. They might be mountaners. At their approach They used no other language but their weapons, To tell us what they were; Lysander drew, And boar himself Achilles Like in fight, And as a Mower sweeps off heads of Bents, So did Lysander's sword shave off the points Of their assaulting lances. His horse at last, soar hurt, fell under him; I seeing I could not rescue, used my spurs To fly away. I in a good quarrel, why not? A lance pursued me, brought me back again; And with these wounds left me accompany Dying Lysander : Then they rifled us, And left us. They gone; my breath not yet gone, gan to strive And revive sense: I with my feeble joints Crawled to Lysander, stirred him, and withal He gasped; cried Cynthia! and breathed no more. Passengers came and in a Chariot brought us Straight to a Neighbour Town; where I forthwith Coffind my friend in lead; and so conveyed him To this sad place. Well Sir, This tale pronounced with terror, suited with Actium clothed with such likely circumstance; My wounds in show, her husbands hearse in sighed, think what effect it wrought: And if you doubt, let the sad conse quence of her retreat to his Tomb, be your woeful in structer. Oh Gods! a passion thus born; thus appareled with tears, sighs, swoonings, and all the badges of true sor row, to be dissembled! by Venus I am sorry I ever set foot in't. Could she, if she dissembled, thus dally with hunger, be deaf to the barking of her appetite, not having these four days relieved nature with one dram of sum stenance. Well, I'll apprehend you, at your pleasure: I for my partly will say; that if her faith be as constant as her love is hearty, and unaffected, her virtues may justly challenge a Deity to enshrine them. A sweet Gentleman you are. I marvel what man? what woman? what name? what Actium does his tongue glide over, but it leaves a slime vpon't. Well, I'll present lie to Dipolis, where Lysander stays; and will not say but she may prove frail: But this I'll say, If she should chance to break, Her tears are true though women's truths are weak. Exit. 'Tis such and obstinacy in you Sir, As never was conceited, to run on With and opinion against all the world, And what your eyes may witness; to adue ̄ ture The famishment for grief of such a woman As all men's merits met in any one, Could not deserve. I fear they have, and she is passed our cure. And that she will not trust in any thing What you persuade her to. This is well. If (as I say) the ill be not so grown, That-all help is denied her. But I fear The matchless Deem is famished. Thar. looks into the tomb. What? is she well Sir? The Gods forbid. Drawing on? Illustrious witchcrafts. She draws on fairly. Our sister Sir? This she? can this be she? Slight 'tis prodigious. The Soldier Sir that watches The bodies crucified in this hallowed place. Of which to loose one, it is death to him, And yet the lustful knave is at his Venery, While one might steal one. I know not what it is; Nor what to say. But this you must at no hand tell your brother. 'Twill make him mad: For he that was before So scourged but only with bore jealousy. What would he be, if he should come to know it? To what? You're Captain a the watch Sir. So were you best do me; see your presumptions be strong; or be assured that shall prove a deer presumption, to brand me with the murder of my friend. But you have been suborned by some close villain to defame me. Conduct me to the Governor him self; to confront before him your shallow accusations. You're wise Captain. But if the body should chance not to speak; If the wounds should be tongue-tied Captain; where's then your evidence Captain? will you not be laughed at for and officious Captain? Your Captainship commands my service no further. Say you so Captain? but hark you Captain, Might it not concur with the quality of your office, ere this matter grow to the height of a more threatening danger; to wink a little at a by slip, or so? To send a man abroad under guard of one of your sil liest shack-rags; that be may beat the knave, and run's way. I mean this on good terms Captain; I'll be thankful. Your place is worthily replenished Captain. My duty Sir; Hark Captain, there's a mutiny in your Army; I'll go raise the Governor. Exiturus. Why, I could have told you this before Captain; The body was born away piecemeal by devout Ladies of We nus order, for the man died one of Venus Martys. And yet I herd since 'twas seen whole ath' other side the downs up Pon a Colestafe betwixt two huntsmen, to feed their dogs withal. Which was a miracle Captain. My good Lord, I have not. Your Lordship will first let my defence be herd.