Enter Shattillion.
Shat. Sir, may I crave your name?
Cous. Yes Sir you may:
My name is Cleremont.
Shat. 'Tis well, your faction?
What party knit you with?
Cous. I know no parties,
Nor no Factions, Sir.
Shat. Then weare this Cross of white:
And where you see the like they are my friends,
Observe them well, the time is dangerous.
Cous. Sir keep your cross, I'll weare none, sure this fellow
Is much beside himself, grown mad.
Shat. A word Sir;
You can pick nothing out of this, this cross
Is nothing but a cross, a very cross,
Plain, without spell, or witchcraft, search it,
You may suspect, and well, there's poyson in't,
Powder, or wild-fire, but 'tis nothing so.
Cous. I do believe you, Sir, 'tis a plain cross.
Shat. Then do your worst, I care not, tell the King,
Let him know all this, as I am sure he shall;
When you have spit your venome, then will I
Stand up a faithful, and a loyal Subject,
And so God save His Grace, this is no Treason.
Cous. He is March mad, farewell Monsieur. [Exit Couzen.
Shat. Farewel;
I shall be here attending, 'tis my life
They aime at, there's no way to save it, well
Let 'em spread all their nets: they shall not draw me
Into any open Treason, I can see,
And can beware, I have my wits about me,
I thank heaven for't.
Enter Love.
Love. There he goes,
That was the fairest hope the French Court bred,
The worthiest and the sweetest temper'd spirit,
The truest, and the valiantest, the best of judgment,
Till most unhappy I: sever'd those virtues,
And turn'd his wit wild with a coy denial,
Which heaven forgive me, and be pleas'd, O heaven
To give again his senses: that my love
May strike off all my follies.
Shat. Lady.
Love. I Sir.
Shat. Your will with me sweet Lady.
Love. Sir, I come.
Shat. From the dread sovereign King, I know it Lady,
He is a gracious Prince, long may he live,
Pertain you to his chamber?
Lov. No indeed Sir,
That place is not for women, Do you know me?
Shat. Yes, I do know you.
Lov. What's my name? pray you speak.
Shat. That's all one, I do know you and your business,
You are discover'd Lady, I am wary,
It stands upon my life; pray excuse me,
The best man of this Kingdom sent you hither,
To dive into me, have I toucht you? ha?
Lov. You are deceiv'd Sir, I come from your love,
That sends you fair commends, and many kisses.
Shat. Alass, poor soul, How does she? Is she living?
Keeps she her bed still?
Lov. Still Sir, She is living,
And well, and shall do so.
Shat. Are ye in counsel?
Lov. No Sir, nor any of my sex.
Shat. Why so,
If you had been in counsel, you would know,
Her time to be but slender; she must die.
Lov. I do believe it, Sir.
Shat. And suddenly,
She stands too near a fortune.
Lov. Sir?
Shat. 'Tis so,
There is no jesting with a Princes Title,
Would we had both been born of common parents,
And liv'd a private and retir'd life,
In homely cottage, we had then enjoyed,
Our loves, and our embraces, these are things,
That cannot tend to Treason—
Lov. I am wretched.
Shat. O I pray as often for the King as any,
And with as true a heart, for's continuance,
And do moreover pray his heirs may live;
And their fair issues, then as I am bound
For all the states and commons: if these prayers
Be any wayes ambitious, I submit,
And lay my head down, let 'em take it off;
You may informe against me, but withall
Remember my obedience to the Crown,
And service to the State.
Lov. Good Sir, I love ye.
Shat. Then love the gracious King, and say with me.
Lov. Heaven save his Grace.
Shat. This is strange—
A woman should be sent to undermine me,
And buz love into me to try my spirit;
Offer me kisses, and enticing follies,
To make me open, and betray my self;
It was a subtile and a dangerous plot,
And very soundly followed, farewel Lady,
Let me have equal hearing, and relate
I am an honest Man. Heaven save the King. [Exit.
Love. I'll never leave him, till, by art or prayer,
I have restor'd his senses, If I make
Him perfect Man again, he's [mine, till when],
I here abjure all loves of other men. [Exit.
Enter Cozen, and Jaques.
Jaques. Nay, good Sir be perswaded, go but back,
And tell him hee's undone, say nothing else;
And you shall see how things will work upon't.
Cozen. Not so good Jaques, I am held an asse,
A Countrey Fool, good to converse with dirt,
And eate course bread, weare the worst Wooll,
Know nothing but the high-way to Paris,
And wouldst thou have me bring these stains,
And imperfections to the rising view
Of the right worshipful thy worthy Master?
They must be bright, and shine, their cloaths
Soft Velvet, and the [Tyrian Purple]
Like the Arabian gums, hung like the Sun,
Their golden beames on all sides;
Such as these may come and know
Thy Master, I am base, and dare not speak unto him,
Hee's above me.
Ja. If ever you did love him, or his state,
His name, his issue, or your self, go back:
'Twill be an honest and a noble part
Worthy a Kinsman; save 300 Acres
From present execution; they have had sentence,
And cannot be repriev'd, be merciful.
Co. Have I not urg'd already all the reasons,
I had to draw him from his will? his ruin?
But all in vain, no counsel will prevail;
H'as fixt himself, there's no removing, Jaques,
'Twill prove but breath and labor spent in vain,
I'll to my horse, farewell.
Ja. For Gods sake, Sir,
As ever you have hope of joy, turn back;
I'll be your slave for ever, do but go,
And I will lay such fair directions to you
That if he be not doting on his fall,
He shall recover sight, and see his danger,
And ye shall tell him of his Wives abuses,
I fear, too foul against him; how she plots,
With our young Mounsiers, to milk-dry her husband,
And lay it on their backs; the next her pride;
Then what his debts are, and how infinite
The curses of his Tenants, this will work
I'll pawn my life and head, he cries away,
I'll to my house in the Countrey.
Co. Come, I'll go, and once more try him,
If he yield not, so,
The next that tryes him shall be want and woe. [Exeunt.
Actus Secundus. [Scæna Prima.]
Enter Gentleman, Solus.
Gent. Jaques.
Jaq. Sir. [Within.
Gent. Rise Jaques 'tis grown day,
The Country life is best, where quietly,
Free from the clamor of the troubled Court,
We may enjoy our own green shadowed walks,
And keep a moderate diet without art.
Why did I leave my house, and bring my Wife,
To know the manner of this subtile place?
I would, when first the lust to fame and honor,
Possest me, I had met with any evil,
But that; had I been tied to stay at home,
And earn the bread for the whole family,
With my own hand, happy had I been.
Enter Jaques.