SOPHOS.
My want of wealth is author of my grief;
Your father says, my state is too-too low:
I am no hobby bred; I may not soar so high
As Lelia's love,
The lofty eagle will not catch at flies.
When I with Icarus would soar against the sun,
He is the only fiery Phaeton
Denies my course, and sears my waxen wings,
When as I soar aloft.
He mews fair Lelia up from Sophos' sight,
That not so much as paper pleads remorse.
Thrice three times Sol hath slept in Thetis' lap,
Since these mine eyes beheld sweet Lelia's face:
What greater grief, what other hell than this,
To be denied to come where my beloved is?
FORTUNATUS.
Do you alone love Lelia?
Have you no rivals with you in your love?
SOPHOS.
Yes, only one; and him your father backs:
'Tis Peter Plod-all, rich Plod-all's son and heir,
One whose base, rustic, rude desert
Unworthy far to win so fair a prize;
Yet means your father for to make a match
For golden lucre with this Coridon,
And scorns at virtue's lore: hence grows my grief.
FORTUNATUS.
If it be true I hear, there is one Churms beside
Makes suit to win my sister to his bride.
SOPHOS.
That cannot be; Churms is my vowed friend,
Whose tongue relates the tenor of my love
To Lelia's ears: I have no other means.
FORTUNATUS.
Well, trust him not: the tiger hides his claws,
When oft he doth pretend[152] the greatest guiles.
But stay: here comes Lelia's nurse.
Enter NURSE.
SOPHOS.
Nurse, what news? How fares my love?
NURSE. How fares she, quotha? marry, she may fare how she will for you. Neither come to her nor send to her of a whole fortnight! Now I swear to you by my maidenhead, if my husband should have served me so when he came a wooing me, I would never have looked on him with a good face, as long as I had lived. But he was as kind a wretch as ever laid lips of a woman: he would a'come through the windows, or doors, or walls, or anything, but he would have come to me. Marry, after we had been married a while, his kindness began to slack, for I'll tell you what he did: he made me believe he would go to Green-goose fair; and I'll be sworn he took his legs, and ran clean away. And I am afraid you'll prove e'en such another kind piece to my mistress; for she sits at home in a corner weeping for you: and, I'll be sworn, she's ready to die upward for you. And her father o' the other side, he yawls at her, and jawls at her; and she leads such a life for you, it passes: and you'll neither come to her, nor send to her. Why, she thinks you have forgotten her.
SOPHOS.
Nay, then let heav'ns in sorrow end my days,
And fatal fortune never cease to frown:
And heav'n and earth, and all conspire to pull me down,
If black oblivion seize upon my heart,
Once to estrange my thoughts from Lelia's love.