 | The Fool Would be a Favourit : Or, the Discreet Lover |  |
Actus primus.
Enter Aurelia and a Servant.Aur.
Can the Prince Philanthus, my cosen, look so far
beneath himself, as on my servant.
Ser.
Madam, believe me, he makes love to her daily,
and now they are together in the Garden.
Aur.
If this be true, as I begin to fear, for I have
heard him make some desperate protestations; yet, by
the stronger Magick of this brow, I'le break those Spells
that hold him; these Eyes, which have to all that sued
been clad in frownes, shall, for his sake, receive all the
additions, that a womans art can give, to make them
Victors. He shall not cast away himselfe, nor spend a
cosen him, making him think, that I will daigne to
love, hee'l hate himselfe, and flie so mean a Mistresse.
I'l see, if they be still together.
[Exeunt.]
Enter Philanthus and Miranthe.
Mir.
I see the Princess comming.
Phil.
The better. Injure not so much your own merit,
To misdoubt the truth of what I say; and if you fear
A change, I'le call the gods to witnesse.
Enter Aurelia, and Servant.
Mir.
Good my young Lord, spare your rash inconsiderate oaths,
Which you would be content to buy again at any rate,
Within this month.
Aur.
Crafty Wench, she sees us.
Mir.
You must not think, that I will lay my selfe
Open to your courtship thus alone, it was
By accident you met me, pray let go.
Phil.
Will you then leave me?
Aur.
How now, Cosen, making love to Miranthe?
Phil.
Madam, I should be glad to gain her good opinion.
Aur.
Cousen, I hope the Court has not infected you
as yet. Will you dissemble with me your friend, or no,
if I should seriously ask you a question?
Phil.
Madam, if I already know that vice you name,
My I or No, will be but small assurance.
Aur.
yet I dare trust you. Love you Miranthe earnest?
Why do I ask? I do not think you yet know what love means.
Phil.
Not what it is, I would I did not.
I see you do, that sigh approves it.
And, Miranthe, you love entirely.
Phil.
Admit I grant.
[Exeunt Miran. & Ser.]
Aur.
Leave us a little. Then you must grant withall,
That you much injure your self; for you are equall
To the greatest in your blood; to say, your minde
Or person's lovly, is a truth, befits some other
Better then my selfe to speak. Yet friendship,
And pitty of your youth, to see you ignorantly offer your devotions
To so poor a Saint, whose influence, though ne'r so favourable,
Cannot protect you from a generall scorn forces me
To tell you, you will be counted of a low spirit,
Or wondrous ignorant, in loving Miranthe,
Your birth being so far above hers.
Phil.
Madam, 'tis true, that being descended from your house,
I should have as just reason to be proud in that respect, as any:
But, being otherwise defective in those things,
Which I could not receive from Ancestours, my mind and manners;
Wonder not, that like a bastard Eaglet, I refuse to look upon
The Sun-bright Beauties of the Court. Yet, Madam,
You must think, in her I lord there's something,
Though perhaps not obvious to your eyes,
That to me renders her lovely.
Aur.
'Tis true, shee's a good Wench, perhaps her vertue takes you.
Phil.
Madam, I know you do not sleight that in others,
Though in her you do; shee's your servant and you say,
She's my Mistresse, and Vertue should be Mistresse to us all.
as to say, If she be more vertuous then the fairest
Lady living, I ought to love her best.
Aur.
Yes, if you could be married to her vertues, not to her person;
For six pence I'le buy a Book, shall more instruct you in that way.
But think you, Cosen, Vertue and Beauty may not dwell together.
I am accounted fair; wherein have I appeared to you
Lesse vertuous than Miranthe?
Phil.
In nothing, Madam, rather the wonder of your sex.
Aur.
Cousen, believe me, there are many in the Court, that exceed
Me in both. Let me perswade you leave Miranthe rather
for your Man to woe, and dedicate your worthier services
to some of those that I shall name you.
Phil.
Madam, you perswade strongly, for I rely upon your counsell
As an Oracle But think you, I have handsomess or wit.
To make me acceptable to a fair Lady?
Aur.
Yes doubtlesse.
