 | The Widdovves Teares |  |
Actus Tertij.
Scœna Prima.
Enter Lysander and Lycus booted.Lyc.
Would any heart of Adamant, for satisfaction
of an vngrounded humour, racke a
poore Ladies innocencie as you intend
to doe. It was a strange curiositie in that
Emperour, that ript his Mothers wombe to see the place
he lay in.
Lys.
Come do not lode me with volumes of perswasion;
I am resolu'd if shee be gold shee may abide the tast, lets
away, I wonder where this wild brother is.
Enter Cynthia, Hylus, and Ero.
Cynth.
Sir.
Lysand.
I pray thee wife shew but thy selfe a woman;
and be silent: question no more the reason of my iourney,
which our great Viceroies charge vrg'd in this letter doth
enforce me to.
Cynth.
Let me but see that letter, there is somthing in this
presaging bloud of mine, tells me this sodaine iourney can
portend no good, resolue me sweet, haue not I giuen you
cause of discontent, by some misprision, or want of fit obseruance,
let mee know that I may wreake my selfe vpon
my selfe.
Come wife, our love is now growne old and slaid,
And must not wanton it in tricks of Court,
Nor enterchang'd delights of melting louers;
Hanging on sleeues, sighing, loth to depart;
These toies are past with vs; our true loues substance
Hath worne out all the shew, let it suffice,
I hold thee deare: and thinke some cause of weight
With no excuse to be dispenst with all,
Compells me from thy most desir'd embraces;
I stay but for my Brother, came he not in last night.
Hyl.
For certaine no sir, which gave vs cause of wonder,
what accident kept him abrode.
Cynth.
Pray heauen it proue not some wild resolution,
bred in him by his second repulse from the Countesse.
Lysand.
Trust me I something feare it, this insatiate spirit
of aspiring, being so dangerous and fatall; desire mounted
on the wings of it, descends not but headlong.
Hyl.
Sir, sir, heres my Vncle.
Enter Thars.
Lysand.
What wrapt in carelesse cloake, face hid in hat vnbanded,
these are the ditches brother, in which outraging
colts plunge both themselues and their riders.
Thar.
Well, wee must get out as well as wee may, if not,
there's the making of a graue sau'd.
Cynth.
That's desperately spoken brother, had it not been
happier the colt had beene better broken, and his rider not
fallen in.
Thar.
True sister, but wee must ride colts before wee can
breake them, you know.
Lysand.
This is your blind Goddesse Confidence.
Thar.
Alas brother, our house is decaid, & my honest ambition
to restore it, I hope be pardonable. My comfort is:
the Poet that pens the storie wil write ore my head magnis
tamen excidit ausis; which in our native Idiome, lets you
know, His mind was high, though Fortune was his Foe.
Lysand.
A good resolue brother, to out-iest disgrace: come
I had been on my iourney but for some priuate speech with
you; lets in.
Good brother stay a little, helpe out this ragged
colt out of the ditch.
Lysand.
How now.
Thar.
Now I confesse my ouersight, this haue I purchas'd
by my confidence.
Lysand.
I like you brother, 'tis the true Garb you know,
What wants in reall worth supply in show.
Thar.
In show? alas 'twas euen the thing it selfe,
I op't my counting house, and tooke away
These simple fragments of my treasurie,
Husband my Countesse cri'd take more, more yet,
Yet, I in hast, to pay in part my debt,
And proue my selfe a husband of her store,
Kist and came of; and this time tooke no more.
Cynth.
But good brother.
Thar.
Then were our honor'd spousall rites perform'd,
Wee made all short, and sweet, and close, and sure.
Lysand.
Hee's wrap't.
Thar.
Then did my Vshers, and chiefe Seruants stoope,
Then made my women curtsies, and enuied
Their Ladies fortune: I was magnified.
Lysand.
Let him alone, this spirit will soone uanish.
Thar.
Brother and sister as I loue you, and am true seruant
to Venus, all the premises are serious and true, and the
conclusion is: the great Countesse is mine, the Palace is at
your seruice, to which I inuite you all to solemnize my honour'd nuptialls.
Lysand.
Can this be credited!
Thar.
Good brother doe not you enuie my fortunate atchieuement.
Lysand.
Nay I euer said, the attempt was commendable,
Thar.
Good.
Lysand.
If the issue were successefull.
Thar.
