University of Virginia Library

Scena . 2 .

Enter Locuples, wth a purse in his hand, wth dorotea hastinge frō him & he violently holdinge her:
Loc:
Good dorotea looke vpon thy slaue
thy liueles seruant yf thou giue not lyfe.

Doro:
Yf I be good why tempt you me to yll?
was I made good of purpose to be yll?
shall I dislodge my husband, to receaue
a [brothell—] spurious stranger, an adulterate villaine
Thinke you, your golden keye shall picke the locke
of my vnspotted honour:? heauns forbid.

Ad:
aside
The heauens forbid: good woman what a storme
dost thou endure by that base miscreant?

Locu:
Consider dorotea thou art poore
& what's a woman when she wanteth meanes?
the goodlyist flower wantinge moysture dyes,
yf beautie want preseruatiues yt flyes,
& fades awaye like grasse, in morninge [seene] greene.
at euen Cutt downe & no [more] where to be seene

doro:
Hence holy deuill, Cease to vexe that soule[s]
that scornes to yeild to importunities.
ys want so insupportable a loade,
that yt must Cause subiection vnto yll,?
or ys my want so greate, that I must needes
depraue my selfe to liue in luxurie?
Ile rather teare that beauty from my face,
wch you so much adore, then Ile Com̄itt
my Ermine-white to be defilde wth durt.
leaue of your diuelish importunities,
your golden offers, your incessant suite,
solicitations are alike to me
as water to the sea: to tell you playne
the more you sue, the more you sue in vayne./.

Loc:
What Dorotea so inflexible,
that neyther wordes, nor vowes, nor gold Canne moue thee?
women by nature are of softer mold,
are more indulgent, & more prone to loue.
thy sanctitie seemes more perverse then pure,
& savours more of selfe opinion,
then good devotion: doth thy booke forbid
lawfull & pleasant recreations,?
to liue seclusiue from all Companies?
to lead so strict a lyfe, not once to view
the inside of a tauerne? fye for shame,
rouze vp thy selfe: what getst thou but the name,
of hipocrite, dissembler, such an one
as might liue well & will not,: thinke you doll
that gold ys such base mettall, to be offerd,
& not receaved: I haue offerd twyse
doe not refuse, Ile neuer offer thryse.

doro:
When next [you] thou offerst, may [your] thy hand rott of
from that vnhallowed trunke of stinkinge earth:
diuell of man, damnd fiend of Erebus,
more vgly in my sight, then vgliest toade,
I sweare by th'immortalitie of my soule
weare I vpon the pinbancke, racke, or wheele,
to suffer torture, I would suffer more,
then euer Nero did or Could inflict,
agaynst the foulste delinquent, then once yeild
to such a villaine, such a sordid slaue,
such a debauched miscreant, such a one,
as rather meritts sulphur, aconite,
the gallowes, or the racke, then foode or rayment,
to feede and Cloth him: therefore sirra packe,
packe hence thou horrid monster, yf thou speake
Ile Cry a rape, & sweare yt:

Lo:
Ile be gone.
now will I marry: by the lord I thought
all women had beene false: at least I tooke
the seamens wyues for such: but here I begge
a gracious pardon for my bad opinion:
my sword & word shall witnes duringe lyfe,
no Chaster woman, then [a] this sea-mans wyfe./.

exit.
dor./
In what a world of doubts, distractions, feares,
doe women liue that would liue honestly?
O you Cælestiall guards, watch ore, & keepe
your silly handmayd, girt her with a wall
of adamantine fayth, agaynst the shocke
& furious darts of lustfull Combitantes.
the fayrest Cittie is demolished
by the Contynuance of a bloodie siege.
the loftiest towers are layd as lowe as earth
by the assiduall thundringe of the Cannon.
the strongest fayth that euer mortall had
hath shakte & totterd through temptation.
and what am I wthout [your] the influence
of your spirituall ayde to hold me vp?
O be propitious to my good [en]intentes
yee powers divine. by you I stand or fall.
this feeble Carkas, like a sturdie rocke
hath yet wthstood the furious waues of lust,
the scalinge ladders of my fierie foes
Could neuer yet ascend the parapett,
of my Chast thoughts, & hope they neuer shall.
this sordid fellow, thus shakte of (I hope)
will make all others hopeles, to obtayne.
Yf not, I am preparde: nor weale, nor woe
shall make me yeild, good women let me [Craue] haue
your [aff[illeg.]es] reard vp hands for helpe that's [the] all I Craue.

exit.
Ad:
Thou shalt haue mine (good soule) as well as theyrs
thou that art able to repell, wthstand,
such fierce assautes, golden temptations,
art surely more then woman: beautie that wantes
honest [attendace] attendance is meere Counterfayte.

Ent: Ser:
My Lo there are some Coaches standinge at the gate
I thinke theyr masters are not farre from hence.

Ad.
In gods name let them Come.