Phil.
I fear you say it only, to draw me from my Mistress.
But swear, you think me worthy.
Aur.
As I live I do.
Phil.
Well, Madam, you have perswaded me to be unconstant;
If there be a punishment, may't light on you:
Or, if I fail to gain a Mistress, you must promise
To instruct me; for, whom you'l please to name
As worthy, I'le make love to tell you all my discourse,
And shew you all my Letters.
Aur.
Must you needs be in Love, it seems you have
your study, I shall fit you with a Mistresse.
Phil.
Faith, Madam, they live such pleasant lives in those books,
Kissing their Mistresses hands, and looking on their fair eyes,
That I have envied them.
Aur.
Your imagination's very strong, you begin with me.
I must provide a Mistress for you very shortly,
I shall be troubled with you else my self.
Exeunt.
Enter two Courtiers.
1.
Trust to my skill thus far, I have wrought him handsomly
2.
My part is onely, to be ready to entertain you.
1.
No more.
2.
Fare-well then.
Exit.
1.
Fare-well. Let me alone to fit him here in the
Country to the business, th'ass is rich, his father more
fool then he, doting upon his sons believed perfections—
Here comes the old fool.
Enter old Gudgen.
O. Gud.
Good-morrow Mr. Courtier, you'r late a
-rising; you should have seen my son, your scholler,
break halfe a dosen staves else, as gratiously, as ere a
poor mans son in Milain, and for Cut, black Cut.
1.
Indeed hee's a good sober beast.
O. Gud.
Very quick, he starts before you can tell
twenty; first does he trot, but then stand; I have the
barrier thus with my whip aloft, and when he comes,
flash quoth I, away goes Cut so fast, you cannot see him
move, then does he stop most willingly.
1.
He does indeed.
And turnes about with great 'liberation
and 'gillity, but old Roane what say you to him, there
a hot Jade indeed, as like my son as can be, firy and
full of mettall, and here comes the grace of our
Country, though I say't.
Enter young Gudgen and Man.
Y. Gud.
Luckey, poulcroone, look to my Roane
Jennet, let him allay his fury in thy hand, before he
fet his hoof within the stable, and shouldst thou let him
drinke, thou diest as I am generous.
Man.
Saving your young worships pleasure; he
had more need be set up, and have a peck of grains,
heel ne're be able to plow to morrow else.
Y. Gud.
Peasant, I say let him allay his heat, and for
the plow thou talkest on, I will have thee know this
mornings service hath manumiz'd him from such base
employments.
O. Gudg.
How Son, whats that?
Y. Gud.
I must speak plaine to his dull understanding,
oh torment! let it suffice that Roane is free from
service of the plow or harrow.
Man.
I your worship I am sure hath harrow'd all
the flesh off his back, a little rest and meat will do well,
Sir.
Y. Gud.
Another word, and as I hope to be a Gentleman,
Ile make him feed on thee.
Man.
Good your worship.
Y. Gud.
Nay worse, thou shalt not wait upon me
to our Court of Milan.
O. Gud.
'Tis his care, Son you must forgive him.
Y. Gud.
Live then; and thank this aged Nobleman.
O. Gud.
Oh hopefull boy, hee may be one indeed
Sir may he not.
1.
Yes yes?
O. Gud.
'Tis no matter though I be a yeoman still.
No no, there will be no great indecorum in it.
O. Gud.
I, as you say 'twere well I were a'the coram,
and so I will when my son's a Lord.
Enter a Taylor.
Y. Gud.
How my cloaths not made yet! let me perish,
if I do not revenge the blood of all the innocent
lice, since the first Taylor.
Tay.
I beseech your worship, you know I wanted,
and you promist to let me have some money before
hand.
Y. Gud.
How Taylor! money before hand? dost thou
not know I am to be a Courtier, thou ignorant Country
vermine, can there be hope to prosper in a suite paid
thee for, before hand.
1.
No tis unpossible you would appeare a prodigie
Y. Gud.
A prodigie; thats fine ifaith, nay I will pay
aforehand then, and be a prodigie; if that be all my
man to, he shall be a prodigie.
Man.
I thank your worship.
