 | The Spanish Curat |  |
Scæna Secunda.
Enter Bartolus, and Amaranta.Bar.
My Amaranta, a retir'd sweet life,
Private and close, and still, and houswifely,
Becomes a Wife, sets off the grace of woman
At home to be beleev'd both young, and handsome,
As Lillies that are casde in christall Glasses,
Makes up the wonder: shew it abroad, 'tis stale,
And still and the more eyes cheapen it, 'tis more slubberd,
And what need windowes open to inviting?
Or evening Tarrasses, to take opinions?
When the most wholsome Ayre (my wife) blowes inward,
When good thoughts are the noblest Companions,
And old chast stories (wife) the best discourses;
But why doe I talke thus, that know thy nature?
Ama.
You know your own disease: distrust, & jealousies,
And those two, give these Lessons, not good meaning,
What triall is there of my honestie,
When I am mew'd at home? to what end, Husband,
Serves all the vertvous thoughts, and chast behaviours
Without their uses? Then they are known most excellent
When, by their contraries they are set off, and burnish'd,
If ye both hold me faire, and chast, and vertuous,
Let me goe fearelesse out, and win that greatnesse;
These Seeds grow not in Shades, and conceal'd places
Set 'em i'th' heat of all, then they rise glorious.
Bar.
Peace, ye are too loude.
Ama.
You are too covetous,
If that be rank'd a vertue, you have a rich one,
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Attended as I ought, and as they have it,
My Coach, my people, and my handsome women,
My will, in honest things.
Bar.
Peace Amaranta:
Ama.
They have content, rich clothes, and that secures 'em,
Bindes, to their carefull Husbands, their observance,
They are merry, ride abroad, meet, laugh,
Bar.
Thou shalt too:
Ama.
And freely may converse with proper Gentlemen,
Suffer temptations daily to their honour.
Enter Woman-Moore.
Bar.
You are now too far again: thou shalt have any thing,
Let me but lay up for a handsome Office,
And then my Amaranta—
Ama.
Here's a thing now,
Ye place as pleasure to me: all my retinue,
My Chamber-maid, my Kitchin-maid, my friend,
And what she failes in, I must doe my selfe.
A foyle to set my Beauty off, I thanke ye,
You will place the Devill next for a Companion,
Bar.
No more such words (good wife)
What would you have (Maid?)
Moor.
Master Curate, and the Sexton, & a stranger (sir)
Attend to speake with your worship.
Bar.
A stranger?
Ama.
You had best to be jealous of the man you know not.
Bar.
'Preethee no more of that.
Ama.
'Pray ye goe out to 'em,
That will be safest for ye, I am well here,
I onely love your peace, and serve like a slave for it.
Bar.
No, no, thou shalt not; 'tis some honest Client,
Rich, and litigious, the Curate has brought to me,
Pre'thee goe in (my Duck) I'll but speake to 'em,
And returne instantly.
Ama.
I am commanded,
One day you will know my sufferance.—
Exit.
Bar.
And reward it.
So, so, fast bind, fast find; Come in my Neighbours,
My loving Neighbours pray ye come in, ye are welcome,
Enter Lopez Leandro, and Diego.
Lop.
Blesse your good reverence.
Bar.
Good-day, good Master Curate,
And neighbour Diego, welcome: what's your businesse?
And 'pray ye be short (good friends) the time is pretious,
Welcome, good sir.
Lop.
To be short then with your Mastership,
(For I know your severall houres, are full of businesse)
We have brought ye this young-man, of honest parents,
And of an honest face.
Bar.
It seemes so (Neighbours)
But to what end?
Lop.
To be your Pupill (Sir)
Your Servant, if you please.
Lea.
I have travell'd far, sir.
To seeke a worthy man,
Bar.
Alas, good Gentleman,
I am a poore man, and a private too,
Unfit to keep a Servant of your Reckoning;
My house a little Cottage, and scarce able
To hold my selfe, and those poore few live under it;
Besides, you must not blame me Gentleman,
If I were able to receive a Servant.
To be a little scrupulous of his dealing
For in these times—
Lop.
'Pray let me answer that (sir)
Here is fiue hundred Duckets, to secure him,
He cannot want (sir) to make good his credit,
Good gold, and coyne.
