Andel. Immortal Aretë, Virtue divine: [Kneels.
O smile on me, and I will still be thine.
Virtue. Smile thou on me, and I will still be thine:
Though I am jealous of thy apostasy,
I’ll entertain thee: here, come taste this tree,
Here’s physic for thy sick deformity.
Andel. Tis bitter: this fruit I shall ne’er digest.
Virtue. Try once again, the bitterness soon dies.
Vice. Mine’s sweet, taste mine.
Virtue. But being down ’tis sour,
And mine being down has a delicious taste.
The path that leads to Virtue’s court is narrow,
Thorny and up a hill, a bitter journey,
But being gone through, you find all heavenly sweets,
The entrance is all flinty, but at th’ end,
To towers of pearl and crystal you ascend.
Andel. O delicate, O sweet Ambrosian relish,
And see, my ugliness drops from my brows,
Thanks, beauteous Aretë: O had I now
My hat and purse again, how I would shine,
And gild my soul with none but thoughts divine.
Fortune. That shall be tried, take fruit from both these trees,
By help of them, win both thy purse and hat,
I will instruct thee how, for on my wings
To England shalt thou ride; thy virtuous brother
Is, with that Shadow who attends on thee,
In London, there I’ll set thee presently.
But if thou lose our favours once again,
To taste her sweets, those sweets must prove thy bane.
Virtue. Vice, who shall now be crowned with victory?