University of Virginia Library

Scena Pra.

[Storme contynewed.]
Enter palestra, all wett as newly shipwracke and escapt the ffury off the Seas.
Palestra.
Is this then the reward off Inocence.
off goodnes to our selffes namely chast lyffe,
pietye to our parents: love to all,
and aboue all. our christian zeale towards heaven
but why shoold wee poore wretches thus contest
[about] against the powers aboue vs: when even they
that are the best amongst vs are stard badd
Ent: Scribonia
[alas I never yet wrongd man or child]
[woman or babe, never supplanted ffrend,]
[or sought revendge vpon an Enemye,]
[you see yet howe wee suffer howe shall they then]
[that ffalse theire ffythes. that are off vnclende lyffe,]
[and then not only sinne vnto them selves.]
[but tempt and perswade others. what shall I thinke]
[beecoms off my base guardien thoughe the waves]
[have s«p»ared the guiltles [suer[illeg.]] suer his putred so[OMITTED]]
[s iff there [illeg.] ft any mercy ffor him]
[Is iff there bee left any mercye ffor him]
[nowe in these bryny waves made cleane ffor heaven]
[canot escape heavens Iustyce: wee poore [sowles] wreches.]
[are punishe ffor his grosse Impietyes.]
[they moov'd the heavens wrathe (who [moovd] stird the wynds & waves]
[stryvinge whose ffury shoold destroy [her] vs ffyrst.]
[these boathe conspyringe in our ruin, th'one.]
[beate vs beelowe, the billowes whylst the other]
[swallowed boathe shippe and goodds. [amongest] the rest]
[a budget [and] or portmantua, wch included:]
[all the bawdes wealth but that weare nothinge to mee]
[though hee had vowed and sworne to make mee his heyer]
[the losse I so lament is a small caskett]
[kept [ffrom] by him ffrom my childhood: and packt vp]
[amongst his Treasure, and that perishinge,]
[I fforffett the longe expectation]
[ever to knwe my parents. there-ffore wishe,]
[wth it I had ith sea bin buried.]

Enter scribonia
Scribonia,
Wth perill off oft ffallinge, and the danger
off Second deathe havinge new Scapt the ffyrst
I have wth ffeare and terror [scap] climd these rocks
and these too past I ffeare to meete' a Thyrd:
I spy no howse no harbor, meete no' Creature.
to point mee to som shelter there-ffore. heare
must starve by ffamine. or expire by could
oth Sea the whystlinge winds still threaten wracke,
and fflyinge nwe ffor reffuge to the Lāde,
ffind nought save' desolation, though these three.
three dreadffull deathes all spare mee. yeat a ffowerth
I can not shoone, in my Palestraes losse,
[more deare to mee then all the woorld beesydes.]
ffor the best bloodd off myne ranne in her veynes
this lyffe breathd in her boosom. oh my Palestra.

Palestra,
Numnes, and ffeare, Hungar and sollitude,
beesydes my Casket my Scribonias losse
all these, at onc afflict mee,

Scrib:
[nothinge mee,]
[more then Palestra's death]

[Palest:]
ha who's that spake,

Scrib:
suer twas som woman voyce, Iff my palestra
only ffor her sake. I coold wishe to live,

Pal
Then lyve' my deere Scribonia, synce I am only
spar'd to partake wth thee newe miseryes,

Scrib:
scarce can I bee perswaded you are shee
but bee it but her shadowe, giue mee leave
ffor her remembranc to imbrace it thus.

Palest:
These arms att onc locke all my lyvinge hopes,
in my reserv'd Scribonia.

Scribo:
nwe I perceave,
my comffort is not meare Imadginary
but reall and essentiall. lyve you then?

