197Florila What haue I done? put on too many clothes, the

198day is hote, and I am hoter clad then might suffice health,

199my conscience telles me that I haue offended, and Ile put

200them off, that will aske time that might be better spent, one

201sin will draw another quickly so, see how the diuell tempts:

202but whats here? iewels? how should these come here?

204Lab. Good morrow louely wife, what hast thou there?

205Flo. Iewels my Lord which here I strangely found.

206Lab. Thats strange indeede, what, where none comes

207but when your selfe is here? surely the heauens haue rained

208thee iewels for thy holy life, and vsing thy olde husbande

209louingly, or else doe Fairies haunt this holy greene, as euer-

210more mine auncesters haue thought.

211Flo. Fairies were but in times of ignorance, not since the

212true pure light hath beene reuealed, and that they come

213from heauen I scarce beleeue: for iewels are vaine things,

214more gold is giuen for such fantastical and fruitlesse iewels,

215and therfore heauen I know wil not maintain the vse of va-

216nitie, surely I feare I haue much sinned to stoupe and take

217them vp, bowing my bodie to an idle worke, the strength

218that I haue had to this verie deed might haue beene vsed to

219take a poore soule vp in the hie way.

220Lab. You are too curious wife, behold your iewels: what

221me thinks therEs poises written on thē, dispaire not of chil-

Then shee

reades.

222dren, loue with the longest, whē man is at the weakest, god

223is at the strongest; wonderfull rare and wittie, nay diuine,

224why this is heauenly cōfort for thee wife, what is this other?

225God will reward her a thousand folde that takes what age

226can, and not what age would, the best that euer I heard, no

227mortall braine I thinke did euer vtter such conceit for good

228plaine matter, and for honest rime.

229Flo. Vaine Poetry, I pray you burne them sir.

230La. You are to blame wife, heauen hath sent you them to

231decke your self withall, like to your self, not to go thus like a

232milk-maid, why there is difference in all estats by al religiō.

233Flo. There is no difference.

234Lab. I prethee wife be of another mind, and weare these

235iewels and a veluet hood.

236Flo A veluet hood, O vaine diuelish deuise! a toy made

237with a superfluous flap, which being cut off my head, were

238still as warme. Diogenes did cast away his dish, because his

239hand will serue to help him drinke, surely these heathens

240shall rise vp against vs.

241Lab. Sure wife I thinke thy keeping alwaies close,

242making thee melancholy, is the cause we haue no children,

243and therefore if thou wilt, be mery, and keepe companie a

244gods name.

245Flo. Sure my lord, if I thought I shold be rid of this same

246banishment of barrennes, and vse our marriage to the end

247it was made, which was for procreation, I should sinne, if

248by my keeping house I should neglect the lawful means to

249be a fruitful mother, & therfore if it please you ile vse resort

250Lab. Gods my passion what haue I done? who woulde

251haue thought her purenesle would yeeld so soone to cour-

252ses of temptations? nay harke you wife, I am not sure that

253going abroad will cause fruitfulnesse in you, that you know

254none knowes but God himselfe.

255Flo. I know my lord tis true, but the lawfull means must

256still be vsed.

257Lab. Yea, the lawfull meanes indeed must still, but now I

258remember that lawfull meanes is not abroad.

259Flo. Well, well, Ile keepe the house still.

260Lab. Nay, heark you lady, I would not haue you thinke,

261mary, I must tel you this, if you shuld change the maner of

262your life, the world would think you changed religion too.

263Flo. Tis true, I will not go.

264Lab. Nay, if you haue a fancie.

265Flo Yea a fancie, but thats no matter.

266La. Indeed fancies are not for iudicial & religious womē.

268Cat. God saue your lordship, & you most religious lady.

269Lab. Sir you may say God saue vs well indeed that thus

270are thrust vpon in priuate walkes.

271Cat, A slender thrust sir, where I toucht you not.

272Lab. Well sir what is your busines?

273Cat. Why sir, I haue a message to my ladie from Mon-

274sier du Barto.

275Lab. To your lady, wel sir, speake your mind to your lady.

276Flo. You are very welcome sir, and I pray how doth he.

277Cat. In health Madam, thanks be to God, commending

278his dutie to your ladiship, & hath sent you a message which

279I would desire your honour to heare in priuate.

280Flo. My ladiship, and my honor, they be words which I

281must haue you leaue, they be ydle woordes, and you shal

282answere for them truly: my dutye to you, or I desire you,

283were a great deale better, then, my ladiship, or my honour.

284Cat. I thanke you for your christian admonition.

285Flo. Nay thanke God for me: Come I will heare your

286message with all my heart, and you are very welcome sir.

287Lab. With all my heart, and you are very welcome sir, and

288go and talke with a yong lustie fellow able to make a mans

289haire stand vpright on his head, what puritie is there in this

290trow you? ha, what wench of the facultie could haue beene

291more forward? Well sir, I will know your message, you sir,

292you sir, what sayes the holy man sir, come tell true, for by

293heauen or hell I will haue it out.

294Cat. Why you shall sir, if you be so desirous.

295Lab. Nay sir, I am more then so desirous: come sir, study

296not for a new deuice now.

297Cat. Not I my lord, this is both new and old, I am a scho-

298ler, and being spiritually inclined by your ladies most godly

299life, I am to professe the ministerie, & to become her chap-

300laine, to which end monsier du Barte hath commended me.

301Lab. Her chaplaine in the diuels name, fit to be vickar

302of hell.

303Flo. My good head, what are you afraid of? he comes with

304a godly & neighborly sute: what think you his words or his

305looks can tempt me? haue you so litle faith? if euery word he

306spake were a serpent, as suttle as that which tempted Eue, he

307cannot tempt me I warrant you.

