notes;

Chanting his joys aspired, and both for love?

In one, love raiseth by his violent heat Moist vapours from the heart into the eyes, From whence they drown his breast in daily showers:

In the other, his divided power infuseth Only a temperate and most kindly warmth, That gives life to those fruits of wit and virtue,

Which the unkind hand of an uncivil father

Had almost nipp'd in the delightsome blossom.

Fo. O, brother, love rewards our services

With a most partial and injurious hand,
If you consider well our different fortunes:
Valerio loves, and joys the dame he loves;
I love, and never can enjoy the sight

Of her I love; so far from conquering
In my desires' assault, that I can come
To lay no battery to the fort I seek,
All passages to it so strongly kept,
By strait guard of her father.

Ri. I dare swear,

If just desert in love measured reward,
Your fortune should exceed Valerio's far;
For I am witness (being your bedfellow)
Both to the daily and the nightly service
You do unto the deity of love,
In vows, sighs, tears, and solitary watches.
He never serves him with such sacrifice,
Yet hath his bow and shafts at his com-
mand:

Love's service is much like our humorous lords,

Where minions carry more than servitors, The bold and careless servant still obtains; The modest and respective nothing gains; You never see your love unless in dreams, He, Hymen puts in whole possession. What different stars reign'd when your loves were born,

He forced to wear the willow, you the horn?

But, brother, are you not ashamed to make
Yourself a slave to the base lord of love,
Begot of fancy, and of beauty born?
And what is beauty? a mere quintessence,
Whose life is not in being, but in seeming ;
And therefore is not to all eyes the same,
But like a cozening picture, which one way

Shows like a crow, another like a swan; And upon what ground is this beauty drawn?

Upon a woman, a most brittle creature, And would to God (for my part) that were all.

Fo. But tell me, brother, did you never love?

Ri. You know I did, and was beloved again,

And that of such a dame as all men

deem'd

Honour'd, and made me happy in her favours:

Exceeding fair she was not; and yet fair
In that she never studied to be fairer
Than Nature made her; beauty cost her
nothing,

Her virtues were so rare, they would have made

An Ethiop beautiful: at least so thought By such as stood aloof, and did observe her With credulous eyes; but what they were indeed

I'll spare to blaze, because I loved her

once,

Only I found her such, as for her sake,
I vow eternal wars against their whole sex,
Inconstant shuttlecocks, loving fools, and
jesters;

Men rich in dirt, and titles sooner won
With the most vile than the most virtuous;
Found true to none: if one amongst whole
hundreds

Chance to be chaste, she is so proud withal,

Wayward and rude, that one of unchaste life

Is oftentimes approved a worthier wife: Undressed, sluttish, nasty to their husbands,

Spunged up, adorned, and painted to their lovers:

All day in ceaseless uproar with their households,

If all the night their husbands have not pleased them;

Like hounds, most kind, being beaten and abused;

Like wolves, most cruel, being kindliest used.

Fo. Fie, thou profanest the deity of their sex.

Ri. Brother, I read that Egypt heretofore

Had Temples of the richest frame on earth;

Much like this goodly edifice of women: With alabaster pillars were those Temples

But when a stranger view'd those fanes within,

Instead of gods and goddesses, he should find

A painted fowl, a fury, or a serpent ;
And such celestial inner parts have women.
Va. Rinaldo, the poor fox that lost his
tail,

Persuaded others also to lose theirs :
Thyself, for one perhaps that for desert
Or some defect in thy attempts refused
thee,

Revilest the whole sex, beauty, love, and all:

I tell thee Love is Nature's second sun; Causing a spring of virtues where he shines, And as without the sun, the world's great

eye,

All colours, beauties, both of Art and
Nature,

Are given in vain to men, so without love
All beauties bred in women are in vain ;
All virtues born in men lie buried,
For love informs them as the sun doth
colours,

And as the sun, reflecting his warm beams Against the earth, begets all fruits and flowers;

So love, fair shining in the inward man,
Brings forth in him the honourable fruits
Of valour, wit, virtue, and haughty
thoughts,

Brave resolution, and divine discourse:
Oh, 'tis the Paradise, the heaven of earth;
And didst thou know the comfort of two
hearts,

In one delicious harmony united,
As to joy one joy, and think both one
thought,

Live both one life, and therein double life;
To see their souls met at an interview
In their bright eyes, at parley in their lips,
Their language, kisses: and to observe the

rest,

Touches, embraces, and each circumstance Of all love's most unmatched ceremonies: Thou wouldst abhor thy tongue for blasphemy.

Oh! who can comprehend how sweet love

tastes

But he that hath been present at his feasts? Ri. Are you in that vein too, Valerio? 'Twere fitter you should be about your charge,

Of bitter castigation he would read you! Va. My father? why, my father? does he think

To rob me of myself? I hope I know
I am a gentleman; though his covetous
humour

And education hath transform'd me baily,
And made me overseer of his pastures,
I'll be myself, in spite of husbandry.
Enter Gratiana.

And see, bright heaven, here comes my husbandry. [Amplectitur eam. Here shall my cattle graze, here Nectar drink,

Here will I hedge and ditch, here hide my treasure:

O poor Fortunio, how wouldst thou triumph,

If thou enjoy'd'st this happiness with my sister!

Fo. I were in heaven if once 'twere come to that.

Ri. And methinks 'tis my heaven that I am past it,

And should the wretched Machiavellian, The covetous knight, your father, see this sight,

Lusty Valerio?

And this is something more than husbandry.

Yet all this while, thy father apprehends

thee

For the most tame and thrifty groom in Europe.

Fo. Well, he hath ventured on a marriage,

Would quite undo him, did his father know it.

Ri. Know it? Alas, sir, where can he bestow

This poor gentlewoman he hath made his wife,

But his inquisitive father will hear of it?
Who, like the dragon to th'Hesperian fruit,
Is to his haunts? 'Slight hence, the old
knight comes.

Intrat Gostanzo. Omnes aufugiunt.*
Go. Rinaldo.

Ri. Who's that calls? What, Sir Gos-
tanzo?

How fares your knighthood, sir?

Go. Say, who was that

Shrunk at my entry here? was't not your brother?

Ri. He shrunk not, sir; his business call'd him hence.

Go. And was it not my son that went out with him?

Ri. I saw not him; I was in serious speech

About a secret business with my brother. Go. Sure 'twas my son; what made he here? I sent him

About affairs to be dispatch'd in haste.

Ri. Well, sir, lest silence breed unjust
suspect,

I'll tell a secret I am sworn to keep,
And crave your honoured assistance in it.
Go. What is't, Rinaldo?
Ri. This, sir; 'twas your son.
Go. And what young gentlewoman
graced their company?

Ri. Thereon depends the secret I must
utter;

That gentlewoman hath my brother mar

ried.

Go. Married? What is she? Ri. 'Faith, sir, a gentlewoman; But her unnourishing dowry must be told Out of her beauty.

Go. Is it true, Rinaldo?

And does your father understand so much? Ri. That was the motion, sir, I was entreating

Your son to make to him, because I know He is well spoken, and may much prevail

E

In satisfying my father, who much loves him,

Both for his wisdom and his husbandry. Go. Indeed, he's one can tell his tale, I tell you,

And for his husbandry

Ri. Oh, sir, had you heard

What thrifty discipline he gave my brother, For making choice without my father's knowledge,

And without riches, you would have admired him.

Go. Nay, nay, I know him well; but what was it?

Ri. That in the choice of wives men must respect

The chief wife, riches, that in every course A man's chief load-star should shine out of riches;

Love nothing heartily in this world but riches;

Cast off all friends, all studies, all delights,
All honesty, and religion for riches;
And many such, which wisdom sure he
learn'd

Of his experient father; yet my brother
So soothes his rash affection, and presumes
So highly on my father's gentle nature,
That he's resolved to bring her home to
him,

And like enough he will.

Go. And like enough

Your silly father too, will put it up;

An honest knight, but much too much indulgent

To his presuming children.

Ri. What a difference

Doth interpose itself 'twixt him and you,
Had your son used you thus?

Go. My son, alas!

I hope to bring him up in other fashion; Follows my husbandry, sets early foot Into the world; he comes not at the city, Nor knows the city arts.

Ri. But dice and wenching. [Aversus. Go. Acquaints himself with no delight but getting,

A perfect pattern of sobriety, Temperance and husbandry, to all my household;

And what's his company, I pray? not wenches.

Ri. Wenches? I durst be sworn he never smelt

Ri. 'Sfoot, hold him to one; your son such a sheep?

Go. 'Tis strange in earnest.

Ri. Well, sir, though for my thriftless brother's sake,

I little care how my wrong'd father takes it,
Yet for my father's quiet, if yourself
Would join hands with your wise and
toward son,

I should deserve it some way.
Go. Good Rinaldo,

I love you and your father, but this matter
Is not for me to deal in; and 'tis needless.
You say your brother is resolved, pre-
suming

Your father will allow it.

Enter Marc Antonio.

Ri. See, my father!

Since you are resolute not to move him, sir,

In any case conceal the secret,

[Abscondit se.

By way of an atonement let me pray you will.

Go. Upon mine honour.

Ri. Thanks, sir.

Ma. God save thee, honourable Knight Gostanzo.

Go. Friend Marc. Antonio! welcome; and I think

I have good news to welcome you withal. Ri. He cannot hold.

Ma. What news, I pray you, sir?

Go. You have a forward, valiant, eldest

son;

But wherein is his forwardness and valour? Ma. I know not wherein you intend him so.

Go. Forward before, valiant behind, his duty;

That he hath dared before your due con

sent To take a wife.

Ma. A wife, sir? what is she?

Go. One that is rich enough: her hair pure amber;

Her forehead mother of pearl, her fair eyes Two wealthy diamants; her lips, mines of rubies;

Her teeth are orient pearl, her neck pure ivory.

Ma. Jest not, good sir, in an affair so

serious;

With his contempt of my consent in