 | Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie |  |
Scœn. 2.
Phevdippe, Lvcilla.Lvc.
Ah husband, husband, what excessiue care
Inuaded me with violence? shot farre
Into my shaking bosome, when I saw
Your sudden absence? heauy sleepe alas
No sooner left mine eye-lids, gaue me leaue
To aske, how does the comfort of my soule?
How does my silent loue? my deere Pheudippe?
But with familiar lip, and flexile arme,
I seiz'd vpon the pillow stead of thee.
Thinke how intruding iealously began
To blurre whateuer I could wisedome call,
Within me, or without me; which alas,
All know's extreamely dwarffish in our sexe.
Ph.
Iealous the first night wife?
Lv.
O then or neuer
An honest, louing wife is iealous euer.
Iealous at home, least husbands ouer-vex
A painfull heart with meditation,
Of matters which concerne his family.
Iealous when husbands bee enforc'd to trauell;
Danger exceeds the obiects they do meet,
Whether by sea, or in the publicke street.
I (peeuish foole) perceiuing you were gone,
Thus in my choler did expostulate:
Doth hee for some dislike abhorre my sheets?
Neglect what others loue? the maiden sweets
Of mutuall embracement? may mens taste
Loose their accustom'd relish, and refuse
The mellow ioyes of ripe virginity?
Will he contemne the sportiue dalliance
That married couples may engrosse with leaue?
Will he this mid-night shew himselfe no man?
The first night of our meeting bee disgrac'd?
Or will hee by disaster end all strife?
That may impeach his manhood? Thus, euen thus
Poore foolish I did thus prævaricate;
Thus (for indeed wee women struggle much
Vntill deliuer'd of opinion) thus
Did louing zeale præiudicate amisse.
You are offended (loue) I doe suspect
See how his colour's chang'd, astonishment!
Prethee what pensiue thoughts oppresse thy soule?
I reade the humor of a malecontent
Written betweene your eye-browes; recollect
The common sparkes of scatter'd Maiesty.
Speake gentle sir.
Phe.
Women, women, women.
Lv.
What of women?
Phe.
Most women loue to talke,
To scatter tales, and yet sweare silence too,
To breed sedition, to deceiue all those
Who in simplicity are confident,
Of honest meaning: ô they doe insult
With a tyrannicke boldnesse ouer one
Who through bewitch'd opinion, doth impart
The substance of included secresie.
O they wil dare the soule of such a man,
Make him so subiect to their base command,
As if they had his heart-strings in their hand.
Lv.
Raile at our sexe? why husband, though perhap
Such women do suruiue, what will you hence
Conclude within their guilt, my innocence?
Phe.
'Cry mercy wife, 'good faith I did imagine
Their wicked conuersation, generall,
(All in good time be otherwise:) But wife,
The painters of our age be culpable
Of high abuse committed; they portraict
Each mentall vice in habit of a whore,
A Hagge, a Witch, or Woman, at the least.
Lv.
Vertue (although the others opposite)
Is painted with the like habiliment,
Therefore conclude, if tender woman-hood
Vertue, or vice, of either strong beleefe.
Or colourable incredulity;
To change her minde will aske another age.
You may conuert beliefe, you may reuoke
Errors of wise-men, by a deepe dispute,
But women setled, nothing will confute.
For painters do imply this consequent
By embleme; that our sexe is permanent.
Phev.
Are you so philosophicall I'faith?
Well dost thou argue, for thy sexe and selfe.
Shee bath a ripe conceit, and I approue
Her subtill apprehension, out of loue.
I relish her deepe iudgement; for indeed,
My railing labour'd onely to obtaine
Of wits reply the due experience,
That in our wisedome of credulity,
We may impart a proud conspirasie.
women shoot faire sometimes, though seldome true
Like whetstones they giue edge to trickes anew.