Enter Dancer.
Y. Gud.
Master of the Dance and Fence you have
been long a comming.
Dancer.
Your worship knowes tis two long mile
and I came but softly, I must be more carefull of my
leggs then another man.
Y. Gud.
Why so man, thou makest new ones every day.
Dance.
I Sir but I make them with my leggs, and
every trades man will preserve his tools.
Man.
Or else his wife will Chide him when he
comes home.
Enter Singer.
Y. Gud.
Ha, ha, ha, him sol, sol fa, fa.
Sing.
I am glad to hear your worship so carefull
of my documents, use a voyce, and have a voyce.
Y. Gud.
Come come shall we to't?
1.
Sir 'twere best to day you only us'd your martiall
Y. Gud.
You say true, first I will learne to fight, and
then to make my approaches to the Ladies: if they refuse
to yield to my Courtship,
Ile compell them by force of Armes.
1.
How ravish them, prove a Tarquine?
Y. Gud.
I, ten Tarquines, what shall they contend
with me?
Man.
By my faith, I will take your worships part.
Y. Gud.
Shee that shall oppose me had better come
on Master of the Noble science, behold thy scholle
does thus confront thee.
Dan.
Stay Sir you are too furious, first you must
marke your distance.
O. Gud.
I but sonne, you lost your opportunity;
I have seen the time I would not have fail'd to pai'd
him o're the nodel, at such a vantage.
Y. Gud.
How take upon you to teach me, goe to,
you'r an old busie fool, but, lets see what you can
doe, come on your waies.
O. Gud.
Alas sonne, I am old, threescore.
Y. Gud.
I know you might have been my father,
but I have seen a wiser at thirty, come on Sir.
O. Gud.
Nay Son.
Y. Gud.
Take 'em, I charge you as you expect my
favour, Ile let you see the fence is alter'd since your
sword and buckler time.
Tay.
I have an itching to him.
1.
Sir your Father's old, you'l kill him.
Y. Gud.
'Tis no matter, I shall not be asham'd on
him when I am a Lord.
1.
Faith Sir, play with your Tayler, hee's a great
mind too't.
Y. Gud.
Has he, come on Sir shred, dare you adventer,
the third part of a man to encounter; dost thou
know what thou dost, I am a prodigie.
I Sir, but I must help to make you so: one bout
sir, and it were at Cudgels, I durst venter the making
of your worships cloaths.
Y. Gud.
Oh base Cudgels, I will kill that lowse
that sits upon thy ninth button.
Tay.
Well sir.
They Play.
Y. Gud.
Oh Rogue do you offer to strike, and then
to thrust against the Order of fence, this 'tis to play
with ignorance.
1.
'Tis true sir, I wonder you would doo't.
Tay.
I know the blow could not be great, alas I am
but a louse, a shred at the most, Sir, but the third part
of a man.
1.
Away, you are saucie.
Tay.
Will please your worship to let me have something
before hand.
Y. Gud.
A pox on thee, thou hast given me too
much.
Tay.
Truly sir, it was against my will, I did not
think it possible I could have hit your skilful worship,
wilt please your worship try another bout?
Y. Gud.
No prithee.
1.
A pox a these Marshall Exercises,
Lets to the City, Dance, Drinke, Whore, and Dice,
These are the vertues, fighting is a vice.
[Exeunt.
Enter Adrastus.
Adra.
Oh inconstant Aurelia, but women must be women still,
Changing though for the worst: for wherein can Philanthus be justly pris'd before me; hee's young
And unexperienc'd, so cannot serve her with that waryness
He ought considering her Birth, sure she cannot love him, oh yes she does, she does, it is apparent.
Enter Philanthus and Aurelia.
Ile marke their actions, tho I cannot heare.
Phi.
Maddam do not refuse to instruct me your scholler.
But heare in what language I am able to deliver
My affection in, and give such an answer as you think
Adrastus sister will do, whom you have
appointed me to make love to.
Aur.
I will,
Phi.
Faire Aurelia.
Aur,
Her name's Lucinda.
Phi.
Maddam you know that all one, but is th'at-tribute of Faire sufficient.
Aur.
