University of Virginia Library

Actus 3u s

Scen: 1a

Comastes in A Clownes habitt.
Comast:
Nay I am A downe right country man, maistris
We weare not so vine clothes but we thincke
Our selves as wise as you gay volke. my LandLr d
Cæcilius (god restore his eyes) loves you
And bad me tell you zoe: And harke you maistris
Though he cannot I can zee brave mann[e]ures rich

Londs ay and bornes vull too. we Country volke
count that worth lookeinge after. you in y
r zitty call it durte, Londs durt w
t h you, but here be rulde be A [[illeg.]]voole, zuch durte as tis does zarve to daube you
Thus gallantly.

Facet:

A right-Spokes man for[[illeg.]] A blinde mans suite

Comast:

Ile tell you what maistris, y
e best Duke ni Italy lives by his londes, marke y
t. and many great men, (like my Londelorde) have more londe y
n they shall ever zee.

Facet:
And prthee how dost yu live? not by thy witts I'me sure

Comast:
Why maistress cham counted zomewhat in our parish
Chave A good lease, and my londe well stockt;

Chave payde scott and Lott these zeaven yeares, chave
A wife and children of mine owne[,] too: and y
t s more then every mon can zay. and my wife has me to
her zelfe, y
t s more then every woman con zay:

Facetia:
But on thy conscience
Wert thou thy selfe a woman couldst yu love A blinde
Man? one yt must grope for his wife: why she must
be his dogg to leade him. vp and downe ye house
Nature indeed made[s] vs for helpes, but not such drudges
Cæcilius haveinge lost his exterior parts may now
give himselfe to contemplation.

Comast:
My faith and duty here must cange ye garbe.-
Aside
Faire Lady
Counte you that lover best whom yr faire face
yr hande or outwarde parte allureth, ye ignorante
That judge by [[illeg.]]colours onely are most cheated
He that hath lost his eyes can see yr minde
And courte yr vertues in A higher straine
Then others can yr forme:

Facetia
Hay day whats here, A scholler in A Townesmans suite
Rhetoricke in clokebagg breeches?

Comast:
The least parte of A wife's ye face, bate that
And he thats blinde injoyes ye rest, nay that
Benighted is in pointe of Happynes
But then reflect vpon yr self youle finde
That womans blest yt s married to ye blinde
She may salute her freinde wt h out base feare
of Jealouse eyes: she can adorne her selfe
And he nere say she's proude: be hospitable
In liberall entertainements and free welcomes
Her lorde no way repineing at ye charge
She may keep handsome maydes, and trust'm too
In her owne absence (which every Lady dares not)
This she may; & yet most chaste, enjoy
A handesome libertye, be true master of
A title others holde but by selfe flattery
Trust me Lady set aside my Fathers blindenes
And—

He makes him selfe known to her.
Facet:
Comastes!

Comast
Forbeare Ile not defile thee wt h A kiss

Faceti:
As if this shape could change thy naturall
Sweetness: what dost yu come to trye my constancy
put che[[illeg.]]ats vpon my faith? Ile tell ye e Love
Couldst yu outvary Proteus Ile not change
Nay I should finde the out now
were thy shifts as numerous as his—

Comastes:
What I haue done
(Soule of my Soule) my dutye prompts me to
Whilst for my selfe, I blaze thy vertues forth
The winninge storye caught my Fathers eare
And Thus in serious dotage, his blinde Cupide
Forcde me to blow this new and vncouth fire
And made me vow thus to sollicite thee
On his behalfe: but as his sonne I knew not
How to venter this forbidden place
Sweet be not angrye, yt I tryde all wayes
all meanes to compass Paradise againe
By comeinge to thy prsence.

Facet:
Thou hast noe wife and children then
Of thine owne Comastes hast thou?

Comast:
Yes all in thee. how sweetly this becomes thee.
May no disaster ever cross this omen
Wc h takes his rise frō such an influence:

Scen: 2a

Enter To them Lepidus
Lepid:
Ha, ha, ha, o I shall surfeitt wt h laughinge. my whole house
[My] is nothinge but a sceane of mirth and ye
cheife actors fooles. I must retire a little
And recover my spleen: this sport continued
Would waste it in a day: Looke, looke, I marry
Lepidus discryes Comastes and Facetia: when Comas: sees him he acts ye country man againe.
Thers fine courteinge; what A firke he has
Wt h his legg? Ha, ha, ha, now ye ass winc[t]hes
He hath learned one of his carte horses complements
And now how [he] he catches att her as if she wer rūeinge
Away. Ile partake of ye Dialo[u]gue, I beleeve tis all
out of ye Sheapards Calender.

He goes to them
Comast:
In good vaith you are to coy zoe you be. wont you haire
Raison what A strange woaman ar you?

Lepid
Nay Facetia you vnderstande ye Gentleman don't you?
He speakes playne enough.

