 | The Eunuch |  |
58
Act. 1.
Scen. 1.
Enter Phædria and Parmeno.Phæ.
VVhat should I then resolue on? not to go?
Not now at least, being so kindely sent to?
Or rather this way bend, my setled course,
Not to indure these scornefull trickes of Whores?
She shut me out of doores; now sends for me:
Go? neuer I, should she sue earnestly.
Par.
Sir, surely if you can do as you say,
Twere your most worthy, your most manly way.
But if beginning, you so go one,
And faintly bearing loues affliction,
When y'are not sought to, when you are at square
Shall then come creeping to her; and declare
Your ardent loue, whose flames you cannot beare;
You are cast in Law, you may goe shake the care.
You are gone: shall be her pipe to play vpon,
When you are found at her deuotion.
And therefore master timely yet consider,
That such a thing as holdeth in it neither
Reason, nor measure; such vnruly thing
Cannot be brought to reasons gouerning.
In loue these vitious humours setled are;
Suspicious, wrongs, enmities, truces, warre,
New league againe: Now this vncertaintie
To draw to certaine, were like mistery,
As if one should a proiect venture on
To make a man mad with discretion.
And what you now here to your selfe in passion
Do vtter, shall I brooke this base queanes fashion?
Who hugges yon'd souldier? barres her doore on me?
Not caring? Ile die first: Shee yet shall see
What manner man she has to do withall.
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With one false teare sheel allay easily;
Which (rubbing of her eyes most pittifully)
She hardly shall force from 'hem: and anon
Youle tender your owne accusation,
And stoop to her set penance.
Phæ.
Oh my hard fate!
I clearely find my selfe vnfortunate;
And her a wicked strumpet. I do frie
In flames of loue to one I loathing flie:
Knowing and seeing fall; aliue, awake:
Nor see my course.
Par.
To what course should you take,
But seeke to gaine your libertie now lost,
At what low rate you may? if little cost
Will not procure it, then at th'utmost price;
And do not vex your selfe.
Phæ.
That thy aduise?
Par.
If you be wise, and to loues miserie
Ad not: what'thas, striue to beare moderately.
Enter Thais.
But she comes foorth; our householdes knowne decay.
For what we ought to haue, she sweepes away.
Scen. 2.
Tha.VVoes me, I feare Phædria hath tane it hard
And worse then I did meane it, he was bard
His entrance here last day.
Phæ.
Oh Parmeno,
How I do shake and shudder euery part
At sight of her.
Par.
I pray Sir take good heart.
Approach that fire, youl be warmd thoroughly.
Tha.
Who's that? oh, were you my Phædria so nigh?
Why staid you here? why entred not straight way?
Par.
But nere a word of's shutting out last day.
Tha.
Why art silent?
Phæ.
Yes indeed I confesse
Your house is still ope to my free accesse:
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Tha.
Pray no more of this.
Phæ.
Why no more of it? ô, ô, Thais, Thais,
I would our loues were like; that this might thee
equally trouble, as it troubles me;
Or that I could not weigh thy iniurie.
Tha.
I prithee sweete heart Phædria do not grieue.
Troth twas not that I loue any aliue
More then thy selfe, I did it but the case
(As things sell out) so to be carried was.
Par.
Why, I beleeue her; as things came about,
The poore kind soule for meere loue shut him out.
Tha.
Say you so Parmeno? Leaue that: and heare
Wherefore I now sent for you.
Phæ.
Well. I heare.
Tha.
But pray say first, can this your man keepe counsell?
Par.
Who, I? exceeding well. But heare you Thais?
I passe my word to you, with this prouiso,
All truth I heare I hold in exlently:
If lie, or toy, or fable, out it goes:
I'm full of chinckes then, I leake euery where:
If therefore youl haue counsell kept, speake truth.
Tha.
My mother borne at Samos, dwelt at Rhodes.
Par.
This may be well conceald.
Tha.
There a merchant
Bestowed a little girle vpon my mother,
Stolne hence from Athens.
Phæ.
Was the child freeborne?
Tha.
I thinke so; do not know the certainty.
Her selfe did tell father and mothers name;
Country or other signes to be knowne by.
She knew not; nor indeede was't possible
By reason of her tender age she should.
The Merchant thus much added, that he heard
The Pirats say of whome he bought the child,
That it was brought from Sunium. My mother
Hauing receiu'd it, bred it, taught it so
In euery thing, as if't had beene her owne:
And indeede most reputed her my Sister.
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Of a then stranger, whom alone I kept to,
And hither came. That stranger dying, gaue
All the now goodes vnto me, which I haue.
Par.
Either of these is false, twill out.
Tha.
Why so?
Par.
