University of Virginia Library

Scena tertia.

Enter Collonna and Lucinda.
Luc.
Pray you sir why was the Ordnance of the Fort
Discharg'd so sodainly?

Col.
Twas the Governours pleasure,
In honour of the Dane, a custome us'd,
To speake a Souldiers welcome.

Luc.
Tis a fit one:
But is my Master here too?

Col.
Three daies since.

Luc.
Might I demand without offence, so much,
Is't pride in him (however now a slave)
That I am not admitted to his presence?

Col.
His curtesie to you, and to mankind
May easily resolve you, he is free
From that poore vice which onely empty men
Esteem a vertue.

Luc.
What's the reason then,
As you imagine, sir?

Col.
Why I will tell you;
You are a woman of a tempting beauty,
And he, however vertuous, as a man
Subject to humane frailties; and how far
They may prevaile upon him, should he see you,
He is not ignorant: and therefore chooses,
With care t'avoyd the cause that may produce
Some strange effect, which wil not well keep ranck
With the rare temperance, which is admired
In his life hitherto.

Luc.
This much increases
My strong desire to see him.

Col.
It should rather
Teach you to thank the Prophet that you worship,
That you are such a mans, who though he may
Do any thing which youth and heat of blood
Invites him to, yet dares not give way to them:
Your entertainment's Noble, and not like
Your present fortune; and if all those teares
Which made grief lovely in you, in the relation
Of the sad story, that forc'd me to weep too,
Your husbands hard fate were not counterfeit;
You should rejoyce that you have means to pay
A chast life to his memory, and bring to him
Those sweets, which while he liv'd he could not taste of:
But if you wantonly bestow them on
Another man, you offer violence
To him, though dead; and his griev'd spirit will suffer
For your immodest loosnesse.

Luc.
Why, I hope sir,
My willingnesse to looke on him, to whom
I owe my life and service, is no proofe
Of any unchast purpose.

Col.
So I wish too,
And in the confidence it is not, Lady,
I dare the better tell you he will see you
This night, in which by him I am commanded,
To bring you to his chamber; to what end
I easily should guesse, were I Miranda;
And therefore, though I can yeild liitle reason,
(But in a generall love to womens goodnesse)
Why I should be so tender of your honour,
I willingly would bestow some counsaile of you,
And would you follow it?

Luc.
Let me first heare it,
And then I can resolve you.

Col.
My advice then
Is, that you would not, (as most Ladies use
When they prepare themselves for such encounters)
Study to adde, by artificiall dressings
To native excellence; yours (without help)
But seen as it is now, would make a Hermit
Leave his deaths head, & change his after hopes
Of endlesse comforts for a few short minutes
Of present pleasures; to prevent which, Lady,
Practice to take away from your perfections,
And to preserve your chastity unstain'd,
The most deform'd shape that you can put on,
To cloud your bodies faire gifts, or your minds,
(It being laboured to so chaste an end)
Will prove the fairest ornament.

Luc.
To take from
The workmanship of Heaven, is an offence
As great, as to endeavour to adde to it;
Of which Ile not be guilty: Chastity
That lodges in deformity, appeares rather
A mulct impos'd by nature, then a blessing;
And tis commendable onely when it conquers,
Though nere so oft assaulted, in resistance:
For me, Ile therefore so dispose my selfe,
That if I hold out, it shall be with honour;
Or if I yeeld, Miranda shall finde something
To make him love his victory.

Exit.
Col.
With what cunning
This woman argues for her own damnation?
Nor should I hold it for a miracle,
Since they are all born Sophisters, to maintaine
That lust is lawfull, and the end and use
Of their creation: would I never had
Hop'd better of her; or could not believe,
Though seen the ruine, I must ever grieve.

Exit.