 | The Rivall Friends |  |
The Introduction.
Being a Dialogue betwixt Venus, Thetis, and Phœbus, sung by two Trebles, and a Base. Venus (being Phosphorus as well as Vesper) appearing at a window aboue as risen, calling to Sol, who lay in Thetis lap at the East side of the stage, canoped with an azure curtaine: at the first word that Venus sung, the curtaine was drawne, and they discovered.Venus.
Drowsie Phœbus come away,
And let out the long'd for day,
Leaue thy Thetis silver breast,
And ope the casements of the East.
Tis Venus calls, away, away,
The waking mortals long for day.
Thetis.
And let them long, tis just and right
To shut them in eternall night,
Whose deeds deserue no day; lye still,
Arise not yet, lye still my Sun,
My night begins when thou art gone.
Venus.
Ile wooe thee with a kisse to come away.
Thet.
And I with fourtie for to stay.
Venus.
I'le giue to thee the faire Adonis sheare
So thou wilt rise:
Thet.
And I to keepe thee here
Will giue a wreath of pearle as faire
As ever Sea-Nymph yet did weare.
Tis Thetis wooes thee stay, O stay, O stay.
Venus.
Tis Venus wooes thee rise, O come away.
Phœbus.
To which of these shall I mine eare encline?
Venus.
Vnto the vpper world repayre.
Thet.
O no, I'le binde him in my flowing haire.
Phœbus.
But see fond Mortalls how they gaze
On that same pettie blaze?
Thetis adieu, I am no longer thine,
I must away, For if I stay,
My Deity's quite undone,
They will forget t'adore the rising Sun.
Heere Phœbus arises from Thetis lap, and speakes.
But what new spectacle of wonder's this?
And haue I lost my wonted Majestie
Wherewith I use to strike a generall blindnesse
Through all the Starres? unto what height of pride
They dare out-face mee? Call out a powerfull raye
And make those saucie sparkes confesse that all
Their lustre is a debt they owe to me.
Venus.
sings.
Gently, gently, God of light,
Profane not powers that are knowne
To bee greater then thine owne:
Here is not a fire doth shine
That is beholding unto thine,
They are of themselues diuine.
Phœbus
speaks.
And blesse them all the Gods. But how come I
To be so blinde to day? so dull? so heavy?
I know them now; Hayle fayrest Albious King,
Liue still the envie of the world; and thou
Resplendent Goddesse, to view whose glorious face
I haue oft times in my swift course stood still;
Be all propitious to thy wish'd delights.
And since ye haue vouchsaf'd your gracious presence
Here at the Muses Groue, command their Patron,
Who here stands prest to serue yee.
Venus
sings.
Will hee obey?
Phœb.
speaks.
Or else let Daphne frowne,
Or Phaeton resume my Chariot.
Venus
sings.
Then in their names I doe command thee heere
Lord of the yeere,
To entertaine
This goodly Traine,
Call backe that day of mine
The sprightly Valentine.
Phœb.
speaks.
Command me kill a Python, or recall
The Lion or the Crabb: thou art too modest
In thy requests; tis done, and for to add
A greater honour to this day, behold
I will recall those few spent minutes too
Which haue runn out since I appear'd, I'le back,
And fetch new rayes that amorous Valentine,
This morning may brighter then euer shine.
At Phœbus his going in, the Chorus sing these two last lines.
Ha ha he, here be fine feats. (I hope we shall haue a ballad
made o'nt before night) ha, ha he, the Sun must lay aside all his
busines, & be at leasure (forsooth) to fetch back S
t
Valentines day
for thē, ha ha he. In faith Gentlemen I pity ye, y'ar like to haue
a goodly Comœdy here, Plautus his Captiues translated, or some
such thing I warrant ye: why your Poet cannot endure a woman;
and there are likely to be sweet raptures where the Muse
is not amorous and sanguine. But let me see, now I think o'nt, Ile
go fetch him out to ye, & ye shall laugh at him most miserably,
& the Ladies too; troth do, he deserues it. He has hired me this
Valentines morning, (for so ye must suppose it) to lead him out
hood-winkt with a black scarf, into the fields, because he would
not see a woman. But Gods me! what haue I forgot? I should
haue had mine eares stretch'd for it if I had miss'd it. Yee must
suppose the Scene too to be here in England at a country village.
Some low homely slight stuffe 'twill be, I doubt: 'pray heavens
he does not heare me. And here's an other dainty absurdity too
(which I care not much if I tell yee) concerning their cloathes,
which as far transcend the condition of the persons, as the court
does the country. But that they hope the Court will excuse, for
had it not bin here, they had bin forc'd (they say) to keepe the
true decorum. But to my charge whom I left at the doore, till I
had discover'd whether the coast were cleare. Come sir, now
you may venture, you haue a prospect as barren as an Eunuches
chin.—O'me! why hee's run away. I'le be whipt if he has not
smelt out my plot of exposing him to your view.—But heere
comes the Prologue, he perhaps brings some newes of him; I'le
leaue yee to censure his legs and cringes.
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