A good state-conclusion, happie euents make good
the worst attempts. Here are your widdow-vowes sister;
thus are yee all in your pure naturalls; certaine morall disguises
of coinesse, which the ignorant cal modestie, yet borrow
resolute encounter, taken vnder a fortunate aspect, easily
disarmes you off; and then alas what are you? poore naked
sinners, God wot: weake paper walls thrust downe
with a finger; this is the way on't, boile their appetites to
a full height of lust; and then take them downe in the
nicke.
Cynth.
Is there probabilitie in this; that a Ladie so great,
so vertuous, standing on so high termes of honour, should
so soone stoope?
Thar.
You would not wonder sister, if you knew the lure
shee stoo'pt at: greatnesse? thinke you that can curb affection;
no, it whets it more; they haue the full streame of
bloud, to beare them: the sweet gale of their sublim'd spirits
to driue them: the calme of ease to prepare them: the
sun-shine of fortune to allure them: Greatnesse to waft
them safe through all Rocks of infamie: when youth, wit,
and person come aboord once, tell me sister, can you chuse
but hoise saile, and put forward to the maine?
Lysand.
But let me wonder at this frailtie yet; would shee
in so short time weare out his memorie, so soon wipe from
her eies, nay, from her heart, whom I my selfe, and this
whole Ile besides, still remember with griefe, the impression
of his losse taking worthily such roote in us; howe
thinke you Wife?
Cynth.
I am asham'd ant, and abhorre to thinke,
So great and vow'd a patterne of our sexe,
Should take into her thoughts, nay to her bed,
(O staine to woman-hood) a second loue.
Lyc.
In so short time.
Cynth.
In any time.
Lysand.
No wife.
Cynth.
By Iuno no; sooner a lothsom Tode.
Thar.
High words beleeue me, and I thinke sheele keep
them; next turne is yours Nephew; you shall now marrie
my noblest Ladie-Daughter; the first marriage in Paphos;
next my nuptialls shall be yours; these are strange occurrents
in my chaire of Honour; and my Countesse in mine armes;
you will then beleeue, I hope, I am Lord of the Palace,
then shall you trie my great Ladies entertainement; see
your handes free'd of mee, and mine taking you to aduancement.
Lysand.
Well, all this rids not my businesse; wife you shall
bee there to partake the vnexpected honour of our House.
Lycus, and I will make it our recreation by the way, to
thinke of your Reuells and Nuptiall sports; Brother my
stay hath beene for you; Wife pray thee bee gone, and
soone prepare for the solemnitie, a Moneth returnes
mee.
Cynth.
Heauens guide your iourney.
Lysand.
Fare-will.
Thar.
Fare-well Nephew; prosper in virilitie, but doe
you heare; keepe your hand from your voice, I haue a part
for you in our Hymeneall shew.
Hyl.
You speake too late for my voice, but Ile discharge
the part.
Exit. Cyn. Hyl.
Lysand.
Occurrents call yee them; soule shame confound
them all; that impregnable Fort of chastitie and loyaltie,
that amazement of the world; O yee Deities could nothing
restraine her? I tooke her spirit to bee too haughtie
for such a depression.
Thar.
But who commonly more short heeld; then they
that are high 'ith in-step.
Lysand.
Mee thinkes yet shame should haue controul'd so
sodaine an appetite.
Thar.
Tush, shame doth extinguish lust as oile doth fire,
The bloud once her, shame doth enflame the more,
What they before, by art dissembled most
They act more freely; shame once found is lost;
And to say truth Brother; what shame is due to't? or
what congruence doth it carrie, that a yong Ladie,
Gallant, Vigorous, full of Spirit, and Complexion;
her appetite newe whetted with Nuptiall delights;
losse of a husband, the world affording flesh enough, make
the noone-tide of her yeares, the sunne-set of her pleasures.
Lyc.
And yet there haue been such women.
Thar.
Of the first stamp perhaps, when the mettal was purer.
then in these degenerate daies; of later yeares, much of
that coine hath beene counterfait, and besides so crackt
and worne with vse, that they are growne light, and indeede
fit for nothing, but to be turn'd ouer in play.
Lysand.
Not all brother.
Thar.
My matchlesse sister only excepted: for shee, you
know is made of an other mettall, then that shee borrow'd
of her mother. But doe you brother sadly intend the pursuite
of this triall?
Lysand.
Irreuocably.
Thar.
