English drama -- Early modern and Elizabethan, 1500-1600
_Mom_. The Crises here are excellent good; The proportion of the chin
good; the little aptness of it to sticke out good; and the wart above it
most exceeding good. Never trust me, if all things be not answerable to
the prediction of a most Divine fortune towards her; now if she have the
grace to apprehend it in the nicke; thers all.
_Eug_. Well my Lord, since you will not tell me your secret, ile keepe
another from you; with whose discovery, you may much pleasure me, and
whose concealement may hurt my estate. And if you be no kinder then to
see me so indangered; ile be very patient of it, I assure you.
_Mom_. Nay then it must instantly foorth. This kinde conjuration even
fires it out of me; and (to be short) gather all your judgment
togeather, for here it comes. Neece, _Clarence, Clarence_, rather my
soule then my friend _Clarence_, of too substantiall a worth, to have
any figures cast about him (notwithstanding, no other woman with Empires
could stirre his affections) is with your vertues most extreamely in
love; and without your requitall dead. And with it Fame shall sound this
golden disticke through the World of you both.
_Non illo melior quisquam, nec amantior aequi
Vir fuit, aut illa reverentior ulla Deorum_[17].
_Eug_. Ay me poore Dame, O you amase me Vncle,
Is this the wondrous fortune you presage?
What man may miserable women trust?
_Mom_. O peace good Lady, I come not to ravish you to any thing. But now
I see how you accept my motion: I perceive (how upon true triall) you
esteeme me. Have I rid all this Circuite to levie the powers of your
Iudgment, that I might not proove their strength too sodainly with so
violent a charge; And do they fight it out in white bloud, and show me
their hearts in the soft Christall of teares?
_Eug_. O uncle you have wounded your selfe in charging me that I should
shun Iudgement as a monster, if it would not weepe; I place the poore
felicity of this World in a woorthy friend, and to see him so unworthily
revolted, I shed not the teares of my Brayne, but the teares of my
soule. And if ever nature made teares th'effects of any worthy cause,
I am sure I now shed them worthily.
_Mom_. Her sensuall powers are up yfaith, I have thrust her soule quite
from her Tribunall. This is her _Sedes vacans_ when her subjects are
priviledged to libell against her, and her friends. But weeps my kinde
Neece for the wounds of my friendship? And I toucht in friendship for
wishing my friend doubled in her singular happinesse?
_Eug_. How am I doubl'd? when my honour, and good name, two essentiall
parts of me; would bee lesse, and loste?
_Mom_. In whose Iudgment?
_Eug_. In the judgment of the World.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account