University of Virginia Library

Actus. 2.

Scena. 1.

Lamia the Curtizan.
La.
The match goes harde, which rayseth no mans gaine,
The vertue rare, that none to vice maye wreast:
And sure, the Lawe, that made me late complaine:
Allureth me, many a wanton geast:
Dames of my Trade, shutte vp their shoppes for feare,
Their stuffe prou'd Contra formam Statuti,
Then I, which lycenst am, to sell fine ware:
Am lyke to be well customed perdy:
And nowe Tyme serues, least custome after fayle,
At hyest rate, my Toyes I vallue must:
Let me alone, to set my Toyes to sale:
Yong Ruflers I, in faith, wyll serue of trust.
Who wayes me not, him wyll I fayne to loue,
Who loues me once, is lymed to my heast:
My cullers some, and some shall weare my gloue,
And he my harte, whose payment lykes me best.
And here at hande are customers I trowe,
These are the friendes, of Phallax, my sweete friende:
Nowe wyll I go, and set my wares to showe,
But let them laugh, that wynneth in the ende.

Exit.

Scena. 2.

Apio and Bruno. Two Gentlemen straungers, with Rosko.
Apio.
Come on good friende: where dwels Lady Lamia?

Ros.
Euen by Syr.

Apio.
Well then, go thy waye,
Showe who sent vs, and what our meaning is:
Least she not knowing vs, doo take amys.
That thus boldlye we come to visite hir.

Ros.
No bolder then welcome, I warrant you Sir.

Bruno.
Well, thy Message doo:

Ros.
I go.

Exit.
Fowre VVomen brauelie apparelled, sitting singing in Lamiaes vvindowe, with wrought Smockes, and Cawles, in their hands, as if they were a vvorking.

The Quyre.
If pleasure, be treasure,

Apio.
Harke.


The golden worlde is here, the golden worlde is here.
Refuse you, or chuse you:
But welcome who drawes neare, but welcome who drawes neare.

Bruno.
They be the Muses sure,

Apio.
Naye, Syrens lure.

First
sings
Here lyues delyght,

Second
sin.
Here dyes despight:

Thei both.
Desyre here, hath his wyll.

Third
sin.
Here Loues reliefe,

Fourth
sin.
Destroyeth griefe:

Last two.
VVhich carefull hartes doth kyll.

Bruno.
Attende them styll.

Apio.
That, as you wyll.

First
sings.
Here wysh in wyll, doth care destroye,

Second
sin.
Playe here your fyll, we are not coye:

Third
sin.
Which breedes much yll, we purge annoy,

Fourth
sin.
Our lyues here styll, we leade in ioye.

The Quyre.
If pleasure, be treasure,
The golden worlde is here, the golden worlde is here:
Refuse you, or chuse you,
But welcome, who comes neare, but welcome, who coms neare.

First.
VVantons drawe neare.

Second.
Taste of our cheare:

Both.
Our Cates are fine and sweete.

Thirde.
Come be not coye,

Fowrth.
To worke your ioye:

The last two.
We fall wyll at your feete.

Bruno.
A, good kinde wormes:

Apio.
Harke.

First.
Loe, here we be, good wyll which moue,

Seconde.
We lyue you see, for your behoue:

Thirde.
Come we agree, to let you proue.

Fowrth
VVithout a fee, the fruites of Loue.

The quire all.
If pleasure, be treasure, the golden worlde is here, &c.

Bruno.
Upon this large warrant, we maye venter,
The doore opes alone, come, let vs enter.

Apio.
Agreede.

Enter a Sergeaunt bearing a Mace, another Offycer, with a Paper, lyke a Proclamation: and with them the Cryer,
Officer.
Cryer, Make a noyse.

Cry.
O yes.

And so thrise.
Off.
All manner of personnes, here present,

Cry.
All manner of personnes, here present.

Off.
Be sylent, on payne, of imprisonment,

Cry.
Be sylent, on payne, of imprisonment.

The Offycer reades the Proclamation.

Coruinus, the hye, and mightie King, of Hungarie,
and Boemia: Unto all his louing Subiects
of Iulio, sendeth greeting.

And therwithall, giueth knowledge, of his
Princelie fauour, towards euery sort of them.

First, if any person, Officer, or other: hath wronged any
of his true subiects, by the corruption of brybes, affecting
or not fauoring, of the person: through Usurie, extortion,
wrong imprisonment: or with any other vniust practise:
His Maiestie wylles the partie so grieued, to repayre to
Syr Vlrico, one of his highnesse priuie Counsell: who (finding
his, or their iniuries) is cōmaunded, to certifie them,
and their proofe, vnto the Kings maiestie: where incontinentlie,
he wyll order the controuersie, to the release of the
partie grieued, and the punishment of the offenders.

