 | The Mvses Looking-glasse |  |
Scen. 3.
Acolastus. Anaisthetus.Rosci.
Temperance is the mediocrity of inioying pleasures,
when they are present, and a moderate desire of them
being absent; And these are the extreames of that vertue.
Acolastus a voluptuous Epicure, that out of an immoderate,
and untam'd desire seekes after all pleasures promiscuously,
without respect of honest or lawfull. The other
Anaisthetus a meere Anchorite that delights in nothing,
not in those legitimate recreations allow'd of by God and
nature.
Acolast.
O now for an eternity of eating!
Foole was he that wish'd but a cranes short neck.
Give me one, nature, long as is a Cable,
Or sounding line, and all the way a palate
To tast my meate the longer. I would have
My senses feast together; Nature envied us
In giving single pleasures; let me have
My eares, eyes, palate, nose, and touch, at once
Injoy their happinesse; lay me in a bed
Made of a summers cloud; to my embraces
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Fresh, plump, and active; she that Mars enjoy'd
Is grown too stale: And then at the same instant
My Touch is pleas'd, I would delight my sight
With Pictures of Diana, and her Nymphs,
Naked, and bathing drawn by some Apelles;
By them some of our fairest Virgins stand;
That I may see whether 'tis Art or nature
Which heightens most my blood and appetite.
Nor cease I here. Give me the seven Orbes
To charme my eares with their cœlestiall lutes,
To which the Angells that doe move those spheares
Shall sing some amorous ditty; nor yet here
Fixe I my bounds; The sunne himselfe shall fire
The Phœnix nest to make me a perfume,
While I doe eate the Bird, and eternally
Quaffe of eternall Nectar. These single, are
But torments, but together; O together!
Each is a Paradice. Having got such objects
To please the senses, give me senses too
Fit to receive those objects: Give me therefore
An Eagles eye, a blood-hounds curious smell,
A staggs quick hearing, let my feeling be
As subtle as the spiders, and my tast
Sharpe as a Squirrils. Then I'le reade the Alcoran,
And what delights that promises in future
I'le practise in the present.
Bird.
Heathenish Glutton!
Flow.
Base belly-God, licentious Libertine!
Anai.
And I doe think there is no pleasure at all
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And blessed Daphne, and all such as are
Turn'd stocks and stones: would I were Lawrell too,
Or marble, I, or any thing insensible.
It is a toyle for me to eate or drink,
Only for natures satisfaction;
Would I could live without it. To my eare
Musique is but a mandrake. To my smell
Nard sents of rue, and wormwood; And I tast
Nectar with as much loathing, and distast
As Gall, or aloes, or my Doctors potion.
My eye can meete no object but I hate it.
Acola.
Come Brother Stoique be not so melancholy.
Anai.
Be not so foolish Brother Epicure.
Aco.
Come wee'le goe see a Comedy, that will raise
Thy heavy spirits up.
Anai.
A Comedy?
Sure I delight much in those toyes; I can
With as much patience heare the Marriners
Chide in a storme.
Aco.
Then lets goe drinke a while.
Anai.
'Tis too much Labour; Happy Tantalus
That never drinks.
Aco.
A little Venery
Shall recreate thy soule.
Ana.
Yes like anitch,
For 'tis no better, I could wish an heire;
But that I cannot take the paines to get one.
Aco.
Why, marry, if your conscience be so tender,
As not to doe it otherwise; Then 'tis lawfull.
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True Matrimony's nothing else indeed
But fornication licens'd, lawfull Adultery.
O Heavens! how all my senses are wide sluces
To let in discontent and miseries!
How happy are the moles that have no eyes;
How blest the Adders that they have no eares.
They neither see, nor heare ought that afflicts them.
But happier they that have no sence all;
That neither see, nor heare, tast, smell, nor feele
Any thing to torment them: soules were given
To torture Bodyes, man has reason too
To adde unto the heape of his distractions.
I can see nothing without sense, and motion,
But I doe wish my selfe transform'd into it.
Colax.
Sir I cōmend this temperance; your arm'd soule
Is able to contemne these petty baits,
These slight temptations, which we title pleasures;
That are indeed but names; He'ven it selfe knows
No such like thing; the starres nor eate, nor drink,
Nor lye with one another; and you imitate
Those glorious bodies, by which noble abstinence
You gaine the names of moderate, chast, and sober;
While this effeminate gets the infamous termes
Of Glutton, Drunkard, and Adulterer;
Pleasures, that are not mans, as man is man,
But as his nature sympathies with beasts.
You shall be the third Cato. This grave look
And rigid eyebrow will become a censor.
But I will fit you with an object Sir,
My noble Anaisthetus that will please you.
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You may see all the dismall groves and caves,
The horrid vaults, darke cells, and barren deserts,
With what in Hell it selfe can dismall be.
Anais.
That is indeed a Prospect fit for mee.
Exit.
Acol.
He cannot see a stock or stone, but presently
He wishes to be turn'd to one of those.
I have another humor, I cannot see
A fat voluptuous sow with full delight
Wallow in dirt, but I doe wish my selfe
Transform'd into that blessed Epicure.
Or when I view the hot salacious sparrow
Renew his pleasures with fresh appetite,
I wish my selfe that little bird of Love.
Colax.
It shewes you a man of a soft moving clay,
Not made of flint; Nature has been bountifull
To provide pleasures, and shall wee be niggards
At plenteous boards? He's a discourteous guest
That will observe a diet at a feast.
When Nature thought the earth alone too little
To find us meat, and therefore stor'd the aire
With winged creatures, not contented yet
Shee made the water fruitfull to delight us.
Nay I believe the other Element too
Doth nurse some curious dainty for mans food,
If we would use the skill to catch the Salamander:
Did she doe this to have us eat with temperance?
Or when she gave so many different Odors
Of spices, unguents, and all sorts of flowers,
Shee cry'd not—stop your noses: would she give us
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To have us deafe? or when shee plac'd us here,
Here in a Paradice, where such pleasing prospects
So many ravishing colours entice the eye,
Was it to have us winke? when she bestow'd
So powrefull faces, such commanding beauties
On many glorious Nymphs, was it to say
Be chast and continent? Not to enjoy
All pleasures, and at full, were to make nature
Guilty of that she nere was guilty of,
A vanity in her works.
Acol.
A learned Lecture!
Tis fit such grave and solid arguments
Have their reward—here—halfe of my estate
T'invent a pleasure never tasted yet,
That I may be the first shall make it stale.
Col.
Within Sir is a Glasse, that by reflexion
Doth shew the image of all sorts of pleasures
That ever yet were acted, more variety
Then Aretines pictures.
Aco.
Ile see the Iewell;
For though to doe, most moves my appetite,
I love to see, as well as act delight.
Exit.
Bird.
These are the things indeed the stage doth teach,
Dear heart, what a foule sinke of sinnes runne here!
Flow.
Insooth it is the common shore of lewdnesse.
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