A [SICILY AND NAPLES OR] THE FATAL UNION. TRAGEDY [PUBLISHED 1640]. AUTHOR UNKNOWN. [BY SAMUEL HARDING (FLOURISHED 1641)] Dirge. Noblest bodies are but gilded clay. But the precious shining rind, The inmost rottenness remains behind. He, a thousand Kings before, And dig for diamonds in each eye; On that tongue, his people's law. Fools, ah! fools are we that [who] so contrive, In each gaudy ornament, Who shall his corpse in the best dish present. [Act iii., Sc. 2.1] BLURT, MASTER CONSTABLE. A COMEDY [PUB LISHED 1602]. BY T. MIDDLETON Lover kept awake by Love. Ah! how can I sleep? 2 he, who truly loves, And when the lamb bleating doth bid good night To keep quick time unto the owl, whose voice Shrieks like the bellman in the lover's ears : Love's eye the jewel of sleep oh! seldom wears. Being only by Love's plaints disquieted; [Ed. of 1640.] 2["Sleep" is inserted by Lamb, from the previous speaker's words.] And singing in the morning's ear she weeps, [Act iii., Sc. 1.] Violetta comes to seek her Husband at the house of a Curtizan. VIOLETTA.—IMPERIA, the Curtizan. Vio. By your leave, sweet Beauty, pardon my excuse, which? sought entrance into this house: good Sweetness, have you not a Property here, improper to your house; my husband? Imp. Hah! your husband here? 3 pawn Vio. Nay, be as you seem to be, White Dove, without gall. Do not mock me, fairest Venetian. Come, I know he is here. I do not blame him, for your beauty gilds over his error. "Troth, I am right glad that you, my Countrywoman, have received the of his affections. You cannot be hardhearted, loving him; nor hate me, for I love him too. Since we both love him, let us not leave him, till we have called home the ill husbandry of a sweet Straggler. Prithee, good wench, use him well. Imp. So, so, so— Vio. If he deserve not to be used well (as I'd be loth he should deserve it), I'll engage myself, dear Beauty, to thine honest heart: give me leave to love him, and I'll give him a kind of leave to love thee. I know he hears me. I prithee try my eyes, if they know him; that have almost drowned themselves in their own salt-water, because they cannot see him. In truth, I'll not chide him. If I speak words rougher than soft kisses, my penance shall be to see him kiss thee, yet to hold my peace.* Good Partner, lodge me in thy private bed; Where, in supposed folly, he may end Determin'd Sin. Thou smilest. I know thou wilt. Is Love ripe-gather'd, not soon withered. Imp. Good truth, pretty Wedlock, thou makest my little eyes smart with washing themselves in brine. I mar such a sweet face! —and wipe off that dainty red! and make Cupid toll the bell for your love-sick heart!-no, no, no-if he were Jove's own ingle Ganymede-fie, fie, fie-I'll none. Your Chamber-fellow is within. Thou shalt enjoy 5 him. Vio. Star of Venetian Beauty, thanks! 1 [Works, ed. Bullen, vol. i.] 3 [Six lines omitted.] 6 [Act v., Sc. 2.] 2["Under the mask of Camillo's names."] [Three lines.] [Omission of some lines, "him" inserted.] 6[For other extracts from Middleton, see note on page 144.] HOFFMAN'S TRAGEDY; OR REVENGE FOR A FATHER [PUBLISHED 1631: ACTED 1602].1 AUTHOR UNKNOWN. [BY HENRY CHETTLE] The Sons of the Duke of Saxony run away with Lucibel, the Duke of Austria's Daughter.-The two Dukes, in separate pursuit of their children, meet at the Cell of a Hermit: in which Hermit, Saxony recognizes a banished Brother; at which surprised, all three are reconciled. Aust. That should be Saxon's tongue. Sax. Indeed I am the Duke of Saxony. Sax. Oh subtle Duke, Thy craft appears in framing the excuse. But by the charms and forcings of thy sons. Sax. O would thou would'st maintain thy words, proud Duke! Her. I hope, great princes, neither of you dare Commit a deed so sacrilegious. This holy Cell Is dedicated to the Prince 2 of Peace. The foot of man never profan'd this floor; Nor doth wrath here with his consuming voice Are here the guardians of a grieved mind. ["The Tragedy of Hoffman or A Revenge," etc. ed. of 1631.] Not divided into Acts. See 2["Prince" should be "Son ".] In vows of combination there's a grace, That shews th' intention in the outward face. Sax. First give me leave to view awhile the person Is he not like my brother Roderic? Aust. He's like him. But I heard, he lost his life Her. I heard so much, my Lord. But that report I am that Roderic, that aspired thy throne; Drawn sword, and treach'rous heart, threaten'd your death. Mad Roderic, art alive?-my mother's son, Her joy, and her last birth-oh, she conjured me To use thee thus; [embracing him] and yet I banished thee.— Body o' me! I was unkind, I know; But thou deserv'dst it then: but let it go. Say thou wilt leave this life, thus truly idle, And live a Statesman; thou shalt share in reign, Her. I thank your Highness; I will think on it: Sax. Tut, tittle tattle, tell not me of sin.- But if, as I believe, they mean but honour, Sax. Ah, Austria! 'twas a world, when you and I Aust. I am glad you are so pleasant, good my Lord. Sax. 'Twas my old mood: but I was soon turn'd sad. With over-grieving for this long lost Lad, And now the Boy is grown as old as I; His very face as full of gravity. 1 By one of the Duke's sons (her Lover) in honour of Lucibel. FACETIÆ I. Holding in Capite. First Gent. 'Tis well known I am a Gentleman. My father was a man of 500 a year, and he held something in capite too. Second Gent. So does my Lord Something Foolish Lord. Nay, by my troth, what I hold in capite is worth little or nothing. [Nathaniel Field. Amends for Ladies, Act i., Sc. 1.1] II. Fool's Experience. Page. He that's first a scholar, and next in love, the year after is either an arrant fool or a madman. it. Master. How came your knavery by such experience? Page. As fools do by news: somebody told me so, and I believe [John Jones. Adrasta, Act i., Sc. 1. See III. Modern Sybarite. -Softly, ye villains!-the rogues of chairmen have trundled me over some damn'd nutshell or other, that gave me such a jerk, as has half murder'd me. [Thomas D'Urfey. The Old Mode and the New, Act i., Sc. 1.2] IV. Spare diet of Spaniards. Spaniard. The air being thin and rarified generally provides us good stomachs. Englishman. Aye, and the earth little or nothing to satisfy 'em with; I think a cabbage is a jewel among you. 1[See also p. 586.] VOL. IV.-36 [See also p. 579.] |