 | The Magnetick Lady :or, Hvmors Reconcil'd |  |
Scene IV.
Polish, Lady, Palate, Rut.Pal.
Your Ladiship is still the Lady Loadstone
That drawes, and drawes unto you, Guests of all sorts:
The Courtiers, and the Souldiers, and the Schollers,
The Travellers, Physicians, and Divines,
As Doctor Ridley writ, and Doctor Barlow?
They both have wrote of you, and Mr. Compasse.
Lad.
Wee meane, they shall write more, ere it be long.
Pol.
Alas, they are both dead, and't please you; But,
Your Ladiship meanes well, and shall meane well,
So long as I live. How does your fine Neice?
My charge, Mistris Placentia Steele?
Lad.
Shee is not well.
Pol.
Not well?
Lad.
Her Doctor sayes so.
Rut.
Not very well; shee cannot shoot at Buts.
Or manage a great Horse, but shee can cranch
A sack of small coale! eat you lime, and haire,
Soap-ashes, Loame, and has a dainty spice
O' the greene sicknesse!
Pol.
'Od sheild!
Rut.
Or the Dropsie!
A toy, a thing of nothing. But my Lady, here
Her noble Aunt.
Pol.
Shee is a noble Aunt!
And a right worshipfull Lady, and a vertuous;
I know it well!
Rut.
Well, if you know it, peace.
Pal.
Good sister Polish heare your betters speake.
Pol.
Sir I will speake, with my good Ladies leave,
And speake, and speake againe; I did bring up
My Ladies Neice, Mrs. Placentia Steele,
With my owne Daughter (who's Placentia too)
And waits upon my Lady, is her woman:
Her Ladiship well knowes Mr s. Placentia
Steele (as I said) her curious Neice, was left
A Legacie to me; by Father, and Mother
With the Nurse, Keepe, that tended her: her Mother
Shee died in Child-bed of her, and her Father
Liv'd not long after: for he lov'd her Mother!
14
(As wee must all.) No creature is immortall;
I have heard our Pastor say: no, not the faithfull!
And they did die (as I said) both in one moneth.
Rut.
Sure shee is not long liv'd, if she spend breath thus.
Pol.
And did bequeath her, to my care, and hand,
To polish, and bring up. I moulded her,
And fashion'd her, and form'd her; she had the sweat
Both of my browes and braines. My Lady knowes it
Since she could write a quarter old.
Lad.
I know not
That she could write so early, my good Gossip.
But I doe know she was so long your care,
Till she was twelve yeare old; that I call'd for her,
And tooke her home, for which I thanke you Polish,
And am beholden to you.
Rut.
I sure thought
She had a Lease of talking, for nine lives—
Pal.
It may be she has.
Pol.
Sir sixteene thousand pound
Was then her portion! for she was, indeed,
Their only child! and this was to be paid
Vpon her marriage, so she married still
With my good Ladies liking here, her Aunt:
(I heard the Will read) Mr. Steele her father,
The world condemn'd him to be very rich,
And very hard, and he did stand condemn'd
With that vaine world, till, as 'twas 'prov'd, after,
He left almost as much more to good uses
In Sir Moath Interests hands, my Ladies brother,
Whose sister he had married: He holds all
In his close gripe. But Mr. Steele, was liberall,
And a fine man; and she a dainty Dame,
And a religious, and a bountifull—
| The Magnetick Lady :or, Hvmors Reconcil'd | |