Its a high proiect: if it be once rais'd, the earth is too
weake to beare so waightie an accident, it cannot bee coniur'd
downe againe, without an earth-quake, therefore beleeue
shee will be constant.
Lysand.
No, I will not.
Thar.
Then beleeue shee will not be constant.
Lysand.
Neither, I will beleeue nothing but what triall enforces;
will you hold your promise for the gouerning of this
proiect with skill, and secrecie?
Thar.
If it must needes bee so. But hearke you brother;
haue you no other Capricions in your head to intrap my
sister in her frailtie, but to proue the firmenesse of her widdow
vowes after your suppos'd death.
Lysand.
None in the world.
Thar.
Then here's my hand, Ile be as close, as my Ladies
shoe to her foote that pinches and pleases her, and will
beare on with the plot, till the vessell split againe.
Lysand.
Forge any death, so you can force beliefe. Say I
was poison'd, drown'd.
Thar.
Hang'd.
Lysand.
Any thing, so you assist it with like circumstance,
Lycus.
Lyc.
Well Sir.
Thar.
But brother you must set in to; to countenance
truth out, a herse there must be too; Its strange to thinke
how much the eie preuailes in such impressions; I haue
marckt a Widdow, that iust before was seene pleasant enough,
follow an emptie herse, and weepe deuoutly.
Lyc.
All those thinges leaue to me.
Lysan.
But brother for the bestowing of this herse in the
monument of our Familie, and the marshalling of a Funerall.
Thar.
Leaue that to my care, and if I doe not doe the
mourner, as liuely as your Heire, and weepe as lustily as
your Widdow, say there's no vertue in Onions; that being
done, Ile come to visit the distrest widdow; apply old ends
of comfort to her griefe, but the burden of my song shall
be to tell her wordes are but dead comforts; and therefore
counsaile her to take a liuing comfort; that might Ferrit
out the thought of her dead husband, and will come prepard
with choise of suiters; either my Spartane Lord for
grace at the Viceroies Court, or some great Lawyer that
may soder vp her crackt estate, and so forth. But what
would you say brother, if you should finde her married at
your arriuall.
Lysand.
By this hand split her Wezand.
Thar.
Well, forget not your wager, a stately chariot with
foure braue Horses of the Thracian breede, with all appurtenances.
Ile prepare the like for you, if you proue Victor;
but well remembred, where will you lurke the
whiles?
Lysand.
Mewd vp close, some shrot daies iourney hence,
Lycus shall know the place, write still how all things passe,
brother adiew; all ioy attend you.
Thar.
Will you not stay our nuptiall now so neare.
Lysand.
I should be like a man that heares a tale
And heedes it not; one absent from himselfe, my wife
Thar.
Whom you shal here at your returne call me father,
adiew: Ioue be your speede.
Exeunt.
Enter Argus barehead
Arg.
A hall, a hall: who's without there?
Enter two or three with cushions.
Come on, y'are proper Groomes, are yee not? Slight I
thinke y'are all Bridegroomes, yee take your pleasures so.
A companie of dormice. Their Honours are upon comming,
and the roome not readie. Rushes and seates instantly.
Thar.
Now, alas fellow Argus, how thou at comberd
with an office?
Arg.
Perfume sirrha, the roome's dampish.
Thar.
Nay you may leaue that office to the Ladies, theyle
perfume it sufficiently.
Arg.
Cry mercie Sir, here's a whole Chorus of Syluans
at hand, cornetting, & tripping ath' toe, as the ground they
troad on were too hot for their feete. The deuice is rare;
and there's your yong Nephew too, he hangs in the clouds
Deified with Hymens shape.
Thar.
Is he perfect in's part? has not his tongue learn'd of
the Syluans to trip ath' Toe?
Arg.
Sir, beleeue it, he does it pretiously for accent and
action, as if hee felt the part he plaid: hee rauishes all the
yong Wenches in the Palace: Pray Venus my yong Ladie
Laodice haue not some little prick of Cupid in her, shee's so
diligent at's rehearsalls.
Thar.
No force, so my next vowes be heard, that if Cupid
haue prickt her, Hymen my cure her.
Arg.
You meane your Nephew Sir that presents Hymen.
Thar.
Why so, I can speake nothing but thou art with in
me: fie of this wit of thine, 'twill be thy destruction. But
howsoeuer you please to vnderstand, Hymen send the boy
Arg.
