La.
Fear Madam? sure he knows not what it is.
Are.
You are all of his Faction; the whole Court
Is bold in praise
of him, whilst I
May live neglected:
and do noble things,
As fools in strife
throw gold into the Sea,
Drown'd in the doing
but I know he fears.
La.
Fear? Madam (me thought) his looks hid more
Of love than fear.
Are.
Of love? To whom? to you?
Did you deliver those
plain words I sent,
With such a winning
gesture, and quick look
That you have caught
him?
La.
Madam, I mean to you.
Are.
Of love to me? Alas! thy ignorance
Lets thee not see
the crosses of our births.
Nature, that loves
not to be questioned
Why she did this,
or that, but has her ends,
And knows she does
well, never gave the world
Two things so opposite,
so contrary,
As he and I am
If a bowl of blood
Drawn from this arm
of mine, would poyson thee,
A draught of his
would cure thee. Of love to me?
La.
Madam, I think I hear him.
Are.
Bring him in:
You gods that would
not have your dooms withstood,
Whose holy wisdoms
at this time it is,
To make the passion
of a feeble maid
The way unto your
justice, I obey. [Enter
Phil.
La.
Here is my Lord Philaster.
Are. Oh! 'tis well:
Withdraw your self.
Phi. Madam,
your messenger
Made me believe,
you wisht to speak with me.
Are.
'Tis true Philaster, but the words are such,
I have to say, and
do so ill beseem
The mouth of woman,
that I wish them said,
And yet am loth to
speak them. Have you known
That I have ought
detracted from your worth?
Have I in person
wrong'd you? or have set
My baser instruments
to throw disgrace
Upon your vertues?
Phi. Never
Madam you.
Are.
Why then should you in such a publick place,
Injure a Princess
and a scandal lay
Upon my fortunes,
fam'd to be so great:
Calling a great part
of my dowry in question.
Phi.
Madam, this truth which I shall speak, will be
Foolish but
for your fair and vertuous self,
I could afford my
self to have no right
To any thing you
wish'd. Are.
Philaster, know
I must enjoy these
Kingdoms, Phi.
Madam, both?
Are.
Both or I die: by Fate I die Philaster,
If I not calmly may
enjoy them both.
Phi.
I would do much to save that Noble life:
Yet would be loth
to have posterity
Find in our stories,
that Philaster gave
His right unto a
Scepter, and a Crown,
To save a Ladies
longing. Are.
Nay then hear:
I must, and will
have them, and more.
Phi.
What more?
Are.
Or lose that little life the gods prepared,
To trouble this poor
piece of earth withall.
Phi.
Madam, what more?
Are.
Turn then away thy face.
Phi.
No. Are.
Do.
Phi.
I cannot endure it. turn away my face?
I never yet saw enemy
that lookt
So dreadful, but
that I thought my self
As great a Basilisk
as he; or spake
So horribly, but
that I thought my tongue
Bore Thunder underneath,
as much as his:
Nor beast that I
could turn from: shall I then
Begin to fear sweet
sounds? a Ladies voice,
Whom I do love?
Say you would have my life,
Why, I will give
it you, for it is of me
A thing so loath'd,
and unto you that ask
Of so poor use, that
I shall make no price |
If
you intreat, I will unmov'dly hear.
Are.
Yet for my sake a little bend thy looks.
Phi.
I do. Are.
Then know I must have them and thee.
Phi.
And me?
Are.
Thy love: without which, all the Land
Discovered yet, will
serve me for no use,
But to be buried
in. Phi. Is't
possible?
Are.
With it, it were too little to bestow
On thee: Now, though
thy breath doth strike me dead
(Which know it may)
I have unript my breast.
Phi.
Madam, you are too full of noble thoughts,
To lay a train for
this contemned life,
Which you may have
for asking: to suspect
Were base, where
I deserve no ill: love you!
By all my hopes I
do, above my life:
But how this passion
should proceed from you
So violently, would
amaze a man, that would be jealous.
Are.
Another soul into my body shot,
Could not have fill'd
me with more strength and spirit,
Than this thy breath:
but spend not hasty time,
In seeking how I
came thus: 'tis the gods,
The gods, that make
me so; and sure our love
Will be the nobler,
and the better blest,
In that the secret
justice of the gods
Is mingled with it.
Let us leave and kiss,
Lest some unwelcome
guest should fall betwixt us,
And we should part
without it. Phi.
'Twill be ill
I should abide here
long. Are. 'Tis
true, and worse
You should come often:
How shall we devise
To hold intelligence?
That our true lovers,
On any new occasion
may agree, what path is best to tread?
Phi.
I have a boy sent by the gods, I hope to this intent,
Not yet seen in the
Court; hunting the Buck,
I found him sitting
by a Fountain side,
Of which he borrow'd
some to quench his thirst,
And paid the Nymph
again as much in tears;
A Garland lay him
by, made by himself,
Of many several flowers,
bred in the bay,
Stuck in that mystick
order, that the rareness
Delighted me: but
ever when he turned
His tender eyes upon
'um, he would weep,
As if he meant to
make 'um grow again.
Seeing such pretty
helpless innocence
Dwell in his face,
I ask'd him all his story;
He told me that his
Parents gentle dyed,
Leaving him to the
mercy of the fields,
Which gave him roots;
and of the Crystal springs,
Which did not stop
their courses: and the Sun,
Which still, he thank'd
him, yielded him his light,
Then took he up his
Garland and did shew,
What every flower
as Country people hold,
Did signifie: and
how all ordered thus,
Exprest his grief:
and to my thoughts did read
The prettiest lecture
of his Country Art
That could be wisht:
so that, me thought, I could
Have studied it.
I gladly entertain'd him,
Who was glad to follow;
and have got
The trustiest, loving'st,
and the gentlest boy,
That ever Master
kept: Him will I send
To wait on you, and
bear our hidden love.
Enter
Lady.
Are.
'Tis well, no more.
La.
Madam, the Prince is come to do his service.
Are.
What will you do Philaster with your self?
(me.
Phi.
Why, that which all the gods have appointed out for
Are.
Dear, hide thy self. Bring in the Prince.
Phi.
Hide me from Pharamond!
When Thunder speaks,
which is the voice of Jove,
Though I do reverence,
yet I hide me not;
And shall a stranger
Prince have leave to brag
Unto a forreign
Nation, that he made Philaster hide himself?
Are.
He cannot know it.
Phi.
Though it should sleep for ever to the world,
It
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