Tis old and foolish either to say, faire or vertuous.
Or maddam, mistris, or goddesse, or Divine Lady
Sweete Creature, or abstract, or indeede
Any thing that way.
Phi.
Then thus, If the respect I beare your had been lesse,
Or that after the tender of my loyall heart,
And your refusall of it, I could have liv'd,
To enjoy your sight I had long ere this
Made my love known, but since the
Manifestation of your disdaine and my death are
Inseparable accidents, wonder not that I
Have lost so many opportunities to tell you.
For all Creatures have a desire to preserve life:
And now I see my last period approaching.
For in your heavenly eyes I read the sentence of my death,
As plaine as if the book of fate lay open to me.
You'r are the book of fate in two respects,
To all that see and know you as I do.
If they love you not, their ignorance transformes
Them into beasts, a worse Condition for a man
Then not to be at all hope cannot foole me further,
Then only make me to believe, that since
I have some interest in your blood youl shed a teare,
To witnes that you greeve my ruine.
Aur.
May I perish, if you have not delivered this with as much passion.
As if Lucinda for whom this speech was fram'd,
Had beene before you, but how shall shee conceave
That where you speak of interest in her blood?
Are you akine to her?
Phi.
When you have answered in her person; for that,
I shall resolve You.
Aur.
Well if your affection were thus violent as you pretend,
I cannot but acknowledge that the consideration of it
Were sufficient to move pitty in any woman,
That did allow the follies of protesting lover's.
But for my part I have ever laugh'd at those,
Who hop'd to gaine love by the manifestation
Of their sufferings, and therefore had you profest lesse
Till you had made your merits appeare greater,
It would have mov'd me more: when I shall see
That in you which I asmuch covet to enjoy,
As it seemes you do now something in me.
Then which an equality of affection we shall
Meet without all these sophisticated protestations,
And not before: for as you pursue that which you think
Would be your happinesse, so do I mine.
Which I am sure consists in my freedome
From the follies of Love.
Phi.
Tis even so, you have delivered nothing but what I expected.
Is quickly to remove out of the world.
One whom you so much contemn.
Aur.
Philanthus, would you take this way
Offers to kill himselfe.
To assure your mistris of your affection?
Phi.
No other wayes then by my death after the assurance of her disdaine.
Aur.
P'shew, you must not despair for the first deniall.
Our hearts and tongues do not alwayes agree.
And because I am to instruct you to gaine your mistris,
Ile discover some part of womens disposition, to you;
Tho it be to our disadvantage.
Phi.
Maddam you shall infinitely oblige me.
Aur.
First there's few of us what ere we seeme,
But are content to be belov'd by all that see us.
And those who are of birth may expresse love,
In their actions without offence, tho nere so many.
But he that comes to tell his mistris in words he loves, her,
Had need be first assur'd that shee beleeves
That he hath worth enough to gaine a mistris
Equall to her self in merits, should he make
Tender of his love else where: for when an other
Would receave that which is offer'd it does approve
The valew of the guift, and setts the giver
Free from scorne.
Phi.
Maddam for this I thanke you, but more I beseech you.
Aur.
I will, it may be you beleeve you could not more
Oblige your mistris to respect you then by giving
Her assurance of many oaths that you can never love
Any other Lady, tho shee should much neglect you.
Phi.
Maddam, I do.
Aur.
I thought so, marke a generall errour: whatsoere,
In opinion, for we are still in pursuit
Of new and difficult things to attaine: yet it is
As great a greefe to us if our prisoners.
Should undo their chaines as 'tis contentment
To enthrall a new one and make another.
Womans servant ours, pleases above thought,
Because it is a testimony of our great vertue
And merit that drew him.
Phi.
The Change may grow as well from his inconstancy,
As Judgement in discerning the worthier.
Aure.
At least he will add one to the number, and multiplying
Is the art most women study that are faire.
Aur.
Are all so? Maddam; are you so?
Phi.
I did not tel you I would give you my particular
Character, 'twas the generall I spake.
Phi.
Maddam, I take it for granted, you are not such.
For these you name, are faculty in their humours.
