THE GENTLEMAN USHER. A COMEDY [PUBLISHED 1606]. BY G. CHAPMAN

Vincentio, a Prince, (to gain him over to his interest in a loveaffair) gulls Bassiolo, a formal Gentleman Usher to a Great Lord, with commendations of his wise house-ordering at a great Entertainment.

Vinc. -besides, good Sir, your Show did shew so well-
Bass. Did it indeed, my Lord?

Vinc. O Sir, believe it,

"Twas the best fashion'd and well-order'd thing,

That ever eye beheld: and therewithal,
The fit attendance by the servants used,
The gentle guise in serving every guest,
In other entertainments; every thing
About your house so sortfully disposed,
That ev❜n as in a turn-spit (call'd a Jack)
One vice1 assists another; the great wheels,
Turning but softly, make the less to whirr
About their business; every different part
Concurring to one commendable end:

So, and in such conformance, with rare grace
Were all things ordered in your good Lord's house.
Bass. The most fit Simile that ever was.

Vinc. But shall I tell you plainly my conceit,
Touching the man that (I think) caused this order?

Bass. Aye, good my Lord.

Vinc. You note my Simile ?

Bass. Drawn from the turn-spit
Vinc. I see, you have me.

Even as in that quaint engine you have seen
A little man in shreds stand at the winder,
And seems to put in act all things about him,
Lifting and pulling with a mighty stir,—
Yet adds no force to it, nor nothing does :
So, though your Lord be a brave gentleman,
And seems to do this business, he does nothing.
Some man about him was the festival robe

That made him shew so glorious and divine.

If

Bass. I cannot tell, my Lord; but I should know, any such there were.

Vinc. Should know, quoth you?

1 Turn.

I warrant, you know well. Well, some there be,
Shall have the fortune to have such rare men
(Like brave Beasts to their arms) support their state;
When others of as high a worth and breed,

Are made the wasteful food of them they feed.—
What state hath your Lord made you for your service?

The same Bassiolo described.

[Act iii., Sc. 1.1]

Lord's Daughter. -his place is great; for he is not only My father's Usher, but the world's beside,

Because he goes before it all in folly.2

[Act iv., Sc. 1, p. 305.]

THE BASTARD. A TRAGEDY [PUBLISHED 1652]. AUTHOR UNKNOWN [ATTRIBUTED TO COSMO MANUCHE]

Lover's Frown.

Roderiguez. Thy uncle, Love, holds still a jealous eye

On all my actions; and I am advised,3

That his suspicious ears

Are still behind the hangings; that the servants

Have from him in command to watch who visits.*
"Tis safest, in my judgment, in his presence
That thou forbear to cast a smile upon me;

And that, like old December, I should look

With an unpleasant and contracted brow.

Varina. What, canst thou change thy heart, my dear, that

Of flesh thou gav'st me, into adamant,

Or rigid marble? canst thou frown on me?

Rod. You do mistake me, sweet, I mean not so

To change my heart; I'll change my countenance,

But keep my heart as loyal as before.

Var. In truth I cannot credit it, that thou

Canst cast a frown on me; I prithee, try.

Rod. Then thus:

[heart

(He tries, and cannot; they smile on each other.)

1 [Ed. 1873, vol. i.]
3["By my friend Cæsar."]

2[For other extracts from Chapman see note to page 83.] *["Yourself or Mariana, 'twill be best."]

Var. I prithee, sweet, betake thyself to school; This lesson thou must learn; in faith thou art out. Rod. Well, I must learn, and practise it, or we Shall blast our budding hopes.

Var. Come, try again.

Rod. But if I try, and prove a good proficient; If I do act my part discretely, you

Must take it as a play, not as a truth;

Think it a formal, not a real frown.

Var. I shall

Rod. Then thus: i'faith, minion, I'll look to thee. (She swoons.) Why, how now, sweet!-I did mistrust thy weakness:

Now I have learn'd my part, you are to seek.

Var. 'Faith, 'twas my weakness; when I did perceive

A cloud of rage condensed on thy brow,

My heart began to melt.▬

[Act iii., Sc. 1.1]

LOVE TRICKS. A COMEDY [PUBLISHED 1631]. BY JAMES SHIRLEY

Passionate Courtship.

Infortunio. I must have other answer, for I love you.

Selina. Must! but I don't see any necessity that

I must love you. I do confess you are

A

proper man.

