Thy Love is fair for thee alone, En. My Love is fair, my Love is gay, Both. { Fair, and fair, &c. } (repeated.) En. My Love can pipe, my Love can sing, And of his lovely praises ring My merry, merry, merry roundelays. They that do change old love for new, Both. { Fair, and fair, &c. } (repeated.)1 [Act i., Sc. 2.] To my esteemed Friend, and excellent Musician, V. N., Esq. DEAR SIR, I conjure you, in the name of all the Sylvan Deities, and of the Muses, whom you honour, and they reciprocally love and honour you,-rescue this old and passionate Ditty-the very flower of an old forgotten Pastoral, which had it been in all parts equal, the Faithful Shepherdess of Fletcher had been but a second name in this sort of Writing- -rescue it from the profane hands of every common Composer: and in one of your tranquillest moods, when you have most leisure from those sad thoughts, which sometimes unworthily beset you; yet a mood, in itself not unallied to the better sort of melancholy; laying by for once the lofty Organ, with which you shake the Temples; attune, as to the Pipe of Paris himself, to some milder and more loveaccording instrument, this pretty Courtship between Paris and his (then-not as yetforsaken) (Enone. Oblige me; and all more knowing Judges of Music and of Poesy; by the adaptation of fit musical numbers, which it only wants to be the rarest Love Dialogue in our language. Your Implorer, 1 [For other extracts from Peele see note to page 13.] C. L. THE CITY NIGHT-CAP. A TRAGI-COMEDY [PUBLISHED 1661: LICENSED 1624]. BY ROBERT DAVENPORT Lorenzo Medico suborns three Slaves to swear falsely to an adultery between his virtuous Wife Abstemia, and his Friend Philippo. They give their testimony before the Duke of Verona, and the Senators. Phil. -how soon Two souls, more precious than a pair of worlds, Abst. Oh hark! did you not hear it? Sen. What, Lady? Abst. This hour a pair of glorious towers is fallen. Two godly buildings beaten with a breath Beneath the grave you all have seen this day To the accuser, that I might not appear The following sentence: but as Lorenzo stands Phil. Misery of goodness! Abst. Oh Lorenzo Medico, Abstemia's Lover once, when he did vow, And when I did believe; then when Abstemia Denied so many princes for Lorenzo, Then when you swore :-Oh maids, how men can weep, Print protestations on their breasts, and sigh, And look so truly, and then weep again, And then protest again, and again dissemble!— When once enjoy'd, like strange sights, we grow stale; Phil. Oh Lorenzo! Look upon tears, each one of which well-valued Lor. Please your Grace, proceed to censure. Duke. Thus 'tis decreed, as these Lords have set down, Against all contradiction: Signor Philippo, In that you have thus grossly, Sir, dishonour'd Implies death on your trespass; but, (your merit That death is blotted out; perpetual banishment, Sen. Unto you, Madam, This censure is allotted: your high blood Takes off the danger of the law; nay from Even banishment itself: this Lord, your husband, Sues only for a legal fair divorce, Which we think good to grant, the church allowing : And in that the injury Chiefly reflects on him, he hath free licence To marry when and whom he pleases. Abst. I thank ye, That you are favorable unto my Love, Whom yet I love and weep for. Phil. Farewell, Lorenzo, This breast did never yet harbour a thought Of thee, but man was in it, honest man : There's all the words that thou art worth. Of your Grace And lastly farewell Thou, fairest of many, Yet by far more unfortunate !-look up, And see a crown held for thee; win it, and die And so remember, Sir, your injured Lady [Act ii., Sc. 3.1] Philippo, at an after-trial, challenges Lorenzo. Phil. in the integrity, And glory of the cause, I throw the pawn Of my afflicted honour; and on that I openly affirm your absent Lady Chastity's well knit abstract; snow in the fall, Injure another hour upon the Lady, My right-drawn sword shall prove it. [Act iii., Sc. 2.] Abstemia, decoyed to a Brothel in Milan, is attempted by the Duke's Son. Prince. Do you know me? Abst. Yes, Sir, report hath given intelligence, You are the Prince, the Duke's son. Prince. Both in one. Abst. Report, sure, Spoke but her native language. You are none Prince. How! Abst. Were you the Prince, you would not sure be slaved To your blood's passion. I do crave your pardon For my rough language. Truth hath a forehead free And in the tower of her integrity Sits an unvanquish'd virgin. Can you imagine, Prince. If thou rail upon the place, prithee how camest thou hither? Abst. By treacherous intelligence; honest men so, In the way ignorant, through thieves' purlieus go.— Are you Son to such a Father? Send him to his grave then, Like a white almond tree, full of glad days Prince. Let me borrow goodness from thy lips. [Eight lines omitted.] Farewell! [Act iv., Sc. 1.] Undue Praise declined. -you are far too prodigal in praise, merit ; And crown me with the garlands of your [Act v., Sc. 2.] AUTHOR'S THE CONSPIRACY. A TRAGEDY [PUBLISHED 1638]. The Rightful Heir to the Crown kept from his inheritance: an Song. While Morpheus thus does gently lay The silver charms of his dull art; Will leave thee in this soft surprise; And from the clouds will fetch thee down Thy right unto an earthly crown; No power can make this kingdom less. But gently, gently, lest I bring Playing aloof, and hovering, Till I am lost unto the sight. This is a motion still and soft; 6 1 [For other extracts from Davenport see note to p. 400.] [Act ii., Sc. 1.] "[" Lively."] 2[Also called "Pallantus and Eudora". See ed. 1653, fol. p. 16.] |