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ter, and the ladie PLAVTIA, are lighted at the dore; and with them HERMOGENES TIGELLIVS, the excellent musician.

CYTH. Come, let vs goe meet them, CHLOE.

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CRIS. At a haires breadth, ladie, I warrant you.

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GALLVS, OVID, TIBVLLVS, PROPERTIVS,
HERMOGENES, IVLIA, PLAVTIA,
CYTHERIS, CHLOE, ALBIVS,

CRISPINVS.

Ealth to the louely CHLOE: you must pardon me, Miftris, that I preferre this faire gentlewoman. CYTH. I pardon, and praise you for it, fir; and I beseech your Excellence, receiue her beauties into your knowledge and fauour.

IVLI. CYTHERIS, fhee hath fauour, and behauiour, that commands as much of me: and sweet CHLOE, know I doe exceedingly loue you, and [290] that I will approue in any grace my father the Emperour may shew you. Is this your husband?

ALBI. For fault of a better, if it please your highneffe.

CHLO. Gods my life! how hee shames mee!

CYTH. Not a whit, CHLOE, they all thinke you politike, and wittie; wife women choose not husbands for the eye, merit, or birth, but wealth, and foueraigntie.

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CRISPINVS.] As they are going

SCENA SECVNDA. Q Act. . out, enter CORNELIUS GALLUS, OVID, TIBULLUS, PROPERTIUS, HERMOGENES, JULIA, and PLAUTIA. G Enter GALLUS,

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PLAUTIA. N

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13 Chloe. [Aside to

OVID. Sir, we all come to gratulate, for the good report of you.

TIBV. And would be glad to deferue your loue, fir.

ALBI. My wife will anfwere you all, gentlemen; I'le 20 come to you againe presently.

PLAV. You haue chofen you a most faire companion here, CYTHERIS, and a very faire house.

CYTH. To both which, you and all my friends, are

very welcome, PLAVTIA.

CHLO. With all my heart, I affure your ladiship.
PLAV.

Thankes, fweet Miftris CHLOE.

IVLI. You must needes come to court, ladie, yfaith, and there bee fure your welcome shall be as great to vs. OVID. Shee will well deferue it, Madame. I fee, euen in her lookes, gentrie, and generall worthineffe. TIBV. I haue not feene a more certaine character of an excellent difpofition.

ALBI. Wife.

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CHLO. O, they doe fo commend me here, the courtiers! what's the matter now?

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ALBI. For the banquet, fweet wife.

CHLO. Yes; and I must needs come to court, and bee welcome, the Princeffe fayes.

GALL. OVID, and TIBVLLVS, you may bee bold to welcome your Miftreffes here.

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OVID. We find it fo, fir.

TIBV. And thanke CORNELIVS GALLVS.

OVID. Nay, my fweet SEXTVS, in faith thou art not fociable.

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PROP. Infaith, I am not, PVBLIVS; nor I cannot. Sicke mindes, are like ficke men that burne with feuers,

Who when they drinke, please but a present tast,

And after beare a more impatient fit.

Pray, let me leaue you; I offend you all,

And my felfe most.

21 Exit. Q, G, N Albius. G, N

GALL. Stay, fweet PROPERTIVS.

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34 Alb. [re-entering.] G, N

41 Mistress 1716, G

39 [Exit with 48 prefent] lingring Q

TIBV. You yeeld too much vnto your grieues, and

fate,

Which neuer hurts, but when we say it hurts vs.

PROP. O peace, TIBVLLVS; your philofophie
Lends you too rough a hand to fearch my wounds.
Speake they of griefes, that know to figh, and grieue;
[291] The free and vnconstrained spirit feeles
No weight of my oppreffion. OVID. Worthy Roman!
Me thinkes I taste his miferie; and could
Sit downe, and chide at his malignant starres.

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IVLI. Me thinkes I loue him, that he loues so truely.
CYTH. This is the perfect'st loue, liues after death.
GALL. Such is the conftant ground of vertue still.
PLAV. It puts on an infeparable face.

CHLO. Haue you markt euery thing, CRISPINVS?
CRIS. Euery thing, I warrant you.

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CHLO. What gentlemen are thefe? doe you know them?

CRIS. I, they are poets, lady.

CHLO. Poets? they did not talke of me fince I went, did they?

CRIS. O yes, and extold your perfections to the heauens.

CHLO. Now in finceritie, they be the finest kind of men, that euer I knew: Poets? Could not one get the Emperour to make my husband a Poet, thinke you?

CRIS. No, ladie, 'tis loue, and beautie make Poets: and fince you like Poets fo well, your loue, and beauties shall make me a Poet.

CHLO. What shall they? and fuch a one as these? CRIS. I, and a better then thefe: I would be forry elfe.

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CHLO. And fhall your lookes change? and your haire change? and all, like these?

CRIS. Why, a man may be a Poet, and yet not 85 change his haire, lady.

58 oppreffion. Exit. Q, G, N

64 Re-enter CHLOE. G, N

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 accoft it.

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

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ALBI. At your ladiships feruice. I got that speech 95 by feeing a play laft 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 aileft 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 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 so 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

S9 lordlings G

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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 whose house, I know thou maist be euer welcome.

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

GALL. This gentlewoman is wooing HERMOGENES for a song.

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

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

CRIS. Doe you loue finging, ladie?

CHLO. O, passingly.

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.

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139 Tib. [In a low voice.] N

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