Phi. But, boy, it will prefer thee. Thou art young,
And bear'st a childish overflowing love

To them that clap thy cheeks and speak thee fair
yet;

But when thy judgment comes to rule those

passions,

Thou wilt remember best those careful friends

That placed thee in the noblest way of life.
She is a princess I prefer thee to.

Bel. In that small time that I have seen the world,
I never knew a man hasty to part with
A servant he thought trusty: I remember,
My father would prefer the boys he kept
To greater men than he, but did it not
Till they were grown too saucy for himself.
Phi. Why, gentle boy, I find no fault at all
In thy behaviour.

Bel.

Sir, if I have made
A fault in ignorance, instruct my youth:
I shall be willing, if not apt, to learn;
Age and experience will adorn my mind
With larger knowledge; and if I have done
A wilful fault, think me not past all hope
For once.
What master holds so strict a hand
Over his boy, that he will part with him
Without one warning? Let me be corrected,
To break my stubbornness, if it be so,
Rather than turn me off; and I shall mend.

20

30

Phi. Thy love doth plead so prettily to stay,

Bel.

40

That, trust me, I could weep to part with thee.
Alas, I do not turn thee off! thou know'st
It is my business that doth call thee hence;
And when thou art with her, thou dwell'st with me.
Think so, and 'tis so: and when time is full,
That thou hast well discharged this heavy trust,
Laid on so weak a one, I will again

With joy receive thee; as I live, I will!

Nay, weep not, gentle boy. 'Tis more than time
Thou didst attend the princess.

50

I am gone.
But since I am to part with you, my lord,
And none knows whether I shall live to do
More service for you, take this little prayer :
Heaven bless your loves, your fights, all your
designs!

May sick men, if they have your wish, be well;
And Heaven hate those you curse, though I be

one !

Phi. The love of boys unto their lords is strange;

I have read wonders of it: yet this boy
For my sake (if a man may judge by looks
And speech) would out-do story. I may see
A day to pay him for his loyalty.

[Exit.

60 [Exit.

SCENE II

A Gallery in the Palace.

Enter Pharamond.

Pha. Why should these ladies stay so long? They must come this way: I know the queen employs 'em not; for the reverend mother sent me word, they would all be for the garden. prove honest now, I were in a never so long without sport in conscience, 'tis not my fault. ladies!

If they should all fair taking; I was my life, and, in my Oh, for our country

Enter Galatea.

Here's one bolted; I'll hound at her. [Aside.]

Madam !

Gal. Your grace!

Pha. Shall I not be a trouble?

Gal. Not to me, sir.

ΙΟ

Pha. Nay, nay, you are too quick. By this sweet

hand

Gal. You'll be forsworn, sir; 'tis but an old glove.

If

you will talk at distance, I am for you: but, good prince, be not bawdy, nor do not brag; these two I bar; and then, I think, I shall have sense enough

to answer all the weighty apophthegms your royal blood shall manage.

21

Pha. Dear lady, can you love?
Gal. Dear prince! how dear? I ne'er cost you a coach

yet, nor put you to the dear repentance of a banquet.
Here's no scarlet, sir, to blush the sin out it was
given for. This wire mine own hair covers; and
this face has been so far from being dear to any,
that it ne'er cost penny painting; and, for the rest
of my poor wardrobe, such as you see, it leaves no
hand behind it, to make the jealous mercer's wife
curse our good doings.

Pha. You mistake me, lady.

Gal. Lord, I do so: would you or I could help it!
Pha. You're very dangerous bitter, like a potion.
Gal. No, sir, I do not mean to purge you, though
I mean to purge a little time on you.
Pha. Do ladies of this country use to give

No more respect to men of my full being?

31

Gal. Full being! I understand you not, unless you. grace means growing to fatness; and then your only remedy (upon my knowledge, prince) is, in a morning, a cup of neat white wine brewed with carduus, then fast till supper; about eight you may eat; use exercise, and keep a sparrow-hawk; you can shoot in a tiller: but, of all, your grace must fly phlebotomy, fresh pork, conger, and clarified whey; they are all duller of the vital spirits.

49

Pha. Lady, you talk of nothing all this while. Gal. 'Tis very true, sir; I talk of you. Pha. This is a crafty wench; I like her wit well; 'twill be rare to stir up a leaden appetite: she's a Danaë, and must be courted in a shower of gold [Aside.]— Madam, look here; all these, and more thanGal. What have you there, my lord? gold! now, as I live, 'tis fair gold! You would have silver for it, to play with the pages: you could not have taken me in a worse time; but, if you have present use, my lord, I'll send my man with silver and keep your gold for you. [Takes gold.

Pha. Lady, lady!

60

Gal. She's coming, sir, behind, will take white money.— Yet for all this I'll match ye.

[Aside. Exit behind the hangings. Pha. If there be but two such more in this kingdom, and near the court, we may even hang up our harps. Ten such camphire constitutions as this would call the golden age again in question, and teach the old way for every ill-faced husband to get his own children; and what a mischief that would breed, let all consider !

Enter Megra.

70

Here's another: if she be of the same last, the devil shall pluck her on. [Aside.]-Many fair

mornings, lady.