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And glides to many rivers; so his wealth,
That felt a prodigal hand, hot in expence,
Melted within his gripe, and from his coffers
Ran like a violent stream to other men's.

THE COMEDY OF OLD FORTUNATUS.
MAS DECKER.

BY THO

The Goddess Fortune appears to Fortunatus, and offers him the choice of six things. He chuses Riches.

FORTUNE. FORTUNATUS.

Fortune. Before thy soul at this deep lottery Draw forth her prize, ordain'd by destiny, Know that here's no recanting a first choice. Chuse then discreetly: for the laws of fate, Being grav'n in steel, must stand inviolate.

Fortunat. Daughters of Jove and the unblemish'd Night, Most righteous Parca, guide my genius right:

Wisdom, Strength, Health, Beauty, Long Life, and Riches. Fortune. Stay Fortunatus; once more hear me speak.

If thou kiss Wisdom's cheek and make her thine,

She'll breathe into thy lips divinity,

And thou (like Phoebus) shall speak oracle;

Thy heav'n-inspired soul on Wisdom's wings
Shall fly up to the Parliament of Jove,
And read the Statutes of Eternity,

And see what's past and learn what is to come.
If thou lay claim to Strength, armies shall quake
To see thee frown: as Kings at mine do lie,
So shall thy feet trample on empery.

Make Health thine object, thou shalt be strong proof

'Gainst

'Gainst the deep searching darts of surfeiting,
Be ever merry, ever revelling.

Wish but for Beauty, and within thine eyes
Two naked Cupids amorously shall swim,

And on thy cheeks I'll mix such white and red,
That Jove shall turn away young Ganimede,
And with immortal arms shall circle thee.

Are thy desires Long Life? thy vital thread
Shall be stretch'd out, thou shalt behold the change
Of monarchies, and see those children die
Whose great great grandsires now in cradles lie.
If through Gold's sacred hunger thou dost pine;
Those gilded wantons which in swarms do run
To warm their slender bodies in the sun,
Shall stand for number of those golden piles
Which in rich pride shall swell before thy feet:
As those are, so shall these be infinite.

Fortunat. O whither am I rapt beyond myself?
More violent conflicts fight in every thought
Than his whose fatal choice Troy's downfall wrought,
Shall I contract myself to Wisdom's love?
Then I lose Riches; and a wise man poor
Is like a sacred book that's never read;

To himself he lives and to all else seems dead.
This age thinks better of a gilded fool,

Than of a threadbare saint in Wisdom's school.
I will be Strong: then I refuse Long Life ;

And though mine arm should conquer twenty worlds
There's a lean fellow beats all conquerors:

The greatest Strength expires with loss of breath,
The mightiest in one minute stoop to death.
Then take Long Life, or Health; should I do so,
I might grow ugly, and that tedious scroll
Of months and years much misery may enroll:
Therefore I'll beg for Beauty; yet I will not;
The fairest cheek hath oftentimes a soul
Leprous as sin itself, than hell more foul.

The Wisdom of this world is idiotism;

Strength a weak reed; Health Sickness' enemy,

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And it at length will have the victory.
Beauty is but a painting; and Long Life
Is a long journey in December gone,
Tedious and full of tribulation.

Therefore, dread sacred Empress, make me rich:
My choice is Store of Gold; the Rich are Wise,
He that upon his back rich garments wears
Is Wise, though on his head grow Midas' ears.
Gold is the Strength, the Sinews of the world,
The Health, the Soul, the Beauty most divine;
A mask of gold hides all deformities;

Gold is heaven's physic, life's restorative;
Oh therefore make me Rich.

Fortune gives to Fortunatus a Purse that is inexhaustible. With this he puts on costly attire, and visits all the Asian Courts, where he is caressed and made much of for his infinite wealth. At Babylon he is shewn by the Soldan a wondrous Hat, which in a wish transports the wearer whithersoever he pleases, over land and sea. Fortunatus puts it on, wishes himself at home in Cyprus; where he arrives in a minute, as his sons Ampedo and Andelocia are talking of him: and tells his Travels.

