University of Virginia Library

SCENE I.

Enter Frederick Gabriel.
Fre.
Thou art so honest, that I am asham'd
The vice of Anger blinded so my Reason,
As not to see through thy transparent breast
A true and noble heart; such as becomes
A Kinsman and a friend to her I love;
I can see now, and read thy integrity,
And, by the light of that th'inhumane false-hood
Of that Court-monster, that compacted piece
Of Rapine, pride and Lust.

Gab.
Yet this is he
That did aspire to be a glorious Courtier.

Fre.
Courtier? A meere vaine glorious imposture;
Pretending favour, having nothing lesse.
Witnesse his want of Merit. Merit only
It is that smoothes the brow of Majesty,
And takes the comfort of those precious beauties
Which shine from grace Divine: and hee's a Traytor
(No way to stand a courtier) that to feed
His Lusts, and Riots, works out of his Subjects
The meanes, by forging grants of the Kings favour.

Gab.
What my master has suffer'd by his forgeries
I know to be the Shipwrack even of all
Except his Daughter, and what his ayme at her
Was I thinke appeares to you; And what she might
Have suffer'd by't we both may guesse: onely we hope
Her vertue would have bin a guard to her beauty.

Fre.
Tis plaine he never lov'd her vertuously
That is fallen mad for another.

Gab.

That madnesse is his fate; which renders him into
my masters hands to restore all agen. I, note the Justice
of it.

Fre.
But as his fortune by the others ruine
Shall be advanc'd, I shall be more rejected.

Gab.
That foule mistrust much misbecomes a Love
Rejected sir? by whom? Charissa's constant to you,
And time will cleare his frownes: and put you on
Now, the same confidence you had before;
His wanting fortune rais'd a storme against you,
Your noble friend Sir Raphael has already
By learned reasons and court-oratory
Prevayl'd for you to visit her: and now
Y'are come within the verge o'th' house, do you shrinke?
See, a good Omen, they issue forth to meet you.

Enter Mendicant, sir Raphael, Charissa.
Men.

Gab.
He is flown off agen.

Ra.
Did you not give me leave to send for him;
Who, now is come to tender his affection
Unto your Daughter?

Men.
Did not you first promise
(Ferd. Char. and Gab. aside
To give assurance of fit joincture for her,
Proportionable to her dowry, which
You now are started from?

Ra.
I understood not
Nor can yet understand more of her dowry
Then a thousand pound which her Unkle left her,
And answerably to that I will make good her joincture.

Men.
O you are short sir,
I meane to make her worth ten thousand more
Out of my estate in the mad Ferdinand.
Another ten thousand to redeeme my Land,
Ten thousand more, i'le keep in bank for purchace.

Ra.
A judgement's fallen upon him: Hee's mad too;
Struck lunatique with his o're-weening hopes
Sprung from the others misery.

Men.
And so sir, as you came you may depart:
For 'lesse you bring a thousand pound per annum
T'assure upon her, shee's no wife for you.

Fre.
O sir, you had better left me in that peace
I lately slept in, without any hope
Of seeing her againe, then by your summons
To startle me back from a quiet death
To Kill me thus with Tantalizing tortures.

Men.
Thank then your learned friend, who fail'd me in
His undertaking for you, and for her
If walls and locks can hold her, she no more
Shall tantalize you.

Ra.
Wherein have I fail'd sir?

Men.
Sir, in assuring joincture to her Dowry.

Ra.
Sir to no possible dowry you can give her,
But you propound the estate you have i' th' Moon;
When shall you take possession, thinke you, of your
Lordship of Lunacy in the Cynthian Orbe?

Men.
I shall climbe thither sir without the helpe
Of your Heaven-scaling ladder of Philosophy.

Ra.
Nay then sir heare me.

Men.
What in private sir?

Fre.
Remember, sweet, your vow.

Cha.

Most constantly. And let mee conjure you by
this.

Kisse.
Fre.
And this—

Cha.
That you forget not yours.

Gab.
Quick, quick! i'le stand before you.

Cha.
And time at length will point us out a meanes
After a short long-seeming separation
To meet and reunite our vowes and faiths
With greater strength and fervour.

Men.
Ha! i'le part you.
Was it for that you whisper'd, politick sir?

And couldst thou stand their screene? thou treacherous
varlet out of my dores.

Gab.
For what offence?

Men.
Darst thou expostulate?
Thou death deserving Villaine.
Hurts him.
And Huswife get you in: you may depart sirs
Has your love blinded you? i'le lead you then.

Ra.
Madnesse at heighth.

Men.
Will you along!

Cha.
O sir you are unkinde.
Love then a wilfull father is lesse blind.

Exit.
Ra.
Friend, has he hurt thee?

Gab.
I am sure I bleed for't.

Ra.
Why how now Frederick? despaire not man.
He has vex'd me; and out of my vexation
Shall spring thy comfort. I will labour for thee,
I'le study nothing more then to beguile
This watchfull fury; this Hisperian Dragon.
Say to thy selfe and boldly shee's thine owne,
And for thy meanes, (Basta) let me alone.

Fre.
You are my noble Patron.

Gab.
Turn'd away:
As I was his servingman, I am rewarded;
Tis common with us creatures to serv'd so:
But, as I am no more his servant, I
Am free to vindicate my selfe out of
The wrong done to my blood (which is the same
With his,) by him rejected and despis'd.

Cit.
Sir Andrew Mendicant at home?

Gab.
Not to be spoken with at this time sir.

Cit.
Pray let him know that the Lady Strangelove
Requires him sodainly to remove his Madman
Out of her house; or shee must take a course
Much to his disadvantage.

Gab.
In good time sir.

Cit.
This is a surly fellow, and tho' I have sworn
The humor of fighting is scarce warme in me yet,
And she advises him to find a better Doctor for him,
For this has taken a wrong course.

Gab.
Say you so sir?

Cit.

I'le tell't you as a secret. The Physitian thought
to have cur'd his patient, (who has bin a notable Gamester
at In and In) between my Ladies legs. If I and two
or three more (but chiefly my selfe indeed) had not
rescued her, the Doctor had held the Lady-cow to the
Mad-bull.

Gab.

May I believe this?

Cit.

He thinks I lie now. And should he gi' me the lie,
the vertue of my Oath were questionable.

Gab.
Is this upon your knowledge sir?

Cit.
True upon my life. So farewell honest friend.

Exit
Gab.
This may prove sport and businesse too.

Ra.
We will do something sodainly.

Gab.
What if you take me into that something too?
I guesse it is some stratagem to beguile
The cautious father of his injur'd daughter.

Ra.
This fellow will betray us.

Fre.
I will venter
All that I have, my fortune in Charissa
On his fidelity, sir his thoughts are mine.

Ra.
Cupid and Mercury favour our designe.

Ex. Om.