Du Croye. My good Lord!
Roch. My wish bring comfort to you.
Du Croye. The time calls vs.
Roch. Good morrow Colonell.
Exeunt Roch. Du Croye.
Rom. This obstinate spleene,
You thinke becomes your sorrow, and sorts wel [50]
With your blacke suits: but grant me wit, or iudgement,
And by the freedome of an honest man,
And a true friend to boote, I sweare ’tis shamefull.
And therefore flatter not your selfe with hope,
Your sable habit, with the hat and cloake, [55]
No though the ribons helpe, haue power to worke ’em
To what you would: for those that had no eyes,
To see the great acts of your father, will not,
From any fashion sorrow can put on,
Bee taught to know their duties.
Char. If they will not, [60]
They are too old to learne, and I too young
To giue them counsell, since if they partake
The vnderstanding, and the hearts of men,
They will preuent my words and teares: if not,
What can perswasion, though made eloquent [65]
With griefe, worke vpon such as haue chang’d natures
With the most sauage beast? Blest, blest be euer
The memory of that happy age, when iustice
Had no gards to keepe off wrongd innocence,
From flying to her succours, and in that [70]
Assurance of redresse: where now (Romont)
The damnd, with more ease may ascend from Hell,
Then we ariue at her. One Cerberus there
Forbids the passage, in our Courts a thousand,
As lowd, and fertyle headed, and the Client [75]
That wants the sops, to fill their rauenous throats,
Must hope for no accesse: why should I then
Attempt impossibilities: you friend, being
Too well acquainted with my dearth of meanes,
To make my entrance that way?
Rom. Would I were not. [80]
But Sir, you haue a cause, a cause so iust,
Of such necessitie, not to be deferd,
As would compell a mayde, whose foot was neuer
Set ore her fathers threshold, nor within
The house where she was borne, euer spake word, [85]
Which was not vshered with pure virgin blushes,
To drowne the tempest of a pleaders tongue,
And force corruption to giue backe the hire
It tooke against her: let examples moue you.
You see great men in birth, esteeme and fortune, [90]
Rather then lose a scruple of their right,
Fawne basely vpon such, whose gownes put off,
They would disdaine for Seruants.
Char. And to these
Can I become a suytor?
Rom. Without losse,
Would you consider, that to game their fauors, [95]
Our chastest dames put off their modesties,
Soldiers forget their honors, vsurers
Make sacrifice of Gold, poets of wit,
And men religious, part with fame, and goodnesse?
Be therefore wonne to vse the meanes, that may [100]
Aduance your pious ends.