 | The Parliament of Love |  |
2
I did dischardge the trust imposd vppon mee
beinge yor guardian
Bell:
tis wt h thancks acknowledgd
Cha:
the loue I then bore to you & desire
to doe you all good offices of a freind
contynewes wt h mee, nay increases Lady
& out of this assurance I presume
what from a true hart I shall now deliuer
will mee a gentle censure
Bell:
when you speake
whatere the subiect bee I gladlie heare
Cha:
to tell you of the greatnes of yor state
& from what noble stock you are derivd
weare but impertinence & a Comon theame
since you well know both, what I am to speake of
touches you neerer, there fore giue mee leaue
to saie that how soeuer yor greate bounties
Continuall feastinge, princelike entertainemts
may gaine you the opinion of some few
of a braue & generous sperrit (wc h is the best
harvest you can hope for such costlie seede)
you cannot yett amonge the multitude
(since next vnto the princes of the blood
the eyes of all are fixd on you) but giue
some wound (wc h will not close wt hout a scarr)
to yor faire reputation & good name
in sufferinge such a Crew of riotous gallants
not of the best repute to bee so frequent
both in yor howse & presence, this tis Rrumerd
little agrees wt h the Curiousnes of honor
or modesty of a maid
Bell:
not to dwell longe
vppon my answer, I must thanck yor goodnes
and provident Care that have instructed mee
what my revenues are, by wc h I measure
how farr I may expend, & yet I find not
that I begin to waste nor would I ad
3
& for my fame, since I am inocent heere
this for the worlds opinion·
Cha:
take heede madam·
that opinion [th] wc h you slight Confirmes
this Lady for imodest & proclaimes
annother for imodest, where as the first
nere knew what loose thoughts weare & the praisd second
had never a Could dreame·
Bell:
I dare not argue
but what meanes to prevent this
Cha:
noble marriage
Bell:
pardon mee sir, & doe not thinck I scorne
you r graue advise wc h I haue euer followd
tho not pleasd wit
would you haue mee match wt h wealth, I neede it not
or hunt for honor & increase of Tytles
in truth I rest ambitious of noe greater
then what my father left, or doe you Iudge
my blood to runne so high that tis not in
phisick to Coole mee, I yet feele noe such heate
but when against my will it growes vppon mee
Ile thinck vppon yor Counsell
Cha:
yf you resolue then
to live a virgin you haue «***»
to wc h you may retire & h«*»
of «******** you ***loud to»
«in ****like **********tion»
& liue or ages w[OMITTED]
Bell:
ten tymes «****»
4
not seene or seinge any, Spartan Hellen
Corinthian Lays; or Romes messaline
so mu'de vpp might haue dyd as they weare borne
by lust vntempted, noe it is the glory
of Chastety to be tempted, tempted home to
the honor else is nothinge, I would bee
the first example to Convince for lyers
those poets that wt h sharpe & bitter rymes
proclaimes alowd that [Chastiy] chastity has noe beinge
but in a Cottage, & so Confident
I am in this to Conquer, that I will
expose my self to all assaults see maskes
& heare bewitchinge sonnetts, change discourse
wt h one that for experinence Could teach ouid
to write a better waie his art of loue
feede high; and take & giue free entertainemt
lend Cupid eyes and new Artillery
denie his mother for a deitie
yet euery burninge shot hee made at mee
meetinge wt h my chaste [thug] thoughts should loose theire ardor
wc h when I haue orecome malitious men
must to theire shame Confesse tis possible
for a younge lady (some saie faire) at Court
to keepe her virgin honor
Cha:
may you [spe] prosper
in this greate vndertakinge Ile not vse
a sillable to divert you, but must bee
a suiter in annother kind
Bell:
what ere it bee
tis graunted
Cha:
tis only to accept
a present from mee
Bell:
Call you this a suite
Cha:
Come in Caliste, this is one I would
Ent' Beaupre like a More.
bestow vppon you
Bell:
tis the hansomest
I ere saw of her Cuntry shee hath neither
thick lips nor rough Curld haire
Cha:
her manners lady
vppon my honnor better her good shape
shee speakes or language to for beinge surprisd
5
a pirat of Marselles wt h whose wife
shee liu'd 5 yeares & learnt it, there I bought her
as pittyinge her hard vsage, yf you please
to make her yor s you maie
Bell:
wt h many thanks
Come heather pritty one; feare not thou shalt finde mee
a gentle mrs
Beau:
wt h my Care & service
Ile study to preserve you such
Bell:
well answerd
Come follow mee, wee'l instantlie to Court
& take my guesse alonge
Cha:
they waite you madam.
