BASILIUS

Welcome gallants, welcome honoured bloods; the reason that we have unclothed us of our princely government in Arcadia, and have to do with this private retirement here in this defart I'll, you shall find in that shedule, only thus much for public satisfaction: 'Tis not strange to you, that the choicest treasure Nature endowed us with, is mind up in the veins of my two daughters: how much their quiet, and the smooth stream of our government in Arcadia, was troubled by the impetuous concourse of unruly suitors, is familiar with your knowledge; this to avoid, I have for my Image there in my absence appointed my brother, and undertook this private re tirement. What ere he be, he hath deserved our love. Fellow be near us, and for this desert, Performed against those Traitors to our blood, Under thy master we give thee and attendant, To guard the life and safety of our daughter. Truce to this airy war, these paper bullets Better become a Closet then a Park, The Forest music is to hear the hounds Rend the thin air, and with a lusty cry Awake the drowsy Echo, and confound Their perfect language in a mingled found, Then so the Court, our Forest sport being done, A second chase oh lovelier sport's begun. Rather to further it fair Queen: they are the only pearls of our age, and to see them well set in honourable and wel-befitting Marriage, is our wishes happiness. To which effect we have sent a general challenge To all the youthful bloods of Africa, That whosoever (born of princely stem) Dares foot the bosom of this desert I'll, (The stage where I'll perform this lovers prize) And by his wit and active policy, Woo, win, entice, or any way defeat Me of my charge, my daughters of their hearts, Shall with their loves wear my imperial crown Wreathe of their conquest. Here my Genitia. What mean these weapons, are our daughters safe? Shall I be short with thee? My Lady's in love with thee. Good, excellent, how truly she takes my directions. Love durst not, good, good, excellent, what next. And he were a man now I might be rarely tupt. Rare, rare, rare, she's his sealed and delivered in the presence of her husband. To see and old Duchess a young Lady kiss. Now the plot packs the scenes all comical, I cannot speak for laughter, to see these women That would be counted wonders for their wit, Lay plots to gull themselves, silly conceit, And arm herself To laugh at me, make jests and scoffs at me, But sooth her humour, the revenge sheede throw Upon my head, shall fallen on her own brow. To that intent our Island is fenced in By sea and Land, and at each corner built A Castle for defence, which Like great men Do overlook Archadea: over which, We have appointed Captains. More to desire, Is more then we are willing to discover. And ague? what ague? If you retain the love of children, or the duty of subjects, express it in your obedience, we know Dametas loves us. In sign whereof we make him. In my free thoughts you wrong him, therefore to express our love, and to give the world public note of his loyalty, we credit ate him your Guardian. I Minion, yours. Well said Haggard, I'll make your proud heart stoop to the lure of obedience. But come, by this time our challenge is published, and our gallants wits sweating in the field of Invention, and it be hoves us not to rest unexercised. So to our lodge, in the mean time be it known, Our breath has power to raise, or cast men down. Dametas, were thine ears ever at a more musical banquet? how the hounds mouths Like Bells' are tuned one under another Like a slothfulness, the speed of the cry outran my sense of hearing. Tell me Dametas, was not the Dear a prodigal, did he not spend his breath freely amongst us? It please your modesty to lesson it. But it shall still live great in our regard. What woodman's that? Zehnane. My thoughts come Like a sail afore the wind, swollen big with news and thine ears the midwife must deliver me of this burr then, my Duchess is sick, heart sick for thee Zelmane. With thee my Lady: her amorous glances are her accusers, her very looks write Sonnets in thy continued ̄ mendations, she carves thee at board, and cannot sleep for dreaming on thee in bed, she's turned sunne-riser, haunts private walks, & Like a disgraced Courtier, studies the Art of melancholy. Nay never pity her, she deserves none, rather lets bend our endeavours to entangle her more. To see the kindness of Fortune, who fearing we should be acquainted with solitude in this our 12 month retirement, hath begotten a domestical merriment, and made our own thoughts actors int, and as bade a Poet as I am, I'll would one scene int of mine own invention. 