308La. Wel answered for him lady by my faith: wel hark you

309Ile keepe your chaplaines place yonder for a while, and at

Enter

Lemot.

310length put in one my self: what more yet? Gods my passion

311whom do I see, the very imp of desolation, the miniō of our

312King, whome no man sees to enter his house but hee

313lookes vp, his wife, his children, and his maides, for

314where hee goes hee carries his house vppon his head like a

315snaile: now sir I hope your busines is to me.

316Lem. No sir, I must craue a word with my ladie.

317La. These words are intollerable, & she shal hear no more

318Lem. She must heare me speake.

319Lab. Must she sir, haue you brought the kings warrant

320for it?

321Le. I haue brought that which is aboue Kings.

322Lab. Why euery man for her sake is a puritan. The Di-

323uill I thinke wil shortly turne Puritan, or the Puritan wil

324turne Diuell.

325Flo. What haue you brought sir?

326Lem. Mary this Madam, you know we ought to proue

327one anothers constancie, and I am come in all chast and

328honourable sort to proue your constancie.

329Flo. You are verie welcome sir, and I will abide your

330proofe: it is my dutie to abide your proofe.

331Lab. You'le bide his proofe, it is your dutie to bide his

332proofe, how the diuell will you bide his proofe?

333Flo. My good head, no other wise then before your face

334in all honorable and religious sort, I tell you I am constant

335to you, and he comes to trie whether I be so or no, which I

336must indure, begin your proofe sir.

337Le. Nay Madam, not in your husbands hearing, thogh in

338his sight for there is no woman wil shewe shee is tempted

339from her constancie, though she be a little: withdraw your

340selfe sweete ladie.

341Lab. Well I will see though I do not heare, women may

342be courted without offence, so they resist the Cortier.

343Lem. Deare and most beautifull ladie, of al the sweet ho-

344nest and honorable meanes to proue the puritie of a ladies

345constancy, kisses are the strongest, I will therefore be bold

346to begin my proofe with a kisse.

347Flo. No sir, no kissing.

348Lem. No kissing Madam? how shall I proue you thē suf-

349ficiently, not vsing the most sufficient proofe to flatter your

350selfe by affection of spirit, when it is not perfitly tried, is sin.

351Flo, You say well sir, that which is truth is truth.

352Le. Then do you wel Lady and yeeld to the truth.

353Flo. By your leaue sir, my husband sees, peraduenture

354it may breed an offence to him.

355Lem. How can it breed an offence to your husband to

356see your constancie perfectly tried.

357Flo. You are an odde man I see, but first I pray tel me

358how kissing is the best proofe of chast Ladies.

359Lem. To giue you a reason for that, you must giue me

360leaue to be obscure and Philosophicall.

361Flo. I pray you be, I loue Philosophie well.

362Lem. Then thus Madam, euery kisse is made as the

363voice is by imagination and appetite, and as both those are

364presented to the eare in the voyce, so are they to the silent

365spirites in our kisses.

366Flo. To what spirit meane you?

367Lem. To the spirites of our bloud.

368Flo. What if it doe?

369Lem. Why then my imagination, and mine appetite

370working vpon your eares in my voyce, and vpon your spi-

371rites in my kisses, pearcing therein the most deeply, they

372giue the stronger assault against your constancie.

373Flo. Why then to say, proue my constancy, is as much

374as to say, kisse me.

375Lem. most true, rare Ladie.

376Flo. Then prooue my constancie.

377Lem. Beleeue me Madam, you gather exceeding witti-

378ly vpon it.

379Lab. O my forehead, my very heart akes at a blowe,

380what dost thou meane wife? thou wilt loose thy fame, dis-

381credite thy religion, and dishonour me for euer.

382Flo. Away sir, I wil abide no more of your proofe, nor

383endure any more of your triall.

384Lem. O she dares not, she dares not; I am as glad I haue

385tride your puritie as may be: you the most constant Lady

386in France? I know an hundred Ladies in this towne that

387wil dance, reuill all night amongst gallants, and in the mor-

388ning goe to bed to her husband as cleere a woman as if she

389were new christned, kisse him, imbrace him, and say, no,

390no husband, thou art the man, and he takes her for the wo-

391man.

392Flo. And all this can I doe.

393La. Take heede of it wife.

394Flo. Feare not my good heade, I warrant you for

395him.

396Lem. Nay Madam, triumph not before the victorie,

397howe can you conquer that, against which you neuer

398striue, or striue against that which neuer incounters you

399To liue idle in this walke, to inioy this companie, to weare

400this habite, and haue no more delights then those will af-

401foorde you, is to make vertue an idle huswife, and to hide

402herselfe slouthfull cobwebbes that still should be ado-

403rned with actions of victorie: no Madam, if you wil vnwor-

404thilly prooue your constancie to your husband, you must

405put on rich apparrell, fare daintily, heare musique, reade

406Sonetes be continually courted, kisse, daunce, feast, reuell

407all night amongst gallants, then if you come to bed to

408your husband with a cleere minde, and a cleere body, then

409are your vertues ipsissima; then haue you passed the ful test

410of experiment, and you shall haue an hundred gallants

411fight thus farre in bloud for the defence of your reputati-

412on.

413Lab. O vanitie of vanities!

414Flo. O husband this is perfect tryall indeede.

415La. And you wil try all this now, wil you not?

416Flo Yea my good head, for it is written, we must passe

417to perfection through al temptation, Abacuke the fourth.

418Lab. Abacucke, cucke me no cuckes, in a doores I

419saye, theeues, Puritanes, murderers, in a doores I

420say.Exit.

421Le. So now is he start mad yfaith: but sirra, as this is an

422old Lorde iealous of his yong wife, so is antient Countesse

423Moren iealous of her yong husband, weele thither to haue

424some sport yfaith.Exit.