FLORIMELL

Faith I shall anger soldiers, I would pour Spirit of life Aurum Potabile Into the jaws of chapfallen scholarship, That have since amorous Quid was exiled, Lyen in a sown, y ave many holds for war, I would once view a garrison for wit: It heavenly sport to see a train of scholars Like old trained soldiers fkit is in the schools Traverse their Ergoes and discharge their jests Like peals of smallshot, were this motion granted My self would be free woman of their hall, And fit as sister at their festival . Yes, but the commanders Deal with our graduates, as the general Does with his soldier, gives him place for favour, Not for deserving, look intoo't your self, You have Courts for tennis, and me thinks t'were meet, Learning should not stand balling in the street For want of houseroom: o 'tis much unfit Courtiers should be all pleasure and small wit. But Officers father cannot understand Their Lords at first: Wertenberg not a gallant sighed, To see wits army royal come from fight? Some crowned with gold, others with wreathe of bays, And while they hold their solemn holidays, Music should Like a lover court the skies, And from the world wrest ringing plaudities. I think my Lord that music is divine, Whose sacred strains have power to combine The soul and body; and it reason bears, For it is said that the Celestial spheres, Dance to Apollo's lyre whose sprightly fires Have tamd rude beasts and charmed men's wild desires: The author was immortal, the first strings, Made by a King, therefore and art for Kings: The world's a body, every liberal art A needful member, music the soul and heart. To please your grace, though J want voice and skill, I'll show my self obedient to your will. I marry brother's, here was cunning love, Learn Like good scholars, heel make you wise in love: He was a man in love, were you such men, Then were you men indeed, but boys till then. And expert soldier; how shall they choose them Father? Father you do exceed things possible, Faith say how many Ladies have you seen, Much fairer then my self, in all your travail? Should the Crow teach, I am not all Crowblacke. Though judgement; J not all perfection black, Though you have seen Ladies that dim the day, Yet will J think my self as fair as they. And time i'faith, that pretty sport would be, Wive it for them, you shall not husband me. Yes, if I had not years enough to choose, Would you direct me as you do your sons? With daughter take a man with such a nose, With such and eye, with such a colour beard, Thus big, thus tall, with all his teeth afore; Thus lipt, thus legd, thus handsome, thus appareled, Were not this pitiful! oh pitiful: Now by the soul of soul commanding love, I will not stoop to such obedience, I must be bid to blush when I am kissed, Bid my love welcome, and I thank you sir, With no indeed, I know not what love is, I never herd so much of love before, I pray take heed, nay fie you go too far, With such a rabble of prescriptions, As never maid of a Conceiving spirit, Will follow them, yet brother's go you on, Take you good counsel, Florsmell will none. Yes, a box to keep them in, for fear you lose them a gain. You jest. And isle lay gainst you both, that both your loves Get them when you can where you can, or how you can, shall not be able to compare with me in beauty. Star me no stars, go you and stare for love, I'll stay at home, and with my homely beauty Purchase a love, shall think my looks as fair, As those fair loves that you shall fetch so far; But take your course, fate send you both fair luck. Nay ift be forked, you must bear it off with head and shoulders. You must consider 'tis drawn out of the bottom of my wit. Deep enough to lay you in the mire. Which of them dost ask? thou seest they are two. Why two fools. And they are deeds you must trust too, for women will re specked your words but slitely without deeds. Brother, and good deeds too: They are tongues that men must speak with when they woe. Lovers take heed least cunning love deceive you. Boy, let your attendance wait further of Under this shade J mean to take a sleep. How boy in alarms. Peace wag. Boy dost know what gentleman it is? Believe me boy he is a proper man. I love him he's a very proper man. Pray gentleman if no more, tell me where you were born. Faith I would have it. What shall J have sir. Nothing else: we Courtiers count them trifles, not Worth taking. I will not stand with you for a trifle, sir pray where were you born? J shall never forget him. What do you know I prey? I bestow favors? what favours? Lord what a while this jest has been a brooding? and it proves but addle too now it is hatched. So it had needs, I think 'tis Like to have but a dry nurse of yours. And faith is't not pity such a proper man should keep come pany with a fool. You