Comast:
yea, yea she vnderstonds well enough but she is
nothinge in varsall worlde but waggerye, she has A
Pestilente witt of her owne: and if my londlorde woulde
be rulde by me he should leave her. vor if she have
him shele make A very voole of him: he is blinde
(good mon) and she'le lead him by the nose.: Give me
A country Joane/ one yt can veede on beanes & bacon
Ile warrante she cante downe wt h it A Capon
Or Conye or zome zuch toy. Farewell
Ile tell my Londlord of yr good cariage, so I will.

Facet:
Doe doe, and against you come againe Epitomize
yr breeches leaste in these dangerouse times
you carrye away ye infection of A whole street
wt h you as you walke.

Comast:
Gods niggs how could my breeches offende her trow?

Lepid:
A gallante Girle.—freinde be not
discouraged bid thy landlord come & he
shall finde acceptance.

Comast:
I marry sr, here's some hope yet: Gentlewoman
I would you woulde learne of ye good ald man
yr [f]vather: But harke you Sr shall his zonne
com too. hee's A vine Gentlemon although
I zay't yt should not zay't.

Lepid:
No by no meanes, I fancye not Comastes.—
I hate these earnest jests his may chance proue so.

Aside
Comast:
Vaith and tis no grote matter, vor harke you zr
His zonne is as very clowne as my zelf, vor all
His vine clothes; But don'te you tell him I zayde zoe.

Lepid:
Facetia you are not to seeke
How to give entertainemente to Cæcilius
And prthee be not wantinge to thy selfe & vs too.

Facet:
I must obey you sr

Comast:
This good newes renewes my lease for nothinge

Exeunt omnes

Scen: 3a

Lysander solus wt h 2 baggs of monye in his hands.
Lysan:
O for A lookeinge glass I am in Love
In love wt h my selfe. I did not hope
The brayne of man coulde haue contrivde A plott
For these 2 leather coats inlargement
You are welcome to ye day ye rustye buff jerkin[g]s.
In what Iron-bounde chests have you wintred trow
These score of years? foh they are foustye
For want of ayreinge: letts see are you legitimate
He lookes in his baggs
You haue bin kept vp close like sacred stampe
Wt h noe less care then monumentall coyne
But now you[r] are currante monye: quicksilver
The golde is angell, and Ile sett it flyeinge
No more shall tediouse mattiers be powred out
To ye deafe Dyetyes, no more ye vnthrifty heire
Make [y]earlye visitts to yr vnhallowed shrine
And leave his lande bounde vp in wa[y]x and velame
For yr 6 months attendance: you[r] are strangers
Here in Naples. come wt h me, Ile shew you ye towne
And many I'me sure yt will joy to see you.

Scen: 4a

To him Lepidus
Lepidus:
Genius of mirth I was eene dampte for want of thee
Our wheeles cannot move wt hout thy quainte activity
We have A sceane Towardes must be heightned by
thy fancye or else twill prove as flatt as A water
Poem, but whats here Lysander Grice to mill?—

Lysand:

Of y
e Best Mascelline Sr; here are letters of weight D. for dei. G: for gratia. R. for Rex. and Alphabett
very convenient for an embassador, for by these he
may vnderstande in any courte of Chrissendome
w
t hout an interprter this is Ægidius this is Piscinus his guifte—

Lepidus
And both as yet Lysanders, for though ye
Thinge it selfe weigh not wt h vs, yet ye man̄er
Of ye purchase makes it pleaseinge

Lysand:
Ile only inlarge these prisoner & retourne.
Exit: Lys:

Scen: 5a

Lepidus, Cæcilius, & Facetia
Cæcilius:
takes Facetia by ye hande
Yea marry sonne I cannot blame you to be
In love wt h such A temper as this is. what A
Qualified hand's here? The downe of infante
Swanns is not soe softe. Facetia looke what A
Change you haue wrought in me, I was blinde;
but now am as quicke sighted as Lynceus dee see;
I can lett loose my holt and finde thee out againe—
She steps behind him
—If I woulde. But I feare should
I looke on thee once againe, thou wouldst destroy
Thy new made miracle, by puttinge out those
lights, thy beauty but now gave me
I dare not stande wt h in ye lighteninge of thy eyes.

Facetia:
You can reade then what thi Table doth afforde.

Cæcili:
I am most propheticall att palmestry; why there
Lyes all my pride dee see: true though I see not
prsent objects, well I forsee ye future
And thats ye better sight dee see

Lepidus:
youle be oreseene in yt dee see: I wonder what
Fortune his blindeness will reade her,? how ye
Old dotarde cheates his owne soule?
And seemes to peere into her hande as if he
would perswade her yt he saw: Ha ha ha
And she turnes ye back to him o tis A
Notorious wagg..—

Cæcilius.
Indeed I have seldome seene Such prosperouse lines

Facet:
Very likely

Cæcili:
Pray come to ye light what A table's here. what
A longe space yr line of life doth runne, and att ye
End some little sparkes to you vndiscoverable but to or
Arte apparant: then know this that when yr life shall
end you shall increase ye number of those starrs and
bee A constellation.

