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
_Mem._ There all mans honestie,
The sweetness of all youth--
_Cal._ O God's!
_Mem._ My Armour,
By all the God's she's yours; my Arms, I say,
And I beseech your Grace, give me imployment,
That shall be now my Mistress, there my Courtship.
_King._ Ye shall have any thing.
_Mem._ Vertuous Lady,
Remember me, your Servant now; Young man,
You cannot over-reach me in your goodness;
O love! how sweet thou look'st now! and how gentle!
I should have slubber'd thee, and stain'd thy beauty;
Your hand, your hand Sir!
_King._ Take her, and Heaven bless her.
_Mem._ So.
_Pol._ 'Tis your will Sir, nothing of my merit;
And as your royal gift, I take this blessing.
_Cal._ And I from heaven this gentleman: thanks Goddess.
_Mem._ So ye are pleas'd now Lady?
_Calis._ Now or never.
_Mem._ My cold stiffe carkass would have frozen ye,
Wars, wars.
_King._ Ye shall have wars.
_Mem._ My next brave battel
I dedicate to your bright honour, Sister,
Give me a favour, that the world may know
I am your Souldier.
_Calis._ This, and all fair Fortunes.
_Mem._ And he that bears this from me, must strike boldly.
[Cleanthe _kneeling_.
_Calis._ I do forgive thee: be honest; no more wench.
_King._ Come now to Revels, this blest day shall prove
The happy crown of noble Faith and Love. [_Exeunt._
Prologue.
_To please all's impossible, and to despair_
_Ruins our selves, and damps the Writers care:_
_Would we knew what to doe, or say, or when_
_To find the mindes here equal with the men:_
_But we must venture; now to Sea we goe,_
_Faire fortune with us, give us room, and blow;_
_Remember ye're all venturers; and in this Play_
_How many twelve-peaces ye have 'stow'd this day:_
_Remember for return of your delight,_
_We launch, and plough through storms of fear, and spight:_
_Give us your fore-winds fairly, fill our wings,_
_And steer us right, and as the Saylor sings,_
_Loaden with Wealth, on wanton seas, so we_
_Shall make our home-bound-voyage chearfully;_
_And you our noble Merchants, for your treasure_
_Share equally the fraught, we run for pleasure._
Epilogue.
_Here lyes the doubt now, let our Playes be good,_
_Our own care sailing equall in this Flood;_
_Our preparations new, new our Attire,_
_Yet here we are becalmed still, still i' th' mire,_
_Here we stick fast; Is there no way to clear_
_This passage of your judgement, and our fear,_
_No mitigation of that law? Brave friends,_
_Consider we are yours, made for your ends,_
_And every thing preserves it self, each will_
_If not perverse, and crooked, utter still_
_The best of that it ventures in: have care_
_Ev'n for your pleasures sake, of what we are,_
_And do not ruine all, You may frown still,_
_But 'tis the nobler way, to check the will._
APPENDIX.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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