keep mine against my will. The fool and J? you're too familiar. Come you're too saucy. Not, proud sir? You jest. Jewel? away you sharking companion. Wandering strauagant, that Like a droane flies humming from one land to another. And lightest upon every dairy maid and kitchen-wench. You did of mine you would say, and J am heart sorry you can say it, and when by your buzzing flattery, you have sucked the smallest favour from them, you presently make wing for anon there. Double the zard and take the whole meaning for your la bour. With staying you do. Away. Js he gone boy? Clean out of sighed? Thou readest a false comment boy, call him again; yet do not, my heart shall break ere it bend. As a Welshman does toasted cheese, I cannot dine without him, he's my pillow I cannot sleep quietly without him; my rest, I cannot live without him. He does, he would never have left me else, he And now me thinks J loath him more then I loved him go run for Hortensio my guardian, bid him come armed, thet's intent of treason tell him. I wonder you dare come in my sighed, considering the wrong you did me. 'Tis too long and it shorter then 'tis, will he not court me? not? no speak to me neither? nay never ask pardon 'tis to late, we shall ha'you come to my window one of these morning's with music, but do not, my patience is to much out of tune, out of my sighed I hate thee, worse then I loath painting, I hate thee, out of my sighed. I'll kiss a toad first. you will. Out humourd? Oh I would fell my partly of immortality. Oh how spleen swells me? help Hortensio, creep a my knees? Hotensio. Do not kill him, though he deserves death yet do not kill him, only disweapon him; so. I will not hear him, keep him; but keep him safe on your lives, if he get away or miscarry in prison: as I am heir of Venice isle have your heads for't. they bind Fie, fie, with a cord? here, bind him with my scarf, that will hold, and yet stand away, isle doo't my self, I cannot trust him with you, least you should let him sometime escape free: beside, you cannot use him according to the quality of his offence, and because isle glory in his bondage my chamber shall be his pri son, let him have neither light meat nor drink, but what J pro vide him my self. O you are not gone then. He would anger me. Should J have let him go, (as I could no other way detain him in modesty) and he had set his love on some other, would have fretted my heart strings a sunder. Not for any hate, but in pride of my humour. That I may feed mine eye with the sighed of him, and be sure no other beauty can rob me of his company: I will have't all, I will not lose and ynch of him: And in this, I but imitate our Ita lian dams, who cause their friends to clap their jealous husbands in prison, that if they have occasion to use them within forty weeks and a day, they may surely know where to find them. I'll split my heart ere my humour strike sail: here comes his Page, how now boy? how does your master. Well? Where is he? Is he dead? My Aspero dead! Boy See madam, what a mutation I see too much, and curse my proud humour that was the cause of it: Aspero, kind soul, proud sullen Florimel, disdainful humour, that in one minute hast eternally undone me: I would not kiss the living substance, that being dead dote on thy picture: o I loved thee ever with my soul: Oh let me kiss this shroud of beauty: I would not accept thee living, that being dead on my knees adore thee: could kisses recover thee, I would dwell on thy lips: kneel till my knees grew to the ground, deer gentle Aspero she that procured thy death will die with thee, And crave no heaven, but still to lie with thee. Lives Aspero? Am I over reached? Do not flout me; and you do, I shall grow into my humour again. In earnest I shall, and then I know what I know. In jest. No more, thou hast driven me clean out of conceit with my humour, I love thee, I confess it, shalt be my husband, isle live with thee, thou art my life, and isle die with thee. What more I mean is coated in my look, If thou acceptst it, swear, Boy, run to the master of my Gundelo, and will him attend me after supper at the garden stairs, I mean to take the evening air, tell him. Nay if I say the word, it shall be done Aspero The fool comes without calling. As good say steal my Lord, what mary-bone of wit is your judgement going to pick now? Treason? My royal father's: Can he be closer then in my custody? And dare not you trust me? Do you observe how he flouts you my Lord? that I had been his keeper but one night longer but keep him close, if he escape (though against thy will) as I am a maid, Shalt pay as deer for't as thou didst for thy office. I shall wish thee hanged, if he do not: treason! I may thank my peevish humour fort. Thou bringest physic when the patient's dead