Inf. O do not mock, Selina; let not excellence,
Which you are full of, make you proud and scornful.
I am a Gentleman; though my outward part
Cannot attract affection, yet some have told me,
Nature hath made me what she need not shame.

Yet look into my heart; there you shall see
What you cannot despise, for there you are
With all your graces waiting on you; there
Love hath made you a throne to sit, and rule
O'er Infortunio; all my thoughts obeying,
And honouring you as queen. Pass by my outside,
My breast I dare compare with any man.

Sel. But who can see this breast you boast of so?
Inf. O'tis an easy work; for though it be
Not to be pierced by the dull eye, whose beam
Is spent on outward shapes, there is a way

[Ed. of 1652. For other extracts see Appendix, p. 583.]

To make a search into its hidden'st passage.
I know you would not love, to please your sense.
A tree, that bears a ragged unleav'd top

In depth of winter, may when summer comes
Speak by his fruit he is not dead but youthful,
Though once he shew'd no sap: my heart's a plant
Kept down by colder thoughts and doubtful fears.
Your frowns like winter storms make it seem dead,
But yet it is not so; make it but yours,

And you shall see it spring, and shoot forth leaves
Worthy your eye, and the oppressed sap
Ascend to every part to make it green,

And pay your love with fruit when harvest comes.1
Sel. Then you confess your love is cold as yet,
And winter's in your heart.

Inf. Mistake me not, Selina, for I say

My heart is cold, not love.

Sel. And yet your love is from your heart, I'll warrant.
Inf. O you are nimble to mistake.

My heart is cold in your displeasures only,

And yet my love is fervent; for your eye,

Casting out beams, maintains the flame it burns in.
Again, sweet Love,

My heart is not mine own, 'tis yours, you have it ;
And while it naked lies, not deign'd your bosom
To keep it warm, how can it be but cold,

In danger to be frozen? blame not it,
You only are in fault it hath no heat.

Sel. Well, Sir; I know you have rhetoric, but I
Can without art give you a final answer.

Inf. O stay, and think awhile; I cannot relish
You should say final: sweet, deliberate;
It doth concern all the estate I have;
I mean not dunghill treasure, but my life
Doth stand or fall to it; if your answer be
That you can love me, be as swift as light'ning;
But if
you mean to kill me, and reject

My so long love-devotions, which I've paid

As to an altar, stay a little longer,

And let me count the riches I shall lose

By one poor airy word: first give me back
That part of Infortunio that is lost

Within your love; play not the tyrant with me.2

1 [Four lines omitted.] [Works, 1833, vol. i.]

[Act i., Sc. 1.3]

2[For other extracts from Shirley see note to page 393.]

A WOMAN'S A WEATHERCOCK.

A COMEDY [PUB

LISHED 1612]. BY NATHANIEL FIELD [1587-1633]

False Mistress.

SCUDMORE alone; having a letter in his hand from Bellafront assuring him of her faith.

Scud. If what I feel I could express in words,
Methinks I could speak joy enough to men
To banish sadness from all love for ever.
O thou that reconcilest the faults of all
Thy frothy sex, and in thy single self
Confines! nay, has engross'd, virtue enough
To frame a spacious world of virtuous women!
Had'st thou been the beginning of thy sex,
I think the devil in the serpent's skin

Had wanted cunning to o'er-come thy goodness;
And all had lived and died in innocency,

The whole creation-1

Who's there?—come in

Nevill (entering). What up already, Scudmore ?2
Scud. Good morrow, my dear Nevill?

Nev. What's this? a letter! sure it is not so

Scud. By heav'n, you must excuse me. Come, I know
You will not wrong my friendship, and your manners,
To tempt me so.

Nev. Not for the world, my friend.

Scud. Nay, Sir, neither must you Depart in anger from this friendly hand. I swear I love you better than all men, Equally with all virtue in the world: Yet this would be a key to lead you to A prize of that importance—

Nev. Worthy friend,

I leave you not in anger,-what d'ye mean ?—

Nor am I of that inquisitive nature framed,

To thirst to know your private businesses.

Why, they concern not me: if they be ill,

And dangerous, 'twould grieve me much to know them;
If good, be they so; though I know them not:

Nor would I do your love so gross a wrong,

To covet to participate affairs

1["The white original creation" omitted.]

2[Line omitted.]