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CHLO. Well, wee fhall fee your cunning: yet if you can change your haire, I pray, doe.

ALBI. Ladies, and lordings, there's a flight banquet ftaies within for you, please you draw neere, and accost it.

IVLI. We thanke you, good ALBIVS: but when fhall wee see those excellent iewels you are commended to haue?

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ALBI. At your ladifhips feruice. I got that speech 95 by feeing a play last day, and it did me fome grace now: I fee, 'tis good to collect fometimes; I'le frequent these plaies more then I haue done, now I come to be familiar with courtiers.

GALL. Why, how now, HERMOGENES? what ailest 100 thou trow?

HERM. A little melancholy, let me alone, pray thee.
GALL. Melancholy! how fo?

HERM. With riding: a plague on all coaches for me.

CHLO. Is that hard-fauour'd gentleman a poet too; 105 CYTHERIS?

CYTH. No; this is HERMOGENES, as humorous as a poet though: he is a Mufician.

CHLO. A Mufician? then he can fing.

CYTн. That he can excellently; did you neuer IIO heare him?

CHLO. O no: will he be intreated, thinke you? CYTH. I know not. Friend, Miftreffe CHLOE would faine heare [292] HERMOGENES fing: are you interested in him?

GALL. No doubt, his owne humanitie will command him fo farre, to the fatisfaction of so faire a beautie; but rather then faile, weele all bee fuiters to him.

88 Re-enter ALBIUS. G, N [Aside.] N 99 [Aside. G pr'ythee W prithee G, N

89 lordlings G

115

95 service."

102 pr'y thee 1640, 1692, 1716

HERM. 'Cannot fing.

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GALL. Pray thee, HERMOGENES.

HERM. 'Cannot fing.

GALL. For honour of this gentlewoman, to whofe

house, I know thou maist be euer welcome.

CHLO. That he shall in truth, fir, if he can fing. 125 OVID. What's that?

GALL. This gentlewoman is wooing HERMOGENES

for a fong.

OVID. A fong? come, he fhall not denie her. HERMOGENES?

HERM. 'Cannot fing.

GALL. No, the ladies muft doe it, hee ftaies but to haue their thankes acknowledg'd as a debt to his cunning.

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IVLI. That fhall not want: our felfe will be the 135 first shall promise to pay him more then thankes, vpon a fauour fo worthily vouchfaf't.

HERM. Thanke you, Madame, but 'will not sing. TIBV. Tut, the onely way to winne him, is to abstaine from intreating him.

CRIS. Doe you loue finging, ladie?

CHLO. O, paffingly.

CRIS. Intreat the ladies, to intreat me to fing then, I beseech you.

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CHLO. I beseech your grace, intreat this gentleman 145 to fing.

IVLI. That we will CHLOE; can he fing excellently?
CHLO. I thinke fo, Madame: for he intreated me,

to intreat you, to intreat him to fing.

CRIS. Heauen, and earth! would you tell that?
IVLI. Good fir, let's intreat you to vse your voice.
CRIS. Alas, Madame, I cannot in truth.
PLAV. The gentleman is modeft: I warrant you, he
fings excellently.

139 Tib. [In a low voice.] N

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OVID. HERMOGENES, cleere your throat: I fee by 155 him, here's a gentleman will worthily challenge you. CRIS. Not I, fir, I'le challenge no man.

TIBV. That's your modeftie, fir: but wee, out of an affurance of your excellencie, challenge him in your behalfe.

CRIS. I thanke you, gentlemen, I'le doe my best. HERM. Let that best be good, fir, you were best. GALL. O, this contention is excellent. What is't you fing, fir?

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CRIS. If I freely may difcouer, &c. Sir, I'le fing 165

that.

OVID. One of your owne compofitions, HERMO

GENES.

He offers you vantage enough.

CRIS. Nay truely, gentlemen, I'le challenge no man—: I can fing but one staffe of the dittie neither.

[293] GALL. The better: HERMOGENES himselfe will bee intreated to fing the other.

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SONG.

F I freely may difcouer,

I'

What would pleafe me in my louer:
I would haue her faire, and wittie,

Sauouring more of court, then cittie;
A little proud, but full of pittie:

Light, and humorous in her toying.

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Oft building hopes, and foone destroying,
Long, but fweet in the enioying,

Neither too eafie, nor too hard:

All extremes I would haue bard.

GALL. Beleeue me, fir, you fing moft excellently.

OVID. If there were a praise aboue excellence, the gentleman highly deferues it.

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185

170 stave N CRISPINUS, accompanied,

HERM. Sir, all this doth not yet make mee enuie

you: for I know I fing better then you.

TIBV. Attend HERMOGENES, now.

2.

Shee fhould be allowed her passions,
So they were but vs'd as fashions;

Sometimes froward, and then frowning,
Sometimes fickish, and then fwowning,
Euery fit, with change, ftill crowning.
Purely iealous, I would haue her,

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Then onely conftant when I craue her.

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'Tis a vertue fhould not faue her.

Thus, nor her delicates would cloy me,
Neither her peeuifhneffe annoy me.

IVLI. Nay, HERMOGENES, your merit hath long fince beene both knowne, and admir'd of vs.

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HERM. You fhall heare me fing another: now will I begin.

GALL. We fhall doe this gentlemans banquet too much wrong, that staies for vs, ladies.

IVLI. 'Tis true: and well thought on, CORNELIVS 205 GALLVS.

HERM. Why 'tis but a fhort aire, 'twill be done presently, pray'stay; ftrike mufique.

OVID. No, good HERMOGENES: wee'll end this difference within.

IVLI. 'Tis the common disease of all your musicians, hat they know no meane, to be intreated, either to begin, or end.

ALBI. Please you lead the way, gentles?

ALL. Thankes, good ALBIVS.

[294] ALBI. O, what a charme of thankes was here put vpon me! O Iove, what a fetting forth it is to a

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215

2.] II. 1716, W

HERMOGENES, accompanied. G

215 Exeunt. Q [Exeunt all

186 yet] om. N HERMOGENES, accompanied, sings. N

but Albius. G, N

man, to haue many courtiers come to his house! Sweetly was it faid of a good olde house-keeper; I had rather want meate, then want ghefts: specially, if they 220 be courtly ghefts. For, neuer trust me, if one of their good legges made in a house, be not worth all the good cheere, a man can make them. Hee that would haue fine ghefts, let him haue a fine wife; he that would haue a fine wife, let him come to me.

CRIS. By your kind leaue, Master ALBIVS.

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ALBI. What, you are not gone, Master CRISPINVS? CRIS. Yes faith, I haue a deffeigne drawes me hence: pray' fir, fashion me an excufe to the ladies. ALBI. Will you not ftay? and fee the iewels, fir? 230 I pray you stay.

CRIS. Not for a million, fir, now; Let it fuffice, I muft relinquish; and fo in a word, please you to expiate this complement.

ALBI. Mum.

CRIS. Ile presently goe and enghle fome broker, for a Poets gowne, and befpeake a garland: and then ieweller, looke to your best iewell yfaith.

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238 Exit. Q, G, N

235 Exit. Finis Actus

218 many] may Q 225 Re-enter CRISPINUS. G, N Q, G, N 236 ingle N Secundi. Q

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