Love's Dialect :: :: University of Virginia Library

Hath overcome thy Beauty; thou art sad,
Thoughts discontented and conceal'd, make mad
The serious Contemplator, then declare,
Ime a Phisitian, tell me what they are.

Beauty.
Insatiate Wealth, I will; I come to crave
Along-lost Servant, you unjustly have,
And such a Servant none ere had but (shee
Whom Iove embrac'd) Cadmean Semele,
Though Nature make all men that mortall are
All of one mould, shee can but claime a share
In this great Master piece; ere he was fit
Twelve Natures did in consultation sit,
Had he but liv'd when the Egyptian Queene
(Faire Cleopatra) Raign'd, to have beene seene,
By her in her high court, sure none but he
Had exchang'd places with Marke Anthony;
Or Hellen veiw'd him, ere shee went from Greece,
No Warres had beene, he could have kept the Peace.

Wealth.
Is this your cause of Griefe, admit I have
This honourable Servant which you crave,
I am the worthier Mistris, whats in you
But a faire face, Riches doth me endue,
What will your Beauty doe when Fortune shall
Deale cruelly, and let your states both fall,
Begge with your Beauty, can your Beauty then
Contrive a meanes to raise you up agen.
But stay, yonder comes vertue; doe but see
How poore shee goes, yet shees as nice as thee.

Vertue.
Health to you Ladies; Beauty, unto you
My message comes; I have a Servant true,

Corrupted by your eyes, till he did see
Your faining Smiles he was content with me;
Pray give him backe againe: my mourning state
Directs the Turtle that hath lost her Mate
To beate her feather'd bosome, Griefe and I
Are in contention for the Majesty
Of perfect sorrow, and we finde that none
Have such true griefe as those whose Love's are gone;
Such is my state, faire Lady, doe not then
Detaine my Love, but send him home agen.

Beauty.
What Love doe I detaine, what Servant, where
Did I subdue him, whats his Character?

Vertue.
When first I did behold him, I could spye
The simple Soule of Candid Majesty
Take state in either cheeke; for his defence,
He never Blush'd, but to shew Innocence:
When he did court me, a sweete Passion strove
To tell me, that he liv'd in perfect love,
I saw he did, and yet am bold to tell,
He might have wrought Faith in an Infidell,
He had Exteriour Beauty, (too) his eyes
Had luster from his inward Purities.
They were a Frontispiece to all the good
His Soule possessd; greater in Grace then blood;
His name is Bellizarus, let me have
His person (too) tis all the blisse I crave.

Wealth.
That is my Love coy Vertue.

Beauty.
Which I claime.

Vertue.
But is my due.

Wealth.
Oh ye both lose your Aime,
He hath a wealthy Fortune, shall it be
Exposed to the certaine jeopardy
Of Beauty or poore Vertue; let him thrive
In my esteemes, Wealth keepes the heart alive.
Ile shew him Mynes of Treasure, which shall buy
Pleasures, that may perswade Mortality
Into a Godhead; Ile a Pallace build
Of chequer'd Marble, whose large roofe shall yeeld
Vnparalleld delights; a thousand boyes
(Faire as Adonis) with melodious noyse
Of new found Timbrils, shall awake his Sense
From sullen sadnesse (with profuse expence,)
Ile purchase curious dyet, whose choise taste
Shall create Odors in his Breath, Ile waste
My (unknowne) Treasure to a Myte, that he
May hate you both, and keepe his Love with me.

Beauty.
You argue weakely for him; in my Eye,
A Lover's Amorous Passion can descry
Tenne thousand fairer boyes, young Cupids all,
And with my voyce (at his commanding call)
Ile warble various fancies, that shall make
His heart; cold Melancholy quite forsake
This Ruby Lippe being connex'd with his,
Shall be more pleasing then that Nectar is
Iove doth revive his Youth with; for his Scent,
My breath is sweeter then that Continent
The Phœnix keepes her nest in when she burnes
In Aromats, and a New Phœnix turnes.

These but a modell of the pleasures be
He shall enjoy, let him returne to me.

Vertue.
If he be true, no argument should make
His honest soule his first chast love forsake,
Then (were he yours and I by strife should win)
How could I be a vertue but a sin:
Fond women, know ile teach him how to clime
Beyond your hopes, to treasures more sublime;
Ile shew him how to be content with that
Would make you sorrowsicke and desperate:
Fortune can wound you wealth, & (beauty) know
The sweetest Roses that doe fayrest blow,
Will shatter into ruine; you must feare
Beauty will fade, Springs last not all the yeare:
You talke of Boyes and Cupids, I can see
Through the pure cristalls of divinitie:
A heaven set with Angels, of whose glory
No mortalls pen could ere write perfect story,
And to this joy ile bring him, if he be
So wise to cast you off and live with me.

Wealth.
Yet he is mine, and if the God of love
Looke pleasing (as he did) I then will move
My next suite unto Hymen, and weele be
Ioyntly contracted by his Deity:
Do not you rayle then, not you tyre your heart,
I have possession thats the greater part.

Vertue.
I must returne to sorrow, weepe, and wayle
For his lost soule.

Beauty.
I to revenge, and raile.

Vse your owne counsell, when your rayling's past
Goe mourne with vertue and your beauty blast.