Further, if any of his faithfull subiectes, can charge any
person, Officer, or other, with any notable or haynous offence:

as Treason, Murder, Sacriledge, sedicion: or with
any such notorious cryme: for the safetie of his Royal person,
benefyte and quiet of his Realme, and subiectes. On
Fridaye next, his most excellent Maiestie (with the aduise
of his honorable Counsell) wyl in open Court syt, to heare
and determine, all such offences. Therfore he strayghtlie
chargeth all and euerie of his subiectes, that knowe any
such haynous offenders: one the forenamed daye, that he
present, both the offender, and his faulte. Dated at his
Royall Court, in Iulio, the .6. of Februarie.

Exeunt.

Scena. 4.

Rosko.
Ros.
See howe we are crost: we thought the King for pleasure,
Came to visite vs: when to his paine,
And our plagues, I feare he bestowes his leysure.
To heare the wronges, of such as wyll complaine
Of any man: But the sport is to see
Us Officers, one looke of another:
I at Lorde Promos, Lorde Promos at mee,
The Lawiers, at the Shriefe and Maior.
They gase asmuch on the ruling Lawier.
For to be plaine, the clearest of all,
Peccaui syng, to heare the grieuous call,
Against Usurie, brybrie, and barrating,
Suborning, extorcion, and boulstring.
Some faultes are hearde, some by Proclamation staye,
Before the King, to be hearde on Fridaye.
I yet haue scapte, and hope to go scotfree:
But so, or no, whylst leysure serues mee.
To haue my aunswers fresh if I be cauld,
Of merry mates, I haue a meetyng stauld,
To whome my sences, to refresh I wend,
Who gets a pace as meryly may spend.

Exit.

Scena. 5.

Sir Vlrico, with diuers papers in his hand, two poore Citysens, soliting complayntes.
Vl.
As thou complaynst, agaynst all equity,
Houldes Phallax thy house, by this extremity?

First.
Yea sure, and he hath bound me so subtylly,
As lesse you helpe, lawe yeeldes mee no remidy.

Vl.
Well, what say you? is Phallax mony payd?

Se.
Saue fyue pound Syr:

Vl.
For which your bond is stayde.

Se.
Nay mary, the same I would gladly pay,
But my bonde for the forfeyt he doth stay.

Vl.
Summum Ius, I see, is Summa Iniuria:
So these wronges must be salued some other way.

First.
Yea, more then this, most men say:

Vl.
What?

First.
To be playne, he keepes Mistris Lamia.

Vl.
Admyt he doe, what helpe haue you by this?

Se.
Yes mary, it prooues, a double knaue he is:
A couetous churle, and a lecher too.

Vl.
Well, well, honest men, for your witnesse go,
And as on proofe, I fynde your iniuries,
So I wyl moue, the king for remedyes.

Both.
We thanke your honour.

Exeunt.
Vl.
Tys more then straunge, to see with honest show,
What fowle deceytes, lewde officers can hyde:
In euery case, their crafte, they collour so,
As styll they haue, stryckt lawe vpon their side.
These cunning Theeues, with lawe, can Lordships steale,
When for a sheepe, the ignoraunt are trust:
Yea, who more rough, with small offenders deale,
Then these false men, to make themselues seeme iust?
The tirant Phallaris, was praysed in this,
When Perillus the brasen torment made:
He founde the wretch, strayght wayes in some amys,
And made him first, the scourge thereof taste:
A iust reward for such as doe present
An others fault, himselfe, the guiltyest man.
Well, to our weale, our gratious king is bent,
To taste these theeues, to vse what meanes he can.
But as at Cheastes, though skylfull players play,
Skyllesse vewers, may see, what they omyt:
So though our king, in searching Iudgement may,
Gesse at their faultes, which secret wronges commit:
Yet for to iudge, by trueth, and not by ame,
My selfe in cheefe, his highnesse doth auctorise,
On proofe for to returne who meryts blame,
And as I fynde, so he himselfe will punish:
So that to vse, my charge indyfferently,
My Clyents wronges, I wyll with wytnesse trye.

As he is going out, Pimos, a young gentelman speakes to him.

Scena. 6.

Pi.
Sir Vlrico, I humbly craue to know,
What good successe: my honest sute ensues?

Vl.
Master Pimos, in breefe, the same to showe,
I feare, you both, my order wyll refuse:
Lyros, that thinkes he geues more then he should,
And you, for that, you haue not, what you would,

Pi.
It shall goe hard, if that your award mislikes mee.

Vl.
Wel, goe with mee, and you the same shall see:

Pi.
I waight on you.

Exeunt.