University of Virginia Library

Scena V.

Enter to them Melancholico bringing Fancies Picture Crown'd with Gold. Painter and Musitian.
Conc.
—Now he hath brought himselfe.

Fug.
And somewhat else.

Mel.
Although I wanted Grace
To plant the massy Crown upon your head
In the true substance, yet I found a way
To crown you in this Picture. Here's the Painter;
And here a try'd Musitian; men of Arts,
Which Melancholy much affects.

Fan.
And I.
But mende your peice. That Crown delights not me.
Some sudden businesse calls me to conferr
With certain Femal Artists!—Liveby,
Take you the keeping of those Ornaments.—

(She offers to go forth.
Mal.
What? have we made a shittlecock our Queen?

(She returns.)
Fan.
Stay, I had quite forgot to strew mine honours
On these deservers. You Malevolo
Be our chief Counsellour: be you Irato
The Lord Controwler: Livebyhope shall be
The Master of Requests: you Amorous
Shall be the Master of our Ceremonies;
For which here's Poet, Painter, man of Musick,
And man of Properties: I give you leave
To use them for your selfe in wooing Morphe.
But you my Poet whom I well respect,
Shall be my Secretary, and you shall turn
The long-breath'd stile of Proclamation
To Lyrick Verse.

Liv.
Most understanding Queen!

Ir.
A prety Curr! my hands now itch to try
Whether he be true Spaniel breed, or no;
O I could beate and kick him, and see whether
He'l fawn then to.—You were not best to flatter
Your selfe into an Earldom, one degree
Above mine Honour.

Tim.
Take heed my Lord: he's likely to be great;
A Favourite can hurt.

Ir.
What then? must I
Therefore take heed? bid me take heed again,
And it shall be the last, last Caution,
You ere shall give. What? give a Lord good Counsel?

Fan.
The rest, if they themselves can finde a way
How I may pleasure them, I'm crown'd their servant:
You know your Law; each man pursue his humour.
Ile rule by Fancie since I am Queen Fan;
And use as little wisdom as I can.

Au.
And so it seemes.

Ex. Fan. with her women. Am. Liv. Mem. Poet. Mus.
Hil.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha—
How merry shall I live!
(Ex. Hil.

—(Tireman.
Paint.
Sr. Shall I mend
This peice?

Mel.
Mend! marr, or break it if you will.
Now shall I turn far more precise then ever,
And praise Prudenius dayes throw discontent.

Au.
Slighted? contemned? bafled? fooles preferd?
(Ex. Mel. and Paint.
I'm well rewarded.

Ir.
Hark Sr. Timerous,
You gave me Counsel.

Tim.
Out of Love indeed Sir.

Ir.
You gave Prudentius warning to escape.

Tim.
Not I, indeed not I, Sr. Amorous knowes.

Ir.
How ere Ile kick thee now, cause tis my humour;
Ile take thee to be Liveby, tis my Humour.

Tim.
The Queen shall know how you have kick'd my Knighthood.

Ir.
I kick'd thy breech, two foot above thy Knighthood.
I trust I shall have cause to kill thee too.
Mean while, to stir my choler, Ile controwle
Roughly, most roughly.

Desp.
I to feed my humour,
(For little I shall have to feed my body)
Must run some desperate course. The stream of Favour
(Ex. Desp.
Runs crosse from me, to Hope and Amorous.

Au.
Did we expose our selves to utmost danger
To gain a Crown for Her that more regards
A Cap and Feather?

Mal.
I her Counsellour
Who alters with each puff, more flickering
Then Flag or Streamer? Then Ile write on Sand,
Or print the Aire. But still I wonder much,
How Liveby being absent from our Counsels,
Carri'd the first Intelligence. His telling
In Her esteem outweighs our Action.

Au.
This shewes what women love, the Tong and tatling.

Mal.
How sayes this man of Fate? is Livebyhope,
That primrose thing, that forward bud, long liv'd?

Ir.
Ha! I think no; unlesse I may controule him
To be no Favourite.

Mal.
Men of that calling,
If I might counsel them for their best safety,
Ought not to live too long. For we can hate.

Au.
Challeng.

Ir.
Or stab.

Au.
And call these things our Humours.