University of Virginia Library

SCEN. 4.

To them Melesippus. Philonax. Attendants.
Mel.
Daughter,
Though in this matter here of weight I would not
Force you to any thing; yet I could wish
Your liking would concur with mine. I here
Present unto you him, who, in my esteem,
Deserves your love best, and I hope will find it.

Diar.
For all that Sir, I think it very fit,
That children should be rul'd.

Mel.
Nay I esteem it
No Marriage; but a well nam'd Rape, where friends
Force Love upon their Children; where the Virgin
Is not so truly given, as betraid.
I would not have Betrothed people (for
I can by no means call e'm Lovers) do
Such Pennance in their marriage sheets, and make
The Rites no Wedlock, but a Sacrifice.
Where like an Innocent Lamb, the passive Virgins
Heart is Torn from her Entrailes, not Entic'd:
Being condemn'd, not wedded to her Husband:
Wherefore I will not practise what I may,
But hope nerth'lesse to find my will perform'd.

Art.
Sir, the continual carriage of my Life
Hath been one Act of Dutie and Obedience;
And that in this I may not stain the rest,
But steer my Thoughts by yours; I do desire
Some time of respite.

Mel.
Take't, but have a care,
Your hoodwink't vent'rous Passion oversway not
Your Reason: Think whom here I have commended.

Art.
I shall, Sir.

Mel.
Now to you, thus having made
Your way, I wish successe.

Diar.
And Sir, I think
After your Merits have display'd themselves,
It may be our Presumption, not our Prayer.— (Exe. Mele. Diar.)


Phi.
My thanks to both. Madam I make no question
But that you easily believe these friends,
And partly from your own experience know
How well I have deserv'd you; otherwise
I should relate my self, how much you are
Oblig'd for this observance which I shew you,
By condescending thus to court a Ladie
That sued not first to me.

Art.
Sir, though I think
Most might be proud of such a favour from you,
And prize it high.—

Phi.
Nay faith, I must confesse
My threshold groans under the daily Clients,
And little Legs that come from Ladies to me:
And I receive so many Tickets from 'em,
That I am fain to hang e'm upon wires,
As 'Pothecaries do their Physick Bills,
And serve e'm out as the bragging Captain did
His Challenges, so many to a day,
Each in his turn: I've disappointed three now.

Art.
—Yet, as I was about to tell you Sir,
I am not of that fancie as to sue
To any man, that does not first appear
A Client unto me.

Phi.
It seems so Ladie:
And yet I am not of that general Tenet
That does admit no female wooers, surely
Your sex is not deny'd that Libertie of soul
To like what ere you apprehend as good.
Who does forbid the enamour'd wedge of Iron
To steal unto the Loadstone, and to knit
It self unto it in an amorous kisse,
Not but by violence to be disjoyn'd? who e're
Censur'd the uxorious Ivie, that it Courts
The stout tall Oak, and twines it self about
Like to some passionate Lover? as if willing
To shrowd the exposed bulk from threatning dangers,
And tell the hostile wind, or envious hand,
That heaves an Axe against it, you must passe
Through me to injure this, hoping to see
Furie at last appeas'd by the soft object;
Yet howsoere, till death, does not forsake him,
But falls in an Embrace, as if desiring
To be intomb'd together, and made one Pile.

Art.
Sure were those dregs of Pride drain'd from his soul— aside.

He would appear of most refined thoughts.
But Sir, what Nature may excuse in them,
Reason corrects in us.

Phi.
Nay but the rather,
Knowing your soules indu'd with such a treasure
That can direct and guide your Passions, should you
Pursue the Object when by it approv'd.

Art.
True Sir, if Reason did commend it to us,
Likely we should consent.

Phi.
Believe't in this
Your Reason and your Will are much the same,
You can desire nothing but what that does
(First having weigh'd and ponder'd well each scruple,
That may object it self) commend as good;
For whatsoere bounds our affection,
Must first appear unto our Judgment lovely,
It standing Sentinel, questioning all
That passe unto the Closet of the will.

Art.
Nay I shall easily grant that we can love,
And love with reason too, but still am Heretick
To your Position, that we ought to court
The object so belov'd.

Phi.
See Madam now,
Your thoughts are not deny'd to be as willing
And ready too, as ours, but the expression
You think unfit, and so will needs set up
A kind of Just Hypocrisie, nay Vertuous,
Whilest that which you stile modestie, is onely
A more allowable and fair dissembling.
For so 'tis in effect: you must appear
Unwilling when desiring nothing more:
You must seem backward, and be much intreated,
Nay sometimes scarce entreated unto that
Which should you misse of, you would curse your vertues,
And count your Modestie injurious: But
Madam, what onely I discourse to you,
I practise among other Ladies: here
You see I break my use, and therefore will not
Ask what adventure I shall undertake
To gain your love; I think you will conceive
That the first act of wooing was a merit:
And that I mov'd my suit, deserv'd it.

Art.
Nay,
'Tis not enough to manifest a Love
In bare appearances; Each man perhaps
When ere his Blood runs high, can court a Mistresse
With eager zeal and fervour; but 'tis he
Alone, whose Soul prompts him to purer Love,
Deserves reciprocal Affection.

Phi.
As for my soul you may know that hereafter;
And for my Blood, you know, I've told you often
'Tis o'th' noblest strain, deriv'd from such
Who were the glorie of the Roman State:
And all I'm sure that ever heard me speak,
Know by Report it is not stain'd in me.
I have maintained still the Credit of
Our Familie, and as I can remember
Never descended yet so low as now,
Which I trust you'l consider.

Art.
Sir I know
You would esteem it but a Lightnesse in me
To give away my heart almost at th' first
Demand, and having had so small experience.
I have some thoughts that disaffect me now,
And hinder all Deliberation
Of Love: hereafter you may hear more from me.

Phi.
Madam I wait upon you.— (Exe. Philo. Arte.)


Hyp.
Pray Heav'n that all these storms thus coming on,
Like wave and waves one on anothers back,
Shake not her promis'd faith unto Lysander,
And ruin't quite: The Gods I think take part
Thus to disjoynt their loves. Her Jealousie
First back'd with those appearing Reasons may
Be strengthned by these Motives, ne're decay.