SOPHOS. _Optatis non est spes ulla potiri_. Yet, Phoebus, send down thy tralucent beams, Behold the earth that mourns in sad attire; The flowers at Sophos' presence 'gin to droop, Whose trickling tears for Lelia's loss Do turn the plains into a standing pool. Sweet Cynthia, smile, cheer up the drooping flowers; Let Sophos once more see a sunshine-day: O, let the sacred centre of my heart-- I mean fair Lelia, nature's fairest work-- Be once again the object to mine eyes. O, but I wish in vain, whilst her I wish to see: Her father he obscures her from my sight, He pleads my want of wealth, And says it is a bar in Venus' court. How hath fond fortune by her fatal doom Predestin'd me to live in hapless hopes, Still turning false her fickle, wavering wheel! And love's fair goddess with her Circian cup Enchanteth so fond Cupid's poison'd darts, That love, the only loadstar of my life, Doth draw my thoughts into a labyrinth. But stay: What do I see? what do mine eyes behold? O happy sight! It is fair Lelia's face! Hail, heav'n's bright nymph, the period of my grief, Sole guidress of my thoughts, and author of my joy. LELIA. Sweet Sophos, welcome to Lelia; Fair Dido, Carthaginians' beauteous queen, Not half so joyful was, when as the Trojan prince Aeneas landed on the sandy shores Of Carthage' confines, as thy Lelia is To see her Sophos here arriv'd by chance. SOPHOS. And bless'd be chance, that hath conducted me Unto the place where I might see my dear, As dear to me as is the dearest life. NURSE. Sir, you may see that fortune is your friend. SOPHOS. Yet fortune favours fools. NURSE. By that conclusion you should not be wise. [_Aside_. LELIA. Foul fortune sometimes smiles on virtue fair. SOPHOS. 'Tis then to show her mutability: But since, amidst ten thousand frowning threats Of fickle fortune's thrice-unconstant wheel, She deigns to show one little pleasing smile, Let's do our best false fortune to beguile, And take advantage of her ever-changing moods. See, see, how Tellus' spangled mantle smiles, And birds do chant their rural sugar'd notes, As ravish'd with our meeting's sweet delights: Since then, there fits for love both time and place, Let love and liking hand in hand embrace. NURSE. Sir, the next way to win her love is to linger her leisure. I measure my mistress by my lovely self: make a promise to a man, and keep it. I have but one fault--I ne'er made promise in my life, but I stick to it tooth and nail. I'll pay it home, i' faith. If I promise my love a kiss, I'll give him two; marry, at first I will make nice, and cry _Fie, fie_; and that will make him come again and again. I'll make him break his wind with come-agains. SOPHOS. But what says Lelia to her Sophos' love?