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44

SCENA V.

MELINTUS, CLIDAMANT, PARTHENIA, ISMENIA.
MELINTUS
, to CLIDAMANT.
Yes, J have heard Diana is his sister.

CLIDAMANT
, to PARTHENIA.
Madam, Melintus and my self are going
To seek Thersander, to congratulare
With him his happy meeting with his sister.

ISMENIA
, to CLIDAMANT.
seftly
Thersander's happy, and thou art no lesse,
Since thy good fortune offereth it self
Unto thy hand, from whence thou mai'st expect
All that thou canst desire without that jealous.

PARTHENIA
, to ISMENIA.
Come, let us go, the Nymph expecteth us.

ISMENIA
, softly to CLIDAMANT.
Having no opportunity at present
To speak unto thee, read, J think 't will please thee.

Clidamant.
Read it, J think 't will please thee, what i'th name
Of wonder doth she mean?

Melintus.
Take but the pain
To open, and to read it thou shalt find.

Clidamant.
J think, J may make thine eys witnesses
Of what it doth contain, there's nothing in it
Secret or serious, Ismenia loves
To jest, and to be talk'd of; and this is

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Some new piece of her wonted merry wit.

Melintus.
J am impatient, prethee open it.

Clidamant.
Let me see what divertisement is here,
Which she expounds good fortune, what is this?
He reads.
List of my Lovers by an exact order
Of Alphabet.
'Tis very well put of;
But so far forth as J can see yet, neither
Obsetve J here Melintus or my self.

Melintus.
For my part, J renounce there; turn the leaf,
Go on.

Clidamant
, reads.
Stanza's of Dorilas upon inconstancy.
'Tis true, Ismenia thou art fair,
But more inconstant then the air;
And every Lover is a Mark
Exposed to thy humourous dart;
As soon as he meets thy disdain,
He flies to death to cure his pain,
And makes but one large step in all
From his bright glory to his fall.
With these defects yet thou canst charm;
But I'l not love, for fear of harm;
Yet J approve all things in thee,
Yea even to thy inconstancy;

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And will not, to incur thy hate,
Jealous Melintus imitate,
Whose humour every thing offends,
And nothing pleaseth but its ends.

CLIDAMANT.
Melintus, what sai'st thou unto them?

Melintus.
J see for what design she put those Tables
Into thy hand, J call'd her cocket lately,
And that, it seems, provok'd her to return me
The injury with one of the same nature.

CLIDAMANT
, continues to read.
Sonnet of Silvio, my most faithfull Lover.
A Madrigal of Thirsis,—what's this follows,
Unto the Shepheard Clidamant.

CLIDAMANT.
Melintus,
Am J not purblinde, see if this name doth
Strike thine eyes thus like mine!

Melintus looking into the writing Tables.
Melintus.
Nothing's more certain,
It is address'd to thee; thou art more happy
Then thou imagin'st.

Clidamant
, reads.
As soon as the dark shadows of the night
Hang o'r the light,
At th'Eccho of the Garden let us meet;
But be discreet;
'Tis love invites thee; more anon,
When w' 're alone.

Ismenia.


Melintus would take the writing Tables.
Melintus.
Prethee let me see them,

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Grant me this favour—not, then J, believe
Thou do'st disguise the truth, and read'st Ismenia,
When 'tis subscrib'd Diana.

Clidamant.
Oh fond jealous!
How long wilt thou thus be thy own tormenter?

Melintus.
Yet shew them me.

Clidamant.
To cure thy troubled spirit,
I'l first o'rcome thy curiosity;
And since the discreet Lover, what vain heat
So ever presseth thee, never shews thus
His Mistress name—

Melintus.
But—

CLIDAMANT.
Quit those blind suspicions; as soon
As it is night I'l go unto the Eccho
Alone, and with our noise; I'm all a fire
To know what she will tell me, in the mean time
Let's go unto the Nymph to seek Thersander.

MELINTUS,
softly
To be more sure, and to inform my self
Yet fuller of thy faith in this my doubt,
I'l to the Eccho too, and find it out.