 | The Two Noble Ladies |  |
Sce. 2.
Enter Bloud and Caro.Bloud.
Come my faire Caro, thou shalt bee my Hero, and Ile bee
thy Leander.
Caro.
Ile crosse the story, then my dearest Bloud, [and where]
and where Leander swoom̄ the Hellespont
to come to Hero, I will swim a sea
to meet with thee.
Bloud.
Why thou art fflesh, and I am Bloud, we cannot be divorced
without death to both: for flesh and bloud can not beare it.
(all of the race of Ptolomie the great,
and by my mother I descended am
from Tomiris the [valiant] conquering Queen of Scythia.)
If Caro match with Bloud, she matches into honour,
and shall in Egypts court be dignified,
and through great Memphis in a chariot ride.
Caro.
Now by my frayltie (loue) I sweare, no life likes mee but
the courtiers, it is so full of ease and pleasure; which the
flesh desires aboue all things. your churlish souldier when
hee woes mee, me thincks his very lookes scarre me
all ouer, and fright me out of loues delight.
Enter Sinew and
Cantharides
and see
where such a fellow comes. [lets not looke at him]
lets not looke at him.
Sinew.
[Sinew.]
Honey, and roses, Mr
s. Caro.
Cantharides claws Caro.
Bloud.
Wormwood, and assafætida, Mr. Sinew. she cannot intend to heare you[OMITTED]
Caro.
Stay; what would you with mee sir?
Bloud.
Haue you a flout ready for him? too him iffaith, and Ile second yo«u[OMITTED]»
Sinew.
(asside to h[OMITTED])
You know I loue you, loue you faithfully.
(asside ... )
My fancie alters strangely on a suddain.
( ... asside.)
Sir, I confesse I haue much wrong'd your faithfull loue.
ffie courtier, you smell so sweet of muske, that my head akes
with it: such sweets are nought for the mother, and that's a
disease I am subiect to. There was one flout, will you
second it?
Bloud.
(asside to her.)
Life of mee; but you must explayne your selfe, hee'l thincke
you flout mee els.
Caro.
Why that I will. Noble Sinew, I could plucke out my too too
credulous eies, that persuaded me to preferre a courtier
before a souldier. why now you stand together, the grossnesse
of my error is apparant. you haue a manly forme, this
when the leaues of his bravery is of, is but a crooked crab stocke.
a thing that had had no being but for the mercie of a credulous
mercer, and an vnpay'd taylor, who weare the good beares
that lick'd him into fashion.
Bloud.
How's this, how's this?
Sinew.
Will you yet loue mee then?
Take here my hand, while on this booke I vow
No man aliue shall haue my loue but thou.
Kisse.
Sinew.
welcome sweet Caro. Sinew shall giue both sense and motion
to all thy delight, while in my marshiall armes I thus immure
thee, and boldly bid defiance to him that dares offer to take thee from mee.
Enter Barebones stands beholding Caro.
Bloud.
But Mr
s. Caro, is this seeming change of yours reall and substantiall
or is it but in mirth?
Caro.
If you can make mirth of it, you are the wiser: but I assure you
this action of myne is reall and substantiall. A courtier is but
banqueting stuffe to wanton withall when the belly is full. a Souldier
is good strong lasting diet, a woman may feed hartyly on't and
neuer surfet.
Bloud.
To [match without][refuse] bloud [in marriage] is to match out of gentry. will you marry
so basely?
Caro.
O sir, Bloud without fat makes leane puddings: and gentry
without money is not halfe so good as rich yomandrie.
[Bloud.], Sinew.
Hee that stands looking on his meate, and will not eate it while it is
warme, deserv's to haue his trencher shifted, and to be content
with a cold bit, or els fast and welcome.
Bloud.
Well I'le be reveng'd: and Souldier though I haue no skill in
boystrous busslyng; know that I being a courtier can finde a
tricke to stop a souldiers pay, and keep him bare enough. then
when the warres are done, you may either steale and be hang'd,
or beg, and be whipt for a rogue. And as for you wethercocke,
I shall—
Sinew.
Sirrah, I haue with contempt borne the battery of your tongue
against mee, but if you shoot out [but] one sillable in disgrace
of my loue, Ile play the surgeon, and with this lancet let out
your wilde bloud.
Caro.
Nay, let him alone my loue; I minde him not.
Barebones.
O delicate Caro! O dull pated Barebones! what an asse was
I to help another to such a daynty morsell, and let my selfe fast
that haue as good a stomach as hee. has not Barebones as
much need of fflesh, as any Sinew in the world? Yes, and I will
Sinew.
Bloud, me thinckes you looke as you weare enflam'd.
They whisper.
get you a cooling iulep. Come Caro, let vs to the temple, and there
consum̄ate our ioys.
Cantharides claws her.
Caro.
With thee I will goe any whither.
ha! stay a little.
fixes her eie on Barebones.
Barebones.
O that a poore scholler might haue had leaue to read Tully's
loue in such a faire printe. I should then haue lou'd my booke
better then my meate.
Sinew.
I Barebones, she is faire indeed, tha[t]ncke heau'ns goodnesse; and
she is myne now, thancke thy kindenesse.
Caro.
Thyne! learning forbid it. Sir, if your wish be harty, I
willingly will be your booke: vnclaspe mee, turne me ore,
and reade mee till you are weary; then doe as schollers vse;
rest a while, and too't againe: I will be none but yours.
Barebones.
Then In speech shall com̄end you, the merry moods and tenses
shall attend you, the qui's and quæ's and quod's shall [attend you] bee at
your [service] com̄aund. And I my selfe will serve you as long as I
can stand.
Sinew.
O the Devill!
(asside.)
will she change againe?
Sinew.
But are you constant in this vnconstancie?
Caro.
Alas women haue nothing els to be constant in. My name is
Caro, that signifies flesh: now flesh you know is frayle;
somtimes it battens, and somtimes it bates; and we cannot
help it.
Sinew.
And sometimes it stincks, and sometimes its fly blowne; now
maggots eate you. But this is your treachery Barebones:
you haue her in the Devills name, and the Divell giue you
good of her.
Barebones.
O you know the bones euer beare the flesh away.
to Blood.
would you
haue her swim in blood like a halfe boyl'd leg of mutton?
to Sinew.
Or would you binde her vp with sinewy strings like a coller
of brawne while 'tis boyling?
fie, fie. Come my plump peece of flesh, let vs too ioyne
gibblets now, whyle they goe seeke their flesh at goose-faire.
Bloud.
Ha ha ha ha. this is excellent.
Exeunt. Barebones, Caro, and Cantharides.
Where is your purchase? did not you cheat me?
Sinew.
True, and am cheated againe. But Ile be reveng'd.
Bloud.
Why are you not then? a souldier, and not strike?
Sinew.
I durst not for his devill that attends him. But I will finde a time.
Bloud.
This is some revenge to mee allready. ha ha ha.
Exeunt severally.
| The Two Noble Ladies | |