A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 03
English drama
[TREAS.] Ye are welcome, sir, heartily; what! be of good courage;
Drawer, let us have a pint of white wine and borage.
LUST. Wherefore, I pray thee tell?
INC. Marry, methink you are not well.
LUST. Not well? who can a better life crave,
Than to possess such a lady as I have?
Is there any wealth not contained in Treasure
Ah, lady, I love thee, in faith, out of measure.
INC. It is out of measure indeed, as you say,
And even so most men love her at this day;
O, she is a minion of amorous hue,
Her peer in my days yet I never knew.
Old (quod you): I am an old knave, I tell ye,
Nay, never laugh at the matter, for doubtless I smell ye;
She passeth Juno, Ceres, and Pallas,
More beautiful than ever dame Venus was,
Othea in sapience she doth exceed,
And Diana in dignity, of whom we do read;
What should fair Helen once named be,
She excelleth all these, Master Lust, believe me.
LUST. How say you, is not this an eloquent lad?
TREAS. That you have such a servant, truly I am glad.
INC. Ha, ha, now indeed I can you not blame,
For women of all degrees are glad of the same;
They that flatter and speak them fair,
Shall be their sons, and peradventure their heir.
LUST. You told me of a brother you had, Lady Treasure.
TREAS. Yea, sir, that I have; his name is called Pleasure;
And seeing you enjoy me now at your will,
Right soon, I am sure, he will come you until.
LUST. Truly of him I would fain have a sight,
For because that in pleasure I have marvellous delight.
INC. Then honesty and profit you may bid good night. [_Aside._
LUST. What say'st thou?
INC. I say he will shortly appear in sight;
I know by his singing the same is he,
[_Aside_] The misbegotten Orpheus I think that he be.
_Enter_ PLEASURE, _singing this song_.
_O happy days and pleasant plays,
Wherein I do delight-a;
I do pretend, till my life's end,
To live still in such plight-a._
INC. Master Pleasure, I perceive you be of good cheer.
PLEAS. What, Inclination, old lad, art thou here?
INC. Yea, sir, and Lady Treasure your sister, also.
PLEAS. Body of me, then unto her I will go.
What, sister, I am glad to meet with you here.
TREAS. Welcome unto me, mine own brother dear.
Master Lust, this is my brother, of whom I told;
He is pleasant and lusty, as you may behold.
LUST. Gentleman (I pray you), is your name Master Pleasure?
PLEAS. Yea, sir, and I am brother to Lady Treasure.
LUST. And are you contented to accompany me?
PLEAS. Whereas she is resident, I must needs be;
Treasure doth Pleasure commonly precede.[326]
But the one is with the other, they have both so decreed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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