Palest:
to triumphe in your saffety,

Scrib:
possible,
that mongst these desart vnffreqented rocks.
you can Imadgin such a thinge can bee
as that wch you cald saffety

Palestra
yes Scribonia.
and Comffort too, ffor see I spye a villadge,
a maner' and a ffayre build monastary,
Iust att the ffoott off this discendinge hill.
and where iff not amongst religious men,
shoold wee ffind thats calld charity,

Scrib:
The ther then,
[the ther ma lett vs make hast wth all the speede wee can,]
ffyar att the least I hope it will affoord.
beesydes releiffe and harboor,

Pal
can you begge?

Scrib
what will not rude' necessity compell
distressed ffolke to doo, wee'l not doot basely,
ffor beeinge brought vpp to Musick and to songe,
demandinge in that kind there charity,
and they [perswadinge] perceivinge vs mch better bred,
then these our prsent ffortunes might deserve,
tt' may move in them Compassions.

Pales.
letts retyre
to the backe gate then, there'. Complane our wants,
and that wch others doo wth Impudence
lett vs in shame and blushes.

Scrib.
som sweete echo
speake ffrom these walls. and answer' to our wants
and eather lend [vs] som Comffort to our greiffes,
or send vs hence dispayringe and ashamd,

They go in
Pal.
oh Charity where art thou ffledd
And nowe how longe hast thou bin dead.

Answer
wthin.
oh many many many hondred yeares.

Scrib:
In villadge borrough towne or Citty
Remaines there yet no grace no Pitty

Ans:
not in sighes not in want, not [[illeg.]] in Teares.

Pal.
Cold Comffort in this answer but proceede.
Aboue wee see a threatninge sky

Answe.
Beelowe the winds and gusts blowe hye
And all all to ffright hence this same Iuell

Scrib:
The lightninges blast the thunders Crack[s]
The billowes menace nought save wracke.

Answ:
& yet man is then these mch more Crewell.

Pal
vnless my Iudgment quite miscarry
shee may lyve in som Monastery,

Answ:
Tis' a place too that was ffyrst assignd her

Scrib:
Iff not amongst religious men
yett where where [oh where] shall wee' [ffind] seeke her, then

Answ.
yet even there there, you scarce scarce [scarce] can ffind her

Palest.
Iff chastity and Innocens tryde
have boathe escaped wind and tyde.

Ans:
yet oh why should the Land Land these cherish

Scrib.
off whome even [tempests] billowes have' a care.
whome Seas prserve whome tempests spare

Ans:
yet these these amongst men may perishe.

Palestra,
vncharitable echo, ffrom a place.
off pure devotion, canst thou answer thus,
Iff not in these religious monestaryes
In what place, can wee ffind could charity

Scribonia,
where ere wee meete her shee is lyke our'selfes
bare wth out harbor weake and Comffortles.

Enter [ffryar Ihon,]
ff Ihon
what singinge beggers weare these at the gate,
that would so early rowse' our charity,
beeffore it was halff styrringe or awake,
I thinke I answerd them in such a key
as I beeleeve scarce pleasd them,

[Ent: Fryer Richard]
ff Richard.
what sweete musick
was that at the back gate. t'hath cald mee' vpp
somwhat beeffore my hower

ff Ihn
morrow ffryar Richard.
howe did you lyke our last nights buffetinge,
whylst all the rest off our ffraternity,
In ffeare off that greate tempest weare' a'tt prayers
wee too pickt out that tyme off least suspition,
and in the orchard hand to hand weare att it

ff Richard.
tis trew [ffor bloo] ffor blooddy noses. and ffryar Ihon
as you lyke that wch is allredy past.
so chalendge mee hereafter, but whence came,
these sweete and delicate, voyces,

ffryar Iohn
I bore part
in theire sadd quire. though none off these yet knw't,
but peace our ffather Abbat.

Enter the Abbot wth other ffryars.
Abbot
morrow Soons
An early blessinge on you Iff as the Larke.
Ryseth beetymes still, to salute the Soon,
so your devotion plucks you ffrom your bedds,
beeffore your hower vnto your orisons:
Did yu not heare [som] a musicall Complaynt.
off women that in sadd and mourne-ffull tones
beewyld theire late desasters. harshly answerd
by' a churlish echo,

ff Ihon
som such thinge wee heard,

ff Richard:
the noates still perffitt wth mee.