FORTUNATUS. AMPEDO. ANDELOCIA.

Fort. Touch me not, boys, I am nothing but air, let none speak to me till you have marked me well.-Am I as you are, or am I transformed?

And. Methinks, father, you look as you did, only your face is more withered.

In

Fort. Boys, be proud; your father hath the whole world in this compass. I am all felicity, up to the brims. a minute am I come from Babylon; I have been this half hour in Famagosta.

And. How! in a minute, father? I see travellers must lie.

Fort. I have cut through the air like a falcon. I would have it seem strange to you. But 'tis true. I would not have you believe it neither. But 'tis miraculous and true. Desire to see you brought me to Cyprus. I'll leave you more gold, and go to visit more countries.

Amp. The frosty hand of age now nips your blood,

And strews her snowy flowers upon your head,
And gives you warning that within few years

Death needs must marry you: those short lines, minutes, That dribble out your life, must needs be spent

In

peace, not travel; rest in Cyprus then.

Could you survey ten worlds, yet you must die';
And bitter is the sweet that's reapt thereby.

And. Faith, father, what pleasure have you met by walking your stations?

Fort. What pleasure, boy? I have revelled with Kings, danced with Queens, dallied with Ladies; worn strange attires; seen Fantasticoes; conversed with Humourists; been ravished with divine raptures of Doric, Lydian and Phrygian harmonies; I have spent the day in triumphs and the night in banquetting.

And. O rare: this was heavenly.-He that would not be an Arabian Phoenix to burn in these sweet fires, let him live like an owl for the world to wonder at.

Amp. Why, brother, are not all these Vanities?

Fort. Vanities! Ampedo, thy soul is made of lead, too dull, too ponderous, to mount up to the incomprehensible glory that Travel lifts men to.

And. Sweeten mine ears, good father, with some more. Fort. When in the warmth of mine own country's arms We yawn'd like sluggards, when this small horizon Imprison'd up my body, then mine eyes

Worship'd these clouds as brightest: but, my boys,
The glist'ring beams which do abroad appear
In other heavens, fire is not half so clear.
For still in all the regions I have seen,
I scorn'd to croud among the muddy throng
Of the rank multitude, whose thicken'd breath
(Like to condensed fogs) do choke that beauty,
Which else would dwell in every Kingdom's cheek.
No; I still boldly stept into their Courts:
For there to live 'tis rare, O 'tis divine,
There shall you see faces angelical;

There shall you see troops of chaste Goddesses,

Whose

Whose star-like eyes have power (might they still shine)
To make night day, and day more chrystaline.
Near these you shall behold great Heroes,
White-headed Counsellors, and Jovial Spirits,
Standing like fiery Cherubins to guard
The monarch, who in godlike glory sits
In midst of these, as if this deity
Had with a look created a new world,

The standers by being the fair workmanship.

And. Oh how my soul is rapt to a Third Heaven! I'll travel sure, and live with none but Kings.

Amp. But tell me, father, have you in all Courts Beheld such glory, so majestical,

In all perfection, no way blemished?

Fort. In some Courts shall you see Ambition
Sit, piecing Dedalus' old waxen wings;
But being clapt on, and they about to fly,
Even when their hopes are busied in the clouds,
They melt against the sun of Majesty,
And down they tumble to destruction.
By travel, boys, I have seen all these things.
Fantastic Compliment stalks up and down,
Trickt in outlandish feathers; all his words,
His looks, his oaths, are all ridiculous,
All apish, childish, and Italianate.

* * *

Orleans to his friend Galloway defends the passion with which, (being a Prisoner in the English King's Court) he is enumoured to frenzy of the King's daughter Agripyna.

ORLEANS. GALLOWAY.

Orl. This music makes me but more out of tune.

O Agripyna.

Gall. Gentle friend, no more.

Thou sayst Love is a madness: hate it then,
Even for the name's sake.

Orl. O I love that Madness,

Even for the name's sake.

Gall. Let me tame this frenzy,

By

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