'Tis ready plotted already, and that the Duchess may not find thee unprovided when she comes to court thee Why thats the very happiness of the jest, but in any case confess thy self a man. Tush I'll furnish thee, say thou art some Prince, no matter who, & hast to do with this disguise of purpose to court my daugh ter Violetta, Forget not to personate some Prince in any case. Absolute Poet, Penelope was a ballet-maker to her. Thank you good wife, nay & a Duchess long to give her husbands the horning, let it never grieve butchers to do homage at Cuekolds haven. Excellent virtues in a woman. Thanks good Dametas, be thy directions our wives convoy. True: & coming to the lose Melampus, but where are our daughters? Certain Dametas, but where are our daughters man? What cry of treasons that Dametas? Pray God no danger sets upon my daughters, Seek out our wife, I'll hast unto their rescue. Mine own i'faith, and to confirmt the rather, use more oft & private conference with my daughter, interchange discourse & amo rous dalliance, o 'twill set my Duchess affections a flre, to think her riuald by her daughter, and give us smooth passage to our love. There's a lover of a right temper, sheele outface the name of her sex instantly. Now, what shadow for that now. Does our match hold. Daughter, your bowl wins one. What? pawn their maidenhead? Welcome Dametas: what officious fellow is that? No more of these delays sweet Madam, your love hath broken day oft with my expectance, I dare give it trust no longer. By my Imperial Globe, and hope of those Joys, thy presence shall bring to enrich me with, isle meet thee, and make thee Queen over the most submiss Captive that ever love took prisoner. Not except warm life, Deceive my voice of their innative heat. Then hast slow time, exchange thy leaden fleet, For Hormes wings till I my fair Hope's meet. But locked once in the arms of my delight, Cloth all the world in and eternal night. And steed of morning when the Sun should rise, They shall see two in my Zelmane eyes. Zelmane. The weakest go to the wall. Well jested daughter, and you led not fair, The hindmost hound, though old, may catch the hate. That were unkindly done. Troth, kindly said, Take heed you kiss not out your maidenhead. In earnest. To kiss away their maidenheads? Lay by this homebred mirth, and prepare your ears to entertain strangers. What grievances oppress them? briefly speak. Which after short deliberation with our counsel, your self shall return. Dametas, reward their travails with 200. Crowns: in the mean time, let'em taste the best entertainment of our Court. Proud Rebels, they shall see that a Dukes frown, Can at his pleasure, turn Rebellion down: See them rewar ed. Although thy Breath be never but Musical, yet it never taught the string of true happiness till now: and to approve thy heart sets hand to thy word, appoint the time. But night is purblind To make a Duke a slave. life a spleen Could my rough breath Like a tempestuous wind, Blow out heavens candles, leave the world stark blind, That it might either have no eyes to see: Or use those eyes it hath to pleasure me. Daughter: how her eye Cuts out new forms, new shapes of jealousy: Do preethe do, this sweetens all the rest, But here would be the elixar of the jest, if while we kept each other at a bay, A third should come, and bear the hare away. And I shall run frantic and I find not Dorus, I hold my life we have some comedy in hand, we shall have a full scene, for here comes more actors. we are all simply gulde, and see where the Sun scarce halfeready, skippes from his Eastern bed, smiling at our gullery: Heeres and excellent pattern for wives to learn to scold by On your allegiance forbear, what means this outrage, can not our private walks be privileged from your wild contentious. Theres some deceit in this, Dametas, where Hippolita? Who sent you to Diannes oak to dig gold? who sent you to Adonis chapel. And who turned you into this shape: How cheers my good Zelmane? A fool. What makes old Autumn out a bed so late, that snow should go a woeing to the sun When one arm kiss works her confusion. She dogs her fure, and she to shake her off Hath taine some other walk I'll place mine ear in distance of her will. I had rather see ten doruses hanged then loose Hippolita, I shall run mad and I find not Hippolita. A finger, I confess a finger by the hope of perseverance, a very little finger. Neither, to our own disgrace be it spoken, the carriage of their stratagem deserves applause, and I held it a credit to rest cap tiue to such valiant conquerors? I give your deserts their full merit you have got equality Nay gentlemen we bar all violence, the liberty of our chal lenge was to all alike equally free, and since these by fair play have wone em, it stands with our honour to see them peaceably possessed of em, then surely take em, for though you wear the breeches give us leave to stand a little: And without shipping to follow em to.