University of Virginia Library

Scena 1.

Lingva, apparrelled in a Crimson Satten gowne, a Dressing of white Roses, a little Skeane tyed in a purple Skarfe, a paire of red Buskins drawne with white Ribband, silke garters, gloues, &c.
Avditvs, in a Garland of Bayes intermingled with red & white Roses vpon a false hayre, a cloath of Siluer Mantle vpon a paire of Sattin Bases, wrought sleeues, Buskins, Gloues, &c.
Lingva. Avditvs.
Ling.
Nay good Auditus doe but heare me speake.

Avd.
Lingua thou strik'st too much vpon one string,
Thy tedious plaine-song grates my tender eares.

Ling.
'Tis plaine indeed, for Truth no descant needs,
Vna's her name, she cannot be diuided.

Avd.
O but the ground it selfe is nought, from whence
Thou canst not relish out a good diuision:
Therefore at length sur-cease, prooue not starke madde,
Hopelesse to prosecute a haplesse sute:
For though (perchance) thy first straines pleasing are,
I dare ingage mine eares, the cloze will iarre.

Ling.
If then your confidence esteem my cause,
To be so friuolous and weakely wrought.
Why do you dayly subtile plots deuise,
To stop me from the eares of common Sense,
Whom since our great Queene Psyche hath ordain'd,
For his sound wisdome, our Vice-gouernour,
To him, and to his two so wise assistants,
Nimble Phantastes, and firme Memorie:
My selfe and cause, I humbly do commit,
Let them but heare and iudge, I wish no more.

Avd
Should they but know thy rash presumption,
They would correct it in the sharpest sort:
Good Ioue what Sense hast thou to be a Sense;
Since from the first foundation of the world,
We neuer were accounted more then fiue;
Yet you forsooth, an idle prating Dame,
Would faine increase the number, and vp-start
To our high seates, decking your babling selfe
With vsurpt titles of our dignitie.

Ling.
An idle prating dame: know fond Auditus,
Records affirme my title full as good,
As his amongst the fiue is counted best.

Avd.
Lingua confesse the truth, th'art wont to lie.

Ling.
I say so too, therefore I do not lye,
But now spite of you all I speake the truth.
You fiue among vs subiects tyrannize,
Making the sacred name of common sense,
A cloake to couer your enormities:
Hee beares the rule, hee's iudge but iudgeth still,
As hee's informed by your false euidence:
So that a plaintife cannot haue accesse,
But through your gates hee heares but what, nought els
But that thy crafty eares to him conuaies,
And all hee sees is by proud Visus shewed him:
And what hee touches is by Tactus hand,
And smells I know butt through Olfactus nose,
Gustus beginns to him what ere he tastes:
By these quaint tricks free passage hath beene bard
That I could neuer equally bee heard.
But well tis well.

Avd.
Lingua thy feeble sexe,
Hath hither-to with-held my ready hands
That longd to plucke that nimble instrument.

Ling.
O horrible ingratitude? that thou,
That thou of all the rest shouldst threaten me:
Who by my meanes conceiust as many tongues,
As Neptune closeth lands betwixt his armes:
The ancient Hebrewe clad with misteries,
The learned Greeke rich in fit Epithites.
Blest in the louely marriage of pure words,
The Caldy wise, the Arabian Physicall,
The Romaine Eloquent, and Tuscane graue,
The Brauing Spanish and the smooth-tongd French,
These pretious Iewells that adorne thine eares.
All from my mouthes rich Cabbinet are stolne,
How oft hast thou beene chaind vnto my tongue.
Hang'd at my lips and rauisht with my words,
So that a speech faire fetherd could not flie:
But thy eares pit-fall caught it instantly,
But now O Heauens.

Avd.
O heauens thou wrongst me much,
Thou wrongst me much thus falsely to vpbraide me:
Had not I granted thee the vse of hearing,
That sharpe edg'd tounge whetted against her maister,
Those puffing lungs, those teeth those dropsie lippes,
That scalding throate those nosthrills full of ire.
Thy pallate proper instruments of speech,
Like to the winged chanters of the wood,
Vttring nought els but idle siflements,
Tunes without sense, words in articulate:
Had neere beene able to 'haue abus'd me thus.
Words are thy Children but of my begetting.

Ling.
Perfidious Liar how can I endure thee,
Cal'st my vnspotted chastity in Question:
O could I vse the Breath mine anger spends,
I'de make thee knowe.

Avd.
Heauens looke on my distresse,
Defend me from this rayling viperesse.
For if I stay her words sharpe vinigar,
Will fret me through, Lingua I must be gone:
I heare one cal me more then earnestly.
Exit Auditus.

Ling.
Nay the loud cannoning of thunder-boults,
Screeking of Wolues, houling of tortur'd Ghosts
Pursue thee still and fill thy amazed eares
With cold astonishment and horrid feares:
O how these senses mufflle common sense:
And more, and more with pleasing obiects striue,
To dull his iudgement and preuert his will
To their be-hests, who were he not so wrapt
I' the duskie cloudes of their darke pollicies,
VVould neuer suffer right to suffer wronge,
Fie Lingua wilt thou now degenerate:
Art not a woman, doost not loue reuenge,
Delightfull speeches, sweet perswasions
I haue this long time vsd to get my right,
My right that is to make the Senses sixe;
And haue both name and power with the rest.
Oft haue I seasoned sauorie periods,
With sugred words, to delude Gustus taste,
And oft embelisht my entreatiue phrase
With smelling flowres of vernant Rhetorique,
Limming and flashing it with various Dyes,
To draw proud Uisus to me by the eyes:
And oft perfum'd my petitory stile,
With Ciuet-speach, t'entrap Olfactus Nose,
And clad my selfe in Silken Eloquence,
To allure the nicer touch of Tactus hand,
But all's become lost labour, and my cause
Is still procrastinated; therefore now,
Hence yee base off-spring of a broken minde,
Supple intreaties and smooth flatteries:
Go kisse the loue-sick lippes of puling Guls,
That still their Braine to quench their loues disdaine,
Go guild the tongues of Bawdes and Parasites,
Come not within my thoughts. But thou Deceipt,
Breake vp the pleasure of my Brim-full brest,
Enrich my minde with subtile pollicies.
Well then Ile goe, whither? nay what know I?
And do, in faith I will, the deuill knowes what,
What if I set them all at variance,
And so obteine to speake, it must be so.
It must be so, but how? there lyes the point:
How? thus: cut this deuise will neuer proue,
Augment it so, 'twill be too soone descride,
Or so, nor so, 'tis too too dangerous.
Pish, none of these, what if I take this course? ha?
Why there it goes, good, good, most excellent.
He that will catch Eeles must disturbe the floud,
The Chickin's hatcht ifaith, for they are proud,
And soone will take a cause of disagreement.