Comedy plays; Florence (Italy) -- Drama; Married women -- Drama; Runaway husbands -- Drama
Clo. I am out a friends Madam, and I hope to haue
friends for my wiues sake
Cou. Such friends are thine enemies knaue
Clo. Y'are shallow Madam in great friends, for the
knaues come to doe that for me which I am a wearie of:
he that eres my Land, spares my teame, and giues mee
leaue to Inne the crop: if I be his cuckold hee's my
drudge; he that comforts my wife, is the cherisher of
my flesh and blood; hee that cherishes my flesh and
blood, loues my flesh and blood; he that loues my flesh
and blood is my friend: ergo, he that kisses my wife is my
friend: if men could be contented to be what they are,
there were no feare in marriage, for yong Charbon the
Puritan, and old Poysam the Papist, how somere their
hearts are seuer'd in Religion, their heads are both one,
they may ioule horns together like any Deare i'th Herd
Cou. Wilt thou euer be a foule mouth'd and calumnious
knaue?
Clo. A Prophet I Madam, and I speake the truth the
next waie, for I the Ballad will repeate, which men full
true shall finde, your marriage comes by destinie, your
Cuckow sings by kinde
Cou. Get you gone sir, Ile talke with you more anon
Stew. May it please you Madam, that hee bid Hellen
come to you, of her I am to speake
Cou. Sirra tell my gentlewoman I would speake with
her, Hellen I meane
Clo. Was this faire face the cause, quoth she,
Why the Grecians sacked Troy,
Fond done, done, fond was this King Priams ioy,
With that she sighed as she stood,
bis
And gaue this sentence then, among nine bad if one be
good, among nine bad if one be good, there's yet one
good in ten
Cou. What, one good in tenne? you corrupt the song
sirra
Clo. One good woman in ten Madam, which is a purifying
ath' song: would God would serue the world so
all the yeere, weed finde no fault with the tithe woman
if I were the Parson, one in ten quoth a? and wee might
haue a good woman borne but ore euerie blazing starre,
or at an earthquake, 'twould mend the Lotterie well, a
man may draw his heart out ere a plucke one
Cou. Youle begone sir knaue, and doe as I command
you?
Clo. That man should be at womans command, and
yet no hurt done, though honestie be no Puritan, yet
it will doe no hurt, it will weare the Surplis of humilitie
ouer the blacke-Gowne of a bigge heart: I am going
forsooth, the businesse is for Helen to come hither.
Enter.
Cou. Well now
Stew. I know Madam you loue your Gentlewoman
intirely
Cou. Faith I doe: her Father bequeath'd her to mee,
and she her selfe without other aduantage, may lawfullie
make title to as much loue as shee findes, there is
more owing her then is paid, and more shall be paid
her then sheele demand
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