University of Virginia Library

Scena decima.

Enter Cariclea love sicke, she lyeth upon her bed
Cariclea.
O cruell power of love! why dost thou triumph
In lovers restles paines? what glorie can
Be added to thy deitie in seeking
The overthrow of my poore libertie?
Take here this tribute of my teares, these sighes,
Sent from a gentle heart, convaey them hence
That they may meet Theagnies, and flow
With his as from one fountaine, from one head.

To her enters Caricles and Calasiris, Caricles embraceth her.
Caric.
What ailes my sweet, my deare Carcilea,
Tell me my daughter.

Cariclea.
Nothing but my head
Doth ake a little, and I faine would sleepe.

Cariclea faines her selfe asleepe.
Caric.
What should this meane good Calasiris thinke you,
VVhat disease hath she tane?

Calasir.
You need not marvell
At this, for I believe some enuious eye
Hath over look'd her.

Caric.
I must laugh at this,
Then you beleive as commonlie men doe,
That there is witch craft

Calasiris.
Yes as I beleive
That any thing is true, and for this cause,
The emptie aire that is about us round
On everie side, entring in by our eyes,
Our mouth, our eares our nostrills, all our pores,
Carrying such outward qualities with it
As tis indew'd with, doth ingraffe a like
Infection in the man who hath receiv'd it;
As when a man hath enviously beheld
Something that's excellent forthwith the aire
Is filled with that poisonous qualitie,
VVhich entreth into that is neere at hand,
This same aire being a slender suble thing
Pierceth even to the bones and very marrow,
And by that cause hath envie beene the meanes
Of that disease, which by a propper name
VVe call bewitching.

Caric.
Your wise reasons beare
Some probility I must confesse.

Cala.
Consider Caricles how many have
Gotten the plague, although they never touch'd
Nor saw, nor eate, nor lay with the deseas'd,
But being with them in the selfesame aire,
Let love be argument and proofe of this,
VVho taketh its beginning from the object
Of what it sees, and so as if it were
Some privy passage by the eyes hath entrance
Into the heart, and this is probable,
For seeing of all other pores and sences
The sight is capable of most mutations,
And so the hottest, it must needs receive
Such like infections as are round about it,
And with a hot spirit entertaine loves changes,
As for examples sake, I will produce
Out of the holie bookes some reasons for it
Gathered from natures sole consideration;
You know the bird Charadrius doth heale
Those persons whose disease is the kings evill,
Which bird doth flie away assoone as any
Diseased with this griefe hath spied her,
And turnes her taile to him, and shuttes her eyes
Not (as some say) because she would not help them
But that by looking on them she by nature
Drawes that disease unto her, therefore wiselie
Declineth such a sight as present perill,

Caric.
You have discuss'd this doubt right sagelie Sir,
I would my daughter once might feele and finde
What love doth meane, I would not then conceive
That she were sick, but in her perfect health,
But nothing lesse then this is to be thought
Hath happened to her, who contemnes all love,
But rather seemes to be bewitch'd indeed;
Deere Calasiris for our friendships sake
Shew some point of your wisedome to dissolve
This witchchraft, and if possible to bring her
Into a good opinion of my nephew.

Enter Nebulo with a bastinado in his hand.
Nebulo.

Sirs what dee meane to make such tarriance? Theagines
hath made such a feast, and all the good cheere will be
eaten before you come, for shame come away, there are none of
the ghestes wanting but you who are the principall, if you will
be such fooles to misse it, you may, but i'le not follow your
foolish example.

Calasiris.
This fellow cals us rather to a battle
Then to a banket.

Caric.
'Tis his rusticke manner;
O what a lofty fellow Bacchus is
When he is well wash'd! but come let us goe
Least with his cudgell honest Nebulo
Doe drive us forward.

Nebulo.
Well sirs you may jest,
But I meane earnest if I misse the feast.

Exeunt.