 | Dick of Devonshire |  |
Sce: 2.
Ent: Henrico Gusman, his sword drawne, & Eleonora.Hen:
Yet ye Citty is safe enough; feare not Eleonora;
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should yeild her strength vp to th'invader, thou
art lockd vp like a spirit in a Christall;
not an enchanted Castle, held vp by
strong charme, is halfe so safe; this house, though now
it carry not ye figure & faire shape
wc h ye first workeman gave it, eating Time
having devourd ye face of't, is wt hin
a Sanctuary, & hath so much cunning
couchd in ye body not a Laborinth
is so full of Meanders.
Eleo:
Sir, yor prsence
confirmes me in opinion of my safety;
not of my life so much; for that's a thing
I owe to nature, & should one day be
a weary of it; like to Innes we take
our houses vp, having but here a place
of lodging, not of dwelling. But of honor
you give me my assurance, for in such
a time of thicke Confusions I much feard
that might be hazarded: And who knowes what
the soldier, that hath no lawe but that
of cruelty & rapine, when like a Bird
of prey, his Tallents are possessd of one
so weake as I am?
Hen:
He yt durst offend
thee wt h a sillable, or but fright that bloud
out of thy Cheekes to seeke another place
not daring to be seene there where it now
is of it selfe sufficient to ravish
a mortall yt wt h iust eyes can looke on it,
had better be a Divell. But a haire
ye poorest part of thee, & in this excellent
because tis thine, should any dare to ravish
from these his soft Companions, wc h ye wind
would be for[e] ever proud to play wt hall,
h'had better dig his mothers Coffin vp
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El:
I know you will defend me.
Hen:
will defend thee?
have I a life, a soule yt in thy service
I would not wish expird? I doe but borrow
my selfe from thee.
El:
rather you putt to Interest,
& for that principall you have credited
to Eleonora, her heart is paid backe
as ye iust Vsury.
Hen:
you vndoe me sweet
wt h too much love, if ere I marry thee
I feare thou'lt kill mee.
El:
How?
Hen:
wt h tendring me too much, my Eleonora,
for in my Conscience thou'lt extreamely love me,
& extreames often kill.
El:
There can be no extreame of love sir.
H:
yes but there may; & some say Iealousy
runs from yt Sea, a rivolet but deducted
from ye mayne Channell.
El:
This is a new language.
H:
Have you not heard men have bene killd wt h Ioy?
our greife doth but contract ye heart, & gladnesse
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Is hott i'th'fourth Degree.
El:
Sir, yor discourse
is stuffe of severall pieces, & knitts not
wt h yt you vsd but now; if we can practize
a vertuous love, there's no hurt to exceed in't:
what doe you, sir?
Hen:
looke on thee.
El:
Why doe you eye me soe? this is not vsuall,
are you well?
Hen:
well, never better.
El:
pray heaven it bode me no vnhappinesse!
how doth my father?
Hen:
He's very well too, feare not.
El:
Still I read in yor Eyes.
Hen:
what, Babyes? prety one;
thy owne face, naught else, I receivd yt way
all this beauty into my heart, & 'tis perhaps come backe to looke
out at ye window. Come, Ile winke againe,
it shall not trouble you; hence my trayterous thoughts.
El:
Indeed you are not well.
Hen:
Indeed I am not, all's not well wt hin me:
why should I be a Villaine? Eleonora,
doe not looke on me, turne those eyes away
they would betray thee to thy sorrow; or
lett me by parting carry along wt h me
that wc h to know vndoes thee.
El:
Are you not hurt?
Hen:
yes.
El:
good heaven defend, I have a soveraigne Balme.
Exit.
Hen:
Vanish you vgly shapes, & wt h her prsence
quitt yor sharpe stings; into what monstrous creature
feele I my selfe a growing? yet I cannot
force backe ye streame, it comes so fast vpon me,
Ent: Eleonora.
I cannot.
El:
here good Henrico, let me see yor wound.
H:
no, I am well againe, thankes my best love;
come, let vs walke & talke; I had a fancy,
but tis no matter;—Buzzano?
Buz:
Did you call?
Enter Buz:
H:
yes, ye Balme, here.
Buz:
what shall I doe wt h it?
H:
lay it vp safe, tis good for a greene wound,
but mine's a blacke one: & d'you heare, sirra,
draw vp ye Bridge, give entrance vnto none.
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All my fellowes are abroad sir, there's nobody at home but I.
H:
no matter, let none enter; were my father
brought wt h a whirlwind backe, he finds all shutt
till I have done.
Buz:
well sir; madam, all this is
yt you should not b'afraid; you now see what a kind man he is,
he will suffer none to enter but him selfe.
Exit.
El:
If all this proceed out of yor care of me, how much am I
bound to acknowledge you? sir, me thinkes you mind me not.
Hen:
yes, I doe nothing else but thinke of thee, & of my father too, Don Pedro.
El:
Ha? I hope he's well?