Exeunt
Enter Charles, Orleans, Philamore, and Lafort·
Charles:
What sollitude does dwell about or Court
Whie this dull entertainemt, haue I marchd
victorious through Italie, enterd Rome
like a trivmphant Conqueror, sett my foote
vppon the neck of fflorence, tamd the pride
o«f t[OMITTED] v neti[OMITTED]» scourgd those petty Tyrants
«[OMITTED]d»en of the world to bee
[OMITTED]me nay my howse neglected
[OMITTED] the Courtiers would appeare
[OMITTED]fore they presumd
[OMITTED]the ladies sir
[OMITTED]had tyme'
[OMITTED]ke choyce
6
heere they Come
Ladies
all happines to yor mat i e
Courtiers
& victorie sitt euer on yor sword
Charles
our thanks to all
but wherefore Come you in devided troopes
as if the mistresses would not accept
theire servants guardship, or the servants slighted
refuse to offer it, you all weare sad lookes
in Perigot appears not that blunt mirth
wc h his face vsd to promise on montrosse
there hanges a heavie dulness [Clarindor] Claremond
droopes euen to death, and Clarindore hath lost
much of his sharpnes, nay theis ladys to
whose sparklinge eyes did vse to fyer the Court
wt h various inventions of delight
pert e wt h theire splendor, whats the cause, from whence
proceeds this alteration·
Peri:
i am trobled
wt h the toothach or wt h loue I know not whether
there is a worme in both
Clarind:
it is their pride
Bell:
or your unworthines
Cleremo:
the honor that
the ffrench dames held for Curtesie aboue
all Ladies of the earth dwells not in theis
that glorie in theire Cruelty
Leo:
the desert
the Chevaleers of ffraunce weare trulie lords of
& wc h yor grandsires really did possesse
at noe part you inheritt
Bell:
ere they durst
presume to offer service to a lady
in person they performd some gallant acts
the fame of wc h prepard them gratious hearinge
ere they made there approches, what coy shee then
tho greate in birth not to bee paralelld
for natures liberall bounties both sett of
7
gladly acknowledgd such a man her servant
to whose heroicque courage & deepe wisdome
the florishinge Comon wealth, & thankfull kinge
Confessd themselues for debtors whereas now
yf you haue travelld Italie & brought home
some remnants of the language & Can sett
yor faces in some strange, & nere seene posture
daunce a lavolto, & bee rude & sawcy
protest & sweare & dam, (for theis are arts
that most think grace them) & then view yorselues
in the deceavinge mirror of self loue
you doe Conclude theire hardlie is a woman·
that Can bee worthie of you
Mont:/
wee would graunt
wee are not equall to or ancestors
in noble vndertakinges, yf we thought
in us a free Confession would perswade you
not to deny yor owne most wilfull errors
& where you tax vs for vnactive lady
I never knew a souldier yet that Could
arive into yor favor wee may suffer
the winters frost, & scorchinge summers [sum] heate
when the hott lyons breath singeth the feilds
to seeke out victorie yet at our retorne
tho honord in or manly wounds well tak[OMITTED]
you saie they doe deforme vs, & the l«o[OMITTED]»
of much blood that waie renders vs [OMITTED]
to please you in yor Chambers
Clarindore:
I must speake
a little in the generall cause yo[OMITTED]
are charmes [OMITTED]at doe inch[OMITTED]
[OMITTED]
8
in wc h to [striv] struggle or strive to breake out
increases the captivitie, neuer Circe
sated wt h such shee purposd to transfarme
or Cuninge Siren for whose fatall musique
naught but the hearers death Could satisfie
knew lesse of pitty, nay I dare goe farther
& iustifie yor mat y hath lost
more resolute & braue Coragious sperrits
in this same dull & languishinge fight of loue
then ere yor warrs tooke from you
Charles:
noe reply
this is a Cause wee will deterrmyne of
& suddainely redresse tam'd Italie
wt h feare Confesses mee a war[lick] like kinge
& ffraunce shall boaste I am a prince of loue
shall wee that keepe perpetuall paliamts
for petty suits or the least iniury
offerd the goods or bodies of or subiects
not studie a Cure for the sicknes of the mind/
whose venemous Contagion hath infected
our brauest servants & the Choycest bewties
or Court is proud of, theis are wounds require
a kingelie surgion, & the honor worthie
by vs to bee accepted
Phi:
it would ad
to the rest of yr greate actions
Lafort:
but the meanes
most difficult I feare
Cha:
you shall doe more sir
yf you performe this, then I erecould reade
the sonnes of saturne that by lott devided
the gouermt of the ayre the sea & hell
had sperit to vndertake
Charles:
whie this more fires mee
& now pertake of my designe wt h speede
erect a place of Iustice neere the Court
wc h weel haue stild the parliamt of loue
heere such whose humble service not Considerd
by theire [fr] proud mistresses freely may complaine
& shall haue hearinge & redresse
Novall:
oh rare
9
I like this well
Charles:
& ladies that are wrongd
by such as doe professe them selues theire servants
may Cite them heather & theire Cause deliuerd
or by theire owne tongues or feed advocates
find suddaine satisfaction
Novall:
what a rascall was I
to leaue the law, I might haue had
Clyents & Clyents nere was such a tyme
for anie smoth Chind advocate
Peri:
they will gett the start
of the ladies spruce phisitians starue theire Chaplaines
tho never so well [ty] tymberd
Charles:
tis or will
nor shall it bee disputed of this Court
or rather sanctuarie of poore louers
my lords of Oleans & Nemures assisted
by the messeures Philamor & Lafort are Iudges
you haue worne Venus Cullers from yor youth
& Cannot therefore but bee sencible
of all her misteries, what you shall determyne
in the waie of pennance punishmt or reward
sha[OMITTED]thenticall, a moneth Wee graunt you
[OMITTED] r soft amors, wc h expird
[OMITTED]yor Complaints & bee assurd
«[OMITTED]t»iall hearinge, this determynd
[OMITTED]affaires
Exeunts·
[OMITTED] Primi
| The Parliament of Love | |