Val. I honour ye, by all the rites of holy marriage,
And pleasures of chaste love, I wonder at ye,
You appear the vision of a Heaven unto me,
Stuck all with stars of honour shining clearly,
And all the motions of your mind Celestial;
Man is a lump of Earth, the best man spiritless,
To such a woman; all our lives and actions
But counterfeits in Arras to this vertue;
Chide me again, you have so brave an anger,
And flows so nobly from you, thus deliver'd,
That I could suffer like a Child to hear ye,
Nay make my self guilty of some faults to honour ye.
Eva. I'le chide no more, you have rob'd me of my courage,
And with a cunning patience checkt my impudence;
Once more forgiveness? [She kneels.
Val. Will this serve, Evanthe? [Kisses her.
And this my love? Heavens mercy be upon us;
But did he tell no more?
Evan. Only this trifle: you set my woman on me, to betray me;
'Tis true, she did her best, a bad old woman,
It stir'd me, Sir.
Val. I cannot blame thee, Jewel.
Evan. And me thought when your name was sounded that way—
Val. He that will spare no fame, will spare no name, sweet;
Though as I am a man, I am full of weakness,
And may slip happily into some ignorance,
Yet at my years to be a bawd, and cozen
Mine own hopes with my Doctrine—
Eva. I believe not, nor never shall; our time is out to morrow.
Val. Let's be to night then full of fruitfulness,
Now we are both of one mind, let's be happy,
I am no more a wanting man, Evanthe,
Thy warm embraces shall dissolve that impotence,
And my cold lye shall vanish with thy kisses;
You hours of night be long, as when Alcmena
Lay by the lusty side of Jupiter;
Keep back the day, and hide his golden beams,
Where the chaste watchful morning may not find 'em;
Old doting Tython hold Aurora fast,
And though she blush the day-break from her cheeks,
Conceal her still; thou heavy Wain stand firm,
And stop the quicker revolutions;
Or if the day must come, to spoil our happiness,
Thou envious Sun peep not upon our pleasure,
Thou that all Lovers curse, be far off from us.
Enter Castruchio with Guard.