And therefore you being singular deserve more love,
Which trust me maddam I must pay to You.
Not to Lucinda what ere I have seem'd.
Nor ever lov'd I Miranthe.
Aur.
How Philanthus?
Phi.
Maddam, tis true by all that can be sworne by.
That I only love Aurelia now, but how long.
It will continew, if shee neglect me, that I cannot tell.
Aure.
This is fine Jugling, do you make me discover
The weaknes of our sex, and then assault my selfe.
I hate you, hence from my sight.
Phi.
Maddam, I do not believe you, you told me your self.
That womens hearts and tongues do not alwayes agree.
Aur.
But I told you withall I spoke not of my selfe.
Which you then made the argument of your love.
Therefore you must beleeve me when I say I hate you.
Phi.
Yes when I do beleeve that, I deserve it.
You swore you thought me worthy when you went about
To perswade me from Miranthe, which assurance you
Said was necessarie before the verball protestation
Of affection, and feare not that you shall be too assur'd
That I esteeme you, for I, according to your owne rule
Will cease to love you when you use me ill.
Aur.
Of which assure your self, for you have offended me much.
I much above expression, pray leave me to my self.
Phi.
Maddam I will, but for my owne advantage.
For when I am gon, you cannot choose but consider,
That my merit to your words is equall to the best.
Deserver, henceforth I will not wo in words but action.
And if you love, each thought is of my faction.
Exit.
Adra.
Blest opportunity.
Aur.
T'is well, this troubles me; yet sure it cannot much displease me.
For who in Philanthus can find the least defect?
When I perswaded him not to love Miranthe,
And thought it was a friendly care, I was deceav'd.
Sure then I lov'd, it could not grow thus in an instant.
How in an instant, do I love him then? no no.
Enter Adrastus.
I do not; yet it would trouble me to see him love another
Adrastus. I shall be troubled then.
Adra.
Maddam excuse me that I interrupt your privacie
Forc'd by the violence of my passion, for when I shall be once.
There shall be nothing able to keep me
From sudden death; not your command,
Aur.
Adrastus, what ist troubles you?
Adra.
Ist possible that you can aske me?
Aur.
You see I do.
Adra.
Maddam, you know how intirely I gave my selfe,
Reserving no facultie of mind or body, to be imploy'd
Other wayes then by your Discretions, nor dare I say
I yet repent, tho I see another ready to reape
The fruit of my labors, 'tis Philanthus happy Philanthus
Whoe's the more fortunat in that hees not above me in merit,
In affection far beneath me, nor should I greeve,
To see him happy, were he not raisd upon my ruines.
But I must say to hope to see him one day forsaken
Like my self: oh no I dare not, sure this change proceeds
From some defect in me which you beleeve
You have found, and not from your inconstancy.
Aur.
Adrastus, the knowledge which I have had of your actions towards me,
And my owne beauty, assur'd me that your lov'd.
But that my Courtesie had bred a beleefe in you,
That I desired you should do so, till now, I knew not of
Henceforward I shall set a remedy to that: For Philanthus
Being rais'd upon your ruins, tis a building of your fancy only.
But trust me tis strange you should be Jelous of what your nere
Possest: but you beleeved you did, that was sufficient.
From this time know to value me and your self.
I held of your judgment, which by this rashnesse you have lost.
Exit
Abra.
Lost, even so I am contemned, is this the ward
Of all my services, all my fair hopes
Thus blasted? This Philanthus was born to ruine me
In all attempts of war and peace, he robs me of prize,
What ere she seemed, till Philanthus supplanted me
My services were most acceptable.
I had not else forsook Miranthe for her, and well
I know, shee's even with me already,
Furthering Philanthus, my Rivall, in his affection.
Now I must look
For nought but scorns from Aurelia. Could I ruine Philanthus
Yet with my selfe, 'twere some content; umh,
The way to do it, is, to continue the seeming friendship
Which I bear him, so shall my plot be carried free
From suspicion: Hee's of an open heart,
And such natures are easie to work on.
The Politician, when he huggs, does strike:
Rivalls in Love and State, will do alike.
Exit
| The Fool Would be a Favourit : Or, the Discreet Lover | |