He is my master surely; yonder door
Opens upon his study.

Pro. Happy creatures!

Such people toil not, sweet, in heats of state,
Nor sink in thaws of greatness: their affections
Keep order with the limits of their modesty;
Their love is love of virtue.-What's thy name?
Org. Aplotes, sumptuous master, a poor wretch.
Euph. Dost thou want any thing?

Org. Books, Venus, books.

Pro. Lady, a new conceit comes in my thought, And most available for both our comforts. Euph. My lord,

Pro. While I endeavour to deserve

Your father's blessing to our loves, this scholar
May daily at some certain hours attend,
What notice I can write of my success,
Here, in this grove, and give it to your hands;
The like from you to me: so can we never,
Barr'd of our mutual speech, want sure intelligence;
And thus our hearts may talk when our tongues cannot.
Euph. Occasion is most favourable; use it.
Pro. Aplotes, wilt thou wait us twice a-day,
At nine i' the morning, and at four at night,
Here, in this bower, to convey such letters
As each shall send to other? Do it willingly,
Safely, and secretly, and I will furnish

Thy study, or what else thou canst desire.

Org. Jove, make me thankful, thankful, I beseech thee,

Propitious Jove! I will prove sure and trusty:
You will not fail me books?

Pro. Nor aught besides,

Thy heart can wish. This lady's name 's Euphranea, Mine Prophilus.

Org. I have a pretty memory;

It must prove my best friend.-I will not miss
One minute of the hours appointed.

Pro. Write

The books thou wouldst have bought thee, in a note, Or take thyself some money.

Org. No, no money:

Money to scholars is a spirit invisible,

We dare not finger it; or books, or nothing.

Pro. Books of what sort thou wilt: do not forget

Our names.

Org. I warrant ye, I warrant ye.

Pro. Smile, Hymen, on the growth of our desires; We'll feed thy torches with eternal fires!

[Exeunt PRO. and EUPH. Org. Put out thy torches, Hymen, or their light Shall meet a darkness of eternal night! Inspire me, Mercury, with swift deceits. Ingenious fate has leap'd into mine arms, Beyond the compass of my brains.-Mortality Creeps on the dung of earth, and cannot reach The riddles which are purposed by the gods. Great arts best write themselves in their own stories; They die too basely, who outlive their glories.

[Exit.

ACT II. SCENE I.

A Room in BASSANES's House.

Enter BASSANES and PHULAS.

Bass. I'll have that window next the street damm'd up;

It gives too full a prospect to temptation,
And courts a gazer's glances: there's a lust
Committed by the eye, that sweats and travails,
Plots, wakes, contrives, till the deformed bear-whelp
Adultery-that light shall be damm'd up:

D'ye hear, sir?

Phu. I do hear, my lord; a mason Shall be provided suddenly.

Bass. Some rogue,

Some rogue of your confederacy, (factor

For slaves and strumpets!) to convey close packets
From this spruce springal, and the t' other youngster;
That gaudy earwig, or my lord your patron,
Whose pensioner you are.-I'll tear thy throat out,
Son of a cat, ill-looking hounds-head, rip up
Thy ulcerous maw, if I but scent a paper,
A scroll, but half as big as what can cover
A wart upon thy nose, a spot, a pimple,
Directed to my lady; it may prove

A mystical preparative to lewdness.

Phu. Care shall be had.-I will turn every thread

About me to an eye.-Here's a sweet life! [Aside. Bass. The city housewives, cunning in the traffic Of chamber merchandise, set all at price

By wholesale! yet they wipe their mouths and simper,

Kiss, and cry "sweetheart," and all 's well again! Phu. 'T is a villanous world;

One cannot hold his own in 't.

Bass. Dames at court,

Who flaunt in riots, run another bias:

Their pleasure heaves the patient ass that suffers
Up on the stilts of office, titles, incomes;
Promotion justifies the shame, and sues for 't.
Poor honour! thou art stabb'd, and bleed'st to death
By such unlawful hire. The country mistress
Is yet more wary, and in blushes hides
Whatever trespass draws her troth to guilt;
But all are false: on this truth I am bold,
No woman but can fall, and doth, or would.-
Now, for the newest news about the city;
What blab the voices, sirrah?

Phu. O, my lord,

The rarest, quaintest, strangest, tickling news,
That ever-

Bass. Hey-day! up and ride me, rascal!
What is 't?

Phu. Forsooth, they say, the king has mew'd'
All his gray beard, instead of which is budded
Another of a pure carnation colour,
Speckled with green and russet.

Bass. Ignorant block!

Phu. Yes, truly; and 't is talk'd about the streets, That since lord Ithocles came home, the lions2 Never left roaring, at which noise the bears Have danc'd their very hearts out.

Bass. Dance out thine too.

Phu. Besides, lord Orgilus is fled to Athens Upon a fiery dragon, and 't is thought

He never can return.

Bass. Grant it, Apollo!

Phu. Moreover, please your lordship, 't is reported For certain, that whoever is found jealous Without apparent proof that 's wife is wanton, Shall be divorced :-but this is but she-news, I had it from a midwife! I have more yet. Bass. Antic, no more! idiots and stupid fools Grate my calamities. Why to be fair, Should yield presumption of a faulty soul— Look to the doors.

Phu. The horn of plenty crest him!

[Aside, and exit. Bass. Swarms of confusion huddle in my thoughts

In rare distemper.-Beauty! oh, it is

An unmatch'd blessing, or a horrid curse.

She comes, she comes! so shoots the morning forth,
Spangled with peärls3 of transparent dew.-
The way to poverty is to be rich;

1

-the king has mew'd

All his gray beard.] To mew, or rather mue, is in falconer's language to moult, to shed the feathers.-GIFFORD.

Never left roaring, at which noise the bears

Have danced, &c.] The poet was thinking of a spot much nearer home than Sparta.-GIFFORD.

3 Spangled with pearls.] This word, like girl and snarl, was commonly made a dissyllable by our poet.

As I in her am wealthy but for her,
In all contents, a bankrupt.

Enter PENTHEA and GRAUSIS.

Lov'd Penthea!

How fares my heart's best joy?

Grau. In sooth, not well,

She is so over-sad.

Bass. Leave chattering, magpie.

Thy brother is return'd, sweet,-safe, and honour'd
With a triumphant victory; thou shalt visit him;
We will to court, where, if it be thy pleasure,
Thou shalt appear in such a ravishing lustre
Of jewels above value, that the dames
Who brave it there, in rage to be outshined,
Shall hide them in their closets, and unseen
Fret in their tears; while every wond'ring eye
Shall crave none other brightness but thy presente.
Choose thine own recreations; be a queen

Of what delights thou fanciest best, what company,

What place, what times; do any thing, do all things

Youth can command, so thou wilt chase these

clouds

From the pure firmament of thy fair looks.

Grau. Now, 't is well said, my lord. What, lady!

laugh,

Be merry; time is precious.

Bass. Furies whip thee!

[Aside.

Pen. Alas, my lord! this language to your hand

maid

Sounds as would music to the deaf; I need

No braveries, nor cost of art, to draw
The whiteness of my name into offence:
Let such, if any such there are, who covet
A curiosity of admiration,

By laying out their plenty to full view,
Appear in gaudy outsides; my attires