At hand Sir, with your vnparagond sister, please
you take your chaire of Honour Sir?
Thar.
Most seruiceable Argus, the Gods reward they seruice;
for I will not.
Enter Eudora, leading Cynthia, Laodice, Sthenio, Ianthe, Ero, with others following.
Eud.
Come sister, now we must exchange that name
For stranger Titles, let's dispose our selues
To entertaine these Syluane Reuellers.
That come to grace our loued Nuptialls,
I feare me we must all turne Nymphs to night,
To side those sprightly wood-Gods in their dances;
Can you doo't nimbly sister? slight what aile you, are you
not well?
Cynth.
Yes Madam.
Eud.
But you lookes, mee thinkes, are cloudie; suiting
all the Sunne-shine of this cleare honour to your husbands
house.
Thar.
Blame her not Mistris, if her lookes shew care.
Excuse the Merchants sadnesse that hath made
A doubtfull venture of his whole estate;
His liuelyhood, his hopes, in one poore bottome,
To all encounters of the Sea and stormes.
Had you a husband that you lou'd as well,
Would you not take his absent plight as ill?
Cauill at euery fancie? Not an obiect
That could present it selfe, but it would forge
Some vaine obiection, that did doubt his safetie;
True loue is euer full of iealousie.
Eud.
Iealous? of what? of euery little iourney?
Meere fancie then is wanton; and doth cast
At those sleight dangers there, too doting glances;
Shines not the Sunne in his way bright as here?
Is not the aire as good? what hazard doubt you?
Arg.
His horse may stumble if it please your Honour;
The raine may wet, the winde may blow on him;
Many shrewd hazards watch poore trauailers.
End.
True, and the shrewdest thou hast reckend vs.
Good sister, these cares fit yong married wiues.
Cynth.
Wiues should be stil yong in their husbands loues.
Time beares no Sythe should bear down them before him.
Our liues he may cut short, but not our loues.
Thar.
Sister be wise, and ship not in one Barke,
All your abilitie : if he miscarrie,
Your well tried wisedome should looke ont for new.
Cynth.
I wish them happie windes that runne that course,
From me tis farre; One Temple seal'd our troth.
One Tomb, one houre shall end, and shroud vs both.
Thar.
Well, y'are a Phoenix, there be that your cheere
Loue, with your husband be, your wisedome here.
Hearke, our sports challenge it; Sit dearest Mistris.
Eud.
Take your place worthiest seruant.
Thar.
Serue me heauen.
Musique.
As I my heauenly Mistris, Sit rare sister.
Musique: Hymen descends; and sixe Syluanes enter beneath, with Torches.
Arg.
A hall, a hall: let no more Citizens in there.
Laod.
O, Not my Cosen see; but Hymens selfe.
Sthe.
He does become it most enflamingly.
Hym.
Haile honor'd Bridegroom, and his Princely bride
With the most fam'd for vertue, Cynthia;
And this yong Ladie, bright Laodice,
One rich hope of this noblest Familie.
Sthe.
Hearke how he courts: he is enamour'd too.
Laod.
O grant it Venus, and be euer honour'd.
Hym.
In grace and loue of you, I Hymen searcht
The groues and thickets that embrace this Palace
With this clear-flam'd, and good aboding Torch
To this faire presence; with their winding Haies,
Actiue and Antique dances to delight
Your frolick eies, and helpe to celebrate
These noblest nuptialls; which great Destinie,
Ordain'd past custome and all vulgar obiect
To be the readuancement of a house,
Noble and Princely, and restore this Palace
To that name, that sixe hundred Summers since
Was in possession of this Bridegroomes Ancetors,
The ancient and most vertue-fam'd Lysandri.
Syluans! the Courtships you make to your Dryads,
Vse to this great Bride, and these other Dames,
And heighten with your sports, my nuptiall flames.
Laod.
O would himselfe descend, and me command.
Sthe.
Dance; and his heart catch in an others hand.
Syluans, take out the Bride and the rest: They dance, after which, and all set in their places.
Hymen.
Hym.
Now, what the Power and my Torches influence
Hath in the blessings of your Nuptiall ioyes
(Great Bride and Bridegroome) you shall amply part
Betwixt your free loues, and forgoe it neuer.
Omn.
Thankes to great Hymen, and faire Syluanes euer.
Exeunt.
| The Widdovves Teares | |