Because that neither were you satisfied
With him alone, nor yet had all from him:
Good and great part of it, my Master brought you.
Tha.
I grant thee: but permit me to go on
Whither I aime. Since that, a souldier
Who had begunne to loue me, trauailed
To Caria: after which I grew into
Acquaintance with your selfe. And you well know.
That I since then haue held you inwardly:
Made you my bosomes onely Secretary.
Phæ.
Neither will this be husht by Parmeno.
Par.
ô do you make a doubt ont?
Tha.
Pray attend.
My mother there at Rhodes deceased late,
Her couetous brother, heire to her estate,
Nothing the wench was faire, and skilled well
In Musique; hop'd her at good rate to sell:
So forth he brought her, sold her to my friend
Who then there was; and fully did intend
To giue the maid to me: Yet nothing knew
Of all the passage I haue told to you.
He comming home, and vnderstanding too,
That in my loue you likewise haue to do,
He frames excuses to keepe backe the maid.
For (saies he to me) could he get beliefe
That he in my accompt should be held chiefe,
And you put by? or stood he not afraid
I hauing got her from him, presently
Would then forsake him; he would giue her me?
But this he doubts. Yet I do rather guesse
He fancies her.
Phæ.
Has he yet done no more?
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No surely: for my selfe haue (Phædria)
Vpon that point sifted her narrowly.
For many reasons I desire to get her;
First for she's deemd my sister: then beside
That to her friends I may the maid deliuer.
My selfe do here a lonely woman bide,
Hauing nor Kinsman here nor yet fast friend:
Wherefore I seeke to winne some Phædria,
By this good turne, I to the wench intend.
For my more ready working, I do pray
Thy helpe deare heart. The manner of my plot
Is, by your free consent for some few dayes
He may inioy my loue. Answer you not?
Phæ.
Oh woman wickedst of all thy race!
Should I reply ought to thy filthy doings?
Par.
ô our braue young Master! I commend him.
He'es vext at length: now sir you are a man.
Phæ.
The issue of the tale I could not find:
Small girle stolne hence; my mammy as her owne
Bred it; deemd sister; haue a childing minde
To hea't; and to put it where tis knowne.
Whereto doth this your tale now wheele about?
But that thou loust me lesse then yonder loute,
And iealous art thy sweete pigsme doos toute
On her, thee of his greazie grace cast out?
Tha.
I iealous of it?
Phæ.
What else troubles thee?
Is he alone a giuer? didst ere see
My bounty slight or slacke? when late you said
You had a great mind to an Æthiop maid;
Did not I, laying all else care aside,
Cast out for one? an Eunuch too beside
Thou wishedst; cause great Ladies onely haue
Such creatures; I found one; yesterday gaue
Twentie pounds for'hem. Now despis'd by thee,
I yet retaine this in my memorie:
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Tha.
Why speake you Phædria in this angry manner?
Though I desire her, and thinke may obtaine her
Best this way: rather yet then haue a foe
Of you, Ile do as you will haue me do.
Phæ.
Would that word truly frō thy heart were brought;
Rather then me thy foe if I but thought
That this was spoke without dissembling,
I could my selfe frame to beare any thing.
Par.
How quickly one poore word hath tamed him?
Tha.
do I poore soule speake it dissemblingly?
What thing did you ere craue though feastingly
At my hand, but you had it? I of you
Cannot obtaine leaue for a day or two.
Phæ.
If onely two, and that if they prooue not twentie.
Tha.
Indeede but two, or—
Phæ.
Or I wait nothing.
Tha.
T shall be no more: pray yeeld this libertie.
Phæ.
Well: Thais I must do as you will haue me.
Tha.
Deseruedly I loue you.
Phæ.
Tis well done.
Ile to the country, and there pine a lone
For these two tedious dayes: I am resolued so.
Thais must be obayd. You Parmeno
See those brought hither straight.
Par.
Yes sir.
Phæ.
Thais
Farewell for two dayes.
Tha.
And you Phædria.
Command you all else?
Phæ.
What else should I say?
With this same souldier present absent be:
Dayes nights thy loue, fixe thy desire on me:
Thy longings, dreames, thy hopes, delights, and mind.
Fix vpon me: be all with me: in fine
Be thy soule mine, as mine is truly thine.
Exeunt Phædria and Parmeno.
Tha.
Woes me; perhaps he hardly credits me,
But iudgeth me by other wantons trade:
But I that best know my owne priuitie,
Know I haue now no kinde of leazing made:
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Then Phædria here: and that what I haue said
Or done, is onely for to helpe the maide:
I hope I haue well nigh discouered
Who is her brother: a yong man well bred.
He promised to visite me this day.
Ile get me in, and for his coming stay:
Exit Thais.
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