DAMETAS

Manasses, how dost Like my play at Tennis? Policy Manasses, policy, for when any man upbraids me with my gettings at Court, I may swear truly I have lost more then I have God bite. Then let em leave resting at me, though it please the Duke for some few good parts that he sees in me, to make me his familiar, I scorn to be public, or every Courtiers companion: but who comes here? The Captains of the watch-towers? what news with you. And whats your business now you are landed? Well Madam, though I hate nothing more then a man that takes bribes, yet pressed by your importunity, and that you tender it in love, least I might seem too nice to withstand a Ladies favour, I'll wear it for your sake, and if the Duke be not too busily employed, work your access. And Asle? and sweat such pearl, I'll bar her admittance, here take your Jewel, the Duke will allow no admittance, & I will keep you back. And I'll do so much being a rich petitioner. 'Twill be his own another day Madam. Sweet Ladies, to save you the expense of much breath which must be laid out in the purchase of the game. I have provided you this stand, from whence your eyes may be commanders of the sport: such sport as you little dream of. Pardon me Madam. Crossed in my Hope's, the Ladies rescued, and the Princes Like cravens beat out of the game-place, my invention must turn traveler for more stratagems what & I should discover their plot to the Duke, attach em for traitors, and beg their lands for my la bour; though they be my friends, it a pretty parcel of policy. All things are lawful that do profit bring, A wiseman's bow goes with a twofold string. So, stand Ass, stand gentle Ass. If by any Court, 'tis enough to save mine oath. But what do our spruce witted gallants say of my bounty. Had I best take their petitions Manasses? Fellows, deliver your petitions to my scribe Mayor, and dost hear, put em up Manasses, they may be wrongs to us. Now, what are you sirrah? What are you? Poor scholars do not Like our worship neither, they rail against rich Cormorants, they are bade members to. I'll take order with em I warrant thee, and I may have my will, I'll would neither poor scholar nor soldior about the Court. Whats he talks of fools there? why how now sir, know you to whom you speak? But I remember well enough I warrant you, I command you, in my name and the Dukes, to attend your guard, and you re guard me no more then a careless Lawyer does and undone clyant, but I'll inform: the Duke shall know, out, pack. Why so I hope are we sir, and of the best and last edition, of the Dukes own making. You are discharged, about your business. What and excellent trade it is to be and officer maker, I'll have more officers, and one shall be to keep scholars and soldiers out of the Court, for they dare not come in the great Chamber already, for want of good clothes. But gods me Manasses, go tell the Duke I must speak with him. I sir, I know my place is worshipful, I tell thee knave I could hang thee by my patent, if it were granted once, I'll tell thee how it runs, It allows me 24 knaves, 6 Knights, 10 fools, 13 felons, and 14 traitors by the year, take em how, why, when, and where I please. Why not grant it? why should you think he will not grant it. Such another word & I'll send you to Limbo instanthe. My honourable friends, Julio and Aminter, my self and the best ability of my power, lies at your service. The Dukes daughters are your own, and in a word thus shall you attain em, some 3 days hence I will appoint a hunting, to which I will invite the Duke & both his daughters: in this hunt will I upon some sudden occasion divide the train and having singled out the two Does, I hope you have wit enough to strike. Come you are shallow, too't vi et armis, too't, I'll be your see cond, think of the crown, would my Letters travailed for you, my wit wrought for you, and my invention sweat for you, to possess you of your loves, and seat you in the Dukedom, & come you now with 'tis violence, and against the intent of the challenge, I am ashamed to hear you. Sever the Duke, divide the train, and then. Put it in execution then, but first entertain some new dis guise, as at our next meeting I'll inform you. Adieu, I shall think long till I see you again. But I say this way, I would thou shouldst know, we old Courtiers can hunt a Cony, and put her to the squeak, & make her cry out Like a young married wife of the first night. I'll upon her presently, dost hear me firra, thou vessall of infirmity, woman, and by thy outside little better then one of the wicked, come hither and show thy self before us, show thy self be before Dametas. What art thou, speak. The Duke is busy, and shall speak with no body. 