Hen:
I wish he were returnd
my Eleonor for both our sakes.
El:
The same wish I sir.
Hen:
That then or Ioys, wc h now, like flowers nipp'd
wt h frost, hang[s] downe ye head as if the stalkes
could not sustaine ye topps: they droope too much;
At his returne th'art mine.
El:
I am yours now
In holyest Contract.
Hen:
that's ye ground we build on:
faith, since allready the foundation's layd
let's work vpon't; y'are mine, you say, allready,
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but ye possession; let's not then expect
th'vncertainety of a returne from france
but be all one ymediately.
El:
I vnderstand you not.
Hen:
Since y'are a Tree reservd for me, what now
should hinder me from climbing; all yor Apples
I know are ripe allready; tis not stealth
I shall rob nobody.
El:
you'le not be a Divell?
H:
No, I will but play ye man wt h you; why you know tis nothing.
El:
will you enforce mine honor? oh, Henrico,
where have you lost your goodnesse? sure you cannot
be so ignoble, if you thinke me worthy
to be your wife at least, to turne Eleonora into a whore?
H:
pish, some hungry Landlords would have rent before
ye Quarter day, I doe no more; by faire meanes
yeild vp yor fort, the Tenement is mine owne
& I must dwell in't.
El:
my feares pointed wrong,
you are no Enemy, no wolfe, it was
a Villaine I distrusted, oh make me not
find in your prsence yt destruction
my thoughts were so affrighted wt h.
Hen:
We shall have such adoe now?
El:
your fathers house will prove no Castle to mee,
if you at home doe wound mee; Twas an Angell
spoke in you lately, Not my Cheeke should bee
made pale wt h feare; lay not a lasting blush
[vp]on my white name; No haire should perish here,
was voycd even now; oh let not a blacke Deed,
& by my sworne prserver, be my death;
my ever living death: Henrico, call
to mind yor holy vowes; thinke on or parents;
our selves, our honest names; doe not kill all
wt h such a murthering piece: you are not long
t'expect, wt h ye consent of men & Angells,
that, wc h to take now from me, will be losse;
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for a poore minutes sin.
H:
If't be a worke, madam, of so short time
pray let me beg a minutes privacy;
twill be soone done.
El:
yes, but ye horror of
so foule a Deed shall never: there's layd vp
eternity of wrath in Hell for lust;
oh, tis ye devills exercise; Henrico,
you are a man, a man whom I have layd vp
nearest my heart; In you 'twill be a sin
to threaten heaven, & dare yt Iustice throw
downe Thunder at you: Come, I know you doe
but try my vertue, whether I be proofe
against anothers Battery: for these teares—
H:
nay then I see you needs will try my strength,
my bloud's on fire, I boyle wt h expectation
to meete ye pleasure, & I will.
He forces her in
El:
Helpe, helpe.
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Helpe? what Nightingale was that? did one cry out for helpe?
there's no Christian soule in ye house but they Two, & my selfe;
And twas not mine I know by ye smallnes of ye voice.
Twas some woman cryde out, & therefore can be none but my yong
Lady; it was she as sure as I am hungry, he's wt h her;
but why, having one man, did she cry out for more?
oh, or Spanish Ovens are not heated wt h one Bavyn:
well, I must say nothing, my yong Cocke has bene treading,
Ile tread softly & [heare] [see] if I can heare what they doe; but see.
Ent: Henrico & Eleonora, loose haired, & weeping.
Hen:
What doe you looke after?
Buz:
Why sir I looke after a voyce yt appeard
to me even now, crying helpe; a very small one.
H:
If what thou seest or heard'st be ever mutterd by thee,
though in thy sleepe, villaine Ile pistoll thee.
B:
Hum, it will not be safe to dreame of a knave shortly,
are you so good at a gun? If you vse this too often
yor birding piece will scarce carry a yard levell.
H:
Come, dresse yor hayre vp, & be wise at last,
no more, I have done.
B:
So I thinke in my Conscience, he hath done wt h her.
H:
If you can be so simple to proclaime it, I can be impudent.
El:
yet dar'st thou live? & doe I live to see
my selfe ye shame of weomen? have I not
wept teares enough to drowne me? then let fire
enthrone it selfe wt hin me & beget
prodigious Cometts, yt wt h flaming haires
may threaten danger to thee.
Hen:
nay, nay, nay,
if you be so hott Ile leave you, like wine that's burnt
you must be sett light by, & then you'le come to a temper.
Exit.
El:
Oh helpe me out of hell.
Buz:
Sh'has bene at Barly breake;
madam, I must say nothing; there is a Pistoll & so forth;
but if you have occasion to vse me, try mee; if I doe not
prove an honester man to you then my Master, would my
Codpiece point were broake; I know what I know, & yet Ile
tell no Tales;—but [if] ever I come to speake once—I say nothing.
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Oh yt I could not breath! how can I have
a Ioy in life whose honour's in ye grave?
Exeunt.
| Dick of Devonshire | |