A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
General
A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 09
English drama
COMMUNIS SENSUS, PHANTASTES, MEMORIA, HEURESIS, ANAMNESTES,
_upon the Bench consulting among themselves. _VISUS, AUDITUS,
TACTUS, GUSTUS, _and_ OLFACTUS, _every one with his shield
upon his arm_. LINGUA, _and_ MENDACIO _with them_.
COM. SEN. Though you deserve no small punishment for these uproars, yet
at the request of these my assistants I remit it; and by the power of
judgment our gracious sovereign Psyche hath given me, thus I determine
of your controversies: hum! By your former objects, instruments and
reasons, I conceive the state of sense to be divided into two parts; one
of commodity, the other of necessity; both which are either for our
queen or for our country; but as the soul is more excellent than the
body, so are the Senses that profit the soul to be estimated before
those that are needful for the body. Visus and Auditus, serve
yourselves. Master Register, give me the crown; because it is better to
be well, than simply to be, therefore I judge the crown by right to
belong to you of the commodity's part, and the robe to you of the
necessity's side: and since you, Visus, are the author of invention, and
you, Auditus, of increase and addition to the same, seeing it is more
excellent to invent than to augment, I establish you, Visus, the better
of the two, and chief of all the rest: in token whereof I bestow upon
you this crown, to wear at your liberty.
VIS. I most humbly thank your lordships.
COM. SEN. But lest I should seem to neglect you, Auditus, I here choose
you to be the lord intelligencer to Psyche her majesty: and you,
Olfactus, we bestow upon you the chief priesthood of Microcosm,
perpetually to offer incense in her majesty's temple. As for you,
Tactus, upon your reasons alleged I bestow upon you the robe.
TAC. I accept it most gratefully at your just hands, and will wear it in
the dear remembrance of your good lordship.
COM. SEN. And lastly, Gustus, we elect you Psyche's only taster, and
great purveyor for all her dominions both by sea and land, in her realm
of Microcosm.
GUS. We thank your lordship, and rest well content with equal
arbitrament.
COM. SEN. Now for you, Lingua.
LIN. I beseech your honour, let me speak; I will neither trouble the
company, nor offend your patience.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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