boy: out jest's turned earnest. As good, or rather worse, he's buried quick. He's buried in close prison boy, he's known for the duke of Mantua's son, and by my father's letter a ched for a traitor. The testy ass Hortensio. We cannot. Shall he be cousend? Call out the jailer boy, yet do not; hast God a beard Like Hortensio? Wouldst rob him of his wit? Put it on boy. Very ill, and my plot worse. I purposed, thou in the habit of Hortensio, shouldst under pretence of removing Aspero to a new prison, have freed him out of the old one. Prithee call him. Why how now gallant, not gone yet? Weel have you hanged out i'the fresh air, one of these morning's. Yes, when you had hanged abroad a little: but my Lord Hortensio (for I think I must be your Lady when all's done) what sport? I would be merry a purpose to make him mad; the room's private and fit for any exercise. No, I love some stirring exercise, my body's condiciond Like the sun; it would never be out of motion. At the happiness of your wit my Lord, that you should hit upon that sport, which of all other I delight in. Weel have the thing it self first; and as we Like that, weel hear your Apology after: who shall be hud-winckt sirst? My scarf, take my scarf my Lord. Marry that will I my Lord, let me alone to blind you. But how if you take me? as I know that will be your aim, And easy ransom: isle not be prisoner long, if a kiss will en large me. Me thinks he looks for all the world Like God Cupid. He cannot come to fast, Oh I am taken prisoner. Is that your law of arms? My lips Like faithful Treasurers shall see it discharge. Am I freed now? Here Aspero, on with this beard and gown: I think he follows me by the sent, his hat, so: a narrow miss i'faith my Lord? Even upon going, one of you counterfeit my voice, there I deceived you my Lord. Not yet, but I will, and you look not the better too't, busy him till you think we are out of the Court, and then follow us: you shall find us at the south port, now or never my Lord. Peremptory Jack, jailer, as you respect your office, lay spe ciall watch that none of what degree soever have access to him. If he call for me, tell him I scorn him. But come not at him. But give him none. He may fire the house, let him have none. If he rail, sing. Do any thing to vex him. 'Tis a sign they love you Then you do not love the Commons. One that has played the partly of a Constable, brought you home a Runaway. And am I not a good child to leave my father's love at six and seven, and hazard my honour upon your sons naked pro mice, and your hopeful acceptance. Shall nerethelesse retain his sympathy, Anthonio know I am loves resolute, Confirmed and grounded in affection: I loved your son, not for he was a Prince, But one no better then his present Fortune's, I'll love him still, since first I loved him so, Let Father, friends, and all the world say no. Why Ladies, have you such large interest in our brother's. They offer parlee, let me answer them. Brother's, how now? who made you soldiers? Faith een my father as he made you lovers What? hath he changed your shepherd's hooks to swords? Of Amoradoes made you armed knights? Oh seld-seen metamorphosis! J have known Soldiers turn lovers, but for amorous lovers To reassume their valour, 'tis a change, Like winter-thunder, and a thing as strange. Free will, brother's, mine own freewill, all free in Mantua, here's freewill i'faith, speak am I not a freewoman? You lie boy. Shame? not a whit: but come, your wenches brother's, I make no question, I have wone my wager: Are they as fair as I? By heaven, th'are villains all that think him so, I should curse my self if I should hate him: Why boy it seems they dare not, Well done i'faith wenches, Oh that the old graybeard my Father were here, idem have about with him as I am honoura ble. Look, think, find, prove, do what you can, These are the wenches that you courted than: Then honey bees lay by your smarting stings, and buz sweet love into your Ladies ears, Tell them of kisses, and such pretty things, These drumming dub adubs loves pleasure fears. Fatherinfaith they will. One that I stumbled on at Blindman buff, a proper man, a man every ynch of him: and you would say so, and you knew but as as I—mean to know ere I have done with him Now brother's you must amongst these wenches, Faith for a wager which shall get the fairest? Now so love help me lot, a passing weak one and very unready. Yes, but he showed himself the strangest fool: And by my troth lo. J am sorry for't to, J had as good and appetite to maintain discourse; but here acomes, if ever I choose a man by the fullness of his Calf, or a cock by the crowing, look and the ashfull fool do not blush already. Acquainted with me? The name my Lord. You may in Venice, gentle sir adieu. Not possible boy.