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 my life, and, in my conscience, 'tis not my fault. Oh, for our country ladies!

Enter Galatea.

If they should all fair taking; I was

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.

Pha. Nay, nay, you are too quick.

hand

ΤΟ

By this sweet

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

31

No more respect to men of my full being? 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.

queerty

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.

Meg. As many mornings bring as many days,

Fair, sweet, and hopeful to your grace!

Pha. She gives good words yet; sure this wench is free.

Meg.

If your more serious business do not call you,
Let me hold quarter with you ; we will talk

An hour out quickly.

[Aside.

What would your grace talk of?

Pha. Of some such pretty subject as yourself:

I'll go no further than your eye, or lip ;

There's theme enough for one man for an age.

80

Meg. Sir, they stand right, and my lips are yet even, smooth,

Young enough, ripe enough, and red enough,

Or my glass wrongs me.

Pha. Oh, they are two twinned cherries dyed in blushes Which those fair suns above with their bright

Meg.

beams

Reflect upon and ripen. Sweetest beauty,

Bow down those branches, that the longing taste
Of the faint looker-on may meet those blessings, 90
And taste and live.

Oh, delicate sweet prince!
She that hath snow enough about her heart
To take the wanton spring of ten such lines off,
May be a nun without probation. [Aside.]-Sir,
You have in such neat poetry gathered a kiss,
That if I had but five lines of that number,