Braue Catiline for this cause did account
Yong Orestilla worthy to partake
Of his attempt (though farre aboue the braine
Of woman to accomplish) hee approu'd
The talkatiue Sempronia: Thus will I
Induce my wife through cunning circumstance,
To giue directions for a raw conceit:
Though man is rather bless'd, who may with-hold
His closet-counsell from a womans eare;
Yet am I of such spungy clay compact,
As till I am dis-burthen'd of my care,
Nothing yeelds comfort: ô I must vnclaspe
A volume, which may preiudice my life;
Happy's the man who dares beleeue his wife.
Lv.
What magicke may this motion ocular
Of lips, without all vtterance portend?
Phe.
For men to pause at a poore stile of Dukes,
Proclaimes them base and triuiall; if meanes
Of more aduantage may be thought vpon:
Thy father was a King Lucilla.
Lv.
Iust.
Phe.
And shall the Chronicles of age report
Lucilla was no Queene? Were I a woman—
Lv.
The Madam Fauorina doth vsurpe
My due respect.
Phe.
Shall Fauourina liue?
Shall she out-shine the beauty whom I loue?
Nature, nay Gods deny a double Moone,
They both are ominous; they do import
A prodigie of vprores and of death.
Lv.
O man assist our weakenesse, wee'le enforce
The potent succour of religious fate;
Con-iure by solemne othe, deepe secresy
So crowne the vigor of conspiracy.
Phe.
Now spoke dame resolution: I adore
Such credible ingagement; and embrace
Faction aboue all true fælicity.
I can discouer yet a childish vice
Within my nature, named cowardise:
I feele a fearefull and familiar stamp
That shewes I am a coward: I recoyle
In thought of high atchieuements; I dissolue
With repetition of a sound so braue
As conquest, and impartiall victory;
Yet would subdue Dominions; would enthrall
The vast Horizon of our vniuerse:
But I abhorre the sound, of enemies;
Of proud resistance: Ambiguities
(With cowards) are begotten of each tale
Of each phantasticke rumour; idle care:
A new suggestion will beget new feare.
If notwithstanding women will bee stout
Women (the badge of clamorous affrights)
This would encourage slaues to victory,
And shall encourage mee: my wife is valiant,
When twise two Moones haue made a change in Greece;
Dare to accost thy super-eminence
Nor with like priuiledge (as now) affront
My then sublim'd authority: be iudge
Thou happy time, when that more haughty phrase
Long liue, shall be pronounc'd, with χαιρε twise
Wee'le then disclaime acquaintance; liue re-cluse;
Then if wee are dispos'd to imitate
Some liuely gesture of disdainefull grace,
And peepe into the publicke aire awhile,
The thronging Citty will be crowded vp
In a poore handfull, to ex-patiate
With rowling eies our vnaccustom'd face.
Lv.
I am inflam'd already: O ambition
Be but auspicious; mount my nymble breath
And win the Gods good liking to command
Of earth and heauen a hopefull furtherance:
Swell heart, and with it swell my brauest bloud,
Sug-gest new motiues deere necessity,
Resolue now for a lucky plot betimes.
Phe.
Nay first resolue of some associates:
Three to a banquet, foure beget a braule
Sayes our instructiue adage: but i'faith
Fiue to a bloudy banquet makes all square:
A banquet (wise) a banquet, shall enthrone
Our happy wishes and our hopefull ioy:
The King shall dye.
Lv.
Yes, and the new Queene perish.
Phe.
The Captaine of his Guard will I corrupt
With forceable engagement, and faire shewes:
(Chiefe architects in a designe so rare,
Sole agents for the great men of our age)
Him if I do seduce; the Souldiers apt
For innouation will obey betimes:
My sonne Amilcar (by iniunction bound)
Must then remoue thy opposite, the Queene:
My faithfull steward, sage Mantesio
Which haruest hath afforded; and procure
The famishment of those who may resist
By insurrection our new seated blisse.
New barnes Ile build, erect new granaries,
Which (open to their wants,) may well remoue
Cripled allegeance, and procure much loue.
Lv.
The banquet shall obey my prouidence.
Phe.
Wee who worke iointly, may ingeminate
An others losse makes many fortunate.
| Cinthia's revenge : Or Maenanders extasie | |