Palestra
there appeares [in his]
in his grave lookes boathe zeale and charity,
letts to his sight boldly expose our selffes.
hayle reverent ffather

Abbott,
what are you poore soules.
thus wett and wether-bett:

Scribonia.
ere you demand
ffurther ffrom vs letts tast your' christian charity
som ffyare, som harboure, least ere our sadd tale
bee ffully tould wee' perishe,

Abbot
why whence [ha] came you

Palestra.
ffrom Sea, our shipp last night in the great storme
cast on these rocks and splitt, this the ffyrst place.
exposd vnto our eyes to begge releiff
but oh I ffaynt.

Abbot.
[som ffaggotts Instantly,]
[hott brothes hott waters ffor them, and warm cloathe][OMITTED]
whome' the hygh powers miraculously preserve
whome even the merciles waves have borne a shore
shall wee see sinke a land, even wee our Selffes
that lyve and eate by others charity
to others shall not wee bee charitable
All succor all supply that can bee giuen
they ffrom our hands shall tast.

ff Ihon
shall wee remoove them
Into the cloyster

ff Richad.
Tis agynst our oath
on any thoughe the great'st extremity
to addmitt weomen thether

Abbott,
that I knwe
& [In] yet in som out-office see them chear'd
want nothinge that the cloyster can affoord.
theire bewtyes though my eye bee bleynd att [that,] them
deserve no lesse, I looke on theire distresse,
and that I pitty. ech one' lend a hand.
to take off ffrom theire prsent misery,
and ease theire tender shoulders. when they' are cheerd
and better comfforted I'l ffinde occation
to enquire ffurther ffrom them.

Palestra.
Heaven be as kind
to you as you to vs.

Abbatt,
ffeare not ffayre damselles,
this place though not wthin the Monastery,
yet stands wthin the cloysters priviledg,
and shalbee vnto you [as] a sanctuary

Scribon:
no other wee expect it

Abbott,
guide them In,
Bewty and youth to pitty tis no sinne.

The bell ringes to mattens. enter the Lord de Averne and his Lady etc (Dennis and others
ff Ihon
Harke the bell ringes to mattens:

ff Rich
see wthall
our noble patroon, wth his lovely Lady
prpard ffor theire devotion, nwe ffryar Ihon
your leatcherous ey is conninge,

ff Ihon,
I knwe my place.

Abbott
way ffor our noble ffownder'

L: Averne.
morrowe ffather
so to the rest off all the brother hoodd.
The quire and musick: the ffryars make a Lane wth ducks and obeysance.
Te tuosque Semper oh Semper beamus
et Salvos vos venisse, o venisse gaudeamus:

ff Ihon
good day to our ffyre ffowndresse,

Lady.
mercy ffryar Ihon,
aboue the rest you are still dutiffull,
ffor wch wee kindly thanke you,

exnt
[Manet Iohn]
ff Ihon,
Kindly thanke you,
nay smild wth-all. all though that I have more
then a monthes mind to these yonge harlotryes
yet heares the grownd on wch I ffyrst must build.
and ryse my ffortunes many storyes hye,
naye I perhapps ere they can drye there smocks
will putt th'affayre in motion whyle these are
att solleme mattens Il take pen and wryte,
and sett my mind downe in so quaint a stryne
shall make her laughe and tickle, whylst I laugh
and tickle wth the thought on't, [still prsminge].
[these lookes these smyles these ffavours, this sweete lang«ua»]
[coold never breathe, butt have theire byrthe ffrom love.]
[but how to ha'tt delivered? theres the dowbt.]
[tush I have plott ffor that too, hee no question]
[Tempeste]
[that sett mee on to compasse this my will.]
[maye when th vp-shoote comes assist mee still]