Facet:

Why not Facetia as well as Vrsula?
But suppose s
r (as yet I know not to ye contrary) I should dye A virgin[e] y
e ancient proverbe woulde spoyle y
e Augurye for then I must lead apes in hell

Cæcilius.

No no, nothinge less. I finde thou shalt marry one
shal be guided by thee, dee see: and shall se by thy eyes
And thou by him shalt be the mother of many children.
Dee see.

Lepidus.
Of many puppyes dee see. if you ye father, dee see.

Facet:
I should lead Apes on earth then.

Lepid:
Wellcome good sr Cæcilius this early visite speakes
You an Eques att leaste

Cæcilius:

Auratus too; if you weigh my estate. but when shall
we to y
e prosecution of or designes I longe for ye new Title to be caled y
r sonne in law.

Lepidus:

What an old Sim-Panter will he make of me, to

have such A so[[illeg.]]nne in law? twe[a]re time I had all
my daughters suitors imperfections all over. Deafe
Dumbe Blinde, Lame; all were scarce sufficient
to express y
e father of such A sonne.

Scen: 6a.

To them Lysander Olympa
Lysan:
Bee wise Nigella see wher ye dotarde standes,
This fowleness cannot so improper be
Matcht to his blindness (for [[illeg.]]to it thou art faire)
As my Facetias gloryes wc h are lost
If not injoyde in perfect complemente.

Olympa:
Should I consent my Soule were blacker farr
Then this my face; t'impose vpon my father
And wrought to[o]'t by Lysander: this my ougly hue
Would best become thee thou false treacherous man
O that Comastes knew this.

Lysander privately wt h Lepidus
Lysand:
Twill be ye whole Talke of Naples
Every scean will ringe wt h ye storye of ye
Blinde knight & ye blacke Lady: ye pennyless
Poets will have subject for A whole vacation
And need not pumpe their witt drawne heads
For plotts, from twenty meetings stolne.

Lepid:

I liket tis true Lysander: Beauty speake
this to Olympa
you had best be rulde; I shal send you into
y
r owne countrye againe else into Cim̄erian Darkeness, or if you stay here hāge you vp
w
t h yr fellow complexions ye gammons in ye chimnye. m
r s westfalia I shall.

Climpa
What shal I do my Lord, for sake my Lady?
Marriage affordes not that sweet liberty
As doth Facetias service.

Lysander:
Looke how ye Coxcombe groapes, now we may give
her trimly, but Ile be her father come:
Lends one of yr pothooke fingers.

Olym:
Oft hast yu kist yt hande thou now dis[g]gracest
Asid
I will do any thinge rather then quit my service

Lysander:
Here sr you courte a vacuū a mere emptines
Here here's the sweet ayre yts worth a takeinge.

Lepid:
I have conjurde her to't; she shall not say you nay
Facetia you see yr husbande

Olympa kneeles
Olymp:
Since you com̄ande I must and will obey.

Cæcilius kneeles
Lepid:
The blessinge of A foole light on thee

Aside
Cæcilius:
Yr humble sonne in law, dee see.

Lysand:
A fine game at Barlye-breake; & ye first couple in hell

Cæcilius.
Come, come, Ile to ye temple instantly
And this night begett A cupid; dee see

Lepid:
yea, that may come by kinde

Olympa:
I goe wt h you in dutye not in Love
To the Temple we both will goe He to A weddinge
I to A funerall.

Exeunt: manet Facetia.

Scen: 7a.

Enter to Facet: Surdato & macilento.
Facetia:

This is to much to put vpon y
e father of my beloved Comastes: what tricke shall I devise to hinder theyr
Proceedinges—and opportunely loe Surdato, it
was his p
rsent, and he fittest to reduce it: I must put on A passion and speake through his mans years
Ah Macilento

Macilen:

Why weep you madam.

Facet:

The Negro y
t thy master gave me is stolne away by Cæcilius and his accomplices, & in her all my

Delight is lost.

Macilento
—Makes signe to his master ō his fingers


Surdat:
The Negro stolne? he had better he had stolne ye
Divell wc h way? wher is he? Ile disposses ye knaue
Legions of Divells enter him for't

Facet:
They are gone to ye Temple St Clara ther to be married

Surdat:
O Inabus Ile spoyle ye banes.
Come Macilento take harte

Ex[it] Surdato & Macilento
Facet:
This my Comastes love com̄andes; tis fowle
To abuse ye man yt did begett my soule.—

Exit