The Mad Lover, a Tragi-Comedy: The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (3 of 10)Fletcher, John
General
The Mad Lover, a Tragi-Comedy: The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (3 of 10)
Fletcher, John
English drama
_Si._ How his head works!
_Mem._ Between two Ribbs,
If he cut short or mangle me; I'le take him
And twirle his neck about.
_Si._ Now Gods defend us.
_Mem._ In a pure Cup transparent, with a writing
To signifie--
_Si._ I never knew him thus:
Sure he's bewitch'd, or poyson'd.
_Mem._ Who's there?
_Si._ I Sir.
_Mem._ Come hither, _Siphax_.
_Si._ Yes, how does your Lordship?
_Mem._ Well, God a mercy Souldier, very well,
But prithee tell me--
_Si._ Any thing I can, Sir.
_Mem._ What durst thou do to gain the rarest Beauty
The World has?
_Si._ That the World has? 'tis worth doing.
_Mem._ Is it so; but what doing bears it?
_Si._ Why! any thing; all danger it appears to.
_Mem_. Name some of those things: do.
_Si._ I would undertake, Sir,
A Voyage round about the World.
_Mem._ Short, _Siphax_.
A Merchant does it to spice pots of Ale.
_Si._ I wou'd swim in Armour.
_Mem._ Short still; a poor Jade
Loaden will take a stream and stem it strongly
To leap a Mare.
_Si._ The plague, I durst.
_Mem._ Still shorter,
I'll cure it with an Onion.
_Si._ Surfeits.
_Mem._ Short still:
They are often Physicks for our healths, and help us.
_Si._ I wou'd stand a breach.
_Mem._ Thine honour bids thee, Souldier:
'Tis shame to find a second cause.
_Si._ I durst, Sir,
Fight with the fellest Monster.
_Mem._ That's the poorest,
Man was ordain'd their Master; durst ye dye, Sir?
_Si._ How? dye my Lord!
_Mem._ Dye _Siphax_; take thy Sword,
And come by that door to her; there's a price
To buy a lusty love at.
_Si._ I am content, Sir,
To prove no Purchaser.
_Mem._ Away thou World-worm,
Thou win a matchless Beauty?
_Si._ 'Tis to lose't Sir,
For being dead, where's the reward I reach at?
The love I labour for?
_Mem._ There it begins Fool,
Thou art meerly cozen'd; for the loves we now know
Are but the heats of half an hour; and hated
Desires stir'd up by nature to encrease her;
Licking of one another to a lust;
Course and base appetites, earths meer inheritours
And Heirs of Idleness and blood; Pure Love,
That, that the soul affects, and cannot purchase
While she is loaden with our flesh, that Love, Sir,
Which is the price of honour, dwells not here,
Your Ladies eyes are lampless to that Vertue,
That beauty smiles not on a cheek washt over,
Nor scents the sweet of Ambers; below, _Siphax_
Below us, in the other World _Elyzium_,
Where's no more dying, no despairing, mourning,
Where all desires are full, desarts down loaden,
There _Siphax_, there, where loves are ever living.
_Si._ Why do we love in this World then?
_Mem._ To preserve it,
The maker lost his work else; but mark _Siphax_,
What issues that love bears.
_Si._ Why Children, Sir.
I never heard him talk thus; thus divinely
And sensible before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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