Bar.
And thats an honest pledge;
Yet sure, that needs not, for his face, and carriage,
Seeme to declare an in-bred honesty,
Lea.
And for I have a ripe mind to the Law (sir)
(In which I understand you live a Master)
The least poore corner in your house, poore Bed (sir)
(Let me not seeme intruding to your Worship)
With some Books to instruct me, and your Counsell,
Shall I rest most content with: other Acquaintance
Then your grave presence, and the grounds of Law
I dare not covet, nor I will not seeke (sir)
For surely mine owne nature desires privacie.
Next, for your monthly paines (to shew my thanks,)
I doe proportion out some twenty Duckets;
As I grow riper, more: three hundred now (sir)
To shew my love to learning, and my Master,
My diet, I'll defray too, without trouble.
Lop.
Note but his mind to learning.
Bar.
I do strangely, yes, and I like it too, thankes to his money.
Di.
Would he would live with me, and learn to dig too.
Lop.
A wondrous modest man (sir.)
Bar.
So it seemes,
His deare love to his Studie must be nourish'd
Neighbour, he's like to prove.
Lop.
With your good counsell,
And with your diligence, as you will ply him;
His Parents, when they know your care—
Bar.
Come hither;
Die.
An honester young man, your worship ne're kept,
But he is so bashfull—
Bar.
O I like him better,
Say I should undertake ee, which indeed (sir)
Will be no little straightnesse to my living.
Considering my Affaires, and my small house (sir)
For I see some promises that pull me to ye;
Could you content your selfe, at first thus meanly,
To lye hard, in an out—part of my house (sir?)
For I have not many Lodgings to allow ye;
And studie should be still remote from company;
A little fire sometimes too, to refresh ye;
A Student must be frugall: sometimes Lights too,
According to your labour.
Lea.
Any thing (sir)
That's dry, and wholsome: I am no bred-wanton.
Bar.
Then I receive you: but I must desire ye
To keep within your confines.
Lea.
Ever sir,
There's the Gold, and ever be your servant,
Take it and give me Bookes: may I but prove (sir)
According to my wish, and these shall multiply.
Lop.
Do, study hard, pray ye take him in, and settle him,
He's onely fit for you; Shew him his Cell (sir.)
Di.
Take a good heart; and when ye are a cunning Lawyer,
I'le sell my Bells and you shall prove it lawfull,
Ba.
Come, sir, with me: neighbors I thank your diligence.
Lop.
I'll come sometimes, and crack a case with ye.
Bar.
Welcome—
Exit.
Lop.
Here's mony got with ease: here, spend that jovially,
And pray for the Foole, the Founder.
Die.
Many more Fooles
I heartily pray may follow his example,
Lawyers, or Lubbers, or of what condition,
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Lop.
It will do well; Let 'em but send their moneys,
Come from what quarter of the world, I care not,
I'll know 'em instantly; nay I'll be a kin to 'em;
I cannot misse a man, that sends me money:
Let him Law there, 'long as his Duckets last, Boy,
I'll grace him, and prefer him.
Die.
Ill turn Trade (Master) and now live by the living
Let the dead stinke, 'tis a poore stinking Trade.
Lop.
If the young Foole now
Should chance to chop, upon his faire Wife (Diego.)
Die.
And handle her Case (Master) that's a law point,
A point would make him start, and put on his Spectacles
A hidden point, were worth the canvassing.
Lop.
Now surely, surely, I should love him (Diego)
And love him heartily: nay, I should love my selfe,
Or any thing that had but that good fortune,
For to say truth the Lawyer is a dog-bolt,
An arrant worme: and though I call him worshipfull,
I wish him a canoniz'd Cuckold (Diego)
Now, if my youth doe dub him—
Di.
He is too demure (sir.)
Lop.
If he do sting her home.
Die.
There's no such matter,
The woman was not borne to so much blessednesse,
He has no heate: study consumes his oyle (Master,)
Lop.
Let's leave it to the will of Fate, and presently
Over a cup of lustie Sack, let's prophecie.
I am like a man that dreampt he was an Emperour.
Come Diego, hope, & whilst he lasts, we'll lay it on.
Exit.
| The Spanish Curat | |