University of Virginia Library

Act IV

Enter Amoretto alone reading these .2. verses out of Ouid.
Amoretto
Oscula qui sumpsit, qui non et cætera sumpsit,
Oscula quæ sumpsit perdere dignus erat.
Who takes a kiss, and leaues to doe the rest,
Doth take the worse, and doth neglect the beste.
Zouns, what an honest animal was I
To part with my Corinna with a kiss.
Yet doe I wronge her deuine tempting lipps
To name her kiss with noe more reuerence:
One touche of her sweete Nectar breathinge mouth
Would rauishe senceless Cinicks with delight
And make them homage doe at Venus shrine.
All books are dull which speake not of her praise:
Hange ploddinge doultes and all there dulled race,
True learninge dwels in her faire beautuous face.
I loue thee Ouid for Corinnas sake,
Thou loues Corinna as turtle loues her make.
Of my Corinnaes haire loue makes his nett
To captiuate poore mortall wandringe hartes;
Loue keeps his reuels in Corinnas browes,
Daunses Leualtoes in her speaking eye,
Dyes and is buried in her dimpled cheeke,
Reuiues and quickens in her cherie lipps,
Keeps watch and warde in her faire snowie chin,
That noe roughe swaine approach, or enter in;
Loues cradle is betwixte her rising brest,
Ther sucking Cupid feedes, and takes his rest:
Touch not her mount of ioy, it is deuine,
There Cupid grazes or els he would pine.
Expect the world my poesie ere longe
Where Ile com̄ende her daintie quivering thighe,
Sing of her foot in my sweet minstralsie.
Enter Philomusus and Studioso.
But who comes yonder, Philomusus, and Studioso?
I saw them latelie in the companie
Of stricte Stupido that pulinge puritane,
A mouing peece of clay, a speaking ass,
A walking image and a senceless stone.
If they be of his humor, I care not I
For such pure, honest seeminge companie.

Philomusus
Fye Studioso, what nowe almost caught
By Stupido that plodding puritane?
That artless ass & that earthcreeping dolt,
Who, for he cannot reach vnto the artes,
Makes showe as though he would neglect the artes
And cared not for the springe of Hellicon.

Studioso
Who can resist seeminge deuotion
Or them that are of the reformed world?
A flintie harte muste needes relent to see
A puritane vp twinckling of his eye,
Muche like a man newlie cast in a traunce
Or like a cuntrie fellowe in a daunce.

Philomusus
Eye, these doe norishe a neglected bearde,
Much like a grunting keeper of a hearde;
Speake but fewe wordes because the[y] would seeme wise,
Weare but a plaine coate after the wonted guise.
Thou owest mee thanks, for but for mee I wis
Thou hadest beene a plaine puritane ere this.

Studioso
I kept thee Philomusus from moiste Madido,
Thou sauest mee latelie frō dull Stupido.

Amoretto
And are they parted frō strict Stupido?
Then are they fit for my societie.—

What Philomusus and Studioso, well met in faith in the
lande of Poetrie, how doe youe away with this aire?

Philomusus
Well met Amoretto, I did longe
To meete some poet of a pleasante tounge.

Studioso
It argueth the goodnes of the aire
Because here breathes full manie a cruell faire.

Amoretto
Indeede this lande hath manie a wantome nymphe
That knowes alwayes all sportfull dalliance.
Here are soe manie pure brighte shininge starrs
That Cynthiaes want theire faire Endimions
Wherewith to pass away the loittring nighte.
Here are Corinnaes, but here Ouids wante.
Saye, will you staie with mee in Poetrie?
Why shoulde you vainelie spende your bloominge age
In sadd dull plodding on philosophers
Which was ordained for wantome merrimentes?

Studioso
Yea but our springe is shorte, and winter longe:
Our youth by trauellinge to Hellicon
Must gett prouision for our latter years.

Amoretto
Who thinks on winter before winter come
Maks winter come in sommers fairest shine.
There is noe golden minte at Hellicon.
Cropp you the ioyes of youth while that you maye,
Sorowe and grife will come another daye.

Philomusus
I alwayes was sworne Venus seruitoure,
I haue a wantome eye for a faire wenche.
Hee is noe man, but a rude senceless ass
That doth not for refined beautie pass.
Perswade thou Studioso if thou can,
And Ile be Cupides loyall duteous man.

Studioso
I am not suche a peece of Cinicke earthe
That I neglect sweete beauties deitie.
I reuerence Venus, and her carpet knightes
That in that wantom warfarre weare theire lipps,
Yet loth I am our Pilgrimage to staie
In wantom dalliance and in looser playe.

Amoretto
Tushe, talke not of youre purposed pilgrimage,
Nor doe forsake this poetes pleasant lande
To treade vpon philosophers harshe grounde.
Taste but the ioyes that poetrie affordes
And youle all crabbed solaceis forsweare.
Ile bringe you to sweet wantoninge yonge maides
Wheare you shall all youre hungrie sences feaste,
That they, grow[n]e proude with this felicitie,
Shall afterwarde all maner obiect scorne.
Nor are they puling maides, or curious Nuns
That strictlie stande vpon virginitie:
Theile freelie giue what ere youre luste shall craue
And make you melte in Venus surque[d]rie.
These ioyes, and more, sweete poetrie affordes:
Let not youre headless feete forsake this lande
Till you haue tasted of this ioyisance.
Come, to my sweet Corinna Ile you bringe
And bless youe with a touch of her softe lipps.
Then shall you haue the choice of earthlie starrs
That shine on earth as Cynthia in her skye;
There maie youe melte with solled sweet delighte
And taste the ioyes of the darke gloomie night.

Studioso
Well said the poet, that a wantom speache
Like dallyinge fingers tickles vp the luste.
Chast thoughtes can lodge no longer in that soule
That lendes an eare to wantom poesie.
Well Ile staie somwhat longer in this lande
To cropp those yoyes that Amoretto speakes of:
If in them anie sounde contente I finde
Ile leaue Parnassus waie that is behinde.

Philomusus
Let not thenuious time hinder that ioye
That wee shall tast in this thy Poetrie.
Luste is impatient of all slack delaye;
Come Amoretto, lettes noe longer staye.
Phœbus hath laid his golden tressed locks
In the moist cabinet of Thetis lapp;
Now shadie night hath dispossest the daye,
Prouiding time for maides to sporte & playe.

Amoretto
Come haste with mee vnto faire beauties beddes,
On Venus pillow shall you laye youre heades.

Philomusus
Lustes wonte to ride on a faire winged steede.

Studioso
Noe maruell, when he lookes for suche a meede.