'Tis no beseeching matter I assure you. Madam, I have been earnest, very earnest with the Duke for your admittance. I have, marry you must think I bestowed much labour int. Court spaniel? mum: I'll bosom what I think, Old Gibs not blind, I see although I wink. I have seen a face as beautiful as heaven. Cross over the Forest to Diana's oak my liege, & there your grace advantagde by the height of the ground, shall not only at pleasure hear, but be eyewitness of their musical contention. And they do not, they are notable cowards. And his blood too my liege, but did you observe how the hounds Like politicians nosd out the game? The more my grief, were you surprised then madam? Why God a mercy Dorus, this diligence becomes the sir vaunt of Dametas, and I'll prefer thee fort. A pure wellwiller of your Majesties, & a follower of mine. Art crossed in a suit at Court? or what's the matter? speak. Under Diana's Oak? Dorus shall have my daughter Mopsa: no more words on't, and thou love me Dorus: smother thy golden hops a day or two; thou shalt have Mopsa, but I'll have all the Gold, then marry my daughter to some great man, though he be poor, 'tis the fashion: I'll be Nobly allied what ere it cost me: shalt be my Son in law Dorus: have and eye to the Prin cease, fallen close to my daughter Mopsa, Court her and spare not: now begins the sport, Kiss her, do kiss her; thou shalt pay sweetly fort: I can gull you, know what fair words can do, I'm and old Knave, and a young Courtier too. be in readiness good mattock, play thy partly sweet spade, let me see Diana's oak? I held Diana's oak divine, true pure gold honest, Dorus, fortunate Dametas. Poor soldiers do not Like my worship, they are bade man bers. Tmay be you did: & look a seance Like a Pothecaries wife pounding Colliquintida, have my brains sweat for this. I must admit her, these Ladies are so inward with our tricks, theres no good to be done upon them: well Madam, your admit tance is open, will you follow. Ah, good Dorus, be and honest youth Dorus, reverence your Master, and love your self: be sure to get under me, and you shall lose nothing in my service. Madam, the Duke and Duchess expect you at the hunt, & await your coming at Diana's oak. Did you observe that my liege, that Melampus as a true hound is ever horce cheered or hollow, yet he kept time to. Busy my Lord under a brake bush, disputing of the virtue of sweet water, and ground Ivy. And my sword vn-imployd? allegiance: says nay to that my Liege, I am for the adventure my self, if they be surprised (I am a mad man) your grace shall hear more: If not ( the more sor rye) your grace shall hear more to: make peace with your thoughts till my return, and doubt not their recovery. And how sweet Ladies, and how were you rescued? Will you break your jests against the bars of you chamber window, & clear the green, the duke is coming to bowls, & I would not for half mine office you should be a rub in the way of his patience: Daughter and Wife, conduct her to the Lodge. Exit. And Dorus. make you haste about your business. So, by thy leave stone, by thy patience honest stone, the very gravel savours of treasure, this sames the bed chamber of my Lady Pecuniam, and see, see some of her golden hairs, more, more, more yet divine tree, pure gold, honest Dorus, fortunate Demetrius, soft lie, softly, not to fast, let me not devour my content too greedily least Like a cormorant I take a surfeit ont. Rancour, spite, malice, hate, and all disasters, Strengthen my faith against all portastors. May their intents though pure as crystal glasses, Be counted faults and capital trespasses, Oh may their lives and laboured industry, Though worthy of Apollo's plaud it be The clearest thought in loyalty excelling Be by some Dor presented for libeling, when they have writ a seeine in which their brains, Have dropped there dearest sweets, and their swollen veins, Emptied their Cundits of their purest spirit, As they stand gaping to receive their merit, In stead of plaudities their chiefest blisses Let their deserts be crowned with mews and hisses: Behind each post and at the gallery corners, Fit empty gulls, slight fools and false informers, Let some sly Fox out of discreations embers, Term them the lands unnecessary members, And Like the deer when they have spent their breath, to make kings sport let them betorn to death, Even by their friends, twold set my thoughts a twanging Might I but see one of them go to hanging. Here comes my love. Fie your love speaks to loud, Your suns eclipsed, your date upon a cloud. Now the Cucko sings, Those amorous arms do make a golden space To hug a Duke. Those fingers tipped with curious porphery, Staining Pygmalions matchless imagery, Like amorous twins all of one mother nursed, Contend in courtesy who should touch me first. Young bay, stale lest, that a dry sapless rind should hold young thoughts, and a licentious mind, Were he but gone now. No, no, we are gulls, Innocent sots, but lante tanta, the girls are ours we have wone em away to dargison. You are a manasses 'tis not sufficient: aha not Hercules for jole, Jove, for Danue, Apollo for daphene, pan for Si ne, nay the whole pack of their piperly godheads could a discharged a stratagem with more spirit of all merit, and ambling nag and a down a down we have born her away to dargison. Alas what spirits under the moon could have detainder but know that her cherry read lip, a down, a down. As headsmen do, of with their maidenheads, or if the Duke offer resistance, of with his crown to. At whose suit. Come hither stripling whose son Wertenberg thou? What was his name? Gold him? But for I have the guardian ship of the Prince, I dare do nothing without the consent of the Duke. Well then I woe not, but 'tis for your sake I assure you. What shall I call thy name? Why so lo: now is the web of my Hope's upon the loombe of perfection, and in this quench of lashes Aminter and Julio. See and see not, all mum, you know your que, The games your own, if you can hunt it true. At Adonis bower Madam, where he expects your presence to see the fleshing of a couple of Spartan hounds, in the wasting blood of the spent Dear. You are too tender-harted to be a good huntswoman lady. Tush you shall have suitors, fear not madam. I'll put on wings and fly. Yes much reskewe, much help, much Dametas: why so, this lest was drawn home close to the head, it cannot choose but cleave the very white of our Hope's, the Dukes wit to thy tackle good wit, some sudden sea room, or our stratagem is run a ground. the only were, for the gaurded fool is out of request: but faith my liege how did your opposites behave themselves, did they win the Wenches fair at the point? Which madam I am as proud of Didst not know thy father? Well, I could do for this fatherless youth. It the end of their creation Madam. Sweet Ladies, will you beguile a minute or two with this discourse, till I step up to the top of the hill, and make discovery of the game, My follower my Liege. To me sweet blossom, though I be somewhat strict in mine office, I cannot be stony to Ladies. Fellow is thy petition drawn? I could ban my stars. That cross me thus. Alas good lady, how her pretty feet labour to find me. It merits comisseration madam and my liege, not to detract from our worth: your ear, we two are the parties you wot on. My service does attend you, And other Million isle lay to bestow in Offices. I will have wealth or isle rake it out ath kennels else, chimneys would smoked for already, and now isle deal upon seacoal and salt, now, now, now, it comes, sweet gold, honest Dorus, fortunate Demetrius, divine gold, how, how, shall I adore thee, Oh let me do the homage of my knees: now now, for the tongue of a Poet, though I hate poetry worse then any of the seven deadly sins, I could wish my self a Poet for some hour, to write a Poem in the praise of my divine mistress; and see the very bed wherein her divinity is lodged: happy, happy, thrice be not offended sweet mistress that I presume to touch. I, I, theres some knavery in this: Mopso where Hippolita? Alas madam I know not, while I almost melted my self with digging of gold in Diana's oak, I left her in my wives charge What a strange change is here: Gulls: Pure mettle, excellent gold: but let me see now, I shall by computation have some three millions of them, I some three or four millions, how shall I employ em to make the most profit of em. That would be known indeed. I'll put out one million to use, after the rate of seven score to the hundredth: and yet I wnot, no fie, for then you will would my humour brought ath stage for a usurer; to prevent with scandalous report, isle put it into my Scribe-maiors hand, and he shall deal for me. sure enough I warrant you, some fools now would have kept em hear and have been gulled on em again, and laughed at age, but to prevent all danger, we have shipped em home for Lacedemon, What will you say now when these fellows surrender us our loves? A coxcomb and a bel, o indignity: damnable ok , vile and evil accuest Dorus, unfortunate Dametas, Diana I tell thee thou art no honest gods to use a Gentleman thus. What here a writing, your help good spectacles, lend me your help good spectacles, some comfortable news good spectacles: Who hath his hire hath well his labours placed, Earth thou didst seek, and store of earth thou hast. He that vain Hope's pursues for love of pelf, Shall lose his wits and likely find himself, Then think thy pains rewarded well, Thou broughst the fool, bear back the bell: Of other matters what ensues Adonis bower shall tell the news, Villainous poetry, I am made a flat fool by poetry, But though I can do em no futther disgrace, my fatal curse, a Wronged gentleman's fatal curse dwell ever upon them, Diana Here me, and let my words find gracious acceptance. Oh would the trindly night darken her self. durst, our health, our lives: why they were my tenants, nay you must think we sifted them, we are no fools in that neither. villainous poetry, unchristian Like poetry, I am cozened of my gold by poetry, robbed of my charge by poetry, made and apparent fool by poetry villaInous Oak, accursed Dorus, unfortunate Dametas: whose there my daughter and with Zelmane? a well-willer to Dorus, a fa uorite to poetry, and therefore enemy to Dametas, come hither mop so, a thy father's blessing come not near her: what Mopsa. Confusion a Dorus, I am thy miserable father, didst not see Hippolita, Pox of dorus I am undone madam and thou tellest me not of Hipolita, Honour, and life before isle lose my love: work women fit to make tailors men. Why so: this 'tis to be in authority: Inferior persons, I and the Princes themselves, fly from my presence, Like the chir ping Birds from the sighed of the Falcon: my very breath Like a mighty wind blows away inferior Officers (the Court rubbish) out of my way, and gives me a smooth passage: I am the morning star, I am seldom seen but about the rising of the Sun: in deed I am never out of the Dukes eye; and here he comes. How now Demetrius, what wind hath blown up this storm of melancholy, thy countenance was not wont to be thus cloudy? Whence proceeds this sudden alteration? shot em away, at three several marks, yet so conveyed it that in the end they shall all meet at Adonis chapel.