Gron. Shall we? Hem. We will; and when we slight them thus, Instead of following them, they'll follow us; It is a woman's nature. SCENE III. [Exeunt. The Gardens of the Palace.-A Grove. Enter TECNICUS, and ORGILUS, disguised, like one of his Scholars. Tec. Tempt not the stars, young man, thou canst not play With the severity of fate; this change Of habit and disguise in outward view Hides not the secrets of thy soul within thee From their quick-piercing eyes, which dive at all times Down to thy thoughts: in thy aspect I note Org. Give me leave, Grave Tecnicus, without foredooming destiny, Tec. Ah, Orgilus, Neglects in young men of delights and life For harms to others, who contemn their own. Than what is incident to frailty: wherefore Tec. Spirit of truth inspire thee! On these conditions I conceal thy change, Org. I to contemplations, [Exit. In these delightful walks.-Thus metamorphosed, I may without suspicion hearken after Love, thou art full of mystery! the deities Of beauty; physic yet hath never found A remedy to cure a lover's wound. Ha! who are those that cross yon private walk My sister; O, my sister! 't is Euphranea Is Ithocles his friend: it strangely puzzles me.— Re-enter PROPHILUS and EUPHRANEA. Again! help me my book; this scholar's habit Mine eyes and ears are open. 1 [Walks aside, pretending to read. Pro. Do not waste the deities Themselves are not secure,] i. e. sure, certain: they cannot depend on the results of their own omniscience in these inquiries.-GIFFORD. The span of this stolen time, lent by the gods For purchase of belief to my desires, Org. Desires! Pro. My service, my integrity, Org. That's better. Pro. I should but repeat a lesson Oft conn'd without a prompter, but thine eyes: Org. So was mine To my Penthea; chastely honourable. Pro. Nor wants there more addition to my wish Of happiness, than having thee a wife; Org. But a brother More cruel than the grave. Euph. What can you look for In answer to your noble protestations, Org. Hold out, Euphranea! Euph. Know, Prophilus, I never undervalued, Lives nearest in my heart, must first procure Org. She is forsworn else. Pro. Leave me that task. Euph. My brother, ere he parted To Athens, had my oath. Org. Yes, yes, he had sure. Pro. I doubt not, with the means the court supplies, But to prevail at pleasure. Org. Very likely! Pro. Meantime, best, dearest, I may build my hopes On the foundation of thy constant sufferance, In any opposition. Euph. Death shall sooner Divorce life, and the joys I have in living, Pro. On thy fair hand I seal the like. Org. There is no faith in woman. Passion, O be contain'd!—my very heartstrings Euph. We are overheard. Cupid protect us! 't was a stirring, sure, Pro. Your fears are needless, lady; None have access into these private pleasures, By special favour lately from the king Euph. Methinks I hear one talking to himself—I see him. [Half aloud to himself, as if studying. With a smooth tongue, a leering countenance, Flattery, or force of reason-I come to you, sirTo turn or to appease the raging sea? Answer to that.-Your art! what art? to catch Euph. Call you this thing a scholar? 'las, he 's lunatic. Pro. Observe him, sweet; 't is but his recrea tion. Org. But will you hear a little? You are so tetchy, But natural conclusions.-Mew!-absurd! Prove it; yet, with a reverence to your gravity, My sole opinion to the touch of writers. Org. Ha, ha, ha! [They come forward. These apish boys, when they but taste the gram mates,1 And principles of theory, imagine They can oppose their teachers. Confidence Leads many into errors. Pro. By your leave, sir. Euph. Are you a scholar, friend? Org. I am, gay creature, With pardon of your deities, a mushroom On whom the dew of heaven drops now and then; The sun shines on me too, I thank his beams! Sometimes I feel their warmth; and eat and sleep. Pro. Does Tecnicus read to thee? Org. Yes, forsooth, 1 When they but taste the grammates.] Orgilus affects the pedant language of the schools. To taste is to touch lightly, to merely enter on: grammates seems to be a contemptuous diminutive for grammar, as grammatist is for grammarian. Mew! absurd! which occurs just above, is a term of the schools, and is used when false conclusions are illogically